Tummytuck Surgery After Childbirth & Weight-lost at Shens Clinic (Photos and Recovery Updates)

I finally completed the post that  everyone has been patiently waiting for...the journey of my tummy-tuck surgery.

Why I Choose to go for a tummytuck procedure?

I've always fantasized about just cutting off that piece of loose saggy flab hanging on my waist.  Yes those dreadful multiple folds that were fixated upon my entire life after my two pregnancy births and massive weight lost.

 If you have followed my previous post, I gained nearly 30kg during my pregnancy and continued to gain more until I was a whooping 80kg body for my small frame. It took me slightly over a year to lose all the crazy weight. In fact now I weigh even lesser than my pre-preg weight, but infuriatingly, my tummy still disappoints me . I lost a lot of weight at such a short period of time so this caused my skin to stretch and get loosen even more. They started to hang like small folds of apron all over my entire belly. The tissue that binds the main abdominal muscles has stretched beyond natural repair and regardless how much exercises I did or how much weight I lose, the loose skin is unable to reverse back to its original state. I desperately want the hanging skin to go so my tummy can look normal again.  Each time I looked at myself in the mirror, I felt so self-conscious of my saggy scarred tummy and always think of ways to hide them. Not many new how serious my condition is. Many doctors have already confirmed that my only option is a tummy tuck surgery to fully repair it. I do have people advising me to change my diet , take more collagen or do certain kind of toning exercises , thinking that it will help to solve this loose skin problem. I can tell you that anything under the sun you can think of, I've tried.Maybe it helps to improve a tiny bit but it definitely wont solve my problem.  After several years of consideration, I decided to go the surgical route, to get rid of it once and for all.

How "Bad" Was My Tummy Before Surgery? (photos before surgery)

After my rapid weight-lost, my skin became so loose and saggy that it even droops over my bellybutton. You can not believe that this 70 years old look-alike tummy belongs to a 30 years old. And now you know how much I want to repair this wrinkled apron that I've been carrying for the past few years.

What is a Tummytuck/Abdominoplasty? 

During tummytuck/ abdominoplasty surgery, your abdominal skin is stretched down over your incision line and the excess skin is removed after tightening the abdominal muscles with sutures. In a FULL tummytuck, a long horizontal incision is made just above the pubic bone , curving up to the sides of the hip bones. Drainage tubes will then be inserted into the incisions to prevent the buildup of fluids beneath the skin. The tummytuck scar will be incorporated to the existing scar of women who have undergone cesarean section and may take several months to fade. 

A tummy tuck is NOT a substitute for weight loss . A good candidate is one who has lost a lot of weight, finished having children, already committed to a healthy lifestyle but struggle with increased amounts of skin laxity or separated abdominal muscles. 

The Consultation with Dr Shen from Shens Clinic

Tummytuck is a big surgery that takes long hours with the use of GA (general anesthesia ) .Therefore, it's very important to look for a board-certified cosmetic surgeon with specialized training and significant experience. Dr Shen from Shens Clinic is very professional because after he reviewed my medical history, he is able to explain the procedures in detail, and understood the result that I desired.

Dr Shen is also a perfectionist and has high expectation of his work. After analyzing my condition, he decided that I need a full tummy-tuck, bellybutton reconstruction, diastasis rec-ti repair (stitching back the separated abdominal muscles walls) and liposuction of my flanks to create that dramatic improvement that I expected. He was confident that he can easily help me retrieve back my long-lost pre-pregnancy figure or achieve one that is even better. 

The Day of Surgery 

Honestly I don't remember much about the surgery day. I knew that I'm really thankful to the anesthesiologist who helped me sleep comfortably throughout that 5 hours while Dr Shens carefully worked his magic on me . I woke up with my torso swathed in thick bandages and was still a little googly from the after-effect of the GA. I didn't manage to experience any real pain yet , just the discomfort from the super tight body garment that they squeezed me into. I thought that the real pain would hit me immediately after I gained consciousness. However probably due to the leftover anesthesia, I was even able to get up slowly and walked to the reception sofa myself to meet my hubby there. 

