41yr Tummy Tuck, Breast Reduction and Lipo on Double Chin - Athenix, Irvine CA

Hi Ladies!
Damn I feel good today! The first week was mostly a fog. I really didn't feel up to writing a review but I think I should now.
Pre Surgery: Day started at 5am Wednesday morning. Shower and off to the surgery center. When I got there doc marked me up and took photos. Then the nurse gave me a pill. Then this guy came in and started my IV. Then off to the table. I got up on it, he put an oxygen mask on me then asked me if I was comfortable. I don’t remember answering lol. The next think I remember was asking the doctor “did you just poke me in the nipple?” then he replied “yes I did” then I said “Well, that’s not very nice”. Then next memory was of trying to walk down the path to my apartment with my caregivers. I was next in my bed and down for the count. My niece woke me at some point to pee and take meds. This continued for the next 18 hours. I only remember her helping to the bathroom, giving me fluids/Meds and emptying my drains. She tried to feed me but I wasn’t hungry at all – really drugged up on Percocet’s.

Day one: Follow up Doctors appointment on Thursday. I really don’t remember much of this visit. Doc looked me over, said everything was looking good but wanted me to come back on Monday to see if we could remove suture from my new belly button.

Day 1-5: I mostly sleep. I only ate crackers and drank a lot of fluids. G2, Sparking Probiotic Drinks, SmartWater, V8, Apple juice, Orange Juice, and Naked Juice (Bannana, Mango, Greens). I wasn’t in pain really. That was due to the meds. I only felt really stiff/sore and couldn’t move my legs very well. It wasn’t that it hurt that much, it was more that I didn’t have the energy. I was very weak. I couldn’t use my belly to sit me up to get off the bed. I had to use my arms to push me up. Plus I was afraid of tearing the sutures under my arms from my BR. The back of my head was killing me though and my jaw was stiff and sore. Oh, and my hair was a hot mess. I had put it in a French braid. Note to all!! Do not do this. I was on the operating table for hours and this caused an indent in my skull that lasted for days.

Day 5 DR Follow-up: Went back to see Doc on Monday. I drove. I didn’t take any pain meds and was lucid. The apt was at 2 so I was okay to drive. He told me he removed 2.2lbs from each breast and 7.9lbs of skin from my belly. He showed me photos. The skin he removed was enormous! So glad it is gone!! He was concerned that I had only one bowl movement. He wanted me to get an enema and come see him on Thursday to fit me for new compression garments. After we left we went to pharmacy and got new pain meds and sleeping pills. I didn’t want to take Percocet’s anymore because I felt disassociated with the world. We changed to Tylenol 3’s. Much better. These actually give me energy lol. Then we went and ate :) First real food since surgery.

Day 5-10: Same thing, sleep, ate, peed, empty drains, repeat. I was having a really hard time sleeping. I could only sleep for an hour or so at a time then would wake up. It sucked. So, I altered my medication regimen. I would take Tylenol 3 during the day if needed. Then at my 10pm medicine (antibiotic) dosage I would take a Percocet and a sleeping pill (along with the other stuff). This would knock me out till 6am (next antibiotic dosage). This worked well from day 5 till day 12 when I stopped taking the sleeping pill. I have watched so much Netflix and Amazon Prime!

Pooping: Now this is some crazy stuff. I had a slight bowl movement on Friday (Day 2). It was watery but no cramps, etc. I did have major gas. Not smelly just air lol. So on day Day 6 I drank some milk of magnesia. I really didn’t want to use the enema. It was hard for me to reach down there and I didn’t think I could get in the doggy position to administer. AND I didn’t want my niece (caregiver) to have to help. There is only so much I can ask a 17 year old to do lol. Anyway, the MoM gave me the runs. I had loose stool about 3 hours afterwards. Then it was horrible. I had this blockage where nothing would come out but the pressure to defecate was intense. I finally got out the enema (mineral oil). I got ½ the bottle in me and then sat there for 20 mins. Finally, it came out. I have never been constipated in my life and with all the fluids I had been drinking, I didn’t think it was possible. I have had a bowl movement every other day since. It’s the pain meds that make you not poo. So I stopped taking them durring the day. Only at night.

DR Apt Day 8: At my appointment on Day 8 doc said he wanted to keep the drains in for two more weeks. I go back and see him next Thursday (day 15). He also said my energy level was awesome and he couldn’t believe it had only been a week. I was doing really well. We put on new garments and weighed me. I had lost 10 lbs from day of surgery (12lbs removed).

Day 8-12: My belly isn’t as hard as it had been. I still have lots of fluid coming out of the right side drain. I still can’t take a shower – this sucks. I have been using the kitchen sink to wash my hair and sponge bath myself. I stopped my sleeping pill last night. Didn’t fall asleep until 1:30am. I am staying awake all day now without naps. Starting next week I will be working from home for 4 hours/day. Then Doc said I could return part time to the office the following week! I miss working lol. My boobs feel awesome! My belly is still really sore. My tape is falling off. Today I will go purchase some more. I did some research and found that keeping the incision taped will help with healing.

Thanks for following my journey and all the support!
~Tina

I forgot to add my chin photos then decided to do a side by side comparison. I'm still "lumpy" plus, I had just taken off my face head compression garment so my skin looks funny. The bruising is all gone. I didn't have much anyway. I think it looks pretty good - and will only look better :) This was just a simple SmartLipo. Three incisions. One under each ear and one on the tip of my chin. I can't find the marks now lol - all gone :)

Here are some day 12 photos for you along with day 11 nipple photo. My right nipple is looking funny - Doc said no worries though.