After having 2 C-Sections and twins, I'm ready to get my body back. After my youngest son was born 2 years ago, my stomach as never been the same. I workout 3-4 times/week once recovered, tried many cleanses and diets and finally realized I can't do this on my own. The smaller I got, the uglier my tummy appeared and I'm embarrassed to wear a 2 piece swimsuit even though I'm at a good weight for my body. I'm 5'5" and weigh 135, and the rest of my body looks great, and I'm ready to fix my stretched out saggy tummy. My surgery is scheduled for 12/26 and I'm a mix between excited and nervous!
Updated on 27 Dec 2017:
Today is the day! Got a call on my way in that the PS is running an hour late! Killing some time before we head over, and so anxious! Can’t wait to wake up and for the recovery to begin!! Took a couple more before photos this morning to make sure I remember why I am doing this! I will update later today or tomorrow!
Updated on 27 Dec 2017:
On the flat side! Wahoo!! I have a pain pump that drips on my abs, so pain is minimal. Staying on top of my meds. Most annoying part is my hands are numb. They gave me nerve blockers and I think he missed and made my right hand numb.. lol. Just annoying right now, but all is good! I have a f/up tomorrow with PS and excited for a sneak peek! He told hubby it looks awesome! Low incision and didn’t have to move B.B. ????. Hoping for some
more sleep! Will update tomorrow when I can feel my hand!!
Updated on 28 Dec 2017:
Hi! I had my surgery yesterday and I'm feeling pretty good! My PS was running late, so that was a little annoying, but once they took me back, I was out and only remember waking up in recovery. Since he was behind, I was one of the last patients there and felt a bit rushed to recover and get out of there. I always come out of anesthesia a bit loopy and asked for a coke. That was a mistake! It tasted good, but I drank it too fast, and then I threw up a little bit when I sat up. Oh man.. that was embarrassing! My PS put my compression garment on during surgery so I haven't seen my results. I got home around 6:30 PM, and felt so sleepy. I slept OK, but very light. Every little noise woke me up, and I had to pee so much! My husband slept on the couch next to the recliner and helped me get settled each time. I emptied my own drain and can pretty much use the restroom by myself! Staying on top of my pain meds and pain is about a 4. I am going to call my PS when his office opens and I'm going in to see him hopefully this afternoon. My mom is here with me today taking great care of me and cooking some meals for after she leaves. My strangest side effect right now is my right hand is so numb. Not sure what happened there, but it's kinda annoying! I might be able to take pics at my appointment and will update then!
Updated on 28 Dec 2017:
Went in for a checkup and got my first peek! I got really dizzy and threw up when they took the compression off. I felt so awful and thought I would pass out for sure. My PS was amazing and calmed me down and just kept saying how great I look! He said my ab separation was really big, and described it as 3 fingers. He said my incision looks great along with my belly button. He said all the nurses came in and were saying they wanted him to do theirs! The ride there and back was terrible, but now I’m back in my comfy chair relaxing! Phew!
Updated on 29 Dec 2017:
Day one ended pretty rough. Had. Couple spells when I got dizzy and nausea and almost passed out. I did throw up once which was so painful. I called my doctor and he told me to take more pain meds, and that’s when I had the worse spell yet. It was terrible. So at that point I switched to Tylenol which helped so much! I slept really well, then woke up day 2 with another spell. Doctor thinks it’s the side effects from pain meds so I am switching to Tylenol for good hopefully! Hoping the worst is over!
Updated on 30 Dec 2017:
Day 2 was so much better for me! I only had one dizzy spell and my PS was so attentive and helpful. He gave me some ideas on what to eat and what to do differently. I am completely off the narcotics which I know helped and I still have the ON Q pain relief system that numbs my stitches and I know that’s helping. I’m starting to eat and I know a BM should becoming day 3. I slept very well with my Tylenol PM. I got up to walk around more and even sat at the table for some dinner. We changed my garment and washed the dress I’m wearing which felt awesome! I didn’t take any pics because I was so nervous about getting dizzy, but I will try to on day 3. My husband has been so awesome and helping me out a ton. In the middle of the night when I got up to empty my drains, I could tell I’m already not as hunched over. The back pain is real, but I know from the great ladies on here, it will go away!
Updated on 30 Dec 2017:
Day 3 is great so far! Hubby washed my hair in the sink and I feel so much better! We also changed the dressings on my drains, so I got a peek. I’m so swollen it’s crazy! I had my first BM which is such a relief! I was on top of my stool softners and eating fiber which I am sure helped! I’m eating more normally now and not nauseous at all anymore! I have to remind myself to hunch over as I feel better walking straighter.. not close to straight, just more upright!
