on the flat side and loving it! - Louisville, KY

Can't believe I only have a week until I go in for my TT with Lipo! I'm 30 with two kiddos (3 and 5) and a very supportive husband. I met with my PS a few weeks ago and felt very comfortable. I like his nurses and staff alot too. They are all really sweet. Anyway, I've just been keeping myself busy with work and my kiddos and getting everything ready for my surgery day. My husband and I are going to have to spend the night in a hotel the night of surgery to stay close to the PS (plus we have a post-op the next day) because we leave 1.5 hours away from the surgeon. If any of you have had similar experiences and have any helpful tips on things I may want to bring to the hotel, that would be great.

The staff at the PS office told me to make sure to bring my own towels and things so that I didn't get blood all over the hotel's stuff. I'm planning on having someone with me for the first 3 days, and after that my husband will go back to work, so I will be at home by myself. He'll come check on me at lunch time (he works about 10 min away from where we live), so I think I'll be fine. I've taken 15 days off from work...really hoping that's enough time. I'm an esthetician, so I don't do any heavy lifting, but my job is pretty active.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with my body. After my second pregnancy my stomach just didn't bounce back. I have a pouch of loose fat and skin under my panty line that I hate. Most people probably don't notice it, but I see it all the time. It's especially bad when I sit down. I'm really looking forward to it being gone.

I had both my children naturally (with no epidural) so I'm hoping that I can handle the pain. Based off of reading reviews on here it really does seem like it varies so much from person to person, so we'll see.

So I'm beginning to get a little frustrated with PS office. I had bloodwork done here in my hometown last week. I've called 3 times this week to see if they had received my results from the lab yet, and no one called me back. This was over a period of three days, so it wasn't like I was being a complete psycho. My surgery is less than 4 days away, so you'd think that this would be a more of a priority. Called back again today and asked if they had them and got another big fat no. So I called the lab directly and they said they had been completed. Call the PS back again to tell the nurse that the labs were done (thinking she could call and get them) and she tells me that she hadn't checked the fax machine yet today (this was at 4:00pm) and they they were there the whole time. So at least I can quit worrying about that, everything came back fine. Now during all this mess, I've been leaving messages with the PS receptionist. When I called and told her my name and scheduled surgery date/time, she told me that she didn't have me at 7am, she had me at 10am. Nice. Well when I finally spoke to the nurse today, she told me my surgery time was 12:45pm. When I expressed frustration that the time kept changing, she said "Oh don't worry - this happens all the time. They'll call you Friday and tell you what your actual surgery time will be. It could change again." That's fabulous. I live an hour and a half away and have two children that I have to make arrangements for. If they turn around and tell me that I have to be there at 7am on Monday again, I might go crazy.

Feeling better everyday! The night after surgery was the worst. My pain medicine and pain pump didn't seem to help. My husband brought a king size mattress cover which turned out to be perfect because my lipo incisions were draining like crazy. Between the mattress pad, the puppy pads and our towels from home we were really prepared for the hotel.
The next day was post op day 1 and I had my first post op visit with a nurse. She was great. My pain pump tubes went into my sternum between my boobs. There was a lot of blood under the tape they used, so she took the tape off, cleaned it up and put a new one on. We scheduled my next post op visit for next Monday which will be post op day 7. I'm sure I will get to be rid of one of these drains at that appointment, but I'm hoping they will take them both out. They are getting emptied 3-4 times per day with less than 30 from each drain everytime.
Amazed at how much better the pain gets hour by hour and day by day. I'm able to get on and off the couch by myself, which is awesome. My lipo stitches on my back are starting to get itchy.

Lipo incisions on my back are still really itchy. My pain pump ran out of "juice" today, so I guess I will have my husband help me take it out tonight. Really hoping it doesn't hurt. My drains have been getting 10 or less every time they are drained, so I'm excited about that. Started noticing some yellowish fluid coming out of them too, which I've heard is normal. Using the restroom is easier and easier and I'm less gassy now. At first I had a really hard time making myself go because I wasn't feeling the urge to go like normal. Or I would feel the urge, go sit down, and not be able to produce anything. Today I'm back to normal in that regard at least. We don't have a recliner, so I've been propped up on the couch or in a normal chair with arms. The chair with arms is the most comfortable when I'm awake, because I can use the arms to lower myself onto the chair and push myself up with them. i sometimes use an ottoman with the chair to keep my legs up. I started my period today which is just lovely considering everything else I have going on, but I guess if I'm going to be bloated and uncomfortable, now is the time. I've also figured out that I have to eat something with every pain pill I take, otherwise I get really nauseous. My kids have been really great - we didn't tell them that I had surgery. They just think I'm not feeling well and my tummy hurts. My daughter was even patting me on the back last night because she heard me say it was itching. My husband has also been great. He went back to work yesterday, but my brother came and hung out to watch my youngest. Today both kiddos went to school and my husband went to work, so I've been at home by myself all day. I didn't mind it at all..was able to get up and about on my own, fix myself some food, take my pills, and I even started doing some work on the computer from home. Overall, I'd say I'm shocked that I feel this well on PO day #3!

