So far I'm excited but still scared to death! I'm 35 yo and I've had three children. I have wanted to have a tt for nearly 10 years! Now that I'm scheduled I'm having all of the fears of dying during surgery & getting an infection afterwards...I just want it to go well, for me to remain heathly & to get the results I'm praying for!Updated on 5 Jun 2012:June 18th can't get here fast enough! I'm really nervous but excited at the same time! I love my dr, anytime I call, they answer all of my questions and always call back if I leave a message. They are very helpful. I'm so ready to have it behind me!!Updated on 6 Jun 2012:I'm reading, reading, reading. Everyone's story is different. I will have my own story soon. But I have some questions. If I don't have a recliner, should I plan to sleep on the couch? Will I not be able to sleep in my bed? Will I be able to get up unassisted? My hubby is only taking off the day of surgery. But I will have my children here to help. They are boys, I have to be able to go to the bathroom alone! Should I get someone else to come over? I'm a nervous wreck!Updated on 7 Jun 2012:I'm getting more excited each day! Still scared but excited too. Yesterday I went to the grocery store & stocked up so that my family won't starve while I'm down! I have been doing some cleaning & clearing out. I laughed because I feel like I'm nesting before having a baby. Haha I have two more weekends to enjoy before surgery. We have some fun stuff planned. The best news for today is that my DH is coming around to (or maybe accepting) the idea now. He is helping me make to do lists & talking about the aftermath of the surgery. I think that has helped me to get more excited & less worried. He knows it's going to be an ordeal. A friend told me to take vitamin c, e, zinc & iron. Anyone else have suggestions on that? And also, what types of food will I need for PO? I thank God for finding this site! Your stories are lifesavers!!Updated on 10 Jun 2012:Well, I go Tuesday for my preop with my PS. Thanks to this site I have a lot more questions for him. The hospital called me last week for all of the preop questions. I'm almost there!!! I will be really freaking out this time next week!! Thank you all for the support. I don't think I would have actually made the appointment without your stories! I am a big chicken! Lol But I'm so ready. My mom is planning to come help out now. Plus my children will help. And my DH will be here too. Sooooo, I just need the 18th to hurry up & get here!!!Updated on 12 Jun 2012:Went for my preop visit today. I feel a lot better now about things. Icky, I am just more calm today. PS discussed everything about Monday & gave me my prescriptions. He also took my pic & I paid. So, everything is ready!! His excitement sort of made me a lil excited too. I'm so ready to have this behind me. Last night we did some furniture moving around to get ready. My DH is on board, my kids have been told, so all I need is surgery. Pray for me. I will be praying for you all.Updated on 12 Jun 2012:That should say idky and not icky! LolUpdated on 17 Jun 2012:I'm really nervous! I have tried to clean house & get things together but I feel like they aren't. I'm so scared! I know I'm over reacting, things will be fine. I'm healthy, I exercise regularly.....I'm just a worrier. I am about to take all of my measurements & I'll post them for you all. Then we can compare later. Please send a prayer my way! For those going with me, GOOD LUCK!Updated on 17 Jun 2012:Ok. Weight today is 142. I'm 35.5 in measuring around my belly button, 37.5 if I'm not holding it in. So, hopefully after a few weeks I can update that & it will be much smaller!Updated on 17 Jun 2012:And I'm about 5'2 in heightUpdated on 17 Jun 2012:I'm so scared! I can't sleep. Most of all, I feel awful! Lesson of the day; when the PS gives you an antibiotic, take it with food! I've puked once & feel like its coming again. Ugh! I pray it doesn't make me sick tomorrow! I can't imagine puking after my surgery! That would be terrible!Updated on 18 Jun 2012:I made it to the flat side!! I had a really good hospital experience, great nurses! I'm hurting but I'm about to take the meds. I'm a lil worried bec I have the blood spots on my binder. They said it would seep but to me it looks like a lot. I'm ready for a nap. Will check in later. :)))Updated on 18 Jun 2012:Ok ladies. I said I was taking a nap but I have not been able to sleep at all! Erg! My pain is definitely there but the meds are making it tolerable. I had some trouble catching my breath for several hours but that finally worked itself out. There is something making my limbs tingle like they are asleep, it's driving me nuts! The worst part of my day has been the nausea. I tried twice to throw up & it hurt so bad the thought went away, but then later I actually did throw up. It was severe pain! The gross part was that my mom was holding a rag on me & I swallowed half of it! YUCK! I