Tummy Tuck: Stories

After a year of debating on whether to have a tummy tuck or not, I decided to go through with it. On May 30, 2012 I had my tummy tuck surgery. I must admit that I am so glad I did it and wish I had did it sooner. I am extremely happy with my results so far (pictures will be posted below soon). I am 10 days post-op and right now for pain all I need is Tylenol extra strength for pain at night to sleep.

I will admit the first 3 days were rough...I was taking Vicodin every 4 to 6 hours for pain, but as the days went by, the pain decreased. Also, please be aware that one of the side effects of taking pain medication is constipation, so it will be a good idea to stock up on apples, drink alot of water, and get a stool softner/laxative at your local drug store.

For the first 7 days post-op, I was walking hunched over and it was uncomfortable to walk, however after day 7, it seems like I was able to walk better and stand up straighter. The arnica montana pills and pineapples really helped keep my swelling down as well.

The one con of the surgery is the drains. Even though my drains do not hurt (others have complained about their drains being painful), they are annoying and get in the way. Hopefully, my drains will be coming out on Tuesday, June 12th.

I have posted my post op pictures...unfortunately I did not take any pictures of my tummy before surgery...I only have a video of my stomach before surgery and I'm not sure how to post a video (if anyone knows how to do this, please let me know). I go back to work tomorrow. Hope that goes well, but it should since I'm not in any pain...just a little sore at times when I sit in the same spot too long or don't move around for awhile.

I got my drains out on Tuesday June 12th it was such a relief...i was surprised it did not hurt coming out. I am finally able to stand up straight, however i get stiff and sore when i sit for a long period of time, but im able to move around more. I am also starting to use Wound Be Gone on my belly button and incision ..its looks to be working really well but it is quite expensive. My swelling goes up and down throughout the say but i have noticed that for the past few days the left side of my tummy is more swollen than the right side...hope that eventually evens out

It is now 8 weeks post-op. My doctor has cleared me to do some low to moderate exercising so I will begin that when I return from my Las Vegas trip next couple of weeks. I have also started my scar treatment. I use NewGel silicone sheets on my incision during the night while I sleep...they stick right on and I also still wear my compression garment at night. My incision is dark, but it is very thin and flat and has been healing very well these past couple of weeks. I no longer use the Wound Be Gone because everything has healed along my incision line. I still can't sleep on my stomach so sleeping has been a challenge and uncomfortable for me. I also still get sore when I sit for a long period of time and occasionally get swelling on the left side of my abdomen. I have added some new pics of my results during this recovery period.