Ahuva's Tummy Tuck

A Stubborn Tummy Meets Its Match

Ahuva had one of those physiques other people envy, even into her mid-50's. At 5'2" tall, she weighed just over 100 pounds and felt fit. She's an active person with a job that keeps her in motion, but other than that Ahuva didn't really have to work at it. Even following two pregnancies her body had snapped back into shape naturally.

Ahuva also has a condition called Meniere's disease. It's a disorder of the inner ear that causes hearing problems and balance issues when it flares up. After living with it for three decades, last year Ahuva had a particularly bad attack of vertigo that sent her to the doctor for treatment.

At this point, Ahuva's physician decided to try steroid injections to restore her equilibrium. Ahuva remembers they helped her condition a little bit, but she wasn't so pleased about the weight gain side effect. She says, "After nine days I looked in the mirror and didn't recognize myself. After two weeks I had gained 34 pounds!"

"This was a disaster for me," Ahuva recalls. She signed up at a gym and hired a personal trainer. She worked to get her body back, putting time into it nearly every day. After six months her figure seemed under control again--except for her abdomen. The excess fat and lax skin simply would not budge.

"I looked like I was 10 months pregnant," she says, and she means it. "At age 56 people gave me their seats on the bus!" Laughing, she explains that yes, she looks young for her years.

The only solution was a tummy tuck, the New York City resident realized. She heard about Dr. Elliot Jacobs from a co-worker who had performed extensive research into local plastic surgery options. She felt comfortable, the relationship clicked and she scheduled an abdominoplasty and liposuction for last fall.

Once Ahuva convinced herself that no amount of her own effort would make a difference, she never looked back. She got ready for surgery and the procedure went smoothly.

Ahuva listened to Dr. Jacobs' post-op instructions and prepared to follow them, but also planned to see for herself what recovery would mean. She stayed with a friend for one day, went home the second day and returned to work just a few days later. "I am a very stubborn person," she explains. She did wait a few months to return to the gym, however. She remembers her post-op experience as similar to recovery from the C-sections she had when her daughters were born.

Now that she doesn't look like a pregnant 50-something, Ahuva feels renewed contentment with her figure and her life as a confident, single woman. She is happy she can wake up in the morning, put on whatever she wants to wear and go about her business. "I feel good for myself, not for anyone else."

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