Tummy Tuck Gone Wrong - Upland, CA

I had a TT and lipo to the flanks and I'm sure that my incision is not healing right at all. It's bulging out swollen and red. It even had black areas in it. I'm very depressed by all this. I hope it heels ok. I see others incisions on here and they are all nice and flat and that's how I expected mine to be.

And my surgeon said I was fine. But I honestly don't think so as you seen in my picture which was taken a few days ago because it takes a day to activate this a profile on this site. I asked my ps if the skin was dying because of the black areas and he said no but to just clean thoroughly which I have. I just called another ps to get a second opinion and they are gonna call me back to set an appt. here is my today's picture.

That I'm 10 days post op if it helps any. Also I posted these pictures in the ask the dr sections and the dr that responded said it was normal and I have a small bit of necrosis. That's for all your ladies concern, but I truly don't want a ER trip to night. I'm gonna wait it out until Monday. Hopefully it gets better by then. I'm still on antibiotics and washing it with antiseptic soap. I really hope it gets better. This is so depressing. :(

So I had a check up and my dr says I'm fine and the black stuff is just a scab. Ummm I know it's not just a scab. He says it will fall off on its own and that all I need to do is clean it and it is not infected. It may not he infected ok fine but the least he could do is clean it and make it look better rather then just looking at me and saying I'm fine then sending me on my way. I'm really hating all this shit I'm dealing with. It's so annoying.

You can see in my pictures it's looking pretty nasty at this point. I'm so irritated by this process and just annoyed. I still can't stand straight and my leg/thigh where my crease is to my vagina it's all yellow and opening up and that part really hurts. I can feel it stretch and pull when I walk and my panties rub on "crease" and really irritated my skin as you can see in my picture. I have a second appointment with another dr tomorrow at 130 so I will see what he says.

Right now for care I'm just cleaning it and putting neosporain on the wounds with gaze because I have bad drainage. I change that once a day. Oh also take a look at my drain site that got removed today. Yea..one more thing to deal with.


So I dunno what do you ladies think...I think it all looks freaking horrible and I hate it. I wanna cry!

Sooo I saw another ps surgeon the other day and let me just say how I WISH I went with this dr. He was so warm and sweet to me and even gave me a fuzzy feeling inside. Lol the way he spoke to me and listened to what I had to say without interrupting at all (like most dr do) just made me feel more then just a patient. He was very caring to my situation. And answered allllll my questions. Felt like we talked forever. Haha

Anyways he reassured me that I have no infection and that I did in fact developed mild necrosis. He said at this point just leaving it alone and keeping an eye on it is my best bet and to wait until the skin falls off on its own because I have no infection. He believes that I will heal just fine and that I will like my end results. But in the end if I did not like it he could revise my scar, but to just give it some time. He even said my bb was cute. Lol

Pretty much he knew my ps who did my work and tho I could tell he had some personal opinions about him he was professional and kept them to himself. He did say that what I was missing was the reassurance that my ps failed to give me. He also said that he would be willing to see me anytime I wanted with any concerns I may have. But the fact is I'm my current surgeons responsibility by law for the next 90 days. But he wouldn't mind helping me along the way as well.

So with all this good news and all your ladies help I just feel so much better. I feel like I got out of a depression slump and found some strength. That day I saw the second ps I slept in my bed for the first time in weeks, I'm standing up straighter, actually leaving the house now, and just enjoying all of this. I feel good about my body even with my hurdles. I've even put on some make up and some cute clothes. I looked in the mirror and realized I love the way I look!! And I can't wait to be fully healed!!

I just feel really good right now. Lol

Sooo besides feeling amazing and living my figure the truth is I'm battling that horrible hole in my tummy and possible openings?! The second ps said he believes I will heal fine but it will just take a bit longer.

Here are my pictures as of today. I warn your they are kinda yucky. But I needed to share so you ladies can see how it's combing. I hope it's looking better in your eyes. Drainage seems like it's been lately and u get sharp pains in some areas.

I'm also bummed because I'm heading back to work tomorrow. Booo I hope I can make it through. I'm a barista.

I just don't know what to do anymore!! It's just looking worse to me. Maybe I'm being paranoid but I just feel like it's not getting better and that no surgeon will help me. Whelp!! :((

So last night I started the wet and dry method that you all suggested. I wish I would have done this sooner because I think I see a small improvement from just last night. I know all you ladies had already told me about this and how to do it I just wasn't aware it was an actual from of debridement until after I google how to debridge at home. So far I think it's working. So happy face from me :)

Also I made an appointment with my primary care giver this coming Friday. So if I don't see a major improvement I was see if my dr will write a referral to a wound care center so my insurance can cover my care and see what the wound care facility can do for me. So we will see.

Hope all you ladies have a wonderful weekend and a special thanks to the ladies who reached out to me via messages. I really don't know how I could be getting through this all without all you wonderful members on RealSelf.

Happy healing you all! Xoxoxo

Here some pics after one night of the wet/dry method. I know it's to soon to tell a HUGE difference but I think I see a small improvement just from the few dressing changes. The green/yellow drainage also is slowing down.

So I've been doing the dry method everyone suggested and changing out every 8 hours or so. Discharge is still yellow and green, but I've noticed less yuck since I've been doing the at home debridement. Now that some if the yuck is pulling up I didn't notice how deep and round my wound is until recently. Kinda scary to say the lease. But there's still a corner where there is a lot of it still in place and it's not coming up just yet. Still keeping my fingers crossed. I even noticed a stitch poking out in the middle of my hole!! Really concerned with that!!

Other then that I'm still super duper numb in a lot of areas and I do have 2 hard lumps by/around the hole. Maybe fat necrosis?

I just can't wait to be healed because this is all pretty exhausting.

Thank you all for your love and support!!

Here's the pics as of now. I'm 3 days post from wet and dry method. You can actually see the stitch in it. I think it looks a little better? What do you all think?

And turns out I was indeed infected!! No surprise there to be honest. I had a feeling I had an infection for a few weeks but my ps said if I had no fever, chills, or pain then I'm not so I was just listening to the one with a degree, instead of my own body. So glad I went because now I have antibiotics. Another step closer to full recovery.

Well there's no doubt that my tummy is super flat at times but also during the day I look as if I'm 3 months pregnant and extremely bloated but I do get tons of complements for my flat tummy and having 3 kids. Problem is beneath the clothes I have a scar that looks as if I've been sliced in half by a chainsaw and sewn back together.

This summer shopping for a bikini to hide my high and thick scar was a nightmare. My sex life is non existent because I'm too scared to let anyone see me without my clothes off. I'm a super confident woman but once alone in the bedroom I crumble into my scar insecurities because I don't know what that person will think once he sees my scar.
I also have this boldge of scar tissue you that you can see through my clothing. Although I have to admit. I do love my flanks the doctor did do really good job onmy Lipio.
I will be speaking to another doctor soon to see about doing a scar revision but I'm scared because I'm extremely tight still and there's not that much skin to actually pull so I don't know if the revisions even possible.

And I've also been told by certain people that my bellybutton looks Abnormal. This tummy tuck outcome is not at all what I had expected and am very much disappointed.
Thank you all for for following and leaving good thoughts. I hope you all are healing well!

So I've decided to go ahead and get a complete tattoo to cover my incision instead of going through the trouble of finding a ps scar revision, time off work for actual surgery, care for my children and all the money that will need to be spent. In actually at the tattoo shop as we speak. Lol wish me luck!!

I'm amazed by how well the tattoo covered my right side of my incision! The scar it's self is kinda holding out but that's normal with tattoos. I think my artist did a fantastic job already.