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It's been a while since I updated this! I am 9.5...
It's been a while since I updated this! I am 9.5 weeks post-op and doing quite well. I am still swollen in the evenings these days, but in the morning I'm hardly swollen at all. It kind of builds throughout the day, and by evening I'm pretty swollen.
I'm feeling good these days. No more pain or muscle spasms. I'm still numb in areas, though. I started cardio exercise last week, which for me is swimming (I can't stand the feeling of being sweaty, so I do my cardio in the pool). It felt really good to get back to exercising (not just walking on the treadmill!). I did about half of my usual time, so just 30 minutes. I didn't swim the entire time. I could do about 4-6 laps at a time, then I needed to take a break and do 4-6 with a kickboard, then laps again, then kickboard. I'm swollen after swimming (I jump from the pool to the shower to my CG) as well as the next day, and last week felt a little bit sore Friday night. I'm not sure if that's normal or an indication I'm over-doing it. It feels really good to be back in the water and able to swim again. I'm also lifting hand weights up to 10 lbs. I can lift my daughter again in less than a month! I'm very excited about that!!
These days I'm finding I'm doing alright wearing regular clothes, such as my skinny jeans, in the morning until around 2 or 3pm (unless I went swimming the previous day...in which case, it's yoga pants). I start to swell a lot by mid-afternoon, so I need to put on looser clothes then. But in the morning I can wear my skinny jeans again!!! That's a major accomplishment. :) I have lost 16 lbs since the morning of my surgery, and I'm finding my size has changed slightly. Some of my very skinny jeans I still need my old pre-surgery size, but other styles I'm needing a size (or even two!) smaller, which is a great feeling.
I'm still wearing my CG 24/7 (except swimming and showering). I can stop wearing it (except in the evenings) at 12 weeks post-op (which is when I can lift my daughter as well). I also have to keep wearing the tape over my incision areas until 12 weeks post-op, at which time I'll be able to start wearing the silicone sheets. I'm excited for that. :)
Adding a few new pictures I took today. Those are jeans I never would have even thought of wearing in the privacy of my own closet prior to the surgery! I bought them on a whim a few days ago.
I'm feeling good these days. No more pain or muscle spasms. I'm still numb in areas, though. I started cardio exercise last week, which for me is swimming (I can't stand the feeling of being sweaty, so I do my cardio in the pool). It felt really good to get back to exercising (not just walking on the treadmill!). I did about half of my usual time, so just 30 minutes. I didn't swim the entire time. I could do about 4-6 laps at a time, then I needed to take a break and do 4-6 with a kickboard, then laps again, then kickboard. I'm swollen after swimming (I jump from the pool to the shower to my CG) as well as the next day, and last week felt a little bit sore Friday night. I'm not sure if that's normal or an indication I'm over-doing it. It feels really good to be back in the water and able to swim again. I'm also lifting hand weights up to 10 lbs. I can lift my daughter again in less than a month! I'm very excited about that!!
These days I'm finding I'm doing alright wearing regular clothes, such as my skinny jeans, in the morning until around 2 or 3pm (unless I went swimming the previous day...in which case, it's yoga pants). I start to swell a lot by mid-afternoon, so I need to put on looser clothes then. But in the morning I can wear my skinny jeans again!!! That's a major accomplishment. :) I have lost 16 lbs since the morning of my surgery, and I'm finding my size has changed slightly. Some of my very skinny jeans I still need my old pre-surgery size, but other styles I'm needing a size (or even two!) smaller, which is a great feeling.
I'm still wearing my CG 24/7 (except swimming and showering). I can stop wearing it (except in the evenings) at 12 weeks post-op (which is when I can lift my daughter as well). I also have to keep wearing the tape over my incision areas until 12 weeks post-op, at which time I'll be able to start wearing the silicone sheets. I'm excited for that. :)
Adding a few new pictures I took today. Those are jeans I never would have even thought of wearing in the privacy of my own closet prior to the surgery! I bought them on a whim a few days ago.
I'll be 6 weeks post-op tomorrow. Last night I was...
I'll be 6 weeks post-op tomorrow. Last night I was finally able to sleep comfortably (very!) in my bed for the first time since I had the surgery. YAY!! It was a blissful 8 hours. :) I'm so happy to be out of that recliner and back in my bed again.
