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*Treatment results may vary
Day 18 pics!
Feeling better and better! Incision is healing nicely. I don't like the way my belly button looks right now but my doctor assures me that it will look great as soon as the swelling goes down. There is still a LOT of swelling, my entire abdomen feels pretty rigid from it but it doesn't hurt, it's just tight. I am only on ibuprofin for pain when the incision hurts which is usually just at night or if I've been on my feet too long. I haven't had any more muscle spasms in a couple days so I'm off the Valium. All in all, I'm feeling great! I still get tired faster than before the surgery but that is to be expected. I am feeling optimistic. Everyday I get a little more energy, need less medication, less help, less ice packs, and look a little better. I am in no pain now- just occasional discomfort. And...I've lost 5 pounds since the surgery :)
Feeling so much better!
The allergic reaction from the surgical adhesive is all better and the antibiotics have completely cleared up my minor infection so I'm feeling much better now. For those of you following my updates and progress to try to figure out your own timeline for how long you will feel crummy, please keep in mind that my recovery was easily set back by several days due to the above issues. But, that being said, now that I am just over 2 weeks out life is getting back to normal. The main things that remind me that I recently had surgery are...
1. I have a 15 month old (she turned 15 months today!) so most of the additional help I require from my husband and older kids involves lifting her out of her crib, onto or off of the changing table,highchair, etc. She weighs 22 pounds so it will be at least another 2-3 weeks before I can lift her at will.
2. I can stand upright for awhile but if I am on my feet too long, or just running around doing too much, I start to notice abdominal swelling (and slight mons swelling) which pulls on the incision and stings. Then I find myself walking a little hunched over again. Just a little bit, nothing like before :)
Luckily this usually happens someplace like the grocery store or out with the baby in her stroller so I can just lean over the cart or stroller a bit and no one would really notice. If it happens at home, I rest and use an ice pack.
3. Aside from the increased activity/time on your feet causing swelling, I also notice that I just get tired faster. This was major surgery so naps and early bedtimes can really help speed up feeling and help you recover faster.
4. Cut back your dose of painkillers and Valium starting around day 3 or 4. I know it goes against what you'll think you need but, trust me, you will start to feel so much faster. Plus it is really nice not to be in the drug haze. It will be easier to move around and moving even just a little really helps you heal faster than just laying in bed constantly.
At this point, I still have occasional muscle spasms. It happens whenever I try to go completely off the meds and 12+ hours pass. They remind me of labor contractions. Usually it is just down one side but it is intense. This is where Valium is the best. I am down to 2.5 mg twice a day and they have stopped completely. My PS recommends I just stay on this dose twice a day until I see him again next week. If I have incision pain, tylenol controls it fine now. Being off narcotic pain pills feels great :) I was told that weeks 2-3 are the most likely times to do damage. You're feeling better, your household chores may be building up and you try to do or lift too much. Even if you don't tear a stitch or reopen the wound, you can create scars where the muscle was repaired. These can cause adhesions which can cause you discomfort and complications down the road. So just keep taking it easy so that you don't need to have revision urgency in a year or 2 or have to live with results you are unhappy with.
I feel like I'm looking a lot better, too! Will post pics tomorrow. Too tired tonight!
1. I have a 15 month old (she turned 15 months today!) so most of the additional help I require from my husband and older kids involves lifting her out of her crib, onto or off of the changing table,highchair, etc. She weighs 22 pounds so it will be at least another 2-3 weeks before I can lift her at will.
2. I can stand upright for awhile but if I am on my feet too long, or just running around doing too much, I start to notice abdominal swelling (and slight mons swelling) which pulls on the incision and stings. Then I find myself walking a little hunched over again. Just a little bit, nothing like before :)
Luckily this usually happens someplace like the grocery store or out with the baby in her stroller so I can just lean over the cart or stroller a bit and no one would really notice. If it happens at home, I rest and use an ice pack.
3. Aside from the increased activity/time on your feet causing swelling, I also notice that I just get tired faster. This was major surgery so naps and early bedtimes can really help speed up feeling and help you recover faster.
4. Cut back your dose of painkillers and Valium starting around day 3 or 4. I know it goes against what you'll think you need but, trust me, you will start to feel so much faster. Plus it is really nice not to be in the drug haze. It will be easier to move around and moving even just a little really helps you heal faster than just laying in bed constantly.