am still glad I went through with it though. Glad this day is about over. I'm ready to feel normal already & sadly I know it's going to be a while before that happens. Take care my friends, happy healing!Updated on 19 Jun 2012:Day 2: I slept last night!! It was nice to get some rest. My PS has been fabulous! He called me twice, and his office called twice yesterday & last night. He gave me Zofran for the nausea & i feel much better now. This morning I was very slow getting up. Real tight & sore! I've walked around some. As far as a chair, I didn't get a recliner. I got an outdoor reclining chair from Walmart for $45 and put my comforter over it with lots of pillows. It is nice because I can lean it up & back by myself. I'm getting to the bathroom alone. It's just me & my oldest son here. Hubby & mom went to work today. I was a little scared but I feel ok. I can't wait til Thursday so I can go back to my PS. I only have one drain, but I hope it comes out soon!Updated on 20 Jun 2012:Day 3: I'm getting around easier today. The site where the drain tube is, is really sore. I've tried to walk as much as I can. I'm still taking the tylox regularly. No BM yet. I have a small knott right above my CG at my sternum. It's not painful but irritating. I'm going o ask the PS tomorrow when I go in. My diet has consisted of applesauce, crackers, broth & some pears w cottage cheese. I'm about tired of that! But I don't want anything solid just in case I get sick again. Hope everyone is healing well. Take care tt friends!Updated on 21 Jun 2012:I'm getting around much better today. I went to my PS & he said everything is looking great. I thought it looked really gross! Especially my belly button. Yuck! He said I can shower now, and when I go back Monday I get this drain removed!! I can't wait to get it out!! I still haven't had a BM & Im a lil scared of that. I finally ate real food, my mom took me to chick fil a after the dr. It was great to eat something solid! Happy healing to all of you. I am still in shock that I really went through with this! I'm so glad I did!Updated on 22 Jun 2012:Day 5: I tried to sleep in the bed last night with lots of pillows & a wedge cushion. It was almost hilarious. I made it til about 4 am & then my DH had to help me up to get in my chair. I spent the rest of the night in the chair. I felt like a fish out of water in that bed. I took my 1st shower today. I had my son put a plastic outdoor chair in the tub. We lined it with towels. My mom helped me get in, she washed my hair & I did the rest. It was an ordeal & wore me out! It was nice to shower though. So afterward I laid in my chair while she washed my CG. That felt strange. I felt more sturdy when I got it back on. We ran some errands in town & that felt good, just getting out a minute. The light summer dresses are great to wear. They aren't confining. I would suggest getting those. I seem to feel better each day. Happy healing ladies!Updated on 23 Jun 2012:Day 6: Took another shower today. I was able to wash my hair myself this time. I still used the chair in the shower, don't think I could stand in there that long. Last night the MOM finally worked! That was a relief! I haven't taken any meds at all today & it's noon. Maybe I can make it all day. I only took them twice yesterday, I think.... Each day is better. My back really hurts! The flank lipo areas are itching now. Did I mention the camis? Once the CG comes off for the 1st time the PS will tell ya to put something between the garment & your belly. The little camisoles work great! They CG is scratchy so you want something underneath. I am so ready for Monday, but I'm a lil afraid it will hurt when the drain comes out. Us it really bad??Updated on 24 Jun 2012:Well tomorrow will be one week PO! The drain comes out & I'm so excited! I got up & went to church this morning. I was a lil antsy but I made it through the service. Then we went to breakfast. Since then i have been laying in my chair ;) I almost pulled my drain tube out this morning, ouch! That was fun. I am proud of myself, no pain pills since Friday! I have taken the Valium bec it helps me relax & sleep but the Percocet, I'm done with it! I don't want it & I'm not in pain. I just get really worn out! I'm itching like crazy! I guess it's healing. I just want to scratch my whole belly! Especially the scars. My DH thinks I'm gross right now. I hope his opinion changes when the drain comes out! It worries me that he won't find me attractive with this scar! But gosh, it has to be better than that jelly roll, right! Oh well. Happy healing ladies! Oh & those coming up. I thought about this for you. Those squirt bottles ( like douche bottles) they give you after you have a baby. Those would work great the first few days for after you pee to rinse yourself off instead of wiping. It's hard to bend over to wipe. I wish I'd thought of that earlier! And thank god I didn't have a BM for a few days bec I don't know how