Today was a big day. I accomplished a lot. In addition to waking up in my bed, today I also officially gave up the shower seat (I've been showering without it for about 2 weeks, but today I officially moved it out of my shower). This was also the first time since my surgery that I styled hair. My hair is very long (halfway down my back) and curly. Since my surgery, I've been wearing it up in a bun, but today I styled it straight again. This is a very long process-- takes me nearly an hour between blowdrying and using the flat iron, and I haven't felt like I've had the stamina to straighten my hair until now. I also had my first glass of wine since about December 20th tonight! I figured after all of those accomplishments, I deserved to celebrate a little bit. :)
Tomorrow I go back for my 6 week post-op visit. I'm sure they'll tell me I need to start giving up my CG, which I don't intend to do. I love wearing it, and right now I'm still having quite a bit of swelling in my thighs and hips that starts around noon. At least the CG contains the swelling a little bit; without out it, I imagine I'd swell up like a balloon. I'm definitely not ready to give it up quite yet. Last night I had to wash my favorite CG. I didn't feel like myself until this morning when I could put it back on (I had to sleep in a different, less comfortable one).
Today was a big day. I accomplished a lot. In addition to waking up in my bed, today I also officially gave up the shower seat (I've been showering without it for about 2 weeks, but today I officially moved it out of my shower). This was also the first time since my surgery that I styled hair. My hair is very long (halfway down my back) and curly. Since my surgery, I've been wearing it up in a bun, but today I styled it straight again. This is a very long process-- takes me nearly an hour between blowdrying and using the flat iron, and I haven't felt like I've had the stamina to straighten my hair until now. I also had my first glass of wine since about December 20th tonight! I figured after all of those accomplishments, I deserved to celebrate a little bit. :)
Tomorrow I go back for my 6 week post-op visit. I'm sure they'll tell me I need to start giving up my CG, which I don't intend to do. I love wearing it, and right now I'm still having quite a bit of swelling in my thighs and hips that starts around noon. At least the CG contains the swelling a little bit; without out it, I imagine I'd swell up like a balloon. I'm definitely not ready to give it up quite yet. Last night I had to wash my favorite CG. I didn't feel like myself until this morning when I could put it back on (I had to sleep in a different, less comfortable one).
I have given up on the marble massage. Every time...
I have given up on the marble massage. Every time I use it, it makes my belly button really red and irritated. I can only stand it for 2-3 minutes before it actually gets quite painful. Plus, it doesn't seem to be helping at all. After reading on this site about belly buttons and opening them back up after this surgery, I decided on the foam earplug method. Yesterday I went out and got a bunch of foam earplugs and have been keeping one in my bellybutton around 15 hours a day. I put it in the afternoon and take it out first thing in the morning. This is only my second day, so obviously too soon to know if this is helping or not. At least I can say it is completely not painful. Feels a little bit weird to stuff the earplug in there, but once it's in and taped up, I forget it's there. :) Hopefully this will work for me.
I got another CG that I love. I washed the black one, and it got kind of stretched out? Or maybe my swelling is just down enough that it's not compressing me like before. In any case, I've been wearing this CG for about 5 days and really, really like it: http://www.makemeheal.com/mmh/product.do?id=11187
I also got this one without the built-in bra, but I didn't like it as well, so I returned it: http://www.makemeheal.com/mmh/product.do?id=10217
It's a bit difficult to get into because it's a pull-on style, but once it's on...dare I say it?! It is comfortable!! I LOVE wearing it!! They're going to have to stage an intervention to get the CG away from me (only somewhat joking, lol). I'll probably wear it long after it's no longer needed...I imagine the only thing that will get me out of it will be when warmer weather rolls around later in the spring.
I got another CG that I love. I washed the black one, and it got kind of stretched out? Or maybe my swelling is just down enough that it's not compressing me like before. In any case, I've been wearing this CG for about 5 days and really, really like it: http://www.makemeheal.com/mmh/product.do?id=11187
I also got this one without the built-in bra, but I didn't like it as well, so I returned it: http://www.makemeheal.com/mmh/product.do?id=10217
It's a bit difficult to get into because it's a pull-on style, but once it's on...dare I say it?! It is comfortable!! I LOVE wearing it!! They're going to have to stage an intervention to get the CG away from me (only somewhat joking, lol). I'll probably wear it long after it's no longer needed...I imagine the only thing that will get me out of it will be when warmer weather rolls around later in the spring.