I've spent most of my time here discussing medical issues regarding the stomach that are of a disease nature. In our modern health care culture the boundaries of health have shifted and what we use to just put up with can now be altered and fixed.

I had a tummy tuck 10 years ago. This came after 15 years of being at war with my wasteline for it only took two pregnancies to wear the muscles of my abdomen out. After the first pregnancy I could still fit into my size 8 jeans easily agian but after the second my stomach never returned to its normal muscular tighness. This I grieved internally and it was the cause of diets and exercise regimens that did no good. I was not overweight, mind you. Just a few pounds really right at the wasteline. Finally one day I saw a program on TV about a tummy tuck and I looked into it and decided it was for me.

But that decision did not come easily. All the words of my ancestors about vainity echoed in my head. Why should I be so vain or so privildged to avoid what women have endured since eternity?

Finally I said "get lost" to that voice in my head. I had an opportunity to feel good about my body again and I was going to take it....nd all those diet and exercise guru's could take a hike.

A tummy tuck is a major surgery and should not be taken lightly. You should be in good health and be ready for a down time afterwards. You must look into all the potential complications and make your decision either for or against the caluclated risk. Since I had already flown through two c-sections I felt like I was a good risk.

Finally I chose my physican who was located in Costa Rica. Why Costa Rica? Largely due to cost but for safety issues also. He was not only highly skilled but afordable. Costa Rica has become a mecca for plastic surgery at a cost that a less than wealthy person from the US can afford. Most of the physicians are US trained in their specialities. I would also mention that in some regards the surgery may be safer down there because they do not have the issues with MRSA (resistant infections) that US hopsitals have. I will never forget one tummy tuck patient that I had while working as a nurse who was sent to a nuring home for her post op stay, a nuring home filled with MRSA. I thought that was pretty high risk, too high for my likings anyway. There is no clean hospital in the USA anymore, so I chose Costa Rica.

My surgery went without a hitch. By day 15 I was back at work with a limitation on my lifiting capacity for another month. The procedure is not without discomfort but the mental wellbeing that it brought to me was great in the longrun. I had my wasteline back and felt good about myself. I was in a bathing suit again on our return trip to Costa Rica to only enjoy the beaches. I wished I had found my way to have had it done much earlier and now ten years later I still do not regret that I had it done.