SIX Weeks Post-op & ECSTATIC with Results, New Pictures

All of you who have posted your experiences have helped me more than you will ever know!! I've had elective procedures in the past but never was I as terrified as I was this morning when I checked in for my full Abdominoplasty procedure to be performed at my plastic surgeon's office.

My doctor and his nurses, who I have known for 15 years, told me they had not received a lot of pain complaints from their patients. Although I trust them, it was hard to believe because of all the super-duper pain comments I've read online.

Please realize I've only been home for 5 hours so the residual anesthesia and Tylox I took a few hours ago are dulling the pain, HOWEVER, I'm amazed at how little pain I have right now. I've been to the bathroom 3 times already, ate lunch, drank 2 bottles of water, and my husband brought my little Yorkie to keep me company in my private recovery room!

I'm 49 years old, 5'9', weigh 162 pounds, and have minimal body fat. The rolls of skin from under my breasts all the way to my pubis made me feel unattractive. Unlike a lot of cases, I've never had children nor major weight loss/gain. My doctor said my skin just turned loose from the muscle and there was no amount of diet or exercise that would have resolved the issue.

I promise to let you know how I'm feeling in the next few days. I expect the second and third days to be uncomfortable but I'm hoping to avoid the excruciating pain I thought I would have.

77 hours later and I've just had my first peek at my new belly! There is still a lot of gauze over the incision so I can't see the lower belly but when I took off the binder to wash it I was able to see my upper abs! So far, so good! It's flat & tight! Well, that's what I paid for, right? 

The discomfort is subsiding quickly and I'm down to pain pills every 8 hours. I'll see the doctor Tuesday and, hopefully, have the drain removed. Then I can post some pictures of my incision. Thanks again to everyone for the support and understanding.

YIPPEE!!! The dreaded drain was removed when I made my first post-op visit with the doctor. He looked at my stomach as the nurse was taking the tube out of my groin and said, "Damn, that look good, doesn't it?" I said, "I think it will later" to which he replied, "I think it looks great right now!"

I don't have much swelling and will continue to wear the binder for at least a month. Doc said I may experience some swelling now that the drain is gone. My pain level is minimal. The pubis is most uncomfortable due to blood and fluids settling there. Ice pack at night helps!

Will I be happy with the results? I believe I'm going to be ecstatic unless something changes drastically. Right now, my stomach is flatter than it has ever been in my life, including when I was a teenager. Doc says there is no way to get around genetics except cosmetic surgery :) Gotta love him!