19 days post op - updated pics - 3 weeks post-op is the charm!

Okay, I feel like I have turned a corner. Girls, this is SOOOOO worth it. I cannot believe my results. Just had my 3 week post op appt with PS (I am technically 19 days post op). She took off my steri-strips and told me I no longer have to wear the upper garment compression garment - hallellujah! And I can go to just a regular type girdle that comes up to my boobs for 12 hours a day for my tummy. Yayayayayay! I have also started back dieting so I am not feeling bloated anymore. I am totally starting to see the end results. I bought the cutest chevron one piece and it is seriously my first non Miracle Suit with tummy control swim suit in like 10 years. I cannot believe my tummy is so flat and it is starting to lose that tree trunk like thickness in the middle from surgery - Yayayayayay! They had a 2 piece too but it was sold out. So bummed b/c I LOVE the print. I think my scar is getting lower and it is healing so nice. I am supposed to start rubbing it for like 10 minutes a day with any scar cream (or even just lotion) of my choosing. My boobs are so perky and I am so happy I can just wear a bra now and not that 3/4 length arm thing. I can actually start wearing summer clothes. So hoping I get the boot off next week and can start wearing at least sneakers. Ready to be cute for summer! Birthday is next Friday and I can't wait to wear a cute dress out to celebrate with my friends. Plan on dancing - hope that isn't too ambitious for 4 weeks :-). Oh and my arm lipo - totally worth it. Luckily I was a candidate for it and seriously my arms are so much thinner already. I am so happy b/c I know they will only look better and better. Wish I took a pre-op arm pic - I had serious chub on my upper arms. 5 lbs from wedding weight. Time to finish this transformation!

Well, I think I understand people getting frustrated with their recovery. I think you start feeling so good, you get frustrated that you are held back by this dang healing process :-). I had a crazy week last week with closing on a client's house, all the work involved with that, my parents coming into town, husband out of town, etc... Then this weekend was Father's Day - so in my attempt to be a good sport, we did a ton. The problem is, when someone says "let's do this" - you are like "sure, I feel great", but after doing all those little things, you get totally wiped out, your scar is swelling and it is just frustrating... I almost broke down on Sunday. An hour before church, hubby suggested we go and I was like sure....but the problem is, an hour is NOT enough time for me to get out of this CG, shower, find clothes that will go over these dumb CG's, fix hair, change foot dressings, etc... Just frustrating when you are used to being ready in 30 minutes - and after all that I am exhausted. Still shower standing on one foot which for some reason is tiring. And I have NO clothes that cover these dumb CG's - can I complain about that again? Ha. Oh well, only a couple more days and I am allowed out of them for 12 hours a day.

I also noticed stretch marks near my scar that freaked me out. I thought I was getting new stretch marks - and I am still worried about it, but I am going to assume for now they are old stretch marks that were above my belly button. They aren't red which new ones would be, right? See doctor on Wed, so hopefully she will reassure me then.

Also, I have not been drinking water like I should or eating as healthy as I should. I am back on plan now and it is amazing how eating right makes me feel so much happier and so much more in control. I lost 35 lbs prior to this surgery (baby weight). No way I want that back on me. And I have 10 more to lose... So that starts today. I didn't diet for 2 weeks post b/c I read somewhere that was the timeframe suggested for healing.

Anyways, this week I am going to try and just rest. Will do minor housework and make dinner, but that is it. Hoping that speeds my recover along and that the scar site will stop swelling as much.

Wow. Time has flown and I cannot believe how great I feel. I would say the biggest milestone today is that I coughed and it didn't hurt. Weird how one day you cough and it feels like you are being split open and then the next day it barely hurts - yay for healing :-).

Had 2 week post op visit and my PS is thrilled with how well I am recovering. Says I am way ahead of the game :-). At least I got something in the genetic lottery - quick healing - ha (watch me have something go wrong now)... I do have one spot on my TT incision that has blistered, so she left off steri-strips on that part and I just have Neosporin on it with some gauze laying against it. I wonder if it will be able to air out since I am wearing my CG all the time? Hmmm.... She said it wouldn't affect my scar and I hope it won't :-).

My parents came into town to help me while my husband was out of town, but honestly I think it was more work to have them here. Of course I was happy to see them, but I had to feed them, set the table, show my dad how to use the shower, etc... Yes, my mom lifted my younger son for me, but I think it would have been less physically stressful if I didn't have them here ;-). I think I have the problem now that I don't look like I need as much help as I do... Just setting the table means you have to get up, reach into the cabinet to get the dishes (ouch for the boobs and arms), be on my feet, etc... But it was fun to have my "tells ya as she sees it" mom see the results and tell me how tiny I looked - woohoo! I don't feel tiny simply b/c I still feel swollen though - but makes me happy to hear it.

The best thing about my office visit was that I only have one more week of 24 hours in the CG - yay! I get to go to 12 hours a day on my next visit - hallelujah! As I have said before, my upper body garment is a high neck, 3/4 length garment - it is hot and no clothes hide it. I also saw the foot doctor yesterday and I can finally take off the dressing on my foot when I shower - so I'm going to take the longest shower tomorrow where I don't have to keep one foot stuck out of the shower wrapped up in plastic :-).

Have really been pushing it lately. Looking forward to laying around and doing NOTHING tomorrow - well, other than date night with my honey tomorrow night for Father's Day. Really looking forward to that after a crazy busy week.