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4 Wk Post-Op
This weeks has been interesting. I started noticing more swelling this week and it it didn't even seem like there was any less swelling in the mornings as is typical. I also felt more and more fatigued each day. I was getting pretty depressed too - I was questioning my results: even though I could see a huge improvement in photos and could even see it every time I walked by a mirror, I couldn't help but feel discouraged. I felt so huge, in fact, that I finally decided to weigh and measure myself (usually NOT a good idea at this point). my waist, which was 33" pre-op (not sucking it in), is now 30". My weight, which was 140 pre-op, is now 134. All of my pre-surgery clothes fit (and fit better) now. Even learning this, I was still just not feeling it.
Yesterday, I had my 1 month PO appointment. I explained my feelings to my PS and told him my increased swelling made me feel like I was 2-3 months pregnant or something (tubal ligation years ago so no chance of that). he said he'd take a look and see if there was anything going on but that my feelings were pretty normal for 4 wks PO. His exam table is more like a dentists's chair: it adjusts from sitting to reclined to flat. After checking me in each position, he said he didn't see anything and that I was healing nicely. He even note that the scab had recently fallen off from the necrotic spot on my belly button and it was almost healed completely as well. He told me to schedule an appointment to come back in 6 more weeks. Just as he was about to leave the room, he said wait and said he wanted to check me standing up. As soon as I did, he said "Oh, wow" and started pressing on my lower abdomen. He asked the nurse to step in closer and watch as he pressed. He pushed here and there and the tissue on the opposite side would push out a bit as expected but then he got to one spot where the surface of the skin rippled (slightly) from the point where he pressed to the other end where it pushed out. "That", he told the nurse, "is what a seroma looks like". Great. A seroma. He asked the nurse to get him an 18 gauge needle while he reached down and grabbed a huge syringe ( the size of a toilet paper tube) from a nearby drawer. He touched my lower abdomen again in a spot near my incision and asked if it was still numb. He then wiped the spot with alcohol and told me he was going to drain the fluid and I was to tell him if I felt any discomfort at all. He said he would stop and give me a local anesthetic if I needed it. I agreed and told him I wasn't going to look. He chucked a bit and said in that case, he wouldn't look either - that way things are equal! He's always had the best bedside manner. Reassuring and funny too. Anyhow, he was only able to drain 25CCs but I felt so much better almost immediately. He asked me to come back in 1.5 weeks so he could check for fluid buildup again. I'm to call if I notice anything before then.
My point here, ladies, is always check with your PS if you're not feeling quite right. I had been on the lookout for hematomas and seromas because of what others had posted on RS. I still missed the seroma: I expected to see a lot more wave-like rippling (like a waterbed, some people have said). In reality, it was much more subtle than that - at least to me.
Yesterday, I had my 1 month PO appointment. I explained my feelings to my PS and told him my increased swelling made me feel like I was 2-3 months pregnant or something (tubal ligation years ago so no chance of that). he said he'd take a look and see if there was anything going on but that my feelings were pretty normal for 4 wks PO. His exam table is more like a dentists's chair: it adjusts from sitting to reclined to flat. After checking me in each position, he said he didn't see anything and that I was healing nicely. He even note that the scab had recently fallen off from the necrotic spot on my belly button and it was almost healed completely as well. He told me to schedule an appointment to come back in 6 more weeks. Just as he was about to leave the room, he said wait and said he wanted to check me standing up. As soon as I did, he said "Oh, wow" and started pressing on my lower abdomen. He asked the nurse to step in closer and watch as he pressed. He pushed here and there and the tissue on the opposite side would push out a bit as expected but then he got to one spot where the surface of the skin rippled (slightly) from the point where he pressed to the other end where it pushed out. "That", he told the nurse, "is what a seroma looks like". Great. A seroma. He asked the nurse to get him an 18 gauge needle while he reached down and grabbed a huge syringe ( the size of a toilet paper tube) from a nearby drawer. He touched my lower abdomen again in a spot near my incision and asked if it was still numb. He then wiped the spot with alcohol and told me he was going to drain the fluid and I was to tell him if I felt any discomfort at all. He said he would stop and give me a local anesthetic if I needed it. I agreed and told him I wasn't going to look. He chucked a bit and said in that case, he wouldn't look either - that way things are equal! He's always had the best bedside manner. Reassuring and funny too. Anyhow, he was only able to drain 25CCs but I felt so much better almost immediately. He asked me to come back in 1.5 weeks so he could check for fluid buildup again. I'm to call if I notice anything before then.
My point here, ladies, is always check with your PS if you're not feeling quite right. I had been on the lookout for hematomas and seromas because of what others had posted on RS. I still missed the seroma: I expected to see a lot more wave-like rippling (like a waterbed, some people have said). In reality, it was much more subtle than that - at least to me.
3Wk Post-Op
So, no major complaints this week. Every day seems to be better and better. I do have to watch my activity level a bit as I've nnotices more swelling towards the evening on days I'm more active. I'm beginning to see a little definition now in the upper abs. My swelling seems to concentrate in the mons area as well as hips and lower back where I had the Lipo. Over all, I'm very happy
2 1/2 Weeks PO
I got my drain, BB stitches and steri-strips removed at 8 days PO (Woohoo!). although i'd already been approved to shower at 2 days PO, PS okayed a bath (I'm a bath girl) 2-3 days later (as soon as my drain site scabbed over). I also got the go ahead to switch to a spanx-type compression garment. I must say I was disappointed when I saw my incision without the steri-strips; I have alot of pleating but PS assures me all that will smooth out as the sutures disolve and the skin re-drapes over next few months. I went to out to dinner with fiends that day (Last Friday) but was glad to get home as I was still pretty sore. I was off pain meds by day 10.
This past week has been relatively good with the exception of last Tuesday; I began teleworking on Monday but had to go in to the office for a half day on Tuesday. I wore both the CG and my binder but was so sore and swollen by the time I got home. I took a muscle relaxer but that didn't seem to even take the edge off so, I decided to soak in a nice warm tub after which, I rubbed down with arnica gel (Aahh! Minutes later I started feeling relief). I went out with friends for a couple hours again this Friday and Satuday without incident and did a little grocery shopping yesterday too. I'm no longer numb above my belly button (which is healing nicely now). What swelling and soreness I do get now seems to be mostly in my back (from the Lipo) and below my incision (mostly Mons area). Needless to say I'm very happy with my recovery so far!
This past week has been relatively good with the exception of last Tuesday; I began teleworking on Monday but had to go in to the office for a half day on Tuesday. I wore both the CG and my binder but was so sore and swollen by the time I got home. I took a muscle relaxer but that didn't seem to even take the edge off so, I decided to soak in a nice warm tub after which, I rubbed down with arnica gel (Aahh! Minutes later I started feeling relief). I went out with friends for a couple hours again this Friday and Satuday without incident and did a little grocery shopping yesterday too. I'm no longer numb above my belly button (which is healing nicely now). What swelling and soreness I do get now seems to be mostly in my back (from the Lipo) and below my incision (mostly Mons area). Needless to say I'm very happy with my recovery so far!
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