Just took my first post op shower....amazing!! There's nothing like a shower to make you feel human again. My blood pressure dropped once I got out though and I felt like I was going to faint. I laid down for a few minutes and felt better. Had my husband take a few pics and compared them to my befores and I'm thrilled with my results. They are on my cell and I'm having issues getting them uploaded. I will work on it tomorrow. So happy that I decided to have this surgery!!!

Almost forgot - I pulled the tubing for my pain pump out by myself before my shower. It felt strange at times when i could feel the tube, but it wasn't painful at all.

Feeling a little more swollen and stiff this morning. Really ready to have these drains out. The one on my right side burns a lot. Planning on doing nothing but vegging out on the couch today. Finally adding some pics!

So I'm definitely noticing improvements everyday, but I am beginning to wonder if I will ever be walking upright again. I am now sleeping in bed and can even get in and out of bed by myself. I feel awesome with the exception of feeling a need to walk hunched over. How long did it take the rest of you TT gals to start walking straight enough that people weren't wondering what was wrong with you? Also I swear I can feel where my drain tube is on my right side. Did anyone else have pain like that? It feels like I can feel the drain tube poking me if I move a certain way. Really uncomfortable and annoying.

Ouch! Stopped taking my oxycodone because it was giving me a horrible migraine. Decided to take one Tylenol last night before bed and just go with it. Big mistake...woke up in some awful pain this morning. Still dont feel 100%. Wish I knew what to do!

Back to taking Oxycodone again. Tylenol wasnt touching the lipo pain. Hoping the headache doesnt come back.

Feeling much better today after taking my pain pills and muscle relaxers like normal yesterday. This chick just isn't ready to switch to Tylenol yet. Took another shower last night and while it wore me out, there weren't any near fainting spells, so thats an improvement. My incision and drain locations and lipo spots are all itchy and making me crazy. I actually got dressed and did my makeup this morning. I have a friend that's a cosmetologist coming over to fix my hair for me, so I will look like a normal person even if I am hiding drain tubes. Post op visit this afternoon at 3:00. My mother in law is taking me since she has the day off and my husband is working. Praying they take both drains!!

1 drain and all the sutures on my incision are out. Lipo sutures on my back are out now too. The nurse told me I was a fast healer. Appointment to remove my other drain and the belly button sutures is Thursday!!

Forgot to mention...the nurse gave me a prescription for vicodin because I was out if my hydrocodone. She said its a step down, so it should be perfect. If it weren't for this lipo on my back I think i would be fine....

Whew! The last 2 days have been busy. Monday I had my post op visit, went with my husband to pick up the kiddos, visited with a friend and then went out to dinner. I was out of my house for 8 hours!! Apparently it caught up with me, because after I had my kids lunches packed and helped get them ready for school this morning I plopped myself onto the couch and fell asleep for three hours. Tomorrow I am at home all day with my 3 year old and no help...really hoping he lets momma rest some! Thursday I have a friend driving me to my ps to get drain #2 out. We are going to do some shopping before my appointment, so I'm excited!

ok...so when am I going to be able to laugh again? This hurts...

Took more pics tonight and I am more and more amazed with the transformation everyday. Soooo glad I opted to have the lipo done!!!

Drain #2 is definitely coming out today! The nurse wanted me to call this morning with my drain output amounts to verify that it was low enough to come out. And it is! The lipo sutures I didn't even realize I had need to come out too (I didn't feel like standing around naked checking myself out last week lol) . I should get my first look at my belly button without sutures too! Excited!

