In the week before my surgery, I wanted to make sure I had taken care of everything. I filled my prescriptions (an antibiotic to prevent infection; Percocet for the pain; Lovenox to prevent blood clots; and a muscle relaxer and anti-nausea meds) and picked up a bunch of other things to help me with my recovery. Here's what my shopping list looked like:

-Arnica gel (to help with bruising and muscle pain)
-Vitamin C and Zinc supplements (to promote healing)
-Turmeric (to reduce bloating and swelling)
-Bromelain (to reduce inflammation and speed healing)
-Milk of Magnesia (to help with that first bowel movement!)
-Cold packs (for swelling)
-Compression garments
-Maxi pads and liners (for drain leaks and as a cushion between my body and the compression garment)
-Shower chair
-A walker (to help me get to and from the bathroom)

I honestly don't remember much about the day of the surgery. I wasn't nervous about the anesthesia at all. I had the surgery in the morning and spent the rest of the day and night sleeping in the recovery room. One of the things that attracted me to the plastic surgery practice I chose is that you stay there overnight. I think the fact that I didn't have to immediately go home made my recovery a lot more stress-free.

What I do remember: there was a lot of tightness and swelling -- thank goodness for Percocet and muscle relaxers!

I'm not gonna lie -- in the days immediately after my surgery, I was in a lot of pain. Getting in and out of bed hurt a lot. My incision felt like it was splitting open every time I moved. The walker was really helpful -- I highly recommend one to anyone considering an operation like this.

Although I was in a lot of pain, I could already tell how much smaller I was. The surgeon said he took off about 22 pounds between the lipo and skin removal. I kept my "before" pictures close by to keep my spirits up -- it was a good reminder that I had already come pretty far!

I started feeling a lot better about three days after the operation. I was really impressed with the results. So was my sweet husband, who took a week off of work to be with me. I used the arnica regularly, and my bruising was minimal. By day four, I was able to get in and out of bed by myself without the walker.

The worst part about the recovery: those drains. I had four of them. They got in the way, pulled and occasionally burned. The drains were removed about a week after the surgery, and I was ecstatic to see them go.

The first week after the operation really was difficult, but I kept my mind focused on my results. Each day was a little bit better. Even when I was in a lot of pain, I didn't have any regrets about going through with the surgery.

Twenty days in, my incision split open slightly. I was concerned that it was infected, so I had it checked out. They told me that I wasn't getting enough blood flow to the region, which caused the issue. I was given a topical prescription cream (Silvadene one-percent) and told I needed to add more protein to my diet to encourage new cell formulation and healing. Incredibly relieved that it wasn't infected, I stocked up on protein bars, eggs, nuts and chicken, and vowed to be diligent about applying the cream.

I went back to work three weeks after the surgery. I was still a little swollen, but I felt great about how I looked. I took things slow and tried not to put any stress on the stitches. At one point, I dropped something underneath my desk and had to ask someone else to get it for me because I was afraid the movement would put too much pressure on the stitches!

My tummy tuck and lipo scars were still bumpy and red at this point, but my plastic surgeon told me they would eventually start to flatten out. It's really low (you wouldn't be able to see it in a bathing suit), so I wasn't too concerned about the scarring.

One totally unexpected but major (and incredible!) benefit of this surgery was the impact it had on my back problems. I was afraid that this surgery would set me back, but I've experienced the exact opposite. My surgeon says it's because my core muscles weren't being used the way they should have been, placing a lot of extra work on my back. Since the surgery, I have felt ZERO back pain.