After carrying a 9lb and then an 11lb baby, my body was definitely not the same as it once was. It's been 12 years since baby #1 and ever since he was born, I've been dreaming of getting a mommy makeover. Now that the kids are older and with an impending trip to Mexico planned for later this year, I finally decided it was time. Had my consultation on 2/8/16 and it just so happened that they had an opening for 2/25/16. I met with Dr. Namkung and she made me feel very comfortable and was able to give me the information I needed. After taking a few days to discuss it with close friends and hubby I decided to take the plunge and go for it. At my pre-op appointment last week, Dr. Namkung was able to answer all my questions and get rid of whatever doubt and anxiety I was holding onto. Now with my surgery in just 2 days, I am so excited - I cannot wait!! Will follow up later!
Updated on 26 Feb 2016:
Well, I did it! I went to bed pretty excited and woke up this morning wondering what I was getting myself into. Not really too nervous, more anxious than anything. I got to the hospital to check in at 6. The pre-op nurse was absolutely wonderful. I figured the nerves would set in once I was called back but she was just so sweet and funny (and organized which I totally appreciated) that I never had time to really get too nervous. I had been VERY concerned with where the scar placement was going to be so I was very eager for the doctor to come in to mark me up. If it was going to be too high, I was going to tell her to skip the TT and only do the BA. However, she put the line right where I was hoping she would so I was ready to go. They started my IV and that sucker had me on cloud nine in like 60 seconds. Once they got me back to the surgical room the anesthesiologist gave me the happy gas and I was out like a light.
Waking up was not my favorite. I wanted to keep sleeping. I believe it took about 2-3 hours once I was done to get me up and back home. Initially I woke up and the pain was pretty intense but they pushed more pain meds through the IV until it was tolerable. At this point I'm not sure the Exparel had kicked in so I wasn't feeling too amazing. Getting into the car (a high SUV) was not the funnest thing I've ever had to do but I managed it and was on my way home - yay!
Once I got home I took one look at my bed and realized that there was no way I was going to be climbing into that thing. I love my bed but it is about twice as high as a couch or recliner. Sooo, my bestie who was helping me for the day moved my bed over and brought a love seat into the bedroom for me. I was pretty nauseous from all the moving around but once I got settled it was gone in like 10-15 minutes.
After that, I ate, went pee and pretty much slept most of the day/evening away. I was pretty surprised at how hungry I was and how much I managed to actually eat and drink throughout the day. I stuck to gently foods (yogurt, pineapple, apples, rice, fish) and plain old water.
The first couple of times I went to the bathroom I had my friend help me but once I got the hang of it, I was able to get up and to the bathroom and then back to my chair on my own. It was glorious knowing I could handle peeing on my own. So far my #1 suggestion to anyone getting a tummy tuck would be to buy a female portable urinal (allows you to stand up to pee!!). I got mine for like $6.30 on Amazon. With it I was able to stand up and pee instead of trying to sit down and then get back up (which I am dreading for when it's time to go #2). I had bought it kind of as a joke but after the first time I used it, I was totally sold.
A few other first day tips, icing your breasts feels amazing. Stay on top of pain meds - I have a timer going off every 4hrs. Eat enough to help settle your tummy from all the meds you are taking. Drink as much water as you can. Make sure you have a comfy spot to sleep - you're going to be doing a lot of that. I bought a neck wrap thing so I could sit up to sleep and it's worked perfect. I got it on amazon for maybe $20 and it has saved my neck from the pain of sitting up and sleeping (Trtl pillow).
Day 1 night.... Sucks, suck, sucks. I couldn't get comfy, have a pain in my right side that the meds don't even touch, and everything else feels like I worked out for a straight 24 hours. Had to get up to pee twice which was somehow harder than any of the many times I went during the day - I'm starting to think this TT shrank my already ridiculously tiny bladder. I finally couldn't take the pain anymore around 4am and woke up the poor hubby (for the 4th time) to help me adjust and was finally able to get comfortable enough to sleep.
Updated on 27 Feb 2016:
Everyone had to work today so I was on my own. I had the hubby put everything I would need in arms reach and open all my pill bottles and a half dozen bottles of water - I learned the hard way the day before that I can't open anything. I was able to make it to the kitchen to grab some yogurt and pre-cut fruit for breakfast and my mother in law brought me lunch. Most of the day was spent in and out of sleep. It's actually been kind of nice to have all this time to myself and being able to nap all day - I haven't got to do this since I had kids, haha! I was still pretty sleepy and had a hard time getting comfy but pain wise not as bad as I thought it would be. As far as moving around, I can really only go short distances and am winded by the time I sit back down. The worst of the pain is my back. Boobs still feel engorged but not horrendous. My tummy feels tight but doesn't really hurt. Thank you Exparel - I would highly recommend getting that shot. I have one spot on my lower left tummy that burns when I move but other than that, still not feeling too much in the belly area. The second night went way better than the first. I slept pretty good and really only woke up to take meds and use the bathroom. Yay!
