"He told me I'd be running on the beach within two weeks of my surgery."

Said Bonita Hovey, 61.

Within a week of her procedure, Hovey said she had an infection and a gaping wound on her belly.

Her doctor, Jan Adams, is the man who performed the "tummy tuck" and breast reduction surgery that preceded the death of Donda West, the mother of Kanye West.

"Tummy tuck" sounds cute, but it's serious surgery, and no one should take it lightly. It's not like getting a haircut. The doctor is slicing deeply into your flesh and removing a slab of you. Hovey describes a 16-inch wound in her abdominal wall.

I've had my abdominal wall cut through twice — to carve an escape route for an oversized infant. It was hard for days just to stand up. And I still remember thinking it was a triumph to walk to the end of the hallway and back.

Yes, we long to have our abdomen restored to the sleek look it had when we were 23, but abdominal surgery is a risk and an ordeal. Don't let the words "tummy tuck" fool you into thinking it's easy. Reconsider situps and eating less.