Eric Stelnicki, MD

Hello all! After spending a lot of time reading & researching through all your great posts... I'm finally able to share some of my own experience! I can't even begin to describe how useful this community has been to me & how each of your stories have been encouraging & inspiring. I know I need not elaborate on that, because we're all in the same boat!

My pre-op condition was severe abdominal diastasis as a result of a horrific second pregnancy & emergency c-section. My c-section recovery was pretty much non-existent as I had a 3 year old, a critically ill newborn & a cross-country move scheduled for 18 days after my second son was born. I know I don't even need to get into the madness that ensued in the months following! The moms can imagine!

I started to realize that something was wrong when I was faithfully following my WW plan & working out like a fiend... Everywhere else on me was shrinking. Except my stomach. This was totally unlike me... in fact, my stomach had been the only part of my body that I had never had complaints about pre-pregnancy. Now, I was buying bigger jeans & loose tops to hide my stomach. And I couldn't stand & hold either of my kids for very long. After my first postpartum ab workout with my husband (who is a personal trainer), I was SICK with pain for a week. I had no core strength which was not just depressing, but confusing! This was 6 months postpartum so I knew it wasn't right.

Anyway, one of my friends suggested maybe I had diastasis. When I researched it, I just knew. I did the lay-down test & could fit 3-4 fingers in the space between my abdominal muscles. I didn't even want to get into all the "exercises" & routines to repair the diastasis... I knew I didn't have time or discipline for it. And what if it didn't work? And I had so much fat & extra skin that had settled right on my belly... it wasn't going away for anything.

One of my son's conditions that he was born with happened to be a skull deformity, & he had surgery to repair it at 14 weeks old. He spent 5 days in the PICU & months in a helmet. I saw his PS about once a month... & I never had the courage to ask him about my stomach. I didn't want it to be about me! Plus, I couldn't imagine spending such an ungodly amount of money on myself after all we had been through. Finally, as we were wrapping up an appointment in October, he says, "Any more questions?" And I, of course, said, "Nope!" My husband wasn't about to let me off the hook that easy. He said that yes, we actually did have another question, & the rest is history. :) My PS is a Pediatric CranioFacial Plastic Surgeon who doesn't normally take adult patients but he expressed his desire to help the moms of his littles. I figured if I trusted him with my newborn's skull & brain, I could trust him with my tummy. He even gave me a great deal on my surgery. Our surgeon already felt like family... his care & concern for me just sealed the deal.

I pulled the trigger & scheduled for November 22 (after wrestling with my guilt)! Full tummy tuck with lipo on my stomach & hips. Before the surgery was a lot of prep & waiting, tying up loose ends... details that I won't bore you guys with! But I did make sure to have my recliner ready, my scripts filled, jammies (VS Mayfair Cotton Pajamas - the BEST!), supplements (Bromelain & Arnica Montana), extra CG, deodorant, dry shampoo, lotion, etc. all ready & set up so my husband wouldn't have to worry about where to find things. To be organized made all the difference in the world!

Went in at 8am the day of surgery... wouldn't you know, he had ELEVEN pediatric patients that day... & then me. Which meant I was case #12. It wouldn't have been so bad if the surgery center was more on the ball. I didn't go into surgery until 3:30 so I totally could have had some tea & toast that morning. I was a little fussy, to say the least... but everyone was so nice & my PS was clearly SO TIRED... I was just grateful & excited.

My surgery was pretty routine, I think. They did a standing prep (totally had major awkward potential... completely naked in a 40 degree room getting painted down with betadine!) which I guess is somewhat different. I got up on the table & next thing I know, I'm waking up, 3 hours later. I woke up crying (I don't know why, I just remember feeling kind of overwhelmed & in lots of pain) & the only exchange I remember having with any of the nurses was "thank you, thank you, thank you" as they adjusted my CG while I was still on the table. Finally the OR nurse said, "Honey, you don't have to keep thanking me." I think we all try to keep our dignity intact in situations like this! :)

I don't remember much else about recovery. I know it took me a long time to wake up. You guys... this was something I didn't anticipate. They wanted me to urinate before discharging me & I couldn't go. I tried for probably a half an hour (using all the tricks - running water, etc) & nothing. Finally, they straight cathed me & drained about 1.5 liters from my bladder. I felt much better to say the least. I was told that if I didn't go on my own by about 5:30am (it was about 9:00pm by now) that I needed to go to the ER, but that I probably would go & be fine.

