Tummy Tuck: Stories

I am 31 and had my first when I was 15. My oldest son is soon to be 16. My second boy is 12 and my daughter is 8. I cannot believe my TT is less than a week away now. I am excited an nervous at the same time!

I am trying to get everything in order before my surgery. I even bought Bio Oil, Palmers vit. E oil, and Mederma to help with scarring from reading other people's reviews. Picking up all my prescriptions tommorw and some gauze. Then I think I am set.....I think lol!

I wanted to to a BL and aug but couldn't afford it yet, in a few years though! I am so curious as to what my new stomach is going to look like! I hope to post pics this week

3 more days.....I am so excited!!!!!! I am mostly nervous about the recovery and the pain. I have so much to do this week still. I have to put in my application into the college I will be attending in the Spring. But my house is mostly in order =)

One more day! Hopefully today and tomorrow I will have the laundry and the house cleaning caught up. My hubbie is off for a week to take care of me and I know he will do a great job taking care of the kids and cleaning the house. I am mostly curious about the 2 weeks and beyond post op. I want everything to go smoothly!

Its 9:45 and I need to go to bed in a little while. Tomorrow I wake up at 5 and head to my surgery. I can't believe it is tomorrow morning!!! I hope I can sleep tonight.....

Day of Surgery!!! I am about to hop in the shower and then head off to Seattle (1 hour 45min drive) for my TT! It still doesn't seem real, even though my surgery is today! I am looking forward to waking up from the surgery and being done with that part of it.

After my surgery yesterday I splet mostly. Not in too much pain, just my stomach muscles were sore.
Today I am just waking up and eating so that I can take my pain meds. I took my pain meds around the clock while I was sleeping so I didn't go to long and then end up being in pain. I am headed home (1hr 45min ) drive. Hopefully it is a smooth drive home =)

1 day po for me. Still mostly sleepy and not much pain. Wondering how I will be after they remove the pain pump on day 5. And it is a pain to walk hunched over,I hate it!!
i am going to see the doc in 3 days and then I will get to see my new tummy. I am nervous it will hurt when he takes off the compression garment. headed off to sleepy land, i'll update again tomorrow.

2 day PO - Today I can walk a little straighter than yesterday. That makes me happy because I hate walking around all bent over. Had my first BM today. I am so nervous to go to the bathroom because I think if I strain to much my stomach muscles will spread again...

3 days PO. Tired today but still not much pain. I can't wait to see my Dr. tomorrow because he is going to take off my bandages! I know I will be swollen, but I can't imagine what my new belly button looks like. Made the mistake yesterday of taking a laxative and not a stool softener so i was in the bathroom a lot with runny stools (sorry about the tmi)

posted new pst-op pics

Day 5 Post-op: The pain pump is gone and it feels like my stomach is waking up. It feels really tight and I feel a slight pain in my new belly button and my low incision. Laying low and keeping an ice pack on it has made it all bearable.
I have to drain and measure my own drains every 12 hrs. because it makes my hubby queasy. But I think it is easy and take about 5 minutes.
Tomorrow I am going to take my first shower...yahooo!!!!

Day 6 post op- Rough day. Nauseous today. My stomach felt huge and uncomfortable like it was going to pop. Hated wearing the compression garment but when I took it off for a little while it only felt good for a short period of time. So i put it back on. Haven't had a bm for 2 days....not a good day today!!


Day 7 post -op. Woke up feeling better this morning. I hope today is better than yesterday.

Had my first outing today. Dropped the boys off to my mom to get some school supplies and me and the hubby had lunch together. It is hard to sit because of the garment stopping at the top of my thighs and it gets tighter as i sit. I felt a little light headed in the car and while I was at lunch. Of course at lunch I had to choke on some basil that made my lunch outing even more tiring. Wish I would have brought a few pillows and a blanket on my outing so I would have been more comfortable in the car.
On my drive home on the day of surgery I had 3 pillows and a blanket. I had the 3 pillows on my lap to i could lean over the pillows as my hubby drove. My surgeon said that I was in a jack knife position as they stitched me up so I would be tight for a while and to drive home bent over.

anyways...I am back home now after my first outing and it feels so good to be back resting in my recliner. I have 2 pillows under my knees to keep them elevated and one pillow on my lap. Today my body really wants to stretch out but my stomach can't do that yet.
Also I showered again today, only because lucky me i have a yeast infection now! That is exactly what I didn't need right at this time! But I need it to clear up so I am keeping myself extra clean. I tied a ribbon around my neck and pinned on the training tubes to the cute bow that I made. Not the most sexiest I've looked before, I can't even imagine what my husband is thinking. I was tired after my shower and ready to lay back down for a little while.