This photo is taken right after my surgery.... I looked a little pale-looking but feeling rather fine. Well, except for that disturbing bag of blood hanging between my legs. 

Nothing could prepare me for the worst part of my recovery and that is mainly contributed by this bloody bag above. I had two thin tubes on each end of my (hip to hip) incision that helps to drain fluid from my abdomen. They are connected to this bag that collects the blood and fluid over the next few days. The tubes of the bag really gets on my nerves as they always got in the way .If I accidentally pull or trip over them ,it would lead to this unbearable painful burning sensation that shot all the way up to my entire torso. Therefore I need to be really careful with these tubes and bag for the next six days. Once the bag is filled up with my accumulated blood, I had to drain them into the toilet bowl multiple times a day. This is definitely not for the faint of heart . For that week, my toilet was filled with the puking stench of my blood. Furthermore I've to survive in this ugly beige post-surgical garment that was so tight and uncomfortable that it made me gasp and pant for breath, causing me sleepless nights. 

The First Week Of Recovery

The first week is all about gritting your teeth and pulling through the recovery period. I was pumping myself with painkillers and sleeping pills , trying to pass by the discomfort stage. Getting myself up and down the bed was extremely tedious because of the raw flesh drain-holes from my incisions that had me constantly wincing in pain. Whenever I accidentally stimulate those abdominal muscles with a cough or sneeze or even a laugh, my tummy felt like being stabbed by tiny burning knives. This was due to the stitching of the muscle gaps in my abdomen. It hurts very badly if it got tensed just a little.  For nearly two weeks, I've to keep my hips flexed and walk hunch over like an old lady. It made my lower back ached so much.  At times I wonder why am I putting myself at peril for the sake of vanity? This was the time that I've to constantly keep my mind focus on the results, and convince myself that everything is all worth it. And by doing so, I did online shopping for new clothes and bikinis that I can wear after I recover. It has proven to be a very good way to comfort myself at this period. 

The 7th Day Of Recovery

The drains were finally removed on the 6th day at the clinic. I was so damn happy to see them go . This is how my tummy looked like on the 7th day without the tubes, bag and corset. My entire torso feels so rock hard and is still swelling with bruises. My new bellybutton has yet to be healed so it had to be covered with a plaster to prevent infection. When I reached home, I cant wait to stand in front my mirror and slowly examine my naked tummy. It was already obvious that my wrinkled skin had been evenly ironed out and for first time I can remember; I've a waist finally!
 Dr Shens advised me to wear my compression garment as long as I can, to give me the support I need, as well as to recover faster with better result. 

The 14th Day Of Recovery

At this stage although I cant really stand up fully straight yet and is still hunching a little,  I'm already quite comfortable enough to resume most of my daily routine around the house, like cooking and handling my two kids. My waist has became much more defined , even though the skin is still tight and looked stapled down in an unnatural way. My new reconstructed bellybutton was a straight line instead of a round naval. However Dr Shens assured me that I'm still at the healing stage and my tummy would soften and become much natural-looking soon. 

The Scar of a Tummytuck

Tummytuck is a surgical procedure that requires a long incision across your abdomen, therefore it would definitely leave a long faint scar. However, Dr Shens is careful when placing the incision so any scarring will be easily concealed by underwear or a bikini bottom. Also, I was advised to use certain products to minimize scarring and it will fade dramatically with time.If you are curious how the scar of a tummytuck looks like, here you go. This is the scar two months after the surgery.  Truthfully, I can live well with the scar in exchange for my perfectly stretched skin and flat tummy. Oh and I finally have a cute bellybutton too!

3 Months Post-surgery - The Result (Photo)

It has been 3 months since my surgery and I didn't regret any bit for going through this even if I've to repeat the pain that I endured during the first few days. Dr Shens has amazingly gave me the result that I've always been dreaming of for a long time; he managed to magically turn back the clock and get my pre-pregnancy body back for me. My saggy and wrinkled tummy skin and loose protruding bellybutton are finally gone, and now I've a perfect new waist to work on.