Updated on 27 Feb 2016:
I actually woke up feeling halfway alive today! Definitely not as groggy as I have been. When I am sitting/laying the pain never goes above a 2 and is really only present when I move. I still can't feel my stomach so I'm guessing the Exparel is stillllll working (hurray!) There is a burning sensation where the drain is. I was told I'd have 2 drains but there is only one. I am barely draining anything so I am wondering if that the drain might be able to come out at my post op appointment on Tuesday. My breasts still feel engorged and every once in a while they hurt like a b**ch but ice seems to help calm them down. As of about lunch time my back started cramping up and giving me problems but I'm icing that now too so hopefully that helps. I still really haven't got to check myself out and see the doctors handiwork... I hope it looks as good as I feel like it does! As soon as I can get some pics I will post them :-)
Updated on 29 Feb 2016:
Forgot to post this yesterday...
Slept like crap. Pretty sure my back hates me. But on the plus side, woke up feeling better today than yesterday so seems like each day is getting better. I noticed on my many bathroom trips that I am walking straighter every day so that's good (and hoping will help relieve my poor back). I know it's tmi but I was able to finally go #2 in the middle of the night last night (and then twice during the day) I was deathly afraid of the moment but it actually went smoother than I thought it would. So yay! My tummy feels much happier now. My hope today is that I can graduate from the chair I've been living in to my bed. Wish me luck!
Updated on 29 Feb 2016:
Once again, woke up feeling less groggy than the day before. My left breast hurts and I have been having pretty painful muscle spasms since last night but Valium seems to help so I'm trying to take those with some ibprofen instead of the Norco's. All my helpers I had over the weekend are back to work again today but I've been since I handled the day after surgery on my own just fine, I'm feeling confident that this week should go by without incident. I have my post-op appointment tomorrow and I am so excited to finally get to unwrap everything and have a real look at what's going on :-) I will post some day 4 pics a little later (right now it's time to go back to relaxing).
Updated on 3 Mar 2016:
For some reason every time I try to update this, it deletes everything I've written but I figured I'd try this one more time. I am officially one week post op. Every day has gotten easier and easier. I had my post op appointment 2 days ago and it went great. I was able to have my drain removed (yay!) and all my dressing were taken off. It was so exciting to finally see everything without all the dressings and garments in the way... I absolutely love my boobs & I can tell as the swelling goes down and they move more into place I will only love them more :-) My doctor gave me a compression band for my breasts - it killed the first night but after the first 24 hours I'm much more used to it. I feel very fortunate that my recovery has been as smooth as it has. Other than the day of surgery, I've been on my own during the days and have done just fine (thanks to the hubby for always making sure I have food and waters in the fridge each day!) While laying down my pain has never gone above like a 2. There has definitely been soreness and times when it's difficult to move around but it's all been manageable. The back pain from being hunched over has probably been the most painful thing through all this but the pain meds, ice, and knowing when to stop and relax have really helped with that. I was not expected to be as exhausted as I have been but I've made sure to listen to my body and take it easy and take lots of naps (which I actually have really loved - I haven't got to take naps since my kids were born!) I believe the Exparel shot was a godsend. I had no pain in my tummy for at least the 4 days after surgery and by the time it wore off, the worst of the pain had passed. I highly recommend it to anyone getting a tummy tuck! I can't wait to see where I'm at in another week ;-)
Updated on 6 Mar 2016:
I'm at 10 days post op. Can't wait for my breasts to drop and fluff and swelling to go down but I know I will just have to be patient. Each day I am finding that I can walk a little more upright (although after I eat and by the end of the day I'm never as straight as I am in the morning). I am also getting my energy back, although I do still need a lot of breaks. I was originally planing on returning to work tomorrow, however I've decided to wait at least one more week.
Updated on 10 Mar 2016:
Finally hit the 2 week mark. I guess I am getting around better but still seem to get tired pretty easy. Still swollen, actually maybe even more so at this point than any other day up to today. My left breast is still pretty high and swollen (right side is less swollen and definitely not as high). At my post-op appointment 2 days ago my doctor removed the tape covering my incisions and while I know it is still super early, I can't stand what they look like. One side is way higher than the other side and there is no way that side will be able to be hidden by my underwear/bathing suit so I'm bummed about that. I'm trying to be patient while the scar works on healing but I was hoping it wouldn't look as bad as it does. Now to wait and start trying out some scar therapy and hope for the best :-)
Updated on 12 Mar 2016:
My tips to surviving the first 2 weeks after a mommy makeover in pretty much no particular order. I'll include some pics of these items as well.
1. Portable Female Urinal. I know I mentioned this already but seriously... genius. One of the hardest things you're going to have to do the first week or so is stand up and/or sit down. This takes that part out of peeing. I drink a ton of water and tried to even increase that amount after surgery so needless to say, I pee a lot. To be able to stand up to pee (and not make a mess) was a lifesaver for me. I got mine on Amazon.com for $6.30. Worth every penny.
