Almost 40, Empty Nester Now Living For Me - Paramus, NJ

So it's been about 7 weeks since my operation. I know I haven't updated my posts in a while but everything's been ok. I've just been very busy with work and actually just returned from a short stay in Key West, Fl during their Fantasyfest celebration. We had a pretty good time.
Now, I know its still early, but I've still been disappointed in my belly area. It feels like it's created one hard roll right at the waist, where my pants seem to roll when I sit. And I still have a lot of swelling as the day goes on. I'm a bit late on this, but I just found therapist near me to give me lymphatic massages to try to work out that kink. I just had my second one today and DAMN, do these hurt! I can't even imagine trying to get these massages as early as a week post-op as I hear other ladies here doing! I didn't even want to be touched then! Hopefully it gets better. The therapist even fitted me for a new faja, as she thinks that my current one is too loose on me... and here I thought it was a just right, but what do I know?!
My waist looks better as it is finally visible from a front view instead of looking totally squared. But my booty & I are currently experiencing a love / hate relationship. I feel that it's gone down significantly (in my eyes). Maybe its just my imagination since my family thinks it still looks huge. I guess I feel different about it depending on what I wear. Some days I think it's not round enough or big enough. It seems like its the same as before surgery.... Then other days I feel great about it, like yesterday when I took these pics. I have another post-op appointment with Dr Gartner tomorrow, so I'll see what he thinks. I'd love to see the before and after pictures he takes to compare.

I went to my first post -Op appointment a few days ago. Dr said everything's looking good and allowed me to start sitting with the roll under my thighs and to sit normally in car for no more than 30 min rides. So after a bumpy ride, laying in the backseat of the car going there, I decided to sit on my precious tushie on the way home..... Very uncomfortable! It felt weird, like sitting on two bags... but I made it home!

Since then I've finally been feeling better by the day! Still a little stiffness and slight pain under my arms where I have stitches from the back lipo. I felt well enough to finally go out and about yesterday. But first, I had to get over one small issue... I can't find anything to wear. I can't get into jeans, all my leggings kept coming up short on the ass and it was just a casual type of day: I didn't feel like wearing a skirt or dress. I finally found a pair of leggings that fit ok but then couldn't find a top long enough to cover all this extra junk in the trunk. And I know y'all are thinking, "But why cover it up? Show it off!" Well, I must say, pictures don't do it justice. I'm not used to all this. I was even getting worried that my booty wasn't as round as I've seen other other ladies on here. Here I was thinking that after all this expense and pain and torture I'm kind of looking exactly the same to me. I don't see a HUGE difference. Well let me tell you... even though my lower abs and vaginal area are still swollen, my waist is starting to cinch in a bit and with the compression garment tightening & lifting everything up, I feel that everything I throw on makes me look like Jessica Rabbit! My booty is HUGE (for me)! Not a bad thing if I was going out to dinner with hubby. Not too good to just go run a few errands. OMG! Don't know what to do about work clothes now either as everything I throw on just looks way too bootylicious for work in a room full of men (& hubby)!

So after over a week cooped up in my house on my belly and wandering around aimlessly in my backyard, it was quite refreshing to be out. Threw on those leggings... found the only top long enough to cover "the goods", grabbed my yoga mat and off I went. I had mom pick me up since I felt I was still a little bit too stiff to drive properly. First stop: Diner. I walked in with my yoga mat on a sling over my shoulder like a pocketbook. I slipped it into the seat of the booth and then slipped myself right onto it. Didn't seem like anyone noticed or even cared but it was my usual spot so I was prepared to tell the waitress I slipped and fell & just had tailbone surgery if she asked about it. Next stop: supermarket and my local Marshalls to see if I could find something to wear suitable for work. Picked up a few skirts, thinking this should look better than super tight pants.... Got home, tried them on and um.... nope. Still too darn hot! I guess I'll be a cardigan / blazer wearing type of girl for a while.

I plan on going back to work on Monday (14 days Post-op). Unfortunately, I work in an office full of men where my hubby also works and most know why I've been out. We're all pretty cool and like family. Some of them are looking forward to my return, curious of the results... They find it hard to believe that you could be flat one day and then have a booty the next... (They also believe Amber Rose and Kim Kardashian are all natural). It's a fun group of guys. But I'd rather not go in there with the VAVAVOOM look right away because I've never been like that before. Gotta ease into this (& don't want to embarrass hubby)! Bad enough I have to spend most of the day standing at my desk where they get a full view all day long.

No pics this time. But promise to add soon as I return to my daily routine. Take care ladies!

Some things are better... some worse. I'm starting to get antsy and bored just laying face down in bed most of the day or wandering (more like shuffling) around my property. I can't see how some of the other Realself ladies have had enough energy to get dressed and go shopping a week post op. I can barely get up enough strength to take selfies!

On a brighter note, I finally pooped yesterday! I don't know exactly what did it. But it was somewhere between the pineapples I had for lunch and the oatmeal I had for dinner.... Man, that felt great! Other than this, I'm finally getting a little more than an hour sleep at a time during the night. Up to around two hrs at a time now. Seems to most comfortable placing pillows under me from the belly up. Every time I stand I feel a sting down my sides though as is everything needs to resettle. Strange, and hope it goes away eventually. The belly swelling seems to have gone down a little but I hope there's more to go. And I still see what I hope is just a lot of swelling at the waist. I'll just keep documenting in the meantime...