I would like to point out that doing this surgery doesn't mean that I didn't love myself or didn't appreciate the "battle scars" from my pregnancy. I love what my body had given me;  two beautiful children that rock my world. However I don't need the presence of loose skin, stretched marks and wrinkled tummy to remind me how much I love my children. I still love them the same, more than anyone in the world. And it's not that I don't love my body anymore. In fact it's because I love my body so much that I wanted this surgery to be done with no regrets. 

Once again, the recovery journey of a tummy-tuck is no joke. You really need the help and support especially if you have kids at home. I'm proud to say that my hubby has been my steady rock throughout this entire ordeal of mine. He tried his best to help around to ensure my recovery journey was a smooth and easy one. Lastly, a great thank you to Dr Shens who've created this miracle for me and also to the rest of the staffs from ShensClinic. Everyone there has been pretty helpful and showed concern and patience to me during my recovery journey.  

If you have questions for me , do drop me a message or follow my 

Instagram @adebabysuns for more updates. 

To all females, mothers and my sisters out there, I'm not exactly trying to convince you that this tummytuck surgery is a MUST-DO. However if you made a good candidate and are already sure that you really want to go for it, I like to remind you again that tummy-tuck is a big surgery so it is extremely important to find yourself a reputed doctor with experience in this surgery.

 Of course due to my personal good experience and result , I would highly recommend my doctor, Dr Shens from ShensClinic. More information can be found below. 

Shens Clinic

Address: 3 Killiney Road, Winsland House 1, #09-08, Singapore 239519

Telephone: (65)69044488, (65)96416744

Email: enquiry@shensclinic.com

Website: http://www.shensclinic.com

Vanquish Me ( thighs) - Body Beautiful Programme at DRx

Non-invasive slimming treatments are always so popular because they are like fast cheat-pass to solve your wobbly woes. Everybody demands for a fast and convenient slimming method that is safe, pain-free, cost-effective and doesn't require any downtime. However non-invasive procedure also carry significant limitation. Who doesn’t wish to kill all their fats and come down a dress size smaller without surgery or dieting? I say non-invasive fat treatments can be your answer.

The best candidate are those who have failed to get rid of stubborn fats in specific area of their body, despite their attempt to diet and work out in gyms. Yes, diet and exercise do nothing to shift that specific spot of fats away, especially when you have already hit a healthy BMI and no longer want to lose more weight. 

And so I believed I make a good candidate because I'm already in a decent shape (or so I thought) and just need that extra contouring help on my thighs. 

I wore shorts at home, I wore them to the market. I wore them to pick my kids up from school, I wore them for casual dates and I even wore them to sleep. Alright you get my point, I love wearing shorts especially in this tropical weather like Singapore. But wearing shorts come with great responsibility haha, when I became conscious over my thighs. Since I'm always in shorts, then I want to flaunt them well. My thighs are not exactly fat, but neither are they desirably slim.

With so many noninvasive fat-reduction technologies available today. which is the most effective one of all? I may have not tried out all of them to find out the answer. But I know I've achieved very good result after completing 4 sessions of ;

Vanquish Me, part of the Body Beautiful Programme at DRx clinic which comprises of four Vanquish ME™ sessions and four skin tightening sessions to shape and firm the selected body part. 

I'm sure most of us have already heard of the reputated name DRx, who is also one of the pioneers specialize in non-surgical aesthetics all the way since the year 1999. 

The clinic is conveniently located at Tong Building in Orchard, just right next to Paragon mall.  Once i stepped into the reception area, the crispness of the all-white interior evoke a certain cleanliness and purity feel.

 I had a consultation with Dr Goh Ching Hoe who assessed my fats to further ensure that I'm the right candidate for this Vanquish treatment, and brief me through the steps of the programme and what to expect. 

(My pageant pose with Dr Goh )

Before I begin the treatment, measurements are made so that we can compare the before and after treatment results later on. 

We started with the X Wave therapy that delivers acoustic waves pulses into the body, creating vibrations in the soft tissues to break down fats under the skin. This is absolutely painless to me, in fact it felt rather therapeutic like doing a comfortable hammering massage to relax my thighs. 