We were halfway home & I had to go. BAD. I don't remember the walk from the car to the house because all I could think about was how bad I had to pee. You guys. It was the longest I-don't-even-know-how-long of my life... trying to pee, sitting there thinking if I could just relax (but the truth was, I was SO relaxed) I would be able to go... having my husband looking at me like a deer in headlights (I was crying pretty hard) & my mom (a nurse) yelling in my ear (through the phone) that I just need to calm down & go. (RIGHT, MOM!!!) At about 11:30, I said, "Forget this, we're going to the ER, I'm dying." They got me back there pretty quick when they saw I was just a few hours post op & still in a HOSPITAL GOWN (& hysterically crying)........ and drained 2.5 LITERS from my bladder... & it just kept coming. The doctor told me it was a miracle my bladder didn't burst. Apparently, I'm extremely sensitive to anesthesia & didn't realize that a foley cath 2-3 days post c-section ISN'T standard. But no one told me that back then. I just assumed it was. Unfortunately, because I didn't know my bladder has trouble waking up, I had to make an extra trip to the ER after an extremely LONG & grueling (to say the least) day. The nurse that took care of me in the ER had recently had a TT & had a ton of great tips (& was sweet as can be to boot) & that foley catheter is the BEST THING that's ever happened to me. My PS removed it 3 days PO (along with one drain) & poor guy felt terrible. At that point it wasn't laughable yet... still not. Maybe someday. What a wacky side experience to this whole thing!

So... all that said, I'm 18 days PO. I feel good. The first 24-48 hours were rough, of course. I took my first shower on Day 4. Day 6 was Thanksgiving & I took a shower that morning... took one look at my swelling & had a full-on meltdown cryfest. My husband sweetly stood by the shower reassuring me as I sat there crying & wondering what I had done. He was so good to remind me that I had trusted my PS with my child's HEAD... & how beautiful did that little head look 9 months later?! Oh yeah........ duh. My meltdown was over after that, but it felt good while it lasted.

I have two little people (3 & 1 - boys) so I think it's easy to overdo it. I know the days when I've gone overboard & I try to dial it down a little after that. The first 7 days my husband was off & it went by WAY too fast. :( I would definitely suggest having as much help as possible & trying to let yourself relinquish some control (especially if you have kids). My back pain from hunching over was probably worse than anything that first week. Week 2 you kind of turn a corner but I'm at the tail end of that & things are getting a little harder again.

I'm 18 days PO like I said, & let me just say... SWELL HELL, people! It's real, & yep... it's hell. I'm probably more swollen than I've been so far. I'm not sure if the Bromelain & Arnica Montana help because I've been taking them since day one. But I'm going to keep taking them. I have a lot of the hard lumps & bumps I've read about on here... my husband just helps me massage them out (which sometimes hurts & sometimes doesn't). Initially, the swelling gets worse but then it gets a little better... then worse again, etc. etc. I think it's just unpredictable & I'm going to have to get used to that because I'm not a big fan of the "process."

I was totally unprepared for the emotional/mental part of this whole thing. It hasn't been pretty, if I'm being honest. I would definitely say to arm yourself with some emotional support because when you see how slow this process is, you're going to get frustrated, & you're going to be irrational & need that support.

I got my second drain out at 7 days PO. I've been cleared to lightly exercise but I just haven't had time (or motivation, honestly). I can't wait to get back in the gym, hopefully sometime this week & just slowly start working back up to a good sweat. I figure that has to help my swelling somewhat but who knows. I have an appointment in 7 days & I'm really looking forward to it. I think we all really look forward to reassurance from our surgeons.

I'll post a few pictures of my progress here soon. Oh, I didn't mention... we adopted a PUPPY 12 days PO?!!! THAT is a story I just can't get into but seriously... I'm officially a nut job! (I blame my husband & poor timing for that one... but the puppy is sweet as can be & has actually been such a soothing influence during my harder days!)

Thanks for reading about my experience so far & I hope to have some encouraging things to post in the future! I've really enjoyed reading & utilizing all of your stories & tips. God bless each & every one of you in your journeys... wherever you are in the process! xo