His Tummy Tuck
The decision to proceed with a tummy tuck is not...
The decision to proceed with a tummy tuck is not something that I've taken lightly. It is however something that I've had on my mind for some time, as I always knew it might be the only option.
See, almost 2 years ago now I set about losing a considerable amount of weight. Weight that had crept on through years of eating whatever I liked and using food as an emotional tool when I felt happy and when I felt sad. Regardless of the emotion, food was there.
The result was a final figure of 116kg, and a very unhappy man.
So here I am a number of years later, and after a lot of hard work and a new mindset, I'm now 30kg lighter and enjoying my new found freedom.
I can now buy clothes anywhere and they just fit. Jeans are no longer a nightmare to try on, and I can order a standard medium in almost anything and it fits perfectly.
However, despite this new found freedom there is still a part of me that is not quite right. I look in the mirror and even though the weight is considerably reduced, there are still the telltale signs of a bigger man - a man whose skin was stretched beyond capacity. Hence the tummy tuck.
When I started on this journey, it was always my greatest fear that my mid-section would not bounce back as well as I would like. And for many years, it was one of the main reasons that I wouldn't even consider really trying to lose weight because I'd always think, what will I be left with.
I'm sure this is something that many larger people struggle with. The eternal questions of 'is it better to be fat with taught skin, or thinner with a bit of loose skin'?
According to the medical profession, the latter is the best, but when you're the one dealing with this dilemma, commonsense doesn't always prevail.
However, luckily these days there are options at the end. There is liposuction and surgery to assist in the cleanup process. But of course, procedures themselves aren't without risk. More on my thoughts on that later.
For those that have made it to the end of this post, welcome. I'll be updating regularly in the lead up to and post surgery. This blog won't go into detail about my surgeon, where I'm having the surgery done of anything like that. It's just a place for me to share my journey, as reading other people's stories has also helped me.
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Days to surgery: 29 Here I am on the eve of 28...
Here I am on the eve of 28 days to surgery, and I still can't wait for the actual day
There are still times when I have doubts about the extent of such surgery, but I know deep down that it's the only way to finish off my journey.
I find sometimes that I end up thinking about the procedure more at night when I'm getting ready to go to sleep. I think about post procedure and wonder how it will look? Will the pain outweigh the result? I find it's the small things that make me think, like the idea of having my belly button removed and a new one installed. It's quite surreal when you think about it. But then, all it really takes is a look in the mirror to remind myself about why I'm doing all of this again.
Yes, I could put up with what I have and just be happy with it, but then again, I'm come so far.
Is there anyone out there that has any regrets about proceeding with their surgery? If so, please feel free to comment or provide suggestions on how best to deal with the aftermath, both emotionally and physically.
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Last night I found myself looking at before and after pics again. Same old pics and sad bad jobs out there, but I'm trying not to let that put me off. One pic of a woman with really bad dog ears almost had me thinking about cancellation. But once again, less thinking for me is better.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts post surgery.
Days to surgery: 22 Another week over, and now...
Another week over, and now just over 3 weeks until surgery.
Not much has changed, in that that I wish I could just bring the whole thing forward. I did however find myself contacting my PS during the week to make enquiries about dog ears and how common they are in male patients. I knew I shouldn't have spent so much time researching last weekend.
Regardless, everything is still going ahead as planned and I'll deal with the adjustments (dog ears) if and when they happen. I still have those moments where I think it should never have come to this and I think about how much of this is my fault. But regret is not going to get my far by way of healing, so will just go with the flow.
Enjoying hearing updates from Abscape who had his surgery just this past week. Great to see others on here willing to share their journey.
BTW - I do have before photos, so plan to publish the before and afters sometime in the future.
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I WORRIED ABOUT:
...pain I couldn't handle. It was all pain I could handle but pushed the tolerable level when I coughed, laughed, and god forbid sneezed.
...a catheter I never got.
...nausea I didn't have.
...rude medical staff who were more gracious than I ever deserved.
...long term drains that were removed in 4 days.
...having the right supplies to discover regular household stuff is sufficient.
... Constipation which was QUICKLY alleviated with a $2.00 bottle of magnesium citrate.
...an uncomfortable binder that is actually easy to wear.
...being a burden on friends to discover there' more help than I need.
...not being able to sleep on my back, to discover my body adapted to the necessity of the situation.
...the total cost and hidden fees to discover the price is exactly what I paid in cash up front.
...swelling that hasn't happened (still time for that).
Any way, after looking at my abs today...NO REGRETS.
Like everyone else, I'm enjoying reading your account of everything post surgery.
I'm doing my surgery in secret, so only have a few people that know about it as a necessity. However, I was at a movie the other night and it featured someone going into surgery and all their friends around them. Unfortunately it got me thinking about my own big day and arriving at hospital in a taxi, and going it all alone. I'm sure I'll be fine when it actually gets to that point, but nonetheless, sometimes those situations call for a little love...hehe.
How long did you spend in hospital post surgery? Here in Australia, we spend 4-5 days in hospital before we're allowed to go home. I hate the thought of being in hospital for that long, but at least I'll have ongoing care while I adjust to everything. Then getting home will be the real test.
Anyway, glad to hear that you're coming along well.
I was very comfortable, relaxed, and pampered by nursing staff who are used to taking care of PS patients. I felt guilty asking for this, that, help me here, etc. until one nurse grinned and said "sir, if you and others like you had not chosen to have this surgery, there are four of us who wouldn't be working tonight!"
They told me about and taught me about all the things a patient like me would need to know.
One overnight was plenty though. I am a believer in the philosophy that the longer you stay in a hospital the sicker you get. I had a Ziplock bag filled with sanitary wipes and when no one was in the room I sanitized every surface and device I came in contact with.
I did have some pain of course, I had my gut amputated; and hospitals really know IV pain mgt.
I stayed at a friends house and it was great being able to ask someone to fill the water jug, fix food, etc. if push came to shove I could have handled it by myself; since the dr. Required me to get up and walk around every two hours, plus I was pissing like a kid in a pub (unlike in the hospital my bladder was full, all the way full and I couldn't [RS bleep]. I didn't want to tell the nurse or they'd shove a rubber hose up my wanker.
I just got that little jug, relaxed,visual imagery, all that and started off loading pee a little at a time. Pretty soon (couple hours) it was "nurse, the jug's full again").
Anyway, I'm PO day 11 now and the mirror used to be my enemy is now my friend. Everything is healing nicely, progressing quicker than I expected. I can only attribute this speedy recovery to 3 things: Gods grace and blessings are abundant, Dr. John L. Williams the surgeon of Scottsdale is excellent, and I went into this thing hot out of a year in the gym (not fresh off a sofa).
Welcome to RealSelf and thank you for sharing your journey. I am happy you joined the community and I look forward to following your blogs.
You will love the results!!