32 Y/o, 2 Kids, Desperately Needed a Tummy Tuck! - Columbia, SC

I decided on my updates here that I would try to talk a little about the milestones I encounter each week because I like to google entries that are around the same time frame so I can see what other people went through. Ok, so 21 days.

I went back to work at around the 17 day mark. I have a desk job and I probably move less at work than at home so the swelling for me was the same as if I had been at home all day. The only difference is I have to wear pants that button around my binder, and while they are actually loose, by the end of the day I am so swollen it feels like I have the tightest pants in the world on (around the waist) but they are not tight at all. I compare it to feeling "pregnant" but in the mornings I look more like my normal self although I know there is still swelling.

I have read that you should fit into your pre-op pants by week 4 but idk... seems hard to imagine right now because the area still feels "bruised" as in, it is sore to the touch. Around day 16 I discovered a very small seroma, called Dr. Sexton's office on Monday, and they got me in on Tuesday. Dr. Sexton aspirated 20cc's from it, and so far it seems to be doing well. Hopefully I caught it early enough and have been binding tight enough that it won't come back! I have my 4 week appointment on Wednesday 9 April. The stitches will come out of my belly button but past that I don't know what else will happen. I need to ask can I twist at the waist (pop my back), when can I lay on my stomach ( not that I want to or am ready to I just wanna know, and can I stretch. I want to stretch so bad but I am afraid of tearing something up. I am thinking by 4 weeks a bulk of the healing will be done, but I know my Dr. doesn't release for exercise until 6 weeks. To be honest, I am not ready for exercise at this point, physically, but mentally it is killing me. I see some people being released at 4 weeks to exercise sans sit ups, and I have no idea how they do it. I just can't see being ready in a week to exercise. However... one thing I have notice with the tummy tuck is healing is exponential. Each week I am leaps and bounds beyond where I was the previous week.

That's all for now, I think. I will update at 3.5 weeks when I have my 4wk appointment.

Today is 2 weeks post op, 3/28/14. I feel great. Yesterday I started really being able to move around without getting tired, or having to rest after 10 mins. Matter of fact, I did some LIGHT, very LIGHT house cleaning yesterday and I was up moving around for an hour and didn't tire out so that's good. Last week it was an accomplishment just taking a shower! So my energy is coming back and my body is far less "stiff" and "limited".

My drains were taken out on Tuesday, March 25th. I was 11 days post op. That is when the swelling started travelling to my legs. By the end of the day, they are very swollen and moderately sore to the touch as well as my low back. Dr. Sexton warned me now that the drains were out the swelling would be more and it would travel above and/or below the binder. As usual, he was right! I keep waking myself up in the middle of the night because my body wants so desperately to stretch that it tries while I'm sleeping. Of course I wake up and catch myself when I start stretching too far lol. Anyway.. without further ado... my two week pictures. I feel MUCH less thick this morning than I have all week. Well.. I know I am. Because I compared pictures. Any questions, feel free to ask or advice too.. I'm willing to take it. The only concern I have right now is on the left side you can see a "lip" and the right side is not like that. I had 1 drain and it was on the right side so I don't know if that lip is just a collection of swelling but Im not stressing it. Too early to tell anything!

After 2 children which resulted in the gain and loss of a collective 70lbs each I was left with a LOT of skin, and a very ugly belly. I've needed a tummy tuck for 16 years and once I came to the conclusion that I was finished having children and I could no longer take another day of being ashamed of my body, as hard as I work on it, I decided to go see Dr. Sexton. I chose Dr. Sexton because I know girls who have had procedures with him previously, I researched him and met with him. I made a great choice! You can trust Dr. Sexton to tell you the truth. If you don't need something he will tell you. His office staff is amazing, and the staff at his surgical center are equally amazing. So far, this experience has been fantastic.