Tummy Tuck: Stories

I have been reading the stories and experiences and found quite a bit of information that has helped. I am a very private person and so keeping this to myself has been very challenging. I did finally tell my mother and sister. They are very supportive as is my husband.

I am 53 years old and at one time weighed 252 pounds. I currently weigh 147. I have always wanted to do this but was too scared and of course the cost. I will post pictures later...not pretty I assure you.

I go for my preop on Wednesday and surgery will be on Tuesday, December 4th. I did go to two different doctors. I thought it was going to be extremely hard to chose. Both are very good Drs.. but there was a sense of peace with one and I knew that he was the one I wanted to do this surgery. I am so glad that I decided to get a second opinion.

I am such a wimp, meaning that I do not do well with pain. So, I have been very afraid of the recovery. I am trying very hard to stay positive because it will only lessen my recovery time. My emotions are all over the place. From being happy, sad, scared, and then I got to the restroom or change clothes and I can't wait to go to the flat side and know that this is what i need to do.

As I said earlier, I am a private person and I have told my employees and employer that I am having female surgery. Now, I have to have my health care provider fill out FMLA papers....ugh! I don't know what to do. Must think of something. I fully understand FMLA but again this is very personal and private.

I have been so excited today about the surgery. I do not know how some of you can schedule this surgery and wait. In the past month, I have talked myself out of this surgery and then back in it 100 times! It is a go and I am counting down the days!

I will take and post pics so that hopefully, I can help someone out there too. It is great to have you all to talk to and going through the same thing. Will keep updating as things happen! This is going to be an incredible journey! Prayers for those having surgery tomorrow and to those in post op! Good night everyone! :)

I have added my before pics. How embarrassing and gross. Countdown...6 more days! At peace, but still nervous! When I look at these pics it will be worth it!

Wow, what a busy couple of days! Went to my preop visit and took my before pics, got my scripts, everything is paid, got my labs done, EKG. My surgery center changed today because the dr. is wanting me to stay over night. The hospital is new and is extremely nice...I will be in a suite! I rented a chair lift and it will be delivered tomorrow. The nurse also recommended a walker to make it easier on the back. I will come home with a pain pump that is good for 7 days. My first PO visit will be on 12/12 which will be PO 8 days. The pain pump off and 1 of the drains. My PS will not allow me to wear a CG until both drains are removed. I was told the second drain will be removed 3-5 days after the first one was removed. My scripts include percocet, muscle relaxer, antibiotic, something for nausea, lovenox injections, bromelein and arnica, vitamins. My kitchen looks like a pharmacy! My husband and I are going shopping this weekend to get the rest of the items I need. Counting down 4 more days...excited nervous excited! Abig shout out to my dr. and his staff! They are AWESOME!!!!!!

What a horrible day! I have cried almost all day...I should say sobbing!! I haven't cried like this in a very long time. I don't want to do anything. This is not me. I was excited but today I feel like I have made a mistake and scared to death. Questioning myself. I am 53 and in two months 54. Why am i going to get this done? I have hid my tummy very well. My legs and upper arms are horrible. I look good in my clothes ( I'm good at camflouging) I feel good, can move, no swelling, no problems using bathroom, no pain, no drain pumps, etc. I keep asking what is wrong with me? Complete melt down today. I want to cancel. I am always upbeat and positive and my emotions are all over the place. Now, I'm scared and dreading...thinking I have made a bad mistake.

Okay...countdown is on. I have to be at the hospital tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m. for surgery at 11:00. I am READY! Thanks to this website, I am as prepared as I can be for the recovery journey. My bag is packed for my overnight stay (which I am very glad that the dr. required). I have my prescriptions, tylenol, stool softeners, lotion, sanitizer, crossword puzzles, magazines, ipad with books downloaded, lift chair, walker, heating pad, ice packs, yoga pants and hoodies, maxi and mini pads, tape & gauze, pillows and heated blanket, water and straws, bland diet foods, everything within reach!

I stood in looking in the mirror and grabbed this flabby tummy and said you will be gone tomorrow. Excited, nervous, excited! Took my PM vitamins, stool softener, and celebrex. Sitting and relaxing...thinking let's get this done! POSITIVE THOUGHTS!

Today is the day! I have to be at the hospital at 9:30 this morning and surgery is at 11:00. Would LOVE to have a cup of coffee! I have been reflecting on my journey so far. My emotions have had a blast on this roller coaster ride! Funny thing is...I headed up only to ride it again :) It will be worth it.

I have had my quiet time with God and praying for all of us that are having surgery today. I am calm....will probably get nervous as the morning goes. Would appreciate your prayers today. Hopefully, I will be able to post tonight. Let's get this done! :)

Thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers!

I am on the flat side now! My TT was Tuesday afternoon...heavy surgery day! Spent the night at the hospital. If yo have the option I highly recommend you spend at least one night. I was 3-4 hours post op when the nurse wanted me to walk. Very slow going. No incision pain, mostly muscle repair...tight and sore. I get up and walk every four hours. Still a little drugged. The first two days get nauseated when walking but has gotten better. My throat was very sore from tube. Extremely happy that my husband and sister are helping me.

So GLAD i rented a chair lift....been a Godsend. I haven't looked at my self. Too scared that I will be disappointed. My sister and husband says that it look good! I go to first dr po visit Wednesday. I think I have lost track of days. LOL signing off getting drowsy...np time.

Had a great day yesterday which was PO 3. Today is PO 4 and not feeling that great. I have been taking colace, then Ducolax, and 7 hours ago Magnesium Nitrate. Waiting for a BM...ugh!!! I am also having a burning sensation on my left side where one of the drain pump is. A little sad that my sister left this morning, she has been a blessing to me. My husband took over today. Getting up and walking, starts burning, and I get very weak??? Then I sit down and I am okay. I get to shower tomorrow...nervous and scared! Haha

Hope everyone is doing well!