2. Take medication on time and don't be afraid to use what the doctor gave you. Don't try to tough it out, it's more stressful on your body to be in pain and you want your body working its magic to heal. I set timers on my phone so every 4-6 hours they would go off and remind me to take what I needed. Being able to manage the pain before it became overwhelming was so helpful. For myself, it wasn't tummy pain really (see next item), it was my back from being stuck in a recliner and being hunched over. Another note - I could not open my pill bottles on my own so I had my hubby open them all and store them in my bedside container (more on that later). This wouldn't work if you have little ones running around but my kids are old enough to know not to touch mom's medicine and it made taking my meds (without having to ask for help every time) much easier.
3. Exparel. If your PS offers it, take it. I had zero pain in my stomach for at least the first 4 days and by the time it wore off, it was really just a sore feeling, no more pain. To me, it was worth the extra money.
4. Toilet seat riser. As you can see, I'm a big fan of going to the bathroom in comfort. When your body is finally ready to go #2 this thing makes it so you don't have to get alllll the way down to normal toilet height but rather adds at least an extra 3" to the toilet making it easier to sit down and get off of. This was another amazon purchase ($18).
5. Shower bench. I almost didn't get this thinking to myself, how hard can it be to wash myself off. Ha! Sooo glad I got it, especially for the first few showers (truth be told, 2 weeks later, still using this bad boy and intend on leaving it in my shower now, haha). Showering is exhausting. Undressing, washing, drying, lotion, getting dressed again. The first few showers I honestly needed a nap after. No way could I have stood through the whole thing and actually enjoyed the shower. SIDE NOTE ON SHOWERING: Have someone else to wash your hair!!! If you had any breast work done, you will not want to lift your arms up and go through the work of washing your hair. My bestie handled my first few hair washings for me and I can't thank her enough.
6. Ttrl neck pillow. This was amazing for when I had to sleep in a chair. I'd never found a regular neck pillow that didn't leave me stuck with a sore neck until this one. It's not your normal curved neck pillow and works so much better.
7. Wedge pillows for when you can sleep in your own bed. I got the angled wedge for behind my head/back and one for under my legs. You could just stack a bunch of pillows but as much as I move around, this was a much better choice for me. Now at 2 weeks I've eliminated using the angled wedge for my head/back at night to sleep and am just using the leg wedge. But during the day when I'm relaxing and reading or Netflixing my life away, these come in handy to turn my bed into a comfy chair.
8. Container of goodness. I kept all my meds and small items I needed to get to easily in a little storage container where I could get to at all times. It was great having all my essentials within reach. Eye masks, lotion, medicine, pens/notebook, face wipes, extra hair bands, kindle, a hand mirror, Chapstick, gauze, etc.
9. Feminine Pads. These things make great wound covers. Right around where my drain was there was some leaking - I used gauze under and pads to make sure it didn't end up all over my garment/clothes. The pads stick well to the garment so they don't move around and are as absorbent as you could possibly need.
10. Ice. It's fantastic on swollen breasts. I do about 20 minutes at a time.
11. Might seem lame but keep a garbage can where you can reach. Just makes your life easier than having to get up or ask for help every time you have to throw something away.
12. Take naps. If you're a mom, you know how rare it is that you actually get to do this anyways. I was personally exhausted the first week and still tire way easier than normal. By 4pm I'm exhausted but the hubby gets home around then and takes over so I can nap until my little heart is content (at least until dinner is ready.) I have taken more naps in the last 2 weeks than my entire adult life combined and it's been great (and I'm sure helpful for my recovery)
13. Here are some other tips I had found online that I am using but aren't as much comfort related:
* Bromelain and Arnica for swelling and bruising. I had very little bruising but of course lots of swelling. Not sure if these are helping but still taking them daily along with my multi-v.
* Water. Drink lots of water. Your body needs it. It's reduces swelling. 'Nuff said. Food. Eat healthy. Lots of protein.
* Sunshine. For me it was tough being house bound so I made sure to open up the blinds or take my little bathroom shower stool outside every now and again and just sit in the sun. Good old vitamin D is good for the soul.
* Wear you binder/garments/compression everything like your PS advises. I got lucky and my PS provided me with a garment that I actually don't find horribly uncomfortable. At about a week she added a compression band for my breasts (I wasn't using it right the first few days so it wasn't doing anything but then checked YouTube and figured out how to make the thing actually put pressure where I needed it).
* Baby wipes are awesome for wiping off (no showers/baths for the first couple days).
* Take it easy. Don't over do it. Get up and move around every now and again but don't try to go run a marathon. For the first week my moving around was getting myself to the bathroom and/or to the kitchen to get some food for myself. Every now and again I did a lap around the house just to get some steps in. I know it's hard to be useless as a mom but it doesn't last long (and how often will you ever have to just worry about taking care of yourself).
I was just cleared to start scar treatment so one of these days I'll follow up on how that's going. I am sure I am forgetting something that I wanted to share but this is what I've got right now.