At this point, I still have occasional muscle spasms. It happens whenever I try to go completely off the meds and 12+ hours pass. They remind me of labor contractions. Usually it is just down one side but it is intense. This is where Valium is the best. I am down to 2.5 mg twice a day and they have stopped completely. My PS recommends I just stay on this dose twice a day until I see him again next week. If I have incision pain, tylenol controls it fine now. Being off narcotic pain pills feels great :) I was told that weeks 2-3 are the most likely times to do damage. You're feeling better, your household chores may be building up and you try to do or lift too much. Even if you don't tear a stitch or reopen the wound, you can create scars where the muscle was repaired. These can cause adhesions which can cause you discomfort and complications down the road. So just keep taking it easy so that you don't need to have revision urgency in a year or 2 or have to live with results you are unhappy with.
I feel like I'm looking a lot better, too! Will post pics tomorrow. Too tired tonight!
Please read before surgery - Important Advice!!!
I saw the PS again today because he wanted to see what was happening with my allergic reaction/infection in person. He had requested that I text him photos on Sunday and after looking at them, put me back on antibiotics and had me make an appointment for today.
The infection is much better but he wants me to finish the course of antibiotics. The redness is from my allergy to the surgical glue he used. I have been allergic to band aids and all types of hospital tape except for the paper tape for about 10 years. I told the anesthesiologist about it as he was putting in my IV because he was about to tape it down with the regular clear thick plastic type tape and told him I needed the paper tape instead. But I never mentioned this allergy to anyone else. I was asked if I had any drug allergies and it just never occurred to me to mention a stupid bandaid/plastic tape allergy. This was a big mistake. If any of you have this allergy (apparently it isn't all that rare) you need to have it written in your chart. My PS explained to me today that yes, he used paper steri strips over my dissolvable stitches but that he also used surgical glue. It is the surgical glue which is similar to the stickum on band aids that I am actually allergic to. Had he known about my allergy, he could have made different choices while closing me up and all this suffering and the additional meds could have been avoided. So...today's advice, probably the most important advice I've given so far...
TELL YOUR DOCTOR EVERYTHING! Don't assume it won't matter. I know someone with a shellfish allergy who never thought to mention it to her doctor before a CT scan and almost died because the contrast dye that they use contains iodine which is closely linked to shellfish allergies. Maybe your food or drug or tape or glue or plastic or whatever else allergy won't matter. But... better safe than sorry (and itchy). This recovery was hard enough without adding in wanting to rip into my skin because it itched so bad!
On the bright side, the reaction must be getting better because now it is completely under control using Benadryl every 4 hrs, hydrocortisone, and aloe Vera (to cool the stinging sensation and speed healing). Before those things only helped lessen the itching but didnt completely make me feel comfortable. FYI- do not get hydrocortisone or aloe directly into the incision! Just near it :)
The infection is much better but he wants me to finish the course of antibiotics. The redness is from my allergy to the surgical glue he used. I have been allergic to band aids and all types of hospital tape except for the paper tape for about 10 years. I told the anesthesiologist about it as he was putting in my IV because he was about to tape it down with the regular clear thick plastic type tape and told him I needed the paper tape instead. But I never mentioned this allergy to anyone else. I was asked if I had any drug allergies and it just never occurred to me to mention a stupid bandaid/plastic tape allergy. This was a big mistake. If any of you have this allergy (apparently it isn't all that rare) you need to have it written in your chart. My PS explained to me today that yes, he used paper steri strips over my dissolvable stitches but that he also used surgical glue. It is the surgical glue which is similar to the stickum on band aids that I am actually allergic to. Had he known about my allergy, he could have made different choices while closing me up and all this suffering and the additional meds could have been avoided. So...today's advice, probably the most important advice I've given so far...
TELL YOUR DOCTOR EVERYTHING! Don't assume it won't matter. I know someone with a shellfish allergy who never thought to mention it to her doctor before a CT scan and almost died because the contrast dye that they use contains iodine which is closely linked to shellfish allergies. Maybe your food or drug or tape or glue or plastic or whatever else allergy won't matter. But... better safe than sorry (and itchy). This recovery was hard enough without adding in wanting to rip into my skin because it itched so bad!
On the bright side, the reaction must be getting better because now it is completely under control using Benadryl every 4 hrs, hydrocortisone, and aloe Vera (to cool the stinging sensation and speed healing). Before those things only helped lessen the itching but didnt completely make me feel comfortable. FYI- do not get hydrocortisone or aloe directly into the incision! Just near it :)
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