And here comes the star of this treatment, VANQUISH ME!  The panel is adjusted over my thighs without any skin contact to it. and over the next 30 minutes, this FDA-cleared body contouring procedure uses radiofrequency energy to eliminate fat cells beneath skin's surface in a non-invasive way, with no damage to any skin or muscle. The fat cells are then naturally flushed out through our body lymphatic channels over the next few weeks

This treatment is virtually painless and requires zero downtime. It begins with this heating sensation that is comfortable enough to lull me to sleep. However towards the end of each session, I would experience a dull aching feeling at the outer area of my thighs. It is not painful though , but just a weird pulling sensation that I can feel. I brought it up to the staff and doctor who ensure me that the device is working on my fat cells and probably I've more accumulated fats at my outer thigh so that area is slightly more sensitive. 

Metal and signaling devices can disrupt the device, therefore it is more of a torture not being able to use my handphone during the treatment. On a positive thought, this also give me a good excuse to snooze during the day.

I was advised to drink a lot of water before and after each session so that the radiowave energy is absorbed effectively to eliminate the dead fat cells efficiently from the body. 

The last step helps to tighten the skin, improve blood and lymphatic circulation which can help to increase collagen production, resulting in firmer and smoother skin. This is the most relaxing part of the whole treatment as it feels just like a comforting warm massage session. . 

 I was warned that some people may experienced little lumps at their thigh area which are not visible but can be felt when you touch it. These lumps are likely caused by fat necrosis, where the fat cells die and will gradually disappear over the next few days  True enough I can feel the lumps the next day at my outer thighs, which kind of pleased me because I knew these are the corpse of my fats....they are dead haha! And I just have to massage away to get it out of my lymphatic system. So bye bye fat cells!

MY RESULTS after 4 sessions of Vanquish treatments

Total measurement LOST for top and bottom sections of my thighs : 

Left thigh - 3.5cm off

Right thigh - 4cm off

My cellulite-ridden thighs improved a lot and became much smoother and both thighs look much firmer. Do not expect the inches lost to be drastic enough to drop a size down in just 4 sessions. It is never an alternative for heavy weight-lost but it is a great procedure for those who are already in good shape and just want a fast , easy and painless method to enhance that certain area of your body.

And also do understand that the fat cells undergo a process of cell death over the next few weeks, so 

the body’s natural metabolism process needs time to flush out the fat cells that have been destroyed which means that the result is gradual and more improvements can be seen later on. 

It does not mean that I have gained a free pass to continue feasting like no tomorrow.

 However I'm pleased that it somehow helps to jump-start my motivation to begin a new healthy eating habit and exercise routine to maintain the result I've achieved. 

Body Beautiful Programme from DRX is a customized body contouring plan that not only consists of the Vanquish treatments, but also lymphatic drainage, anti-cellulite and skin-tightening procedures. 

It is

• - non-invasive 
• - short procedure with no downtime
• -Permanent result (if one adopts healthy life style after the programme)
• -literally pain free compared to surgical procedures 
• -They are FDA approved.

Do make your appointment to give it a try!

DRx Medical Aesthetic Clinic and Medispa

302 Orchard Road,Tong Building #16-01/02

Singapore 238862

Tel: +65 6733 1555

http://www.drxclinic.com/site/
https://www.facebook.com/TheDRxClinic
http://instagram.com/thedrxclinic 

Explorer Juniors - Shark VS Train workshop

I am a mother of two lovely boys ; the older one is obsessed with trains since he was a baby , and the other one is fascinated about the ocean every since he watched the movie "Finding Nemo." This workshop "Shark VS Train " seems to be literally made for them. The school holiday had just begun not long ago and I thought I should use this opportunity for them to spend some meaningful time at holiday workshops and this just came at the right time. Once the boys knew that the workshop is called" SHARK VS TRAIN ", both of them began debating excitedly who is more powerful than the other . It was rather interesting to listen to my preschoolers' not-so-logical analysis as they argue friendly about it.

