Tummy Tuck with Lipo Suction

Full Tummy tuck with liposuction
Before you make your decision to carry out major elective surgery I suggest that you mentally prepare yourself and do a lot of research on the procedure and the outcome. Talk to your doctor - as many times as you need - and get answers to all your queries. Take your time in making the decision - do not rush. I took a year of deciding - research, pics, diet, talking to my doc etc.
Most importantly:
1. have realistic expectations - we don't all have super-model body shapes! If you are a size 20 body-structure, don't expect this tt to make you a size 10!
2. Choose a really good plastic surgeon - makes all the difference
3. Take pics of your body and maintain a journal - write all the questions you have and the answers you get from your doc or the net. Remember, tt is NOT a procedure to lose all your excess weight/ fat. So don't expect your weight/ measurements to change drastically.
4. Once you decide to do this procedure, do not try to save your pennies! If you are spending all your dollars - spend that extra few pennies to ensure you get the best.
When planning:
1. First week you will need a lot of rest and you will be oozing. Therefore you need help to take care of yourself. Also the first couple of days you may not be able to shower and move around. From my personal experience I suggest that you plan to stay in the hospital/clinic for the first 3 days, ie; ops day + 3 more days. It is well worth the pennies you will need to spend. This will ensure that you have good professional care, a good bed and all your oozing is at the hospital! The docs will be checking on you and providing you with pain medication and proper food and the nurses will assist in your bathroom duties. By the time you go home you can shower by yourself and no dirty clothes/linen.
2. Week two you will be comfortable by yourself at home and be able to take care of yourself. You will be mobile enough to manage. However, you can only care for yourself! You will not be able to care for children/home etc.
3. Week 3 : If you have a desk-job you can go to work although you will be a little slow in walking and perhaps slightly bent-over. Also sitting for long periods of time will be uncomfortable. You will also be able to do your shopping/driving and caring for your home. However, you will not be able to carry heavy bags etc. You can also have sex (if you like), however positions are limited. At night you will no longer need to dress your incision as it should be comfortable. I wear dressing on my incision during the day as it makes it more comfortable to wear my clothes then.
If possible try to take time-off from work up to this time, ie; 3 weeks. You will feel quite good with the rest and recovery.
4. Week 4 you should be able to return to normal life - to a certain degree! The incision would be dry and you should be able to walk straight. By now you should be comfortable walking and driving etc. While quite a lot of the swelling would've gone down, the lower tummy - area of incision will still be swollen. Also the tummy in the mornings will probably be better than in the evening. For me personally, I have always suffered from these symptoms where my tummy bloats by the evening; even before the surgery - kind of like IBS symptoms. Therefore this isn't a change for me because of the tt.
Once you complete your 4 weeks (1 month) you are essentially back to your normal self.....whatever that usually is! You should be caring for yourself, your home, driving, working & wearing high-heel shoes! While your incision would be healed and not require dressing/bandage, the scar is still prominent. Also there is some swelling and if you are like me - by the end of the day the swelling will be worse. While you can go on holiday and probably wear a bathing suit during the day, I don't think I am still ready for a bikini (depending on your suit and the incision). Also I wouldn't want to wear a bikini by the end of the day when I look 3 months pregnant! However, on the +side, there is no discomfort and need to bandage the area.
My surgery went quite well and my doctor was amazing. I opted to stay in the hospital for the first 3 days and got good care. I took 3 weeks off from work. My doctor is quite knowledgeable and experienced. I barely had any pain, just some discomfort. Also my doctor did not use any drainage making this more comfortable. Of course this may vary depending on your doctor's techniques and the procedure suitable for you;. My doctor had an excellent pain management method for me as I stayed in hospital for 3 days. He had pain killer tubes linked straight to my wounds for the first 2 days post-surgery and I was hooked up to the saline. First 24 hrs. had a catheter and didn't need to use the toilet either. Wound dressings were changed by the nurses so minimal difficulty.
Full compression garments are a must. I suggest having two sets as during the first 4 days you will need to change due to the oozing. Having your vitamins is important and also if you have dry-skin like mine, make sure you have oils/creams etc. to manage this condition. My doctor required me to use anti-bacterial soap 3 days before and 3 days after surgery. I used Detol soap. As I had such dry skin which led to itching I used Bio oil and also my doctor recommended the oatmeal products by DERMAVEEN. Made quite a difference.
My doctor is quite supportive and I e-mail him constantly with questions. This helps me as it helps me relax when things bother me. Also walking is important as it takes the pressure off.
Hope my post helps anyone going in for this procedure. Good Luck!