Sunday, January 30, 2011

So I did it....

I actually got plastic surgery. I have been contemplating getting an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) every since I gave birth to AJ. For some reason my body has skin that wasn't elastic enough to go back to where it was after had my babies. I had tons of excess skin hanging around my waist, not my most attractive look ever. Now it's gone, all gone.

This was a huge step for me in a lot of ways. I have very strong views about allowing society to dictate how you see yourself. So for me to get a medically unnecessary cosmetic surgery was not something that I ever expected to do. I strive to compare myself only to myself. I want to be and look the best that I can be, not try to be and look the best that some celebrity can be. To me this means being realistic about my expectations about myself. My decision came down to just a few very important things. 1- I had done everything possible to fix the problem myself. I have been working out steadily for 2 years, had a personal trainer for half of that time. 2 - I was happy with every aspect of my body except for the stomach area, I knew that this wasn't going to be a snowball thing where once I got one surgery I would want more and more. 3 - We could afford the surgery. We didn't have to take out a loan or put off paying any bills in order for me to get this done. I couldn't feel comfortable with getting this done if I hadn't met my above criteria.

I am still only 2.5 days past the surgery and so far I feel like I am doing okay. The healing process is awkward and painful, and I have needed a ton of help from family. My Mom has been here, my wonderful husband took off work, and my best friend and sister of my heart came as well. Their support and caring these last few days have made this infinitely easier, and I am so thankful to be surrounded by such amazing people.

You won't be getting before and after photos, because this isn't something I did for others, but something I did for me. I did however feel like sharing what I have done was important because the desire for plastic surgery is one that many modern women struggle with, and no one wants to talk about.