Updated on 31 Dec 2017:
Day 5 has been good so far. It’s interesting recovering during the holidays. My 7 year old twin boys are off school and have been huge helps. They get me water and help me adjust when I ask. A lot less stressful than I imagined! Hubby is amazing and taking care of everything. Man, I love him so much! Having some feelings of regret yesterday and it feels like I won’t ever be 100%, but reading on here helps so much! Got up this morning and felt great! Had my first coffee which led to another BM... I am officially off the stool softeners! I then decided to go upstairs for the first time and take a shower. It was quick, but glorious! Got my other CG on and all my gauze on, then time for a quick power nap! Watching football now and relaxing! Excited as each day gets better!
Updated on 3 Jan 2018:
I made it to the one week mark! Yay! I got my drains out yesterday, which was awesome. The antibiotic was giving me diarrhea and my output levels were low so my PS took them out. To be honest I’m nervous about fluid building up, but we will just have to wait and see! It got my first shower solo which was a ton of work, but happy to have independence! I got some pics and I feel like I look terrible at this point. Healing is rough!
Updated on 5 Jan 2018:
I’m feeling so much better! I slept in my bed last night and feel like my sleep was so much deeper! I only woke up once to go to the bathroom, so it was great. Not sleeping on my side yet, but still getting good rest! Today we went to visit my friend in the hospital that just had a baby, then dinner with the fam. It felt great to put on makeup and have a normal night! Pain is minimal and I’m only slightly hunched! Yay! Swelling is still there, but happier with my flat tummy and BB!!
Updated on 9 Jan 2018:
Here I am at 13 DPO and a but frustrated with my results so far. I read about all the swelling but when I look down, I thought I would have some flatness. Thankfully I see my PS this afternoon and I can find out if this is normal and what to expect. I’m embarrassed of the pics, but I’m posting in hopes that it helps someone else not feel alone. I’m hoping photos posted out further will show great results!
Updated on 9 Jan 2018:
Wow.. so I guess it's good that I was right! I had a lot of fluid gathered that needed to be drained. My PS immediately recognized this. When he first felt it, he said it felt coagulated, but as he worked it, it became more and more liquefied. He then drained 2 huge syringes of very dark fluid. He asked me to come back in 2 days for another aspiration. I'm supposed to keep heat on it and massage it regularly so there is more fluid to get out. He said this will lengthen my recovery and likely take a couple weeks to resolve. I'm just so thankful that it's not all swelling, but something that can be fixed. My PS was awesome and I really trust he's taking excellent care of me. Even with this setback, I think it will all be worth it. Hopefully this can give others home that experience the same thing! Other than that, i'm feeling great and healing well!
Updated on 10 Jan 2018:
I am 2WPO today! Since getting some fluid drained yesterday, I feel better but not looking flat yet. Excited to get on the road to healing and hoping this setback doesn’t take too long to resolve. It might be a little smaller than yesterday, but the bruising my PS promised is starting too. I’m feeling better still everyday and able to do more, but holding back given the fluid. I see my PS again tomorrow and might get the stitches out too!
Updated on 11 Jan 2018:
Well, today was a day! Here I am at DPO 15, and I'm excited to have a drain inserted to give my stomach some relief! I went to Interventional Radiology at the hospital, and they used Ultrasound to find the hematoma, then they aspirated about 100 ML of dark red fluid, and placed a drain! It actually felt great, and I finally don't feel so tight in my stomach. After that, I headed over to my PS to have my BB stitches removed and my steri strips taken off. My scar looks great, and my BB is so cute! I've been cleared to start scar treatment, and my PS recommended the silicon scar strips. I'll be getting some of those ASAP! My swelling is way down, but I have some bad bruising from all the heat and 'massage'! I will take pics tomorrow morning! My PS has never dealt with a hematoma, so we aren't sure how long I'll have the drain. I'm hoping for about a week, but we just have to see what the output is, and the color. It's a pain, but I feel very well taken care of!
Updated on 12 Jan 2018:
Well, it definitely feels like a step back, but I’m happy to have some swelling relief! The drain is working and I’m starting to see some results! I am so bruised and sore, but thankful the hematoma has found an exit! My stitches in my B.B. are gone and now it looks so tiny! My steri strips are gone and I have scar sheets ordered. I’m moving forward and back all together! Here are some pics to fully document this crazy ride!
