“Nhs tummy tuck”

I had a tummy tuck on April 20th. The NHS covered it due to it being a part of healthful weight loss and gastic bypass so I was grateful to get to stay in hospital and recover, have the right doc, etc. if I had paid out of pocket this wouldn’t have been possible! I waited for years but it was well worth the wait.

I recovered in hospital over the weekend and came out on the 23rd. The pain and swelling were just beginning at this point and I was on unregulated meds now, thank goodness. My tummy was swollen, not to pre-bypass levels but bad regardless. This is normal and I kept my compression bandages on so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

I got my dressings changed later that week and I was over the moon! The area was still very swollen but I could tell this would go down. The actual scar, my belly button placement, etc. are excellent. I got rewrapped immediately but still loved this moment!

I got loads of info and made friends on the various message boards and this was great for the support after the procedure. It’s important not to feel alone. When I thought I was getting an infection it was these friends who talked me through it and ended my panic. They are now sharing in my success too and I love them to bits.

I would do this again in a heartbeat even with the pain and the long recovery, much of which is still to come, I know. The importance of not only being a healthy weight but also liking your body afterwards can’t be stressed enough.