A mom of two young children, one weighing over eight pounds at birth and the more than nine pounds, Kodi was not thrilled with the way her body looked post-pregnancies. “I was at my lowest weight ever, but after having 20 pounds of baby, there was so much extra skin and fatty tissue it was impossible to get rid of it with diet or exercise,” explains Kodi, expressing a common frustration of many moms. She also had stretch marks running from her low ribs all the way down her belly, and two C-section scars.
First Steps
After a couple of friends had gotten tummy tucks themselves, Kodi decided that might be the right answer for her, too. At the same time, she did not take the decision lightly. She refused to rush, and took the time to do her research. Kodi found two doctors online she liked and scheduled consultations with both of them; the first consultation was with Dr. Francesco Campanile
Kodi says she fell in love with the office staff before she even met the surgeon himself.
“I liked them right away, all the office girls. Even on the phone when I made the appointment, they were so awesome and seemed so real. The other doctor I called, they were kind of rude, like ‘Oh, are you sure you just want that? Don’t you want other things done too?’ There was none of that at Dr. C’s office.”
Meeting Dr. Campanile
When she finally did meet Dr. Campanile, Kodi knew right away she was in excellent hands.
“He just has this confidence. Other doctors say ‘You might look like this, or this could be what happens.’ But Dr. C was like ‘These ARE the results you’ll see. This IS what you will look like. No matter what, that body is going to be the best work I can do.’ Confident, but without being cocky.”
Although her instincts told her that Dr. Campanile was the right choice for her, she kept her consultation appointment with the other surgeon as well. If anything, that other meeting just confirmed she was making the right decision by sticking with Campanile Plastic Surgery.
“Dr. C wasn’t just better; he was over-the-top, WAY better.” After her consultation, she talked him up so much that her husband finally said, “You need to just schedule the appointment and get it done.” And that’s exactly what she did.
Looking Great with Lipoabdominoplasty
Dr. Campanile felt his exclusive C.L.A.S.S. Tummy Tuck would give Kodi the results she wanted, offering the most modern abdominoplasty techniques combined with liposuction as well. The C.L.A.S.S. provides superior contouring results and often an easier recovery, and another huge plus: there are no post-surgical drains to worry about, something Kodi felt strongly about.
“One thing I did not want was drains!” she says. “My girlfriends who had tummy tucks told me about them and I was like ‘No. Nuh-uh.’ But the C.L.A.S.S. didn’t have any drains, so I was happy about that.”
Even her interactions at the surgical center told her she’d made the right choice in Campanile Plastic Surgery. “They were all, ‘Oh, you’re here for Dr. C? You will LOVE him!’ Even the anesthesiologist and nurses were awesome.”
After Her Procedure
Kodi describes the recovery as not bad at all. She had surgery on a Friday. “Saturday was tough, but by that next Wednesday, I was off my meds,” she says. “And two weeks after surgery, I went on a field trip to the pumpkin patch with my son. I recovered way faster from this than from my C-sections.”
She also talks about how great it was to have Dr. Campanile call her after surgery to check up on her, and about the total support she felt from the entire office throughout the healing process.
“Alisha and Erin told me I can call or text or send pictures any time. The whole office is just amazing. I didn’t expect my recovery to be so good,” says Kodi. “I feel like I’m ready to go to the gym already but Alisha says I need to slow down.”
Dazzling Results
Back at work only three weeks after her surgery, Kodi says her coworkers refused to believe that she only had a tummy tuck.
“They were all ‘Come on, you got your boobs done, didn’t you!’ And I just say ‘No, it’s just my tummy.’ It just looks that good.” Even at just a few months after surgery, she says her scar is incredibly low and flat compared to her C-section scars—both of which were removed during her surgery, along with the worst of her stretch marks.
“My other friend who had a tummy tuck from a different surgeon has to do scar therapy. And when she talks about it, I’m just like ‘Mm-hmm.’ Because my scar is amazing. And my belly button looks amazing.”
“I used to be a size 14; now I’m a 10. I want to shout from the rooftops, I’m so happy! I’m not even three months out from my surgery and I’ve got a surprise photo shoot scheduled next week for a Christmas present for my husband.”
“Being a mom of two, I’m not going to have a high school body. I don’t need a high school body. I’m not perfect; my body isn’t perfect now and it wasn’t perfect before surgery either, but the way I look now, it’s perfect for me. My goal is just to be the best Kodi I can be. I look a million times better than before surgery.”
“I will tell anyone: ‘I had this done. Here is his card. You need to call this man.’ I am 100 percent happy. I am a million times happy. I will be happy in this body for the rest of my life.”