“Awesome Tummy Tuck (W/diastasis Repair) Experience”

I was so nervous going into this surgery as my husband and i separated the week before i was to have it done and i have a 1 year old and a 4 year old to care for, so i enlisted my mum to help and off i went. I had the surgery 2 days ago, and the experience has been amazing.

After gaining near 40kg with my 2 pregnancies and having long and large babies for my 5 ft stature my tummy was ruined and it made me lose all confidence in myself so for me was so important, but luckily (but unluckily) my muscles had separated so far that i had no core strength and my back was gong out all the time and i was always in pain, so my tummy tuck with diastasis repair is covered by my health fund.

I came out of surgery at 6pm without a catheter and 2 drains, calf compressors and compression stockings, my tummy binder, i had patient controlled analgesia (PCA) with morphine over night and was up at 5 am walking to the toilet..the first time hurt, but after that i was fine. I spent most of the day in bed resting with 6 visits to the toilet which got easier. I slept relatively well apart from the torch in the eyes and the light being turned on to do my observations.

DAY 2. I was up and about had a shower...kept the wound dry though but got to wash my hair with the help of a great nurse. My drains were taken out, my IV and PCA out and i was allowed to go home. So i am now home with mum looking after my balls of energy. Having my babes around is great but i would like to sleep a little so they might have a long trip to the park tomorrow;-)

I have just had my antibiotic and panadeine forte and am feeling a little sleepy. My pain is low, have heaps of bruising but i am already looking better than i could have ever imagined! Binder on and TED stockings as well.

Day 3 - it is heaven to be home, although not getting rest in the day as such with the kiddies bouncing around but i look and feel even better today, coughing is horrible and painful but i am able to walk around up and down the stairs and had nearly a full night sleep only woke once to a sore back from lying in the same position. Mum and dad are here looking after he kids for me so i don't need to lift them, and they are giving me TLC which i need right now.

Gave myself a shower- or bird bath i guess so not to wet my wound, there is still a lot of bruising and swelling but really good considering.

Will post my pic for today

x

well today is day 4 and i feel pretty good, i can't stop checking out my new belly and love the fact that i don't have a muffin top :-)

I just went out to the shops and apart from walking all bent over and an extreemly painful cough it was good- mind the speed humps they hurt a little..i am not driving myself at the moment though as the muscles are still sore.

The back pain is not real nice but have been using ZEN on that and it has helped, i sleep on my back and don't move at all, i tried the side yesterday and got stuck and just cried and my 4 year old helped me roll back over, poor little thing. Have reduced the panadeine forte today to advil as having a little trouble with the poops despite all the fibre i have been drinking. Bruising is still extensive but fading and i am still swollen and tender but still happy, people have commented on the difference already. Still i say it is all worth it :-) Is nothing compared to a c-section!

Day 5

i feel better today..when i get up out of be i am crooked but i am able to get a bit straighter as the day goes on. Saves my back a little!

I am swollen and retaining fluid even in the feet, keeping the low salt and moving around is all helping there...just don't get on the scales for any other reason than to monitor the fluid, there is no way a piece of toast and egg can make u gain weight ;-)

still on antibiotics and reduced to advil throughout the day and panadeine forte at night. Dressings stay intact till friday and the binder and stockings stay on too..

Having my parents here has been a lifesaver, just to know my kids are looked after is the biggest help anyone could ever do, and i am enjoying watching spongebob squarepants movies wih my boy!

day 7

i can't believe that this time last week i was on the operating table getting flubber removed!

Yesterday i HAD to go out in the morning and do something that i could not get out of and i got busy throughout the day doing more stuff and by the time it got to about 7 last night i was starting to feel strange. I puffed up like a balloon. I was so uncomfortable and tight that i just did not know where to put myself, i got on the scales and was 1.5kg (3.3lbs) heavier than what i was this morning, i was up weeing all night and tightening my binder several times as the fluid went down, apart from niggling pain i feel better today, just exhausted and sore in the back, but i am NEARLY upright at the start of the day, i just get more and more bent as the day goes on. So i just have to remind myself to rest! A foreign thing with kids and no husband around, thank god for mum!

I had enough of bending over a basin to wash hair and washing a limb at a time so i wrapped myself up in a garbage bag and tape so my dressing would stay dry and had the best shower so nice on the back! Have my appointment for removal of dressing in 2 days...can't wait to see...i have done everything to stop myself peeling off the dressing to take a sneaky peek. will get a pic and post it for u to see x

Day 9

swell hell is easing a little but still weeing a lot!

Dressing came off today and i saw my scar for the first time...very impressed!!!! stitches came out of my belly button which i couldn't feel as the area is still numb and the nurse cut the ends off my other sutures and they will continue to dissolve. I look slightly asymmetrical as i am still swollen but it is fantastic. the pubic line is a little higher but i guess that can be waxed if it bothers me. I now have micropore tape on the scar for the next few weeks, continue to wear the binder...i realised i was not wearing that tight enough either...oops! so for the hourglass shape...tighter we go!

I am nearly standing upright when i try and it is all going well, still sleeping upright on my back in bed with a pillow under my legs, continue to not lift and i can work out ways to do things with the babes that stop me lifting them.

Is such an awesome time but also a sad time that my husband is not sharing the new me, oh well...his loss!

Posted the pics for u today to see my surgeons art work!