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Week 4 Post Surgery
I wanted to give you all an update on some things that have happened since the surgery. I also wanted to add some photos for some of you who have asked for updates.
Before I start, I realize that in my initial review, I did not emphasize the need to have someone help you after the surgery. My boyfriend was there for me, every step of the way, physically and emotionally. He helped me out of the recliner, helped me shower, took care of the drains, applied topical ointments and dressings, and constantly showered me with positive and loving words. He made me beautiful meals, took charge of dispensing my medications, and helped adjust my pillows so that I stayed in the mandatory bent position at all times. He also called everyone as soon as I was out of surgery to let everyone know I was okay and that all had gone well. If you have this procedure done, it is pretty major, and you need someone to help you.
My belly button and drain hole stitches all came out on the first day of week 3. The belly button area is so numb that it didn't hurt at all. The drain holes were way down in the pubic hair area and the removal of the stitches there felt like a little pinch. It really wasn't bad at all. Something to keep in mind about the stitches though, is that they miss some. During the weeks after the stitches were removed from the incision, I kept finding random pieces sticking out, so I would just pull them out painlessly. And something else is that they will itch!!! And your scar will itch!!! It will all itch at the most inconvenient times too, like when you're out grocery shopping, or when you finally have a friend over. And since the drain holes are in the pubic hair region, it looks like you're scratching your crotch, which is not the best look. Haha. But seriously, there were times when I itched so bad. And since some areas are numb, you'll try to scratch, but then you don't feel anything, which is so weird. The one thing that seems to help is taking a cool shower. It relieves the itching for many hours at a time.
During this same appointment, the doctor pulled off most of the little scabs that were left. I'm not yet cleared to go to the beach, though, because every tiny little opening needs to be fully healed before I can expose myself to any kind of bacteria bath. ( He had intended to put the special scar tape on during this appointment, but because there were tiny bits of openings where he had taken the scabs off, he couldn't cover them with the tape. Dr. Schlesinger explained that they would get infected if he did and that would be very bad. He put a piece of tape on the center part of the scar (right below my belly button), one on the right side, and one on the left side, but the ones on the side came off the same day because they would get pulled when I put my compression shorts on. The other piece in the center only lasted about 4 days before it fell off.
I'm now on Week 4 and am standing fully upright and feel pretty normal when I walk around. Laying down can still be a little uncomfortable at first. Sometimes when I lie on my side, the side part of the incision will feel like it's being pinched. Then when I lie on my back the incision back there feels a little weird, but I think it's because of the swelling which I will talk about next. However, once I relax my body, everything calms down and I get nice and comfy, passing out in seconds like I normally do.
Swelling...my lower abdomen still looks really swollen. The part that gets swollen bothers me a bit. It's right above the incision on my back. So it looks like I have this roll of fat that bulges out right above my underwear. It gives me a pretty weird looking shape and it really got to me one day. I was so use to my butt popping so far out past my back, but now my but looks a little flat and I have a weird bulge in my back. When I showed the doctor the bulge at my last appointment, he thought it was fat and explained that it would be removed during the liposuction follow up that he includes in his procedure. However, the next morning, I realized it's not fat. Basically, swelling increases during the day, but it's really minimal in the morning when you first get up. I noticed that when I wake up, the bulge is completely gone and I still have a little swoop above my butt, thank G-d. By the end of the day, though, that ugly bulge is back. Therefore, I try to look at myself more in the morning, and I try to ignore my reflection in the afternoon. I know it's not what my body will look like once the swelling is all gone, so why bother, right?
Anyway, I'll post photos that I took of myself so that you get an idea of where I am at now. These photos are from two days ago, the first day of Week 4.