PO day 10 - All sutures & drains are out! Today's appointment was a tad annoying though, because I waited over an hour past my scheduled appointment time to see the doctor. I was more annoyed that my poor friend that drove me had to wait that long. I think it was due to the fact that my ps actually came in and took a look at me this time. On Monday I just saw a nurse and my appointment ran right on time. Ps wants to see me back in 2 weeks. I asked the nurse about scar therapy and she suggested I wait until my next appointment to start anything. I'm going to start pricing all the different silicone sheets now so I'll know if what they offer is a good deal. Would love to hear what you other TT ladies have used - what products did you use? Would you recommend anything?

This chick is loving life! Fit into my pre-surgery jeans this morning with room to spare! Then (since I'm off my pain meds except at night) I drove myself (yes!) to meet my husband for lunch and to go to the grocery store. This was the first time he had seen me in jeans (or anything that actually fit for that matter) since surgery...let's just say he couldn't quit staring and commenting on the difference! Then stopped by my business and did a few things. Came home, cleaned up a bit and now I'm sitting on the couch with my feet up. Still feeling good! I can tell you ladies that I had serious doubts on post op day 2 that I would ever feel this good. It is amazing what can happen in a week! If you've just had surgery, hang in there - it truly does get better!

PO day 15. Having kind of a rough day today. Went back to work yesterday - out of the house by 8:30am - didn't get home until nearly 8:30pm. So it was a long day. I was swollen, but not as much as some people on here have made it seem like they've swollen. So maybe I'm not as much of a sweller. LOL. This morning I got up, got my kindergartener off to school and took my 3 year old with me to a couple of different stores, then to the park. I really want to get outside and work on my yard, but I have to go into work for a couple hours this evening and I don't want to waste my energy. Besides, it is over 80 degrees outside today and with my cg and binder on I find the heat to be almost unbearable. I guess at this point I'm just frustrated because I feel pretty good, but I know its a bad idea for me to push myself. And I really need to get another cg that doesn't come down to my knees, so that I can wear shorts. The other cg I have is too uncomfortable. And I need a spray tan because my legs are white. =)
I'm just having one of those days.
But when I think about all the things I can do now that I couldn't do last week, it helps. I'm able to lay on my side and my stomach now without much (if any) pain. I can lay flat on my back too, but I've been able to do that for awhile now. I'm standing up straight now - I'm only really hunched over when I first wake up in the morning and at the end of the day if I've been curled up on the couch watching TV before bed. No more pain meds at all. Laughing doesn't really hurt anymore, but coughing and sneezing still do a little. Putting in another 10 hour day tomorrow, so I should get off of here and chill while I can!

Life is back to normal with the exception that I'm still wearing this cg! I can fit into all of my presurgery clothes, including stuff that was too small before. I've been back at a normal work schedule for the last two weeks. I do get swollen after working all day. I've also been picking up my 3 year old, who weighs about 35 lbs with no issues. My husband wants to take me swimsuit shopping this weekend, so I'm excited to see what type of bottoms I can get!

I go tomorrow for a follow up with my PS. This past Monday was 4 weeks since surgery. Hard to believe how quickly it has flown by and how quickly my life has returned to normal! I caught a nasty virus from my daughter last week and ended up coughing non-stop. I now have a sore muscle just to the right and slightly below my belly button. I was really worried that I had a hernia, but now I'm just thinking maybe I'm finally able to feel. It does seem to get worse with a lot of muscle strain though, so I'm going to have my PS take a look tomorrow. Went bikini shopping for the first time over the weekend, and I was soooo happy with the swimsuits that I could get. Basically I found that as long as I didn't do the side tie bottoms, I could wear a bikini with no problem! I think I bought like 5!
I'm hoping to get the all clear from the surgeon to start working out again, but I doubt they'll be anxious to let me do that just yet. I've been using my core for a lot of stuff lately with no real issues (other than that one spot that hurts) so I'm sure I could do more. I'm really anxious to start working on my legs and butt, as I feel like I look a little lumpier there now. I was running with a friend 3x week before surgery and before that I had done mostly strength training. I'd really like to start back with a combo of both so that I can tone up. Hoping one day I'll actually be able to see my ab muscles!
Been contemplating scar therapy a lot lately. My scar looks really great...I'm impressed with how well I've healed. My belly button scar is still pretty red though, and I don't want everyone looking at it when I'm in a bikini. I only spray tan and always use sunscreen, so I'm well prepared to make sure I take care of it in the sun. I just want to make sure that it fades nicely. Any input on what you have used that you really like is appreciated!