1 Year After Tummy Tuck - No Lipo

I am 27 year old mother of 4. I was very thin when I started having children, and gained between 55 and 75 each pregnancy. I always dropped the weight pretty fast but my tummy was very unforgiving. Despite all the healthy eating and exercising I did, my tummy was still flabby. Not to mention how horrible my stretch marks were. It was embarrassing to me and even being naked in front of my husband. I was very self conscience and looking in the mirror at my tummy always made me feel sad. I told my husband for years I wanted a tummy tuck, and now was finally the right time! I went in for my pre-op and a month later got my tummy tuck! My family and husband has been very supportive through this. I decided on a tummy tuck without liposuction. I felt very selfish for spending so much money on myself, but I knew how much it would help me.

I went in yesterday morning and before I knew it, I was awake and crying because of the pain. The morphine was not working any better than the medicine to reduce nausea. The nurses were all very helpful in trying to get me to breathe and stay calm. Finally my pain and my nausea was under control and I was able to go home about 2 hours after my surgery. Walking from the car to the couch was extremely painful. My husband thankfully is a medic in the Army and has been able to help me. Blood makes me nauseous, so he has been emptying my drains. There hasn't been too much blood. My husband and I slept downstairs last night, but I had to come upstairs this morning so my little ones wouldn't be jumping all over me. I took each painful step one at a time, and after a few tears I finally made it. The pain meds weren't doing much for my pain and were just making me feel a little loopy. I started noticing that it was hard for me to breathe and my ribs were hurting very bad. I called the doctor and he said I could double my pain medication and that I could loosen my binder. The binder was too long for my body so my husband used some ace bandages instead. They seem to be working much better and I can actually breathe. I have a nasty bruise on my right side and some bruising in between my breasts. Not sure what they are from, but they don't hurt too much right now. I have been taking stool softeners, and am very nervous about when that time comes :/ I haven't really had much of an appetite. I have had a little bit of applesauce, some graham crackers, and a little ice cream.

I am feeling pretty positive about how I am going to look. I still have on all my bandages so I cannot see much, but from what I can see there are no more stretch marks above my new bellybutton :)

On day 5! The first 2 days were sort of a blur because of the pain medicine. I cried whenever I had to get up, and couldn't even walk the few feet to the bathroom without the help of my husband. 48 hours after my surgery I was able to take a shower. I sat on a chair and my husband showered me. I felt a lot better after that. My doctor told me to shower everyday, and it really has helped me feel better. Yesterday and today I have been able to move around on my own, and thankfully walk to the restroom without help. I am still in my bedroom so my sweet little babies don't jump all over me. I miss them. My husband brings them in to visit me though :)

I am only taking 1 percocet at night, the rest of the day I am just taking tylenol. My first post op appointment is Friday morning, and hopefully I will be getting these drain tubes out! I don't have much of anything coming out of them anymore, but they sure are in the way a lot. I look forward to tomorrow!

7 days post op! I went to the doctor today and got my drains taken out!!! I hate to say it, but it hurt so bad :'( Thankfully that is what I was expecting. After she pulled them out I was so dizzy and felt like passing out for about 10 minutes. But the good news is that I feel SO much better with them out. A lot of the pain I had was from those things, so now I am feeling much better. I can even stand up straighter. I didn't want any more percocet so the doctor gave me some lortab. I have only been taking 1 percocet at night, but there are times during the day when regular tylenol just isn't cutting it. I asked my doctor about the huge bruise between my breasts, and the lump that is there. He said that it is actually the stitch and those stitches dissolve over about 2 months.

I spent pretty much all day out and about. My hubby pushed me around Wal Mart trying to find me some comfy clothes I can wear for the next few weeks until the swelling goes down and my tummy is less tender. Being out all day did a number on me because I am so tired and feel completely exhausted right now. I am normally a very active person who doesn't really like to sit down. I usually spend my days chasing after my kiddos, playing with them, cleaning, and doing outdoor stuff with my hubby and kiddos. I also love running and working out. Having a treadmill at home is amazing. I would say that before my tummy tuck I was never bored and was always doing something active. So it is difficult for me to not be able to do much. I notice how tiresome everything makes me now. I'm hoping that fades quickly.

My husband has been absolutely amazing with taking care of all 4 of our children. He has even managed to keep the house clean! They do eat out a lot lol. He still comes to our room and visits with me and makes sure that I have everything I need. I could never thank him enough. My sister-in-law came to stay a few days and she has been such a help also. My hubby goes back to work on Monday though, and I am a bit nervous about taking care of the children by myself. My biggest thing is that I cannot pick up my younger children who are 3 and 1. I love holding them, and they are very use to jumping all over mommy. So I am hoping that I heal a little faster the next 2 days!

I am so happy about how my tummy feels. I just feel thinner. I weighed myself out of curiosity and I lost about 4 pounds since the morning of my surgery. Right now I weigh 135 and am 5'6". I really do not care about what the scale says though, what makes me happy is sitting in the shower and having a flat tummy, even with it being swollen. I am so excited to see how it is going to look in a few weeks when I can stand up straight and the tape finally comes off! I am curious to see my new belly button. I heard about putting a marble in your new belly button to make it look "normal" but I don't know how it works and all that. Any advice on that would be appreciated :)