50yo, Several Children, Too Much Saggy Skin - Baltimore, MD

Excited to reclaim and repair my breasts and belly. Will have breast aug, lift, hernia fix, tummy tuck and flank lift. Nervous for recovery since I am ver active. Overall confident that results will be worth temporary recovery period. Really hoping hernia repair and tuck alleviate chronic back pain.

Two weeks to go! Surgeon paid in full! Had my EKG, physical and blood work today. All good. Prepping myself mentally in different ways since I rely so heavily on physical activity for endorphins. Tomorrow is the last day I can take my nutritional supplements. Doc is very cautious. I wrote and taped a vision statement for myself from the other side of recovery and am listening every day now for positive focus. Banishing any negativity. Enough time for that after......

Woke up feeling unsure about implant size. I have been waffling over a relatively inconsequential size difference so finally called Surgeon's office, went down from 500 to 475 and feel better. In the pics I posted black bikini has 475s and purple top have 500s. Anyway, have to stop nutritional supplements tomorrow ie 2 weeks prior. Not so happy. I use Standard Process, which are no herbs and essentially compressed whole foods. Decided to follow my doctor's request. Want safety to be first and cannot afford a hematoma or any other complication. I wish my surgery was tomorrow. I want to be on the other side ....NOW!

I got the "bright idea" to rent a recliner and have a feeling it's gonna be one of my better decisions. :-) Was worried that my period would come around surgery and make me even more miserable, but it blessedly came today, YAY!

Was just showing my sister my "hide the tuna can" trick (hint: under saggy breast). And, that handful of extra skin is why surgeon is going all the way around......flank lift.

Hello, It's two days post op and I feel pretty considering. But it's been really really really uncomfortable! i've never had surgery or even a hospital stay before. I was extremely uncomfortable for 24 hours post op, regaining body functions such as breathing, drinking, burping, urinating, walking, unbelievably difficult. I found that walking was the only time I wasn't in pain. So, as soon as I could, too soon for he nurses, I went off catheter and oxygen and even IV and just paced the halls. Being home was great but also difficult, needing help to put on and take off pants and shoes, not lifting anything. I'm usually the caretaker so extra tough for me. Had first BM today , less than 48 hours po, I think due to only Morphine for first post surgical hour and no other pain relief than Tylenol, Good high fiber diet. I needed to keep my head in a good place which was not happening with the morphine. I could not sleep a wink. It was horrible. Last night I slept 5 hours, Hooray! And apparently, I have a pretty high pain tolerance. My doc glued and surgical taped me all over so my REVEAL happens Tuesday at his office. Can't wait to see the new me! Meanwhile itchy where the tape is and trying not to cough!

