Tummy tuck/Muscle Repair....FINALLY!! - Dallas, TX

This picture actually looks better to me than what it looks like in real life. Getting a second opinion on what all I would need done. Still scared and the doctor said it will cost 11,000. That is a LOT of money. Feeling so guilty for spending that kind of money on my self. My husband and I give to 4-5 charities a month and this amount of money could really help others out!!! *sigh*

Well as of today, I am 22 days post op. WOW. I admire all of you who were able to post every single day since the date of surgery. I'm just now trying to get everything all updated. SO, bare with me.

Day of surgery - I woke up nauseas which was complete expected. I have had my boobs done, wisdom teeth out, and appendix removed and I threw up after every one of those surgeries. I think I made too big of a deal about it to the anesthesiologist because he ended up giving me too many meds. I threw up for three hours straight AFTER I woke up from surgery. The recovery nurse was not nice. She told me to get up and walk it off and kept trying to get me to eat/drink. Everything kept coming up. Because of my constant vomiting, I couldn't go home in that condition so they decided to keep me overnight. And the only room available was the ICU as an overflow patient. BEST idea ever!!! Those ICU nurses were amazing and as soon as I was in their care, I stopped vomiting. I didn't realize the recovery nurse (too bad I don't remember her name!), was giving me demoral. (sp?) I had told her in between dry heaves that I couldn't have it. When the ICU intercepted me, they were still giving it to me. The stopped that immediately, gave me a catheter and morphine and I was out! :D The ICU nurse also told my husband that my stomach had not waken up from the anesthesia and that is why I was vomiting as well. SO...ICU was the best EVER! I stayed until 5:00 pm the next day.

Day 1 post op - I survived surgery! OMG. I plan on taking some goodies up to those ICU nurses because they were SO concerned when they got me. Just the sweetest people ever. I remember their names too...I want to personally thank them for saving my life! haha... (just kidding). Nurses started winging me off the morphine, (boo...wished I could take that stuff home with me!). I got up to pee.....overflowed my cup. haha...Pain was pretty bad, but anything is better than nausea. ANYTHING. BTW...throwing up after a tummy has got to be the most painful thing ever. And I've had a 9 pound baby natural! I know what pain feels like!

Day 2 post op - Depression set in on this day. It was Saturday and I just felt miserable and there was zero light at the end of the tunnel. The hydrocodon was making me sick! LUCKILY my doctor met my husband up at his office very early in the morning and switched up my meds. Nuycynta has GOT to be the best pain medication. For me at least. No nausea, didn't need to eat with it....(thank GOD because I was NOT up for eating yet.) And it just had a nice calming effect without completely knocking me out. Oh...before I forget....I borrowed my mothers recliner and I'm still sleeping in it. I plan on joining my husband soon...but I LOVE that thing.

Day 3 post op - Still a bit depressed but loving my new pain meds. The compression garment sucks to high heaven and I hate my drains! LOL...

Day 4 post op - This was a Monday. Depression gone and excited to get my pain pump removed! I was also VERY nervous about getting it removed because I've read on this site that when the doctor takes off the compression garment for the first time that people get nauseas!!! I was SO SCARED about that. I prayed very hard that I wouldn't throw up. I figured I had already had my fair share of all that mess! And guess what! NO nausea. It didn't bother me a BIT when he undid the garment that is the devil. My husband was so impressed with his work when he saw it. I was excited to take a peak and I looked like I had been butchered! LOL...the work looked good but he didn't clean me up like everyone else I've seen on this site. I still looked liked I had been freshly cut open. LOL.. Yikes. This is not a complaint, just was thinking I would look a bit cleaner. I LOVE my doctor. Pain pump gone and started counting down the days that my drain would come out.

Day 5 post op - I'm feeling a bit more pain now that the pump is gone. It was working for sure! I still hate my garment and refused to believe all of you on here that say you grow to love this god awful thing! ** hint ** (I like mine now). ;) Also, the drains are not a problem but they just made me uneasy and just got on my nerves. Not for any major reason other than the fact that they were just there and I had holes in my hips.

Day 6 post op - The pain is lessening from the pain pump being gone. HAPPY DANCE. I'm more mobile and not walking quite as hunched over. Still loving my recliner and all of the pillows! Taking pain meds every four hours.

Day 7 post op - Back at the doctor to get my drains out! Wait...NOPE. My doctor leaves them in for TWO WEEKS. I think I cried. Lol...just kidding. But I was annoyed. Those long things hanging from me just made me uneasy. Feeling pretty good though.

Day 8 post op - I have turned a corner today. I just felt drastically better! I think the sun came out this day too and life was just pretty darn amazing! Still wiped out by 6:00 in the evening....but overall...I could see the light!

Day 9 post op - Ditto to day eight. Except my left drain was itching! DANG. I want these damn things OUT.

In the interest of saving you all some time...I'm skipping Day 10 and moving onto day 11.

Day 11 post op - Got ONE drain out. But he let me pick the one that was most bothersome. So I opted to go with the itchy left drain. ZERO pain when they took it out. And I was happy. VERY happy. Almost glowing!

Lets skip to day 14....(day 13 I drove myself to lunch with a friend! :D

Day 14 post op - I AM A FREE WOMAN! Last drain out! Oh thank God. OH, and I forgot to mention awhile back (can't remember the day) but my first shower was amazing. AH-MA-ZING. I feel like if I had to describe it, it would be like a scene from a movie. Haha. INCREDIBLE. Can't remember the day yet but I had saran wrap on me to cover my drain holes. I also switched to a compression garment that had briefs and NO hole in the crotch. This has been great...and FINALLY getting along with my compression garment. We are friends now. OH...Also off pain meds on Day 11 and was only taking them at night to help me sleep a little better.

Hmm...lets skip to day 22. TODAY. FEBRUARY 28TH. I like my compression garment...I feel amazing...it's winter so my skin is about to crack off , so I have to lotion up really good under my garment, I've lost 6 pounds which I wasn't expecting. My husband is ready to have his sex life back (haha) but he has been VERY patient and loving. He handled daddy duty flawlessly that first week. In three more weeks I will be released to workout. Hallelujah!!!!!! My butt is now as flat as my stomach. LOL...I think I'll do squats for my first exercise. This was a tough surgery. Not gonna lie. BUT, I would do it all over again. I tried to mentally prepare for one crappy week...and after that day 7 and 8..things just looked a bit brighter! I can't wait start working out and when I tried on my itty bitty bathing suit I screamed! A GREAT scream. It sat right on my scar line. You can't see it! :D I will post pictures and keep in mind....I've still got dried blood on my site, but I'm HAPPY with my results thus far. So happy.

PS. The grammatical errors are driving me crazy from my previous post. Wow. It won't let me edit any of it. So sorry. haha...