I'd have accomplished that! Anyway, hope that will help someone :)Updated on 25 Jun 2012:One week today! But I think swell hell has kicked in! Is there anything I can do to help this???? Water?? Walking?? Anything?Updated on 25 Jun 2012:One week: so I went to my PS for a check up. He took out the dreaded drain, what my DH & I termed "my sexy bubble". That was a lil painful! Like a bad pinch. He also cut out my lipo stitches, more pinching. But I left feeling so free to not have that tube! He told me to do nothing until I see him on Thursday. I want to get back to my normal routine!! But I'm going to behave. PS says everything looks great. I'm relieved. Happy healing ladies!Updated on 26 Jun 2012:Day 8: I woke up feeling down :( I haven't had a pain pill since Friday but today I'm hurting & I may end up taking one. Did anyone else get really sore after their drain came out? It's strange, I was going so well, getting around great, & now I feeling like I've take two steps backward! I think that funky stage is starting. I have really tried to be upbeat & positive but today is my blah day. I'm still glad I did it, even though I feel like crp today......Updated on 27 Jun 2012:Day 9: I feel better today. I got up & showered. I'm still having to sit down in the shower, is this normal? I feel like I should be more steady by now. I feel real weak without my CG. Does anyone else have this problem? Also, when did you all start back sleeping in bed? I'm so sick of this chair if I could pick it up I'd probably throw it in the yard! Lol. I'm restless!! You may be able to tell, huh? My scar is healing, but I wear low cut panties so I'm sure it won't be covered. I just hope it fades. My belly button looks better each day but is still ugly. Either way, I look at my before pics & this huge scar still looks better than that flabby belly! ;) I hope you all are healing well & feeling good about yourselves! Happy day!Updated on 28 Jun 2012:Day 10: I've heard others say that day 10 was a turned corner & now I believe it! I got up this morning and was able to shower STANDING up without help and even washed my hair!! Woop! I saw my PS & though he is still keeping me somewhat grounded, he said I could do more. Still can't drive :( but that's ok. He said I could change my CG. So I left his office, went right to jc penny's & bought two waistnippers by flexees. They told me I'd need an xs but the smallest they make is a small, so I got it. It's like a girdle/ corsett or whatever those things are called, lol. So much more comfy bec it's nylon. Why sexier too. ;) I feel so much better now! I go back on Tuesday so hopefully he will approve of my new CG. It's pretty tight, so I think I'm ok. He said things are looking great, but it's going to take time. I'm so excited to be able to get up & move some that in my mind I could just go run a 5k, haha, but I know my body would say "heck no". So anyway, I'm having a great day! I hope you all are feeling well! Happy healing!Updated on 2 Jul 2012:Two weeks today!!! I'm feeling a lot better, but tire out very easily. I'm getting around great! My body has been feeling the need to walk, so I've been doing more walking. I've also been waking up with spasms, I guess. It feels like contractions when you are having a baby. My belly gets really tight in a knott. Strange. I put on my jeans on Friday & I could really tell a difference! I was so happy! No more inter tube or muffin top! Yay! I'm much smaller, however, I guess the swelling has not allowed my measurements to be much different. Around my belly is 34.5, that's only an inch from my starting measurement, but I know I'm still swollen. I'm very round on the bottom half. I really hope that goes in! My belly button has me worried. Although it looks better, it's still not attractive to me. I'm rushing! I want to look like the end result & I'm only 2 weeks out. ;) I'm still glad I had surgery! I see others when I'm out in town & I cringe! I could cry I'm so glad that roll is gone! It's a feeling like no other, when you have stressed over & hated that part of your body for so long & then it's gone & wow, what a feeling! It's a tough road, but it's worth it! Hope everyone feels well today!! Happy healing!Updated on 3 Jul 2012:I can drive! Wow, Im excited! It's amazing all of the little things about daily life that we take for granted! Went to my PS, he says things look fine. I worry, worry, worry! But he keeps saying it takes time. This process is no walk in the park for those considering it! I can't begin to imagine going back to work. I'm even afraid that when I do go back at the beginning of August that won't be long enough! Surely I will be feeling more like myself by then! I pray! I just feel almost helpless. The nurse said my spasms are from doing too much but gosh, I basically lay in my chair all day. I really don't do a lot. Last night I did go walking. I walked about half a mile, very slowly! I just can't imagine that as little