PostOp Day 10 Mommy Makeover 3/23/12

Here we go again, I had finally attempted to update a couple of days ago when the site was down for some reason. With 3 kids a quick update takes hours...Ok so now I am 3 months post op and could not be happier. I really have come a long way from the blood loss after surgery which sent me back to the hospital for days. I am still anemic and slowly recovering in that aspect, but the boobs, tummy, and lipo areas are healing well. My breasts are the right size at a full D (430ccs both sides), tummy numbness is getting better, lipo areas also feeling better, and all scars are healing well. I continue to wear the tape 24/7 per PS instructions and use Scarless once a week when tape is replaced. My BB also looks good and do not use tape there at all only Scarless 2X a day. I have started an excercise class with hand weights a few times a week and can almost do all excercises except for most abs. So, lately my concern has been about getting fat everywhere else I did not get lipo. I have been reading that often those areas that did not have the lipo will get bigger if you put on some weight so on a petite girl 5-10lbs could really show quickly. I guess working out will be necessary to maintain the results. Do I think the results could have been better? Well, yes because I can always stare at my body and comment on what could look better. So, when I feel like not everything is perfect I often look at my before pictures and realize how far I have come in this journey. Oh, not just the before picture posted on this site but my before picture when I was 50lbs heavier. Yes, I am really happy and glad I finally feel good about my body just like I did in my early 20s. However, this journey has not ended with the surgery. I want to continue to work on getting healthier and toning the rest of my body. Surgery was worth the price but complications were very scary for me and my family. This site has been so helpful for me prior to surgery and after. When I had bad days it was somewhat comforting just to read that others were and had experienced the same and everything was normal and part of the recovery. Thanks REALSELF.

PostOp day 18-- today i am feeling ok but still plenty of tummy swelling. Yesterday I was my followup visit with PS. Tapes were left alone but minor liquid was removed from right side of tummy. The rest of tummy was very hard and felt it was very swollen which my PS said it may be constipation or internal organs were very used to extra space. Of course i don't like to think that internal organs will be always causing a full tummy look. That is not why I did this. I want a flat tummy damn it! Well, so I came home and made sure I took stool softer and MOM, but nothing yet. I guess iron supplements I am taking do not help this. I am beginning to see the results of surgery and i do like what i see. At this point my boobs look good although I have yet so see areola shape and size. The tape makes it hard to see but size lloks good and symmetrical at this point. The implant size was 430cc on both. Besides the swealling near the actual scar on my tummy I now have a waist which is amazing. I had an extended tummy tuck which prior to surgery PS said he would extended but was not sure how far he would go until actual surgery. Well, he went all the way which then I guess is like a lower body lift. Maybe this is why I had complications and my body could not handle this much work. Well, but my butt looks great and much smaller due to flanks lipo. The outer thigh lipo is hard to see results at this point because thighs are swollen too. I do have a sharp pain on right thigh every now and then. Oh, and I also got arm pit area lipo which is the area near breasts that would hang out if i wore spagetti strap tops. Can't see results there much because implants are still high and area is sore. My energy level is way down since I also became anemic after blood loss. I find it very hard to stay awake during the day and I only take 1 vicodin pill in the middle of the night when pain becomes so strong it wakes me up. Today, I got a call from my surgery nurse to check on me since she had heard I was hospitalized after surfery. She explained to me that all my vitals were good at time I was released to recovery center nurse but did say that they do not check blood levels there at surgery center. She also explained that she has not seen this in the 10 years she has been doing this. Surgery nurse explained that although I had a lot of work done the lipo is usually the procedure that causes the most blood loss. The amount of lipo removed was less than 3 liters and typically 8 liters are the max most surgeons will remove at one time. PS, surgery nurse, ER docs, ER nurses, 2 additional surgeons, 3 nurses who treated me after I was admitted to hospital said that everyone is different and most likely this was just too much for my body to handle at one time. I have come to the conclusion that they are right and I am sorry I put my family thru this ordeal. Thanks to my hubby's support and my Mom's help with my kids and home for 2 weeks I feel 1000 times better than 15 days ago. Every time I see PS I do tell him I am expecting results to be 100% perfect since I now know I will never do this again. On that note I will say that major blood loss is rare, but it is a risk everyone must consider. I wish all you ladies a quick recovery.

PostOp 15 I feel much better today than before. After drains were removed on day 10 it seemed like the pressure from the lower abdomen swelling was awful that was difficult to walk. 2 days ago I remembered I had ordered SinEcch homeopathic Arnica Montana to begin taking after surgery but with all the complications I had and additional things to worry about I never began the pill regimen. I had planned on returning the product but thought I would give it try to help reduce swelling and bruising. Well one day 3 pills later and the swelling has sure decreased and I feel more comfortable. The regimen is12 capsules which you take 3 a day so I will continue doing this for the next 3 days and hope swelling stays at a minimum. Today I had enough energy 2 go to grocery store and run a couple of other errands with my 5 and 3 year olds. Which was much better than 1 hour at park with my 7 year old at the park yesterday. I have not been able to really look at my scars since everything is still tapped up. I am curious to see all that although I hope I am not disappointed once I see them. My boobs so far look great and I can hardly keep my huby's eyes and hands of off them. I can't wait to feel 100% well and be able to have enough energy to play with my kids and excercise this better looking body of mine. Happy healing girls!