This workshop is inspired by a storybook called "Shark VS Train" , by the author Chris Barton. The children will get to explore two different themes for this workshop. The first one is about "sharks", where they learn about their habitat and their characteristics before their hands-on activities that revolved around the sharks topic. The second theme is the "train",and the children learn by going through a series of tech-based activities and hands-on experiments. From there, they get to discover more about this transportation invention and learn the science concepts behind it.   

Here are some of the photo-sneaks taken during the 3 days workshop of "Shark VS Train"

Each child was given a shark figurine so they can visualize better when the instructor describes the characteristic of every parts of the shark's body. 

The children were engaged in a hands-on experiment to understand how sharks are able to stay afloat due to their oil-filled liver. All of them were eager to gathered around the pail to watch what happens when oil is mixed with water . This allows them to learn about density by determining the objects that can float or sink in water.

Next they moved on to a brief technology lesson of Code-a-Shark using Scratch Junior application. The children are paired up together and taught to design and build a maze using simple coding. Rboy used to attend Robotics and Coding enrichment classes, therefore he is very familiar with this coding part and wants to lead his partner. I've to remind him to give his younger brother a chance to play too.

The children also touched upon science and geography by creating these sharks' fossils that they can bring back home.

On and off, they were given simple worksheets to enforced what they learned during the lesson. This time , they are required to design their own shark cage. I didn't expect the boys to get any creative because in my simple mind , I myself visualized the shark's cage to be just a cage that's big enough to lock a shark in. However Rboy drew a cage that has a claw on top (same like the one from the toy machines in the arcade) to grab the shark , spikey wheels at the bottom and some other weaponry to ensure the sharks don't escape. 

When I saw BabyK drawing many vertical and horizontal lines on his page, I thought probably my this 3 years old doesn't understand what he was supposed to do. When I asked him what he is drawing, he explained that his shark's cage is a sticky spider web that is spread across the ocean to trap the shark. I was equally surprised by his answer. This shows that a child can actually think out of the box so much easier than an adult. 

The second segment of the workshop is about "Train". 

The children were exposed to the architecture of a train, to understand the logic and science behind the construction of railway tracks. 

A group project was assigned to them to build up a town from scratch, using the wooden blocks of train tracks and houses.This was an excellent time to cultivate their teamwork spirit as they learn to interact well and respect each other opinions and ideas 

Another one of their favorite activity is making a train model out of recycled items. 

BabyK has difficulty doing certain part of the construction , like inserting the rods and fixing the wheels onto the train. The patient instructors try to encourage him and guide him to do so by himself.

I was touched to see the determination of my 3 years old as he continued to try even after many failed attempts. Yes, never once did he give up or lost interest in his mini project.

So as part of the train construction, they were supposed to attach a balloon to it and when it is inflated and released, the train will move forward.

The older kids managed to succeed and started racing once another with their trains. 

It was pretty amusing to see my boys keep trying and trying...

They were eager for their trains to join the race too.

Next, the instructor did a demonstration that shows the magnetism power of a magnet and how they attract and repel. Because of their gasps and ooh and wows,  it was as though the kids were watching a magic show!

They then moved on to the MagLev train activity where they were shown how it can be moved through the coils of wires with the use of magnets.

After the fascinating demonstration, the children cant wait to lay their hands on it.

This workshop by Explorer Junior is designed to be structural , educational and sparks creativity to preschoolers age 3-6 years old.  It focuses on real world science and engineering practices that work to reinforce science concepts and methodologies. 

If you are keen to check out other interesting workshops by Explorer Junior, do click their website below to learn more. They have many children holiday workshops all line up for this December month! 

http://www.explorerjunior.com

Early Math Matters - Math & Cognitive Development Enrichment for 3-6 years old

The Importance of Early Math Education for Preschoolers

Being parents of preschoolers, we do enjoy the moments when our kids share their world with us as they explore and learn with great enthusiasm. We always want the best for our children and give them all opportunities within our ability to achieve their potential to equip them well for the future. I've learnt that early math education is just as important as early literacy. Math is needed to build reasoning in a child and exposing them in their early ages can leads to benefits at later stage. In fact, young children are naturally interested in math as it exists in the world around them . By obtaining a strong Math foundation to understand concepts and terminology early can prepare the child to apply the skills learned and make it easier for them to make a connection with the real world.