Before I start, I realize that in my initial review, I did not emphasize the need to have someone help you after the surgery. My boyfriend was there for me, every step of the way, physically and emotionally. He helped me out of the recliner, helped me shower, took care of the drains, applied topical ointments and dressings, and constantly showered me with positive and loving words. He made me beautiful meals, took charge of dispensing my medications, and helped adjust my pillows so that I stayed in the mandatory bent position at all times. He also called everyone as soon as I was out of surgery to let everyone know I was okay and that all had gone well. If you have this procedure done, it is pretty major, and you need someone to help you.
My belly button and drain hole stitches all came out on the first day of week 3. The belly button area is so numb that it didn't hurt at all. The drain holes were way down in the pubic hair area and the removal of the stitches there felt like a little pinch. It really wasn't bad at all. Something to keep in mind about the stitches though, is that they miss some. During the weeks after the stitches were removed from the incision, I kept finding random pieces sticking out, so I would just pull them out painlessly. And something else is that they will itch!!! And your scar will itch!!! It will all itch at the most inconvenient times too, like when you're out grocery shopping, or when you finally have a friend over. And since the drain holes are in the pubic hair region, it looks like you're scratching your crotch, which is not the best look. Haha. But seriously, there were times when I itched so bad. And since some areas are numb, you'll try to scratch, but then you don't feel anything, which is so weird. The one thing that seems to help is taking a cool shower. It relieves the itching for many hours at a time.
During this same appointment, the doctor pulled off most of the little scabs that were left. I'm not yet cleared to go to the beach, though, because every tiny little opening needs to be fully healed before I can expose myself to any kind of bacteria bath. ( He had intended to put the special scar tape on during this appointment, but because there were tiny bits of openings where he had taken the scabs off, he couldn't cover them with the tape. Dr. Schlesinger explained that they would get infected if he did and that would be very bad. He put a piece of tape on the center part of the scar (right below my belly button), one on the right side, and one on the left side, but the ones on the side came off the same day because they would get pulled when I put my compression shorts on. The other piece in the center only lasted about 4 days before it fell off.
I'm now on Week 4 and am standing fully upright and feel pretty normal when I walk around. Laying down can still be a little uncomfortable at first. Sometimes when I lie on my side, the side part of the incision will feel like it's being pinched. Then when I lie on my back the incision back there feels a little weird, but I think it's because of the swelling which I will talk about next. However, once I relax my body, everything calms down and I get nice and comfy, passing out in seconds like I normally do.
Swelling...my lower abdomen still looks really swollen. The part that gets swollen bothers me a bit. It's right above the incision on my back. So it looks like I have this roll of fat that bulges out right above my underwear. It gives me a pretty weird looking shape and it really got to me one day. I was so use to my butt popping so far out past my back, but now my but looks a little flat and I have a weird bulge in my back. When I showed the doctor the bulge at my last appointment, he thought it was fat and explained that it would be removed during the liposuction follow up that he includes in his procedure. However, the next morning, I realized it's not fat. Basically, swelling increases during the day, but it's really minimal in the morning when you first get up. I noticed that when I wake up, the bulge is completely gone and I still have a little swoop above my butt, thank G-d. By the end of the day, though, that ugly bulge is back. Therefore, I try to look at myself more in the morning, and I try to ignore my reflection in the afternoon. I know it's not what my body will look like once the swelling is all gone, so why bother, right?
Anyway, I'll post photos that I took of myself so that you get an idea of where I am at now. These photos are from two days ago, the first day of Week 4.
Acceptance to Confidence
I am 44 years old and had finally come to accept my body for what it was. My skin was a canvas of stretch marks that once held the body of a much larger me. At only 5 feet in height, I had lost over 50 pounds. Four children over a span of 16 years had definitely left it's mark. My skin sagged everywhere, arms, belly, hips, thighs...
For most of my adult life, I avoided going to the beach with friends and skipped all the pool parties. I was horrified by the way I looked, and felt disgusting and gross because the skin that hung everywhere. I know, it's sad that anyone would feel that way about themselves, but that's the reality of it. I could literally grab my belly with two hands and it just felt like mushy, squishy jelly.