My stomach is a little less swollen today. I have a long sort-of lump underneath my belly button and I am a little swollen around my belly button. I loosed my compression garment a little t relieve some of the pressure while my stomach feels tight.

It is Friday, and on Tues I head back into the dr. to have my drains removed. So that will have been 12 days that I had them in. He said I could have had them removed today but the office is closed because of the holiday weekend. I don't mind having them in that long to drain fluid out, but I will be excited to finally not have those things!!! I have to drain them every 12 hours and log how many cc's are in each drain. Daily the cc's are getting less and less.
After I shower I have to put an antibiotic cream inside my belly button and tape gauze over that. I also put cream around the drains and put gauze over the drains where they come out of my body.

I am down to taking percocet in the early morning, once during the day, 1 at night, and 1 in the middle of the night. Up until day 6 I was taking percocet around the clock every 4 hours and 2 tablets. Its nice to take only 1 tablet and not as frequent as before. I was also taking muscle relaxers 3 x's a day and now I take only one right before I go to bed to help me have a good sleep.

At 3 weeks i go into the dr's to have to stitches taken out of my belly button.

I hope all of this makes sense.......sorry about jumping all over the place with my topics!

8 days post op..... posted new pics

9 days PO - Well, last night was bad. My stomach felt like I was 9 months pregnant and ready to pop. Like there was a baby in my belly elbowing me. I could't sleep and was wondering why did I do this. Spent a lot of money, jeopardized my family by having surgery, put my husband through this and having me take care of me all because I chose to have surgery, not because I had to have surgery. I finally fell asleep around 2 am and woke up feeling much better this morning.
Today I've had the most energy yet. So hopefully it keeps getting better from here.

yes, today was the most productive day yet! Made french toast w/my 8 yr. old daughter, actually she made the french toast which she is quite happy she knows how to do that. Such a cutie =) I was feelin so good I planned to go shopping and then to my son's soccer game and my husband stopped me kindly and nicely said no...you are going to lay back in he recliner and relax otherwise you are going to have a bad night like last night. I didn't fight him because I knew he was right. And how often as a mother of three am I told to go sit in the recliner and relax, never!! I'm glad I did relax because later that day we went over to a friends house who was having a bbq. I didn't do much over there but eat and sit but man oh man I am tired tonight and my tummy and back are aching. So I'm icing my back and tummy and I write this, took 2 percocets and hopefully I will sleep soundly soon =) Good night ladies!
Oh yah, I took off my binder for an hour just to give my tummy a break and put on underwear for the first time in 9 days and I was sooooo excited!!! My tummy is lookin good and I cannot wait when I am back to normal.
ok goodnight for real this time.

10 days po - As far as my body goesI and having the best day yet! Picked up my house and started some laundry for the first time since my surgery. I am home alone and thought I would like it but I don't! I am feeling lonely and could cry at any moment. My hubby won't be home for a few hours with the boys and I can't go anywhere...nor do I want to because I still have the drainage to hide and it is hot outside so I can't conceal them with a zip up hoodie. I am trying to keep my mind busy by slowly picking up the house. I still can't stand up right and I think that is because of my belly button sutures. When I try to stand upright my belly button seems to stop me.

15 days po...2 weeks and 1 day!! Feeling so so so good!! About 13 days po I could finally walk and stand all the way upright without the feeling of tugging from my new belly button. Finally got my drains out this week and it is so nice not to have to hide those things in public with this nice weather! My drain sights are already closed, think that means my doctor did a great job with the sutures when he placed them in me. He took them out at the same time (they were at the top of my pubic area) and told me it would sting for 10 seconds. When he pulled then out I started counting in my head and it only stung for about 5 seconds. I was super worried about it hurting so i was relieved!! I can walk shop and run errands now without much pain.