Why EARLY MATH MATTERS (EMM) ?

I've been trying to source for an enrichment class for my 3 years old BabyK and that's when I chanced upon Early Math Matters; a premier Mathematics & Cognitive development enrichment centre that specialize in preschool math education.  It is also the sister company of NeuroMath Academy founded by Mr Norman Tien, a PSLE Math trainer with 20 years of experience. 
My requirements are pretty simple. I want a programme that can build up BabyK's math fundamentals learning in a fun and stress-free manner. At this young age, play is the perfect learning environment for them.

EMM believes that purposeful play can allow young children to grasp highly complex mathematical concepts if they learn math concepts in a fun and engaging way. This is totally in line with what I want Kyrian to experience now.

MATH INTELLIGENCE PROGRAMME (3-6 years old)

Young children learn math best by engaging in dynamic, hands-on games and activities. The Math Intelligence Programme is catered to preschoolers age 3-6 and focus on teaching math concepts through purposeful play lessons with interesting learning aids and experiential manipulative.  Lessons are made to be fun, interactive and engaging to help them build a passion for math.

Now let me show you some photo previews of the activities that BabyK did in his 3 years old class. 

Practicing number bonds to 10. The kids learn all the two numbers that make up to 10 by matching the caps to the right bottles.

After the teacher demonstrated the number bonds of 10 concept, the kids get to do a related simple worksheet to enforced what they've learned.

Auditory memory game that requires the kids to listen and count the number of clicks they hear for each round. Somehow BabyK really loves this activity and gets really excited to shout out the answer when everyone is still trying to focus on listening.

Learning simple addition of 5, using simple blocks to input the concept.

With teacher's guidance, they did some simple addition equations together. 

Visual memory game when the kids pretend to be holding a camera to take a picture on the screen. They have to remember and try to place the items back to the correct position.

This is also a type of photographic memory game that teaches them about spatial awareness .

IQ logic activity - Arranging the shapes according to their sizes and number of dots.

Spatial recognition game , learning about position of an item. 

Fixing a puzzle together.

Motor skills training - cutting with a scissor.

Another one of Kyrian's favourite segment; walking a straight line while balancing an egg on a spoon. 

Every week, the kids are exposed to different interesting games and activities that strengthen their Math foundation and cognitive development. And these are what EMM meant by learning through purposeful play. At the end of each lesson, the teacher will conduct a debrief session for parents to share what was taught during the lesson. She also provides feedback on the child’s strengths and learning gaps and advise what parents can do at home to improve their learning progress.

EMM is very gracious to share to my readers some of their manipulative and hands-on games that are played by the 3 years olds in their Math Intelligence Programme. 

All these games used in their purposeful play are designed to engage all of the child’s 5 senses and help them build a strong foundation for problem solving during their early experiential learning phase.

My Review

The programme definitely instills a strong interest in Math for BabyK and builds up his confidence in approaching numbers and concepts.  This is exactly what I want him to benefit from an early math education. If he enjoys math, it is so much easier to teach him more. I can also see great improvement in his concentration level and observance skill. For a 3 years old,  he is able to visualize and interprete very well. Most importantly I can see his great enthusiasm towards coming to class and to share with me what he learned every week.
I used to think that Math is a very difficult and boring subject, as I myself struggle with the subject in school. However now I understand that it is different if the child is able to cultivate a strong interest in the subject at a very young age and EMM gives the child an opportunity to achieve this.

PROMO CODE TO SHARE TO MY READERS

I highly recommend this programme to parents who is looking for an enrichment that specialised in early math for kids at a young age. So if you're looking for one that is able to kick start a child's love for math and for them to learn math in a fun and stress-free environment, then The Math Intelligence Programme from Early Math Matters is definitely the right enrichment school to start off with.

More information of Early Math Matters can be found below. Do make an appointment with their friendly consultant if you like to visit the outlet to understand more.

Website: http://earlymathmatters.com

Address: 42 East Coast Road, #01-02, Singapore 428762

Tel: +65 6384 0797 , +65 97703263