Hi Maven, I am sorry for the way you feel about this. I could be the poster child for stretch marks. What you have described, I would give anything to trade for. My mom had four children, and before I became a mother, I abhorred the look of her stomach. It was floppy, filled with freddy kruger stretch marks up past her belly button, and there was NOTHING that could make it go away. Sadly, I inheirited the EXACT same stomach, but worse!!! I remember when I was pregnant for the first time, I used cocoa butter RELIGIOUSLY. I did not scratch my skin, as I was told this would prevent stretch marks. Right at five months pregnant, the first stretch marks appeared below my belly button. I cried and cried and cried. Little did I know, that was just the beginning. I have HORRIBLE stretch marks on my stomach, and I have received MORE EACH PREGNANCY. I have had three children and each time I thought, how could I possibly get more stretch marks? BUT I DID. I also have the "kangaroo pouch" that has plagued our gender since the dawn of womankind. I was devestated to say the least. The marks on my breasts, thighs, and hips are ever present, but do not compare to my stomach. PLEASE COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS MAVEN!!! I know going from a perfect 10 body to having the least blemish is hard to accept, and torments us as we are forced to be surrounded by perfectly airbrushed crops of new and fresh eighteen year old playboy models each and every single year and new crop of perfect bodies reaches legal age. Beauty is passing. There is no hundred year old woman worth her weight in salt who can hold back the hands of time. I am certainly not proud of my stretch marks. If I could push a button and have smooth wrinkle free skin, I would kill a hundred puppies if I had to (not really, but you get the desperation lol) to have that chance. I am proud to be a woman who still finds that I have a reason to get up in the morning day after day, despite my imperfections. My family has rewarded me for my trade off. I wish I could come over to your house and show you the horror that is possible, or trade bodies with you so that you could really appreciate your body <3 I could only appreciate my body after it was gone like the wind. Don't make the same mistake I did. Love yourself Maven! <3