As you can see from the price and the list I'm getting a lot done! It's actually two procedures. Tomorrow I'm having a vaginoplasty/perineoplasty with a geynecological surgeon . In two and a half weeks I'll have a modified tummy tuck, umbilical hernia repair and muscle tightening, flank lipo and breast lift/augmentation with a cosmetic surgeon.
I think I'm like a lot of people who came here thinking about getting some implants to make my breasts perkier as a 40th birthday present. Then I learned about tummy tucks and diastasis recti and understood why I look six months pregnant when I plank and why I can get every muscle but my abs strong and toned. Then I learned about vaginoplasty and realized I don't have a perineum any more and that it's possible that I could one day do a jumping jack without peeing myself.
It's a huge amount of money and feels like a big indulgence. But it also feels so right. I could take or leave the breast lift, which as the original reason I came. Now I feel like I need to literally put myself back together. I'm healthy and active and don't see why I would want to spend the rest of my life with back pain and a weak core and with and dysfunctional pelvic region.Updated on 14 Jul 2017:
I'm hope from my vaginoplasty/perineoplasty, which was done about six hours ago. I was under general, which I feared but went fine. I woke up groggy and in quite a bit of pain. My main complaint is that everyone who helped me: first nurse, dr.s, residents, anesthesiologist and anesthesiology nurse were so warm, caring and friendly.
The nurse who took "care" of me after the procedure wanted to go home and really didn't care about me or my wellbeing. Nurse: "How are you?" Me: "I'm in a lot of pain". Nurse: "Well you just had surgery. You're on a lot of pain meds". Me thinking: ("Huh, I had two unmedicated child births, I'm very active and have a high pain tolerance. But apparently the wrong answer to "How are you doing?" is, "I'm in pain.") Say: "Can I please have an ice pack?". She brought me two sodas and my avocado (I'm Celiac so can't have crackers, brought my own healthy snack).
Lovely Dr. Wolny comes in and leans me back until I'm comfortable. So much better. Say she's sorry about the pain and reminds goes out to hall to make sure my pain pill is coming. She tells me to relax and take a nap. Lowers they light.
Nurse comes back in, says, "Why's it so dark in here. Here, I'll prop you up so you can see the tv better". Me, groggy, "No, I want to lean back more so I'm not on my incision." Nurse: "Well you have to sit up so I can release you." Then adds, annoyed, "I called your friend but she's still at work". I say, "I really don't feel like going anywhere, I think it's fine if I'm here another half an hour or so."
Nurse says , once you're done with your drinks we'll see if you can pee. You have to pee before I release you. First attempt didn't work. Drank more water. Second time, Nurse: "You have to pee before I release you. If you can't go you'll have to get a catheter.". Lovely.
I get that we all have bad days, all have Friday night plans/daycare other issues sometimes. But this experience just made me appreciate how hard good nurses and doctors work to take CARE of people. I'm so independent, have worked so hard all my life, I just never ask for help When someone is generous and caring at those times Ido need it, it means the world and makes me really respect someone as a professional. Needless to say, wasn't thinking that today.
But I'm feeling good. I have more aching inside than anything, nothing on the incision site. But honestly I like the feeling in a weird way because it already makes me feel stronger. It's so nice to know that I'm normal =).Updated on 14 Jul 2017:
Forgot to include that when I was prepping my bathroom last night for recovery, had Tucks pads, maxi pads, all the post-childbirth stuff but then I realized I had no peri bottle to clean myself going to the bathroom. At the hospital the nurse told me to "just dab it" with paper, but I have to think a peri bottle of warm water is much better. So I had my friend pick one up for me. I also think when I have a BM it will be good to do a few sprays toward the back, just to make sure the site is super clean.Updated on 15 Jul 2017:
Last night I was up every hour peeing. I was still so swollen that no a lot cold come out and I couldn't effectively push the pee out. About 4 in the morning the swelling had gone down enough to go much more freely. But I had a lot of IV fluids to clear.
Now I have the other problem. Diarrhea. Dr. Wolny is very precautions about preventing straining during bms. I'm wondering if the antibiotics and stool softeners are too much. Will try lowering stool softener dose.
Really no pain but I'm taking vicadin and ibuprofen like clock work. Also I think all the bathroom breaks have been good because I've been walking and icing every hour.Updated on 16 Jul 2017:
I woke this morning feeling good. A little achy but really didn't need the Vicodin. I decided to stay on it through the end of the day though, because it keeps me resting. Hoping for one more day of napping, icing, recovering. Then tomorrow I am going to go narc free and try to work a half day from home.
My boys have been with my ex over the weekend. Trying to decide how to explain the donut pillow. My older son is prone to anxiety so I made no mention before the procedure that I was going in.
I think I'll tell them that I hurt my leg and the doctors have helped me but I have to be careful and use a special pillow. Problem is my boys are so sweet, they'll want to see the owie and put a bandaid on it. Lol That ain't gonna happen!Updated on 17 Jul 2017:
I'm off narcotics and feeling good. I own my own business and can work from home so today I started early and it's going well. I have a pattern where I work for 25 minutes and then get up, ice (I can't find a way to sit on ice that's comfortable), walk around. Then back. After about two hours I took a nap, then back at it.
Spent some time reclining on the couch. This position is good because I can ice while I sit but it really starts to wear on my lower back/tailbone.
Now I'm trying standing.
I haven't had a ton of appetite but I make sure I'm eating really nutrient dense foods frequently, even if just a few bites. I have stayed on a keto diet and it actually is great for recovery. If you can only have a few bites, I think an avocado is better than a saltine. I made a batch of keto swedish meatballs and they were the only thing that could really make me HUNGRY but I tried to hold back and balance it with lots of green beans. Do NOT want any kind of back up in the digestive system.Updated on 1 Aug 2017:
I was supposed to have a tummy tuck and breast lift this week but about nine days post op I was really tired and when I told my cosmetic surgeon, booked to do tummy and breasts, that I bled a lot in surgery, he tested my hemoglobin. It had dropped from 13.6 to 10.1, so that explained the fatigue. I was really anemic.
A few days on iron and I feel amazing. Really at two weeks, my pain was gone and I felt normal. I looked at my incision for the first time today and it's gorgeous. I do have some incisions poking out on the inside. I have to go to in tomorrow to get the stitches removed or cut so they stop poking me.