Feeling pretty good at 10dpo. I managed to stay off all pain killers including Tylenol from 72 hrs po. This was not easy, the pain was ever present, but I managed with arnica, walking a mile or two or more 3x/dy packing my torso and breasts in ice. By 6dpo I was really out of the woods with pain and its more the stiffness, tight pulling of skin, still swollen breasts, itchiness from the scabs and needing a chiropractic adjustment and massage that are my complaints. Oh, and coughing and sneezing from a minor cold. Ouch! Have an urn in my room and hot tea available around the clock. Cough drops very helpful to reduce need to clear throat, which aggrevates chest (where drains are), Was able to sleep lying down for the first time 1 wk po but until then the funny sleeping positions have definitely thrown me out of alignment. Using homeopathic staphysagria (for healing of surgical wounds) and graphites (help reduce scars). I didn't see my body til 1 wk po office visit and then it was pretty bruised and the scabs were very hard to look at. I did not aniticipate the scab line from my new BB to TT line. I though TT and flankplasty lines were higher than I expected, Breasts seemed asymmetrical and only had nipple sensation in Left nipple. I was so excited for the BIG REVEAL but had trouble staying positive after my first look. Doc and staff and sister and friend were so supportive and all said I looked amazing but I just couldn't see it through the traumatic bruising and scabbing and stickee tape and swelling. In just 3 days the bruises and scabs and swelling have gone down maybe another 50%. I am starting to look amazing! :-) I can't believe how awesome my under breast scars are. Only about two inches each, they are already pretty hard to see. Right before surgery, Doc asked if it would be ok to do the anchor lift if he needed to to get the result we were looking for. I said ok, and he didn't need to! :-) I will post pics but I think i want to wait til after the scabs are gone. There are so many scars on my previously scar free body and that dark scab line is really hard to look at! Since the bandages came off I have been applying 40000 Vit E oil, and Emu oil onto the scab/scar lines and arnica oil over all swollen and bruised areas. Definitely helping, especially to reduce the itching. I only got 1 out of 4 drains out at 1 wk po, probably because I have been so active. I go for 2 wk po this Tuesday and pray Doc will take the other 3 drains out. Besides the inconvenience, they are getting more uncomfortable, not less. I think this is because I am pretty skinny and with less swelling I just feel them all the time. :-( Altho I was cleared to drive at 1 wk po, I chose not to til today. I was fine to drive today but it didn't take much (funeral and two stores) to feel really tired. I noticed that I have had very little appetite since the surgery and am really pushing myself to eat. This was surprising as I usually have an enormous appetite. Lastly, since my bandages were removed, I've had a snug soft cotton tank against my skin under the CG. I cannot have them against my skin for even 5 minutes, too itchy or abrasive. I did wear an UnderArmour sports bra today for a few hours and that was great. Hope you ladies are doing great and if anyone has questions, I am more than happy to answer. :-)

Been feeling great. But the last couple of days had more pain so went to see doc today and found out that below my sternum I have swollen fascia that I am feeling. And, pain in belly area is from nerves regenerating and some of the numbness leaving. Doc confirmed I am still very very swollen, altho, I am much smaller than ever before :-) I also had him remove some stitches which were poking through the scar line, but he did not want to bother the 3 around my aerola. Not worth risk of any type since breast ops healing so well. Very very pleased with results from silicone gel strip therapy, yet the strips are not holding up at all and I've only been using them for 2 weeks. i do wash and reapply them daily. Use paper tape to keep them to stay on. Doubt they are as effective as they were brand new two weeks ago, but until I get the funds to get more, i am continuing to reuse them. Doc said to use them for three months and I will if it means they will continue to flatten and redness will go away. Oh, I also found a compression tank top that I absolutely love. It's TommieCopper Women's Recovery Compression TankTop. Perfect for when CG is being washed and dried. Also, to wear to sleep and really all the time, under CG so material doesn't rub me. I am really glad I found this item as I am totally living in it. I will try to post pics from my phone when it isn't acting up. Intend to post one pic from each week especially to track the scar which feels much higher than I hoped for, but Doc assured me he went as low as he possibly could. Anyway, psyched to return to lifting weights in two weeks, but won't rush it if still uncomfortable with nerve regeneration. in the meanwhile, I am taking long walks, meditating, and enjoying very gentle yoga. Hoping everyone is doing well.

So, I still have some stitches poking through my sar line at 5 weeks po. I went to the Doc last week at 4 weeks po and he removed a few, but did not want to touch the 4 that are from the BL, around my aerola. Of course, I did very very gently remove a few of the stitches and tonight I realized my Left Boobie was itchy. Then I removed the silicone scar therapy, and saw a little white gunk on the silicone strip and my skin. Ugh, please don't let it be infected. Washed, used Betadine, neosporin, sleeping open air....hopefully good as new tomorrow. All else is terrific. Counting the days till I can pump weights again, but happy to wait til I'm really ready. Doing bits and pieces of Body Flow class and it is really satisfying to become aware of how much more I can do each week, but not really pushing at all. Well, I guess I pushed it cleaning the fridge tonight, LOL, but that really needed to be done. Best to you all!!