Tummy Tuck: Stories

After 8 years of research and planning, I am 3 weeks and 3 days away from my tummy tuck!! I am so beyond excited to finally have a flat tummy!! The time is going by so fast and I have not made any preparations yet besides starting to meal plan and make and freeze a bunch of healthy quick meals. After losing almost 100 lbs and having 2 9lb plus babies by Caesarian, this is something that I have dreamed about for a very long time! Here's hoping that this will be a smooth process!!!

With only 2 weeks and 4 days until my tt, it is really hitting me that maybe I should start getting ready for this!! I have my pre-op this coming Wednesday and it is really now starting to become a reality. I was told that the pre-op would take about 2 hours. What can I expect to happen in this appointment? My fears are that I will harm my kids with my selfishness in wanting this to "fix" myself. Is this something I can really hide from them though? Maybe my 4 year old, but not my 11 year old....

As I sit here waiting for my children to get picked up, the nerves are starting to kick in. Tomorrow morning at 7:15 I am to be at the surgical centre in preparation for my 8:00 am surgery.... My big fear is that I will not wake up and leave my children motherless all to look better. Wish me luck!!!!

Well, I made it!! I am officially on the flat side and doing pretty good!
Arrived this morning at 7:15 and was asleep in surgery by 8:00 am. Sx lasted just over 3 hours and was awake and home by 2:45.
So far I haven't felt much pain, just a lot of tightness and stiff and not at all upright! I feel really old right now!!
I will not be able to see anything until my Po appointment sometime next week, I am supposed to call when the drains are producing less and then I will have them taken out and the dressings removed.
Hopefully this is as bad as it gets???

Slept ok through my first night. No pain but kept waking up. Made sure I set my alarm to keep on top of meds but have not had the courage to get up yet! My dr. Emailed last night and said to expect pain today. I am guessing the locals wear off? Hubby has been a great help! Poor guy was in such a panic yesterday prior to sx but he is so amazing!! Taking care of everything for me!!!

So day 2 I feel pretty good! Still no pain besides being swollen and tight and the back starting to hurt. I have only been taking extra strength Tylenol so this has been much easier than I expected!
My right drain is producing way less than my left. So far about 35cc compared to about 50cc from my left and I can visibly see that it is more prominent than the left side.
At what point do I worry about fluid collection on one side??
I peeked finally!! So far so good! What an amazing difference already!

Just now I have realized that you cannot over eat after mr without feeling like crap! Not that I over ate but have had a normal size meal for the first time since Sunday! Wow... Will not be making that mistake again! Anyone have any recommendations for meal replacement shakes that are good and healthy?? Thinking this may be the route to go for the time being!

So day 3 has come and I am feeling really good! Drains are at about 40-45 over the last day so I am hoping I can get them out early next week.
It's getting hard to not let myself do anything. Hubby has been constantly on me making sure I am not cleaning, bending, lifting. I'm really lucky to have such a great support system.
The kids come back today and I am hoping our story of "mommy is sick" works. I miss them so much but I know I would not be this far along if they had been home causing a ruckus!
Just found out that the hubby has to leave town for work early next week so I am so hoping I will be ok to drive come Monday. I will be 5 days Po then. At what day is "normal" to resume driving?
I will only have to go out once that day for about an hour but I think that may be a lot. I went for coffee with the hubby yesterday and that took so much out of me.
My drains have been getting "strings" of blood in them... Should this worry me? They are mainly yellowish now ...

So onto day 5 and everything feels so weird!!! Numb and tingly like its not my own mid section, more like an alien invader!
I was going to attempt to drive my 4 year old to daycare but chickened out. I don't think I am ready to drive yet, so poor boy has to endure an entire boring day with mom. Tv anyone? Lol....
I have been feeling weird tingles everywhere and am starting to feel achy at the incision. I have also had this weird pulling in my upper abs. Like someone hooked me with a fishing hook and is pulling at one spot. Kinda sore an weird. I am hoping it is just a muscle spasm or something.
I get my drains out tomorrow so I am hoping that I get to see more than what I can see myself! I am curious about how my bb turned out !
When is normal to start driving again? Hoping any day as hubby leaves town for work tomorrow and I'm on my own for a week....