I still have to wear a compression garment and have to sleep on my back. So I am not sleeping well because I am not a back sleeper. i wake up constantly throughout the night and can't fall back to sleep. Can't wait to be able to sleep on my stomach. My doc said at about 6 weeks i should be able to

3 weeks po (next week) I get my belly button sutures out. I am really excited about my belly button! My doc did a great job keeping it small and beautiful!

In 15 1/2 years FINALLY I LOVE my tummy. I am not self conscious anymore naked and when I sit in public wearing clothes. No more tucking the jiggly belly under my jeans lol

added 3 weeks po pics...

3 weeks po:

~Energy is great! A little swollen and tired at the end of
the night.
~My stomach muscles hurt like the dickens to sneeze
now that my stomach isn't as numb.
~Saw my surgeon to get my belly button stitches out.
~Wow!! My scar is sooo low, thin, flat and light!! I must
say I am VERY impressed!! I knew when I researched I
was impressed with his work but to see it in person on
my own body is awesome!! (I'll post scar pics later)
~ My new tape that the ps put on at the appt. should fall
off in 2-3 weeks then I use silicone tape for 4-5
months. He said it helps with the scaring to stay flat.
~ 4 weeks po I can wear whatever shaper I want if I want
to wear one at all.
~ 5 weeks po I can begin walking and light workout.
~ 7 weeks po I can resume regular workouts.

I can wait! Even though I would love to workout I trust Dr. G. and his opinion on the best recovery for my scar and stomach muscles. Plus, I's waited 15 years for a tummy like this.....I can wait a few more weeks to workout. I don't want to eff up any part of my new beautiful tummy.

posted new pic of my scar 3 weeks po

Cannot Believe I am 4 weeks Po!! The first two weeks that were so bad seems like forever ago!! I love being able to wear leggings and long tight shirts and not have a tummy pouch.
At the 4 week mark:

**I still am not wearing jeans. For me they are not the most comfortable because of the scar on my hip bone. (even though I have loose jeans). All Leggings for me =)
**Scar is just starting to itch and a little sore in the middle of the scar above my pubic area.
**Wearing now a cute compression tank top with lace at the bottom. I wear it at night when I sleep too .
**Have more energy everyday!! Can do most house chores. I am a little sore when mopping.
**Sneezing does NOT hurt finnaly =)
**Still have not got my period lol. It's been 5 weeks, but my body is always off wack. (Hubbie is fixed so no wories there)
**Feel so confident naked
**Still swelling at night and more during the day if I don't wear a compression garment

String Bikini at 4 weeks po!! =)

6 weeks already??? Can't believe it~!!! I went on my first fast walk last night and did 3 miles. Not any more swelling than usual so that was great!! I am going to do my first run tomorrow morning. My plan is to do 1 mile at a slow pace on the treadmill. Cannot wait to hit the gym tomorrow !! I am in school and I use exercise as a stress release. So needless to say I have been pretty stressed out since I haven't been able to work out.

I haven't worn my compression garment for 2 weeks now and I have a little swelling which I know is normal.
My muscles aren't too sore now.

I'll post pics tomorrow morning......

Added pics. 6 Weeks PO TT

Got the ok from my doc to get back to full on exercise now!! I started easy workouts at 6 weeks but he said I could resume regular running and build up to what I was doing before! I am excited but also have to get back into the routine and figure out where it will work into my schedule. That means I need to start packing my workout bag again before I leave the house so I can workout after class and before I study, all before the kids get home from school. It's going to be crazy but I need to do it!! I'm a little tired just thinking about it.....

9 weeks po today! I cannot believe it. I feel almost normal. Except that I cannot workout as hard as I want to yet. I still get nervous when I am about to sneeze thinking my abs will hurt. But they don't!
Got my first spray tan yesterday just for fun and the tan looks amazing!