By the time I was in my forties, I had come to the point of acceptance. I just didn't care anymore. I realized it was my body and there was nothing I could do about it. However, I was relatively fit, always active at home in the garden and doing renovations on my home, working out at the gym, hiking, and playing racquetball several times a week. I love being active and will throw a ball around over sitting in a park any day. I started wearing a bikini to the beach and no longer avoided showing my body to friends. But, I was never confident, and I always felt self-conscious. There was just nothing that I could do by myself to make my body look better.
It is interesting that I waited so long before searching for a doctor who could help me. I mean, I had finally come to the point of acceptance, and then actively went in search of change. In retrospect, I'm glad I waited. I don't feel like I NEEDED this procedure, but rather I WANTED it.
I found Dr. Larry Schlesinger's website quickly and read up on him and his practice. I looked at his photos and reviews very carefully, and quickly realized that all of his patients were extremely happy with his work. I made an appointment for a consult and flew to Oahu with my boyfriend, determined to have a simple tummy tuck.
I met some of Dr. Schlesinger's staff right away and everyone was so friendly and helpful. Then, I met Dr. Schlesinger. He was so very patient, knowledgeable, and personable. During my consult, I was somewhat shocked to learn that he would not do a tummy tuck on me. He explained that I had so much extra skin all the way around my body, that he would have to do a Lower Body Lift to achieve a result that would make me happy. He showed me what would happen if he did a tummy tuck, ending the incision on the sides of my belly, and it was evident that I would be left with large "dog ears" of skin. I was also disappointed when he checked my abdominal muscles and declared that I also had diastasis recti (abdominal separation). I had hoped that I could avoid the procedure to repair the separation, and had therefore worked so hard on building my abdominal muscles. I guess this was also something that I couldn't fix myself. The two things I remember most from this visit was that I learned that my vulva had fallen (it was to be the butt of so many jokes after that) AND I had tuberous (potato) boobs (also the butt of so many jokes). So it turned out that I needed a lot of work done, more than I had prepared myself for.
I returned home and began doing research on the procedures I needed. I've always been fascinated by the human body and went ahead and watched videos of the entire procedure. I read blog after blog written by other women who had lower body lifts and prepared myself mentally for what recovery would be like. I focused not on the women who had difficult recoveries, but those who recovered well. I swore to myself that at no point would I ever say, "Why did I do this to myself?" I would keep my goal in mind, no matter how difficult it might be at times.
I called Dr. Schlesinger's office and Sue made my appointment for the first week of summer vacation (I'm a teacher). Jenna worked out the financials with me, and I was set. The excitement began to build and as we got closer, so did the anxiety. I worried about the recovery. I worried about waking up, or not waking up at all. I had to really consciously steer my thoughts to the positive, and my boyfriend and friends were very supportive, reminding me how awesome I would feel after it was all done.
I prepared myself for recovery. I made sure I had a recliner in the unit that I rented on Oahu. I packed extra pillows and an extra sheet. I made sure I had some soft, wireless bras, loose shirts, stretchy pants, loose dresses, and high waisted underwear. I bought some new books and made sure I had a collection of movies to watch. I packed a bunch of art supplies and magazines as well. I have a very hard time keeping still and am not a tv watcher, so I imagined boredom being my biggest challenge.
The day before surgery I met with Dr. Schlesinger and his nurse again. I went over the preparation requirements: showering at night and in the morning again with dial soap, taking medications (oral and topical), avoiding food and water after midnight, shaving, etc. I picked up all my prescriptions and was ready.
