A Mom’s Renewal
Linda came to Dr. Clark after a twin pregnancy, followed by two singleton pregnancies. After carrying and nursing four babies, the toll it had taken on her body was clear. Her breasts were deflated and lopsided from years of breastfeeding. Her stomach had been severely stretched and the resulting look, Linda says, “Made me go for the XL shirt on instinct alone!”
It all started back in 2004 when she was just a few months into the twin pregnancy. “I realized then the stretch marks I was getting would never go away. After I delivered the twins, I had what is known as ‘twin skin’. When the twins were just one year old, I discovered I was pregnant with my third. He was born at almost 9 pounds and when he was 2 ½ years old I discovered I was pregnant again; this one was born at 10 pounds. So by then end of all 3 pregnancies, my stomach was unrecognizable from being so stretched out. People thought I was still pregnant. It was embarrassing.”
According to Dr. Clark: “Linda was an ideal candidate for cosmetic surgery near Sacramento. Her breasts were extremely asymmetrical and her stomach had been so stretched from the pregnancies that I immediately knew she would benefit from a Mommy Makeover. Linda needed a breast lift with an augmentation and a tummy tuck at our Sacramento area practice in order to create beautiful and natural looking breasts.”
Putting Herself First
For Linda, the moment she decided she was ready for plastic surgery came one afternoon while watching a TV program centered on a mom raising multiples. “I was watching Jon & Kate Plus 8 when something she said resonated with me; she said she needed something for her. And I thought, me too! I have always put my family first. I was ready to do something for myself. I was tired of wearing sweats, putting my hair up in a ponytail and not caring about my appearance. I didn’t want to be that frumpy mom anymore; it was time to make a change.”
Dr. Clark says she sees women every day in that same situation. “As a Mom to a 3-year-old, I can absolutely relate to the struggles that we as women feel: the daily challenge of balancing all that we have to do, while trying to make time for ourselves to look and feel great. When I met Linda, I knew right away that I wanted to be a part of her transformation. She was appropriately prepared, had realistic expectations, and was excited to get started. Linda even went a step further after surgery, and took her results to a whole new level.”
Not only did Dr. Clark help Linda feel better about herself, she transformed her. Dr. Clark performed an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) and a mastopexy (breast lift) with a breast augmentation at her Sacramento area practice. Dr. Clark removed 7 pounds from Linda’s stomach alone. According to Linda she lost several pounds that first week.
New Body, New Life
“After the recovery process, I realized life was going to change. I needed to eat right and exercise in order to maintain my results. I had made this investment in my body and I was committed to keeping it so I started right away. I hired a personal trainer and with his help I learned about proper nutrition and exercising. One year later and I am still going strong; I am trying to set a good example for my family. The surgery was a turning point for me. It has been a huge transition as well as a huge transformation.”
Linda says now life has changed so much for her. No longer does she dread shopping; no longer does she instinctively grab the XL size. “I can’t really describe it…now I feel sassy. I am excited to go shopping, I can buy fun clothes. I feel very blessed to be where I am. I have more energy, I can keep up with my kids, I smile more. I can go out and be social. I feel healthier.”
