Tummy Tuck: Stories

I am 4 days away from my TT MR and vaser lipo. I am 5'4" and weigh about 200lbs. I am divorced and the mother of three (20, 16 and 15). It's been 15 years since my c-section that left me with the flap of skin and pudgy belly that exercise and diet have not been able to fix. Of course, I've gained and lost the same 30 lbs for the past 15 years. Finally, I realize that I can live with most of me, but not this belly.

I met with my ps in February for a consult on a tummy tuck. She asked me to lose 10-15 lbs, get medical clearance from my primary, so I did. I had my pre-op visit last week and have all my prescriptions and supplies. I am ready!!!

I am posting some before pictures (which are just AWFUL) I wear between a size 12 and a 14. I didn't think I looked this bad until the ps took before pics in her office. Anyway, hopefully I will have some much better looking after pics to post after Friday!

So one day before the tummy tuck. Pretty calm and at work making lists of what I'll need to get done today.

My pre-op was two weeks ago and I am fighting the urge to give Rose in my ps office a call to go over things one last time. Waiting on a call from the admissions nurse to go over last minute instructions. I know I'm scheduled for 7:30 a.m. and will be spending the night as required by my ps. Hope they don't bump my time back. Then I will get nervous . . .

My procedure was yesterday morning at 7:30 a.m. I was a little nervous, but my ps was in the room when I was going under and when I woke up, she was standing right there to tell me things had gone GREAT!

I was in recovery for a couple of hours while we tried to get my pain level under control and for me to fully wake up. My procedure took about 3 hours and I was in my room by about 1 p.m. for my overnight stay. I had a morphine pump and believe me, I pushed that button every 10 minutes on the dot! Eventually they gave me a second narcotic through the IV and I was able to rest comfortably through the night.

My ps came to the hospital around 11 a.m. to discharge me and check my bandages. We went over emptying my TWO drains and then i WAITED until about 4 to pee before I could leave the hospital they put a catheter in me yesterday for the surgery so I wouldn't have to get up last night).

Now I'm home, feet propped up and very pleased with the initial results. I am walking upright for the most part and am pretty comfortable with my Vicodin and I have some ice packs that I am mainly using on my sides and hips where the doctor did lipo. When the doctor changed my bandages this morning, I got a peek and am amazed by the difference. I will try to post pics tomorrow when I take off my binder and attempt a shower (we'll see)

I wish I'd done this a long time ago. I am so pleased with he results so far!!!!

Day #2 - lots of swelling and more discomfort. I took a shower and felt much better after. Posting a few pics with the binder off, but I'm much more swollen today than yesterday. Overall, not feeling too bad as long as I don't overdo it.

Day 4 post op. I'm sore, bruised and swollen, but I'm feeling pretty good. My stomach feels tight, tight tight. I am wearing my binder and taking it easy. Haven't really eaten too much because my throat has been bothering me since the surgery, but my appetite is returning. Drinking a lot of fluids and using the stool softener and Miralax.

My scar is no way as bad as I thought it would be. It's low and will be covered by bikini panties. My belly button is kinda strange, but i'm sure it's not the finished product. I am amazed by how much slimmer I look. Can't wait to see myself once the swelling goes down.

I'm still taking my pain meds and I have two more doses of the antibiotic. For the pain meds I'm trying to wean myself down to every six hours. I've been taking them every four hours since Saturday (when I came home). This will be great because I won't have to wake up in the middle of the night to take a pill.

Getting lots of help from my mom. She is a Godsend. Post op visit with the ps on Thursday morning. I was told to bring my compression garment and they will put me into it and remove one of my two tubes. REALLY looking forward to losing the tubes. And looking forward to leaving the house in two days too!

Two weeks post-op. Okay, so I haven't updated in a while, but for the most part, nothing new to report. Very pleased with the outcome, scar looks fabulous, but still swollen which seems to get worse as the day goes on. I had my second drain removed last week and life has been much better without it. (Last Sunday I went to the bathroom in the middle of the night and passed by the doorknob too close and caught my tube on the knob and it yanked -- you have never known such PAIN). So thank goodness the ps took it out last week or I would have taken it out myself!!!! Luckily, doc took it out and said things looked great, only complaint, bruise from lipo on left hip ripped skin off with surgical tape and it turned into a big scar. Using neosporin to get it to heal, then doc gave me some scar treatment cream (Avosil) to use on it. She says it's too soon to use the cream on my incision (which looks great!). Oh, and belly button hasn't healed up as much as she's liked, so she wants me to stick a cotton ball with peroxide on it to help speed up the "crusting" and healing of that (yuck)

Anyway, I started wearubg my compression garment recommended by the ps -- the Design Veronique Stage 1 garment. She wants me to wear it every day. It is tight tight tight, but somehow it makes me feel better than just wearing the binder. I noticed that with the binder my swelling goes to my hips so I get these two big bumps on them(ugh).

My hips are still swollen, so can't tell how well the lipo went there, but overall I am slimmed down (even though it doesn't show well in my pics) and have lost about 12 lbs since surgery and can get into a size down in my skirts and hopefully in pants too once the swelling in the hips goes down (YAY).

Today is my first day back at work and I expect it to go miserably. Not because I don't feel well, but mainly because I will miss my daytime t.v. and lounging around in pj's LOL

Anyhow, all this to say, feeling great at week two, looking slimmer, fitting into smaller clothes, loving the extra room in my pants and will post pics soon!!!!!

Okay, Friday was four weeks post op. Still having swelling and sometimes I notice a burning kind of sensation when I overdo it. Still wearing the compression garment every day and I usually sleep in the binder when I take off the other garment to wash it. I don't know, the binder makes me feel better. I think the scar is looking pretty good. Not using anything on it yet, but planning on using some Bio-Oil. New pics.