TT scheduled in 2 weeks!

I have a month to go and I'm already tossing and turning at night dreaming about it!

Hi Washington,

Maybe I can help put your mind at ease. I am 9 days post-op from my tummy tuck and 50 years old. I don't work, but I have already been shopping at target twice, been out to lunch, done laundry, loaded the dishwasher, etc. Anyway, I guess you get the picture. Here's the thing....up to day 5 you will have a pretty tough recovery, but then it starts to speed up rapidly with each day. I found that from the beginning just getting up and moving around helped a lot. I would say by day 8 I really started to get around much better and have more energy, so I would bet by 2 weeks you will be fine to go back to work. Really the only thing I still can't do is lift and bend over. My Dr. had me start standing as straight as possible by day 6 and I think that was great because I would probably have walked hunched over forever to keep from feeling the pulling sensation when standing straight. Best of luck to you and I promise you all the trouble will be worth it in the end.

Wow, you're really doing well.

I guess I'm just an old fart at 55, or maybe just a wimp! :D

I am feeling stronger daily though, and trying my darnedest to walk straighter.

Shopping? nah

Well, it's not like I am walking straighter without discomfort. It feels like I am stretch armstrong, but I just want to hurry along the process asap. I actually hate shopping, but it was 70 degrees and sunny and just wanted to get out. I made it to haverty's, lay-z-boy, target and then I had to go home a lay down for an hour. The nurse told me that the more I am up and around the quicker my recovery. I'm going with the saying "what don't kill you will make you stronger." I'll let you know how that works for me. And you are no wimp! This was not a fun surgery! All I had was the muscle and skin...didn't you also have lipo? Maybe that's the difference in recovery time. Hope you continue to improve and you will be shopping before you know it. I'm going to try to post a 1 week pic tomorrow even though it is kind of gross just so everyone can see the changes in the coming weeks. You should post some pics.

I wish you the best on your surgery. I also had problems trying to get my breast reduction & panniculectomy "approved" using FMLA leave at work. I've worked there 8 years, and after I submitted my FMLA paperwork 40 days in advance, I was told that I would have to do it later in the spring because it's elective and they just couldn't staff it. I was made to move my surgery date back from the date the physician wanted to do it initially, and if I didn't have the guts (vs stupidity) to know the law and stand up for myself, I still would not have had my surgery done. I told them I wasn't asking them; I am following the law and that it is not elective surgery; It's medically necessary surgery. The only way I could postpone it any longer is to have them pay for my $300/mo chiropractor bills which kept me able to keep on working in the pain I was in. It's never convenient for employers. I did tell my supervisor that because of companies like ours (a huge medical employer in the U.S.), that is why we have to have the FMLA law in the first place. Then I was told that I should be able to come back in 2-3 weeks. I'm over 2 weeks post-op now, and there's no way I could go back yet. I still can't bend over. They only look out for themselves. When it comes down to it, the employees rarely really matter. We're a dime a dozen in their eyes. It's a sad world. Best of luck to you. I can't wait to hear how you're doing. My panniculectomy is very similar to abdominoplasty. Others have offered great advice. Something to hang your drains on in the shower and a picker upper thing are definite necessities. :)

Hi mels,.
I finally posted a review How are you?

Not all plastic surgery is elective. That really just shows their ignorance. Mine was approved as medically necessary by my insurer, and I was able to use FMLA leave and use my sick hours while I'm off, but not without battle with my employer. Just know the laws that protect you under FMLA and stand up for yourself.

Congrats! You might want to re-think the granny panties though. I bought 6 of them and tried to wear them, but with the drains and all that they didn't work because they came up too high. This is funny, but I wore my husbands underwear the first couple of days while down south was swollen, then moved on to no underwear, then by day 6 was wearing 1 size bigger than my normal bikini's. My best purchase was the hospital bed and the Gopher Grabber from Target that I used to pick stuff up when I couldn't bend over. Best of luck to ya!!!!