Very early the next morning my boyfriend and I went to the surgery center. We met the nurses, the anesthesiologist, and of course, Dr. Schlesinger. The IV went in, I kissed my boyfriend goodbye, and moved into the operating room. The anesthesiologist started giving me something to help me relax before putting me under, and that's the last thing I remember. I woke up late in the evening to my boyfriend holding my hand. He had apparently been waiting hours for me to wake. However, I couldn't keep my eyes open and just kept continuously falling asleep. I don't remember the nurse removing the breathing tube, but my boyfriend was there when they did it. All through the night, I woke every two hours when the nurse opened my compression garment (I have no memory of it being put on) to apply the DMSO to my belly. Each time, I immediately fell back asleep. I barely remember her removing the catheter and the IV in the morning.
Recovery the first week was completely tolerable, and the pain was truly minimal. I wouldn't describe what I felt as pain, but more discomfort and fear of pain. It was also hard to breathe the first week. I think that's because my abdominal muscles were almost four inches apart, and now they were sewn together, pushing all my organs back to where they belonged. And the very worst part of the entire recovery....being at a minimum of a 45 degree angle at ALL times. Walking bent over the first day was fine. Walking bent over the second day was, uncomfortable. Walking bent over the third day was hell and I felt like my back was going to explode!! That was the hardest part of recovery. I couldn't stand for very long either because the pressure in my back was just too much.
Pooping... Day 3 I used a Ducolex suppository and just went just a little. Same thing on Day 4. Day 5 was the first day I felt like I actually went. And it was fine. No problems.
Sleeping... the recliner was a MUST and extra pillows to put under my knees.
Drinking...I drank tons of gatorade, coconut water, and vitamin water
Eating...my boyfriend prepared the cutest meals ever with lots of berries, salads, soups, and gourmet crackers with brie... I felt so fancy.
Entertainment...I went through all my magazines but could not read due to lack of focus. Despite not being big on tv, I became a netflix fan and watched tons of shows, movies, documentaries, etc. WARNING: do not watch Ali Wong: Hard Knock Wife. Laughing during recovery is painful and she will make you laugh so hard, and even though it will cause you to feel like your insides are being shredded apart, you will still not be able to hold back your laugh!
Drains... my boyfriend emptied the drains and recorded amounts. Day 3 the drains came out. That was the weirdest thing ever. One drain burned near my thigh when it was removed, but the others were painless.
Day 5 stitches and staples were removed and I could then take a shower. I had to sit on a stool to shower because I could not stand up bent over long enough to shower. When I flew home, I used a shower chair for several weeks.
Day 11 I was allowed to stand upright again, but couldn't. Everything was so tight I thought I'd never be able to stand straight again. Standing straight is proving to be a long and slow process for me. My sister-in-law who had a tummy tuck told me to remove a pillow each night when I slept. I did this and slowly, as the days went by, I started straightening up. As I write this, I am 3 weeks post-op tomorrow, and I am still not 100% straight. I'm almost there, but I can feel my upper body is still a little hunched. In addition, my boyfriend says I walk funny, and I realize I don't allow my hips to sway and I don't fully stretch my legs forward and back. Everything is so tight. I also feel like part of what's holding me back is fear. I'm consciously working on it each day and I'm sure I'll be back to my normal sashay soon.
Tomorrow, I return to Dr. Schlesinger to remove the stitches from the drains and my belly button. I'm already loving the way things turned out. I'm still very swollen, so I'm not able to completely know the final results, but I'm happy with what I see so far.
Here's some things I learned:
My big butt was actually my butt and back combined. "Baby Go Back" was a reference to my butt-back. When he removed the skin from my lower back, my butt lifted and is now a portion of the size it was before. My vulva had actually fallen. (My Vulva Has Fallen - sounds like a movie) I know this because when I pee now, I have to sit further back on the toilet AND I have to lean forward, otherwise my pee will hit the front seat! Haha. The lower body lift also affected my thighs, in a good way! And finally, the biggest thing I learned, Dr. Schlesinger is a genius and a magician!
For most of my adult life, I avoided going to the beach with friends and skipped all the pool parties. I was horrified by the way I looked, and felt disgusting and gross because the skin that hung everywhere. I know, it's sad that anyone would feel that way about themselves, but that's the reality of it. I could literally grab my belly with two hands and it just felt like mushy, squishy jelly.