as I do, that it's too much. That worries me more. Anyway, I am so happy to get cleared to drive again! That will be a big help to me. But no sweeping or laundry still. No lifting. I guess I can start back cooking, darn it. ;) happy eating ladies!!!!!!Updated on 3 Jul 2012:Hahaha, I have food on my mind. That should have said happy healing!!!!Updated on 10 Jul 2012:3weeks: I don't have much to report. I know my body is healing but it doesn't feel like I'm doing much more than I did last week. I get around better, but still slow. I can't go far without the CG. I rarely take it off, even to sleep, not that I'm sleeping much. I'm using the Mederma on my scar. I hope it helps! I need to start walking more. I just don't feel good lately. I think it's because I've been 3 weeks without exercise & being in the house. I am depressed. I still don't regret it, I am just ready to feel normal again. I'm also having trouble sleeping. My body is so tired but my mind won't rest! And when I do sleep, I swell! Does anyone else do this? Should I not wear the CG to bed? I need rest! I hope you all are healing well!Updated on 17 Jul 2012:4 weeks/ 1 month: I have done much better in the last week! I'm getting around much better, I'm able to do more around the house, and over all feeling better. My PS gave me something to help me sleep @ night & I've been allowed to sleep without my binder so I'm in bed now laying flat. It's much better. I will try to post pics soon. I've been taking one per week. I can't say that it's nice & pretty yet, but that jelly roll is gone! Happy healing!Updated on 12 Sep 2012:Has anyone ever developed a "herniation" around their belly button after a tt? I guess I'm the lucky one who has one. My ps says insurance will take care of it, but I don't want to have surgery again! I have almost become disappointed with my surgery. Not only that but because my belly button is less than pretty, and I don't think he did enough lipo. Idk, maybe it's just a bad week.
Looking at your photos and knowing your height and weight....I would think that 350 could push you to the "high side" on the volume. You appear to have larger breast than I might expect for your overall volume. When that tissue is re-positioned and an implant placed under that...you may have a breast that exceeds what we might describe as a "normal" breast. However, implant sizers are very helpful. Remember some breast tissue will be removed with the lift (usually) and that must added into the "equation". Additionally...never have an operation that you don't understand. Go back and visit your plastic surgeon before making any commitments. Educated patients are the best patients!!!
Your photos would lead me to encourage an abdominoplasty with some lateral flank liposuction. While you could have liposuction alone and it could be sucessful in making things better....it would likely fail to make you "Happy". A "flatter" and more appropriately contoured abdomen will only come with an abdominoplasty. Realigning the musculature will have a profound impact. Regardless of the choice, you would improve your overall outcome by losing some additional weight before surgery. While we all know how difficult that is....you can win. If you are prepared to invest the money and recovery time into the procedure, you should be willing to do it in the most optimal time. Good luck
While it is never "part of the plan" wound breakdown in those 2 locations are not uncommon. It is also common for the wound to slowly enlarge...but your phots would lead me to believe that process is "mostly done". You will be fine, but be patient. It will heal slower than you or your doctor would like. Conservative wound care will take care of it. Do NOT use a lot of "self-medication" with ointments etc. Be diligent that worrisome changes such as infection are reported...but that is neither common nor expected. You trusted your doctor enough to allow him to operate on you...continue to trust him to treat this common complication.
From the attached photos, it does not appear that you need a lift. The right implant size should take care of the "upper defeciency" and take care of problems. It is difficult to know for sure...however, 375-425 implants should be close to "right" but you should expect to be a D Cup. I believe you will be happy.
There are a number of potential causes of this problem. Neosporin is a common problem....especially if an occlusive dressing is placed over the original wound. Since this is a "contact allergy" is not un common for this problem to not present for several days after its application Other causes include "reaction" to the dressing or pre-existing skin fungal infections. Steroid creams or gels (diprolene or other topicals) a used on these problems....however, the application of these products on new surgical wounds is discouraged. Oral steroids can sometimes be helpful.Obviously, the only way to get the answer is to have your doctor take a look.
