To Tuck or Not to Tuck

If I haven't said it already, pregnancy was not as glamorous as I assumed it would be. I mean, I didn't expect it to be a perfect experience, but it definitely threw me a few curveballs. There were some discomforts in the moment and some lasting souvenirs from those periods in my life...

...including stretch marks and loose skin. To be perfectly honest, I am jealous of those women who "bounce back" so well, you can't tell they were ever pregnant. My stomach bothers me. My sister once asked, "if it bothers you so much, why don't you get surgery?"

Well, I have considered it. I've done a little research, looked at before-and-after pictures, hunted for less-invasive alternatives. There are several reasons I don't think I would ever go that route, however.

First, it costs A LOT. The surgery itself is usually more than $6,000, and that doesn't include facility fees, anesthesia, etc. That much money could be spent on multiple nice vacations or plenty of other things that matter more to me and would probably make me happier in the long run.

Second, it is a major surgery. Somehow, when it comes to cosmetic surgery, that point isn't emphasized as much. These procedures carry risks, and are those risks worth it? That answer is different for each individual. I tend to be risk-averse, so I am not positive the risks outweigh the benefits.

Third, I try to be a positive role model for my daughter and for the young women I teach. I think our society places too much emphasis on appearance and on attaining unrealistic standards of beauty. Of course, I am frequently insecure, but I try to hide it so that the next generation has a better chance of fighting off the pressure. If I wouldn't want my daughter to get surgery to change her appearance to be "more beautiful," then why would I do it?

Going along with the above point, my stomach could end up looking better, but I would also know it was due to surgery. Would that fact bother me? How many celebrities pretend that they are naturally gorgeous, but then they later reveal they did, in fact, have surgery? Does your appearance have to be natural for it to be considered attractive? Is surgery any different than makeup? I don't have the answers to these questions, but it seems like you should have a good idea of your beliefs before doing something as drastic as surgery.

Finally, I'm not exactly a young girl anymore. Does anyone else need to see my stomach? I might never get to wear a bikini again, but that doesn't seem important in the grand scheme of things.

So, unless there is some miraculous, non-surgical treatment developed in the future, it looks like I'm going to have to learn to be friends with my belly!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stages of Grief

  We have big news They announced out of the blue And I joked that they were going to tell use you were dead But while I said it in jest, They did, in fact, tell us you were gone And just like that, I had to process the loss - All the things we had accomplished, all the memories and plans for the future Gone I was heartbroken And angry But no one asked how I felt And no one else seemed to feel the same pain I was told to smile and move on As if your demise was no more noteworthy than a change in the weather As if people weren't spewing venom in your absence Saying you deserved to die And maybe you should've been gone a long time ago But I did as I was told As I always do While trying to honor your legacy I pondered how to move on without you And eventually the pain dulled And the bleeding stopped But sometimes I remember Everything that was lost And how I was denied a chance to mourn And I cry again In secret Alone
Read more

Little Red Lines

  Little red lines, Run far and free. Be a river whisking me to heaven; Let me drown in your life-giving force. Little red lines, Connect my scattered dots. Trace lines along this battered vessel; Shadow its empty hollows. Little red lines, Mingle with the air. After all, you are fed by oxygen, Though it no longer sustains me. Little red lines, Make my vision rosy. Paint the external world a vibrant hue; Leave me a sight to be seen. Little red lines, Take my breath away. Pour my soul into the earth And return me to my peaceful home. Little red lines, Be my map on this journey. Guide me to my destination; Outline my path along the way. -November 22, 2007- Sometimes I wish I had acted in 2007 instead of simply writing. Then I wouldn't be here, in the middle of this mess. I wouldn't be struggling with the pain, the isolation, the fear, and the questions surrounding a global pandemic. I wouldn't be wondering why inconvenience is a more powerful motivator than compassion for som...
Read more

"Two-faced"

When looking for the poem in my previous post, I sifted through many other works written in high school. In some, the intention was very clear. In others, I had to consider the date and context to tease out the meaning. Such was the case for the following poem. Before I share the work, I'd like to provide some background. I was fairly lucky when it came to my high school class. It wasn't the stereotypical situation in which popular girls picked on everyone else. Yes, there were "cool girls," and if you weren't friends with them, you wouldn't be invited to their parties. If you sat next to them in class, however, they were usually rather friendly. Also, to be fair, they weren't invited to the parties my friends threw, either. I'd say our class was made up more of "friend groups" than "cliques." There were some exceptions, but as a whole, everyone was pretty nice. And yet, I was still bullied in high school. I'm sure this is ...
Read more