3 week PO: Drainless/Painless Tummy Tuck W/ BA - Carmel, IN

I am now at three weeks post op and have been amazed at the quick and easy recovery. At my last appointment, the nurse removed all the steri strips over the incisions and I was surprised at how nice the incisions looked. I am suppose to be massaging them daily to help smooth them out and heal them, as well as put on a healing serum twice/day that I purchased through their office.

I had hired a lady to help me lift my 10 month old the past few weeks to stick to the 10-lb weight limit rule, but after telling the nurse of my "mother's helper" she said I could ditch the help and just carefully lift my baby from here on out even though I should still take it easy until the 6 week mark. What a relief! It was quite awkward having someone in my house all day just to help with a few lifts here and there, but I was trying to protect my investment.

I have really felt great the last couple weeks, so haven't been updating, but I put together some before/after pics and thought I would share.

Post op day 5:

Yea, so I totally did not sleep much at all after trying to move to my own bed. Everything felt so uncomfortable, I thought I was popping the implants by laying on my side, the onset of swell hell to my tummy was really making itself known, and I ended up moving back to the hospital bed! I still couldn't get comfortable and ended up being super exhausted the next day even though I was so happy and perky the day before...wake up call I guess, I still had major surgery 5 days before! The day was so long and I was so tired. The swelling was really weirding me out and I completely regretted the boob job...that night I finally got some sleep after utilizing the electric hospital bed correctly, super recommend it!

Post op day 6:
It is amazing what a night of decent sleep can do, I felt great today! Just like I did on post op day 4, but starting to feel less strain when I try and stand up, though I am still slightly hunched. No Tylenol today and won't even take any before I go to sleep. I only have pain in one spot near or on my incision where I feels like I ripped it apart or something. Every time I step or lift my leg a certain way that spot feels like a short stabbing burn kinda pain. I'm not sure what that is about but I remember whenever I threw up while standing, the same spot was excruciating. It seems to make me walk with a light limp as to not affect it. Otherwise, no real pain, just discomfort from not being able to stand straight comfortably and sleeping is still definitely a challenge. Showers are amazing too and for the first couple I used a plastic chair and extendable shower head which was great but by day 4, I stood and took a shower without a problem. Exhaustion is also a factor and is much more prominent by the end of the day. Hopefully I will get good sleep tonight! Also. I am already seeing great changes with the breasts that are putting me at ease...starting to imagine the future and I like it!

Post Op Day 3:
So I stopped taking any narcotics by the end of PO Day 2 and went to bed with two extra-strength Tylenol hoping the nausea and sickness would end! Unfortunately, the entire night I felt dizzy and nauseous and finally in the morning I threw up big time, felt terrible. I still felt bad so my husband called the office and they said that it was still probably the narcotics working out of my system. They suggested I try the anti-nausea...suppository! Totally weird moment for us but it needed to happen and I immediately started to feel better and continued to improve throughout the day. By evening I took Tylenol just before bed because I kept thinking I might feel pain but not sure if I needed it. I didn't sleep well, however, and ditched the hospital bed for the recliner. My tailbone area was stinging from being in sitting position all day, the recliner wasn't much help.

Post op day 4:
Despite the lack of sleep, I felt like a normal person again. I didn't feel sick but my head felt funny so I took one Tylenol the entire day. I am still trying to figure out if I am a freak because I haven't felt like I ever needed pain meds and here I thought I would still be on narcotics by this day?! My mom said she didn't need pain meds after a hysterectomy so maybe it is good genes?! At my first pre-op the doc said I was iron woman but its not that I am living through pain, I just don't have it, so ill consider myself lucky. They cut the end of my sutures and even pulled out the ones under the breast! That was weird, but again no pain. Other than that it was a quick appointment. I confirmed that she did a little lipo on the sides which was a nice surprise. She warned me to not do too much too soon in the next few weeks even if I am feeling great, which I am, so I am glad she reminded both my husband and I. I can't explain how great I feel. I was expecting the worst of the worst like where people said they were in their hospital bed for 2 weeks but I'm ready to send mine back! I'm even attempting to sleep in my own bed tonight, wondering why I didn't try last night...but we will see!

As for emotions right now, I am 100% happy with my tummy, no complaints, but I am way terrified that my boobs are huge and fear I already regret it! I try to tell myself that they are swollen and will go down but I just wanted to achieve a full B cup and am now thinking I have DDs! I'm not used to having boobs but I feel like I won't be able to wear fitted tops to show off my belly because ill be hiding these big melons! Please tell me they will look smaller!! I'm pretty freaked out but know I have to wait it out for a few months to really know the result.