Sorry for the delay in posting. Trying to take care of me. My legs and ankles began swelling and had to go back to hospital for test to make sure that I was not getting a blood clot. I was supposed to be taking Lovenox injections every day. My husband and I thought it was one a day in lieu of two day. Could not find any sign of blood clots...THANK GOD. I have to keep my feet up above my heart. So far so good!

There is no way I could go thru this without my husband. He gives me my shower, bathes me, washes and blow dries my hair. He spoils me and I love it.

Went to the doctor today for first week PO. I put on my makeup and felt like a human being. I took out the pain pump lines yesterday. When I walked in to the dr's office they all kept going on how great I looked and how well i was walking. They removed the stitches in BB, and one of the drains. It didn't hurt at all. I go back Friday to remove the last drain! Yea. I get to sleep on my side. When he took off the bandage we were so excited how great the incision looked. I was very scared to look because I was so used to seeing all this flabby skin. I am very happy I decided to do this. After dr visit we went out for lunch. Was gone for six hours and was tired when i got home. So it was recliner time.

The one thing I would have changed about preparing for surgery would be trading in the yoga/sweat pants for gowns or button down over size shirts and NO PANTIES. I tried one time and they were a pain literally! Now, I am having to deal with shooting pain or sharp pains. The dr. said it is my nerves trying to reconnect. I hope everyone is healing great and I am looking forward to Friday for the last pump/drain to be removed. I feel like a new person! Positive thoughts on my healing journey!

Went to PS to remove last drain. Still a little swollen and fluid around abdomen and would not remove. I was a little let down...but I remembered This too shall pass. Wasn't planning on going anywhere or partying so what is a couple more days of wearing this plastic pump around my neck...haha! Really don't want another needle inserted to drain the fluid. Leaving the dr office I heard about the school shooting and the tears came. Dried my eyes...looked at my tummy, smiled, waiting for Monday :)))

Reflecting on my dr visit and chatting with the nurse, I have come to realize that this was a MAJOR surgery. I just want to be able to get up and get dressed and do the things I used to do. It is exasperating to feel so weak. This is not something I am going to get over within 2 or 3 weeks. Trying to be patient. The nurse and doctor keep telling me that I am doing so good. I stand up and am hunched then gradually stand straighter. Just tire out way too fast. I am walking 1/2 to 3/4 mile per day until I begin to hurt. All in all I am alive just getting around a little slower. It will get better!! Looking forward to Monday!!!

It has been a few weeks since I posted and what a journey this has been. I was doing great until I woke up on December 27th. I was one sick girl. My urine was brown, my stools were light gray, itching uncontrollable, extremely weak/fatigued, so I decided I needed to go to my primary care physcian. Please know that I was not running fever or in any pain. The dr. gave me an antibiotic Nitrofurantoin/Macrobid to treat me for a bladder infection. He told me to come back if I was not feeling better within 3 days. I thought I was having a reaction the antibiotic he prescribed because I was feeling worse. He ran several blood test and urine test. My white blood cells were extemely high, I had a lot of glucose in my urine. They thought I was a diabetic and immediately did a blood glucose and it was 88 (Normal). I am NOT a diabetic...tried to tell them, however, I do know when your glucose is too high it will spill over into the urine.

Anyway, the dr. changed my antibiotic to Cipro and told me if I wasn't feeling better within 3 days come back in. I was worse in three days an began to get scared. All I was doing was crying, trying not to itch, and extremely weak. The third day I was back in the dr. office. He had just got my labs and was very concerned about me having Hepatitus A. I asked him how in the hell did I get this...ate out somewhere that an employee caring the virus did not wash their hands when preparing food. I told him I had not gone out to eat and whatever I ate my family had eaten and they were not sick. My liver count was off the chart. He sent me straight to the hospital so they could start running tests. It is very scary when they tell you they will be looking for bilirubin stone that may have blocked a duct or tumors or cancer of the liver, gall bladder, pancreas and right kidney. I need to let everyone know that I do not drink and that I was corresponding with my PS office so that they were aware of the issues I was going through. I got the results the following day and all was negative. Everything looked good. Thank God! They were all confused and could not figure out was was wrong with me. The nurse at my PS office was going through my chart and reading the notes when a light clicked on and had seen this before with another patient about a year ago. She pulled the chart and compared notes and tests. She went to the PS and told him she thinks she figured out what my problem was.

When I had my TT I was put on the antibiotic Keflex. I did great on it. However, vare rarely, a person will have a severe reaction to Keflex 7 - 10 days after last dose. All blood and urine test will come back as a false positive. It is called a Keflex induced liver infection. The side effects have been horrible. I am weak, itching horribly, yellow eyes, hoarse, dark urine and pale stools. I was sent to a gastroenterologist to monitor liver levels. I was told it would take about 4 weeks for the symptoms to subside and the liver to fight the infection. My PS is doing a case study of my case and presenting it other drs. My liver level has gone down....YEA!! Feeling a little better...witht the exception of the itching. They did give me a prescription to help with that. So, I have about 2 weeks left for liver levels to be back normal. Can't have liquor or acetaminophens.

I went to the PS today for my 6 week PO and he was very please with the way everything looked and the way that I am progressing despite the setback! I have been so sick that I haven't noticed the TT and that I love it. I have posted pics. What a difference from before pics! I was also told to NEVER take Keflex again! LOL....they don't even have to worry about that! I have posted my 6 week PO pics. Hope everyone is doing well with their recovery!!!