Updated on 13 Jan 2018:
Well, everything is good as time goes by! I’m starting to actually look like I had a tummy tuck! My hematoma is resolving nicely and I’m excited to finally see some results! 24 hour drainage the first day was around 105 ML, and the next day looks like it will be around 60 ML, but I have a couple hours to go still. I can’t shower with this drain, but I feel better so a sponge bath is easier than it was in the early days. I put some tape on my incision and ordered silicon sheets to start treating the scar. My BB is so tiny, so I put a cotton ball in. My PS said he’ll give me something at the office next week :). Here are some pics of my improvement!
Updated on 15 Jan 2018:
Well, things are progressing, but slowly. Drainage is down to 35 CC/ 24 hours, but it’s still dark in color. My PS wants it to lighten up before he removes the drain. The good news is my swelling is down and my BB is looking good! I have paper tape on my incision now and the silicon strips ready to go. I feel great other than the discomfort that goes with the drain. Here are some pics!
Updated on 18 Jan 2018:
I’m still hanging in there with my drain. I have been feeling more tightness and fullness in my stomach and I don’t really know why. I think I’m standing up pretty straight, so that might explain it. Drain output is steady right around 35 CC/24 hours. Color is still dark red and my PS wants to see it lighter. It’s so frustrating at this point and i just want to heal faster. Patience is tough.
Updated on 21 Jan 2018:
Here I am 25 DPO still battling the hematoma with a drain. My swelling is down and I’m scheduled to get it out in 2 days. I went in 2 days ago thinking it was coming out, but my PS wasn’t happy about the output and color. It was down to 20 CC today (over 24 hours) including 10 CC of saline flush I have to do. The new thing I do is leave the saline in for a couple minutes while I massage to try to break up the hematoma. I hope it’s working. My scar is still super high on the sides. I put on the same underwear I think is really high and it doesn’t come close to hiding it. I think I will need a revision, but I’ll give myself a lot more time to heal. What doesn’t make sense is that my C-Section scar was so much lower, but my pubic region seems to have moved way up. It’s all very confusing!
Updated on 24 Jan 2018:
Here we are 4 WPO and I’m feeling great! I got the hematoma drain out yesterday and I’m starting to see my results. Still have a little swelling, but there are clear improvements. I’m taking my first Work trip today and tomorrow and interested to see how I hold up. Tomorrow will be a long day with a presentation, then a connecting flight home that gets in late. Hope I am able to push through and don’t have any issues.
Updated on 27 Jan 2018:
Tomorrow will be one month and I’m starting to feel better! Sleep is no longer an issue and I can sleep on my side and adjust without pain! I am tempted to pick up my two year old and do more, but still taking it easy and letting my body heal. Went out with the fam tonight and felt flat finally! Had some swelling after so back to wearing the binder over my CG. Hoping the hematoma isn’t coming back, but still massaging the area. I have 3 little scars where that dumb drain was. My PS assured me he would take care if any scars. My scar still seems high and my pubic area raised. Good news is I was cleared for sexual activity, so I will report back how that goes!
Updated on 30 Jan 2018:
Starting to feel more like myself each day! I still have swelling, but it’s going down. I’m still struggling with loose bowels and I don’t know why. I’m embarrassed to tell my PS, so I hope it resolves before my 6 week appt!
Updated on 17 Feb 2018:
Life is starting to go back to normal and I almost forget about surgery some days! I started running this week and I was very sore after the first two times, but getting better! I still am swollen above my incision and wearing compression. I made a trip to the spanx store and got some panties and tanks. So sick of my garments but I am uncomfortable without them. Overall recovery is good and I enjoyed buying some tight shirts for the first time in 8 years! Crazy how many styles out there seem way too baggy now! Yay!
Updated on 26 Mar 2018:
It’s been quite a while, but I think my swelling is almost finally gone! I am back at the gym and cleared to do almost everything. Overall I’m feeling great and the tough recovery is almost all a distant memory. Wanted to update my before and afters!
Updated on 13 Apr 2018:
My swelling is finally really down and I’m fully back at the gym! The pain is a distant memory and I’m feeling great and excited for swimsuit season. My scar is still pretty red and high. I see my PS next week and I’m excited to show him my results! Overall I am very happy with how I’m looking and feeling!
Updated on 14 Mar 2019:
It's been so long since I updated, but wanted to come back and share how happy I am with my results. My scar has faded a lot, and i feel awesome with my results. I happily wear a bikini now and I feel so confident when I work out. My core is strong, and I feel great!