By the time I was in my forties, I had come to the point of acceptance. I just didn't care anymore. I realized it was my body and there was nothing I could do about it. However, I was relatively fit, always active at home in the garden and doing renovations on my home, working out at the gym, hiking, and playing racquetball several times a week. I love being active and will throw a ball around over sitting in a park any day. I started wearing a bikini to the beach and no longer avoided showing my body to friends. But, I was never confident, and I always felt self-conscious. There was just nothing that I could do by myself to make my body look better.
It is interesting that I waited so long before searching for a doctor who could help me. I mean, I had finally come to the point of acceptance, and then actively went in search of change. In retrospect, I'm glad I waited. I don't feel like I NEEDED this procedure, but rather I WANTED it.
I found Dr. Larry Schlesinger's website quickly and read up on him and his practice. I looked at his photos and reviews very carefully, and quickly realized that all of his patients were extremely happy with his work. I made an appointment for a consult and flew to Oahu with my boyfriend, determined to have a simple tummy tuck.
I met some of Dr. Schlesinger's staff right away and everyone was so friendly and helpful. Then, I met Dr. Schlesinger. He was so very patient, knowledgeable, and personable. During my consult, I was somewhat shocked to learn that he would not do a tummy tuck on me. He explained that I had so much extra skin all the way around my body, that he would have to do a Lower Body Lift to achieve a result that would make me happy. He showed me what would happen if he did a tummy tuck, ending the incision on the sides of my belly, and it was evident that I would be left with large "dog ears" of skin. I was also disappointed when he checked my abdominal muscles and declared that I also had diastasis recti (abdominal separation). I had hoped that I could avoid the procedure to repair the separation, and had therefore worked so hard on building my abdominal muscles. I guess this was also something that I couldn't fix myself. The two things I remember most from this visit was that I learned that my vulva had fallen (it was to be the butt of so many jokes after that) AND I had tuberous (potato) boobs (also the butt of so many jokes). So it turned out that I needed a lot of work done, more than I had prepared myself for.
I returned home and began doing research on the procedures I needed. I've always been fascinated by the human body and went ahead and watched videos of the entire procedure. I read blog after blog written by other women who had lower body lifts and prepared myself mentally for what recovery would be like. I focused not on the women who had difficult recoveries, but those who recovered well. I swore to myself that at no point would I ever say, "Why did I do this to myself?" I would keep my goal in mind, no matter how difficult it might be at times.
I called Dr. Schlesinger's office and Sue made my appointment for the first week of summer vacation (I'm a teacher). Jenna worked out the financials with me, and I was set. The excitement began to build and as we got closer, so did the anxiety. I worried about the recovery. I worried about waking up, or not waking up at all. I had to really consciously steer my thoughts to the positive, and my boyfriend and friends were very supportive, reminding me how awesome I would feel after it was all done.
I prepared myself for recovery. I made sure I had a recliner in the unit that I rented on Oahu. I packed extra pillows and an extra sheet. I made sure I had some soft, wireless bras, loose shirts, stretchy pants, loose dresses, and high waisted underwear. I bought some new books and made sure I had a collection of movies to watch. I packed a bunch of art supplies and magazines as well. I have a very hard time keeping still and am not a tv watcher, so I imagined boredom being my biggest challenge.
The day before surgery I met with Dr. Schlesinger and his nurse again. I went over the preparation requirements: showering at night and in the morning again with dial soap, taking medications (oral and topical), avoiding food and water after midnight, shaving, etc. I picked up all my prescriptions and was ready.