Feeling so good today!! Yesterday I had company over and had my 4 year old all day as I didn't feel I was ok to drive him to daycare. All that and an appointment for h in the afternoon wiped me out completely yesterday!!!

Today I got up early, got my son dressed and brought him to daycare. As much as I wanted to keep him home with me I know he will have much more fun with the other kids than with me and my limitations right now!

I am going to stay in bed all morning and afternoon I have decided. Finally my first day all by myself to do nothing but read, sleep, watch tv and get better!!!! So excited for today! Lol

I do get to go tonight to get my drains removed thank goodness, but other than that it's a lazy day :) happy healing ladies!!!

So I got my drains out and dressings off tonight... Such a wierd feeling getting the drains out! No pain, but it felt like worms squirming inside you when they were pulled!! Thank goodness they are gone!
All my dressings are removed and it is looking great! Swollen, but as I could not see under the dressings I was kind I scared!!! Incision is low and thin so far and my belly button is cute!! Can't wait till it heals more to see what it will actually look like!!

Despite a tonne of swelling from all the activities of the day, one week and I think it's looking pretty good!! My day 2(3?) pic you can see how smooth and straight my sides are so I know it's all swelling and will go down. So worth it so far!

So as I lay here in bed, not sleeping, I am wondering if anyone else had had this problem? From day one I have laid in bed awake half the night. I will sleep for 2-3 hrs and wake up. No pain, not tired, just awake. I eventually fall asleep again for a bit but no more than 2 or so hours.
I'm not on any meds and have not been for days (all I took was Tylenol prior) and I was a great sleeper prior!!!
Help me sleep!!! I don't know what to do!

I am at day 11 and it's back to work full time as of tomorrow. I think I am ready, well, I guess it doesn't matter or not because I have no choice lol!
I'm feeling about 60% back to my old self. Besides the major swelling and tiring easy I have no complaints. I am standing about 90% straight again (more so in the morning less so as the day goes on)
I took the dressing off my bb tonight and am very pleased how it is coming along! Starting to push in a bit! I hate the swelling ridges along the incision though, it's almost the same as pre-op but hard instead of jiggly loose skin.... I know this is temporary though...
All in all I am very happy I did this and each day is getting better and better!

Tomorrow is 2 weeks. I am back to work and is it ever tough!!! Even though I am on deglaze work only and have set up a recliner in the lunch room to rest on my break, I am so swollen and sore by the time I get home!
I almost feel as if I look worse right now than before. I am so swollen, hunched over and I cannot fit any of my clothes! I know it will get better, but it can't come soon enough.
My hubby is working out of town for the next 3-6 months so its really hard taking care of the kids, the household and working while trying to rest as much as I can. Horrible timing for him to have to go, but I guess it could be worse.

So this week has been a real trial for me. I think this has by far been the worst week so far! Going back to work was tough. Even just doing desk work, by the time I picked up the kids I was done. Couldn't even make dinner the first day back. But every day has been a noticeable improvement. More energy, less pain and swelling. Maybe just getting back into a semi normal routine has been good for me!
I am 17 days post op today and though still very swollen, there has been a vast improvement in the feelings and swelling amount. I don't think I will be back in pre-op clothing for a while, but at least I can see a ray of sun peeking out in the future :)
Pain wise, there have been some strange shooting pains near the incision. I put this down to healing and feelings comin back. I am still very numb, but the numb area seems to be getting slightly smaller and my muscle contractions fewer and farther between.
On a negative note, my belly button seems to be going flat and not a nice innie like I had hoped for. This could be from swelling this evening, but does anyone know how to ensure an innie?
Things are looking up ;)