A Mommy Makeover Patient’s Story

April 28, 2020

As quarantine weeks go on, we are definitely feeling for the parents of the world. Many of our staff have school-aged kids at home and we know firsthand how it feels to dig deep for new levels of patience some days. And our kids are unquestionably, 100%, without a doubt worth the extra effort. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some tough, frustrating days, or that we don’t feel overwhelmed from time to time.

And let’s face it: being a mom can definitely feel overwhelming, even during the best of times. The lack of privacy, endless questions and unpredictable schedules can be a lot to handle. We have patients who are moms that tell us how they don’t often get an opportunity to make time to take care of themselves or to put their needs first—not as a complaint but as a simple statement of fact. It’s a lot of work, and it’s deeply important to them.

We meet these patients at a key moment where they have decided to do something significant to support their own wellbeing and feel like a mommy makeover procedure might be right for them. Some of them have had to grapple with feelings of guilt for wanting to take a time out and do something solely for themselves. Sometimes they’ve confronted worries about being perceived as selfish. But they’ve come to embrace the knowledge that wanting to do something for yourself doesn’t diminish the fact that you’d do anything for your kids.

Our incredible post-op nurse, Lori, recently heard from one of these patients (pictured above, before and after her surgery) who wanted to let her know that, three years later, she’s still happy she made the right decision for herself. Here’s more from her story:

“No matter how hard I tried, how long I worked out, or how many sit-ups I did, that rip in my abdomen from my third baby (10 lbs baby) was not going to magically put itself back together.

I was 32 with three kids. Twins and a singleton. The twins almost took my life and my last baby took my body. I started to research ways I could bring my body back and I asked a ton of people that were willing to share their reconstructive story what they recommended.

One friend (a young mom too) said she went to Dr.Lista. She was thrilled with the results because they were natural. And so I booked my consult and then my surgery; tummy tuck and breast augmentation.

The day had arrived. I was extremely excited but also ridiculously nervous; the last time I was put under was when my twins were born and I was hanging on by a thread. This day was a BIG day for me and the team was truly amazing, supportive, and caring.

I came to a few hours later and the team was there for me and before I knew it I was under my mom’s care. Nurse Lori checked in on me that night and then saw her the next morning. If anyone knows me, you know that I worry a lot about everything and the recovery wasn’t any different. Not once did I feel like my questions were annoying; she was there for me.

The experience was fantastic, but most importantly it gave me my confidence back. As the swelling decreased my confidence increased. This surgery was life-changing for me.

Today my body is the most beautiful it has ever been: at 36, after three kids, I can walk around naked and feel so good about it.”

During times like these, we feel really lucky to keep hearing from patients who remind us about all of the things we love about our job and we want to continue to celebrate them. We’re still looking forward so much to opening our doors again, when it’s safe to do so, and to keep helping people write stories like these. They’re not happy endings—they’re exciting new beginnings.