Very early the next morning my boyfriend and I went to the surgery center. We met the nurses, the anesthesiologist, and of course, Dr. Schlesinger. The IV went in, I kissed my boyfriend goodbye, and moved into the operating room. The anesthesiologist started giving me something to help me relax before putting me under, and that's the last thing I remember. I woke up late in the evening to my boyfriend holding my hand. He had apparently been waiting hours for me to wake. However, I couldn't keep my eyes open and just kept continuously falling asleep. I don't remember the nurse removing the breathing tube, but my boyfriend was there when they did it. All through the night, I woke every two hours when the nurse opened my compression garment (I have no memory of it being put on) to apply the DMSO to my belly. Each time, I immediately fell back asleep. I barely remember her removing the catheter and the IV in the morning.
Recovery the first week was completely tolerable, and the pain was truly minimal. I wouldn't describe what I felt as pain, but more discomfort and fear of pain. It was also hard to breathe the first week. I think that's because my abdominal muscles were almost four inches apart, and now they were sewn together, pushing all my organs back to where they belonged. And the very worst part of the entire recovery....being at a minimum of a 45 degree angle at ALL times. Walking bent over the first day was fine. Walking bent over the second day was, uncomfortable. Walking bent over the third day was hell and I felt like my back was going to explode!! That was the hardest part of recovery. I couldn't stand for very long either because the pressure in my back was just too much.
Pooping... Day 3 I used a Ducolex suppository and just went just a little. Same thing on Day 4. Day 5 was the first day I felt like I actually went. And it was fine. No problems.
Sleeping... the recliner was a MUST and extra pillows to put under my knees.
Drinking...I drank tons of gatorade, coconut water, and vitamin water
Eating...my boyfriend prepared the cutest meals ever with lots of berries, salads, soups, and gourmet crackers with brie... I felt so fancy.
Entertainment...I went through all my magazines but could not read due to lack of focus. Despite not being big on tv, I became a netflix fan and watched tons of shows, movies, documentaries, etc. WARNING: do not watch Ali Wong: Hard Knock Wife. Laughing during recovery is painful and she will make you laugh so hard, and even though it will cause you to feel like your insides are being shredded apart, you will still not be able to hold back your laugh!
Drains... my boyfriend emptied the drains and recorded amounts. Day 3 the drains came out. That was the weirdest thing ever. One drain burned near my thigh when it was removed, but the others were painless.
Day 5 stitches and staples were removed and I could then take a shower. I had to sit on a stool to shower because I could not stand up bent over long enough to shower. When I flew home, I used a shower chair for several weeks.
Day 11 I was allowed to stand upright again, but couldn't. Everything was so tight I thought I'd never be able to stand straight again. Standing straight is proving to be a long and slow process for me. My sister-in-law who had a tummy tuck told me to remove a pillow each night when I slept. I did this and slowly, as the days went by, I started straightening up. As I write this, I am 3 weeks post-op tomorrow, and I am still not 100% straight. I'm almost there, but I can feel my upper body is still a little hunched. In addition, my boyfriend says I walk funny, and I realize I don't allow my hips to sway and I don't fully stretch my legs forward and back. Everything is so tight. I also feel like part of what's holding me back is fear. I'm consciously working on it each day and I'm sure I'll be back to my normal sashay soon.
Tomorrow, I return to Dr. Schlesinger to remove the stitches from the drains and my belly button. I'm already loving the way things turned out. I'm still very swollen, so I'm not able to completely know the final results, but I'm happy with what I see so far.
Here's some things I learned:
My big butt was actually my butt and back combined. "Baby Go Back" was a reference to my butt-back. When he removed the skin from my lower back, my butt lifted and is now a portion of the size it was before. My vulva had actually fallen. (My Vulva Has Fallen - sounds like a movie) I know this because when I pee now, I have to sit further back on the toilet AND I have to lean forward, otherwise my pee will hit the front seat! Haha. The lower body lift also affected my thighs, in a good way! And finally, the biggest thing I learned, Dr. Schlesinger is a genius and a magician!
Provider Review
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
1401 S. Beretania St., Honolulu, Hawaii