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*Treatment results may vary
11 Days Post Tummy Tuck & Breast Lift w/o Implants
It's been 11 days since my surgery and things are going well. Every day I'm able to walk just a little faster. I'm starting to get itchy so that's a good sign of healing.
2/10/16 - First Follow-up Apt (5 Days Post Surgery)
I'm draining just over 30CCs so I couldn't get my drain taken out yet. Have to wait until Tuesday! Everything is healing well which is great. I even had the nurse take progress pics on my phone so I could easily post them here.
2/16/16- Second Follow-up (10 Days Post-Surgery)
My drain is out and it wasn't that bad. I took Norco and Valium about 30 mins before the appt to help. It felt mostly like the nurse explained--a little pressure and like a worm was being pulled out of me. Not much pain at all. She also pulled off the sterri strips which was a little uncomfortable here and there but nothing close to a bikini wax.
FYI- I got a little woozy after the train came out and felt like I might faint. The nurse had me sit back with my feet up and gave me some water. I advise bringing a juice box to your drain removal appt just in case you feel faint. The feeling crept up on me and did not happen right away.
I also got to speak to Tracy at the office who helped me decide on the tuck. She was genuinely happy for me and excited to see my results. The entire office is wonderful and very sweet. I can tell they really care about their patients and their happiness with their surgeries.
I was advised to:
- Keep wearing a sports bra until for at least 2 more weeks
- Keep wearing a compression garment for 4 more weeks 24 hours a day and then 12 hours a day for 2 weeks after that- whew!
- Put Aquaphor on the incision areas to help soften the sutures and wear a gauze over that so that sutures don't catch on my clothing
- Stop taking Valium if it's causing hallucinations.
What's new:
- I am tapering off the Norco. Norco at morning and night only with tylenol in the middle of the day unless I feel a lot of pain.
- I'm due back on March 2, 2016
- One breast is dropping a little faster than the other. I was told to wait about 3 months for all the swelling to subside to see the final results.
So far very happy with the results! The incisions are so thin. I think this will heal well!
2/10/16 - First Follow-up Apt (5 Days Post Surgery)
I'm draining just over 30CCs so I couldn't get my drain taken out yet. Have to wait until Tuesday! Everything is healing well which is great. I even had the nurse take progress pics on my phone so I could easily post them here.
2/16/16- Second Follow-up (10 Days Post-Surgery)
My drain is out and it wasn't that bad. I took Norco and Valium about 30 mins before the appt to help. It felt mostly like the nurse explained--a little pressure and like a worm was being pulled out of me. Not much pain at all. She also pulled off the sterri strips which was a little uncomfortable here and there but nothing close to a bikini wax.
FYI- I got a little woozy after the train came out and felt like I might faint. The nurse had me sit back with my feet up and gave me some water. I advise bringing a juice box to your drain removal appt just in case you feel faint. The feeling crept up on me and did not happen right away.
I also got to speak to Tracy at the office who helped me decide on the tuck. She was genuinely happy for me and excited to see my results. The entire office is wonderful and very sweet. I can tell they really care about their patients and their happiness with their surgeries.
I was advised to:
- Keep wearing a sports bra until for at least 2 more weeks
- Keep wearing a compression garment for 4 more weeks 24 hours a day and then 12 hours a day for 2 weeks after that- whew!
- Put Aquaphor on the incision areas to help soften the sutures and wear a gauze over that so that sutures don't catch on my clothing
- Stop taking Valium if it's causing hallucinations.
What's new:
- I am tapering off the Norco. Norco at morning and night only with tylenol in the middle of the day unless I feel a lot of pain.
- I'm due back on March 2, 2016
- One breast is dropping a little faster than the other. I was told to wait about 3 months for all the swelling to subside to see the final results.
So far very happy with the results! The incisions are so thin. I think this will heal well!
Surgery day and the first days home 2/5-2/7 2016
FRIDAY 2/5 - Surgery Day
I had nerves all Thursday night. In fact I did more texting than sleeping. Before I knew it it was 1AM so I finally decided to try to sleep. At 5AM I as up, brushed my teeth really well and gargled with Listerine ( as I was instructed),put on loose sweat pants and, a sip up sports bra and a sip p sweat jacket (to make it easy for the nurses). I made sure I had no metal/jewelry/piercings on me, put my hair in a braided pony tail with a non metal hair tie and requested my Uber ride. The Uber ride was totally worth it from San Ramon to Livermore. Only $16 considering the demand at the buttcrack of dawn was rather low.
When I checked in at Valley Care, all the nurses/Anesthesiologists/doctors were SO SO NICE! I remember Allison in particular--she was great with a sweet can caring bedside manner and a great sense of humor. And so was Judy! But even the nurses with whom I was not under their direct care were so friendly and would smile and wave as they walked by my hospital bed from the hall. I appreciated all the double and triple checking they did to make sure I was the right patient receiving the right procedure with the right doctor and given the correct meds.
After all the prep, it was almost prime time. Dr. Steven Williams came in to see me. He made markings on my breast and belly, explaining what they meant and what to expect from how these markings will be a blueprint for the incisions to be made. It was very exciting to get a visual of what to expect. He asked me if I had any questions--I didn't. Between my talks with him and Tracy at the office at Tri Valley Plastic Surgery, I couldn't think of any concern or question. Dr. Williams explained a few more things and once again asked if I had any questions. I still didn't but truly appreciated his concern in making sure I had no questions or concerns.
Minutes later, Nurse Allison came back with a drug to relax me. It felt as if I had a glass of wine. I was rolled into the operation room. All I remember was looking at the lighting on the ceiling. They never told me when the anesthesia was put in or maybe they did...all I know was I conked out after that and that I was in good hands. When I woke up, I was all wrapped up, but could see my cleavage was more heaving that usual--I had a feeling I was going to be happy with the breast lift. I was in a bit of pain, but decided to bear through it because the nurses said whenever they gave me pain meds, my heart rate would drop. I had paid an extra $500 for a injectable anesthetic called Exparell (totally worth getting by the way-don't skimp on this!) which is given in the belly before waking up. The nurses said it would kick in in a few hours. I toughened up through the pain which felt like moderate menstrual cramps and by the time my husband was there to pick me up I was feeling better.
Once my husband took me home, I was able to pretty easily get out of the car and walk hunched over to the bedroom with some assistance. I took my meds and slept. Don't remember too much after that. I made sure to drink lots of water and got up only to go pee. My mom or husband would come in to drain my drain. Yay.
DAY 2 (2/6) - PEEKING DELIGHT
I was much more alert and chipper today. My mom helped me create a good system for my meds by placing the ones I needed to take next in clear cup near on the nightstand. It's hard opening the med containers so once I familiarized myself with what each pill looked like it was easy to take them directly from the clear plastic container. After sleeping for most of the day, my curiosity of was starting to bloom. I pulled the gauze around my breast forward a little to tale a peek and was delighted with what I saw. My breasts were quite perky. I realized they're still swollen but overall they almost look like very naturally done implants at this point.
Be aware that the Valium (despite for relaxing muscles and decreasing anxiety) can make you hallucinate a little if you already have the tendency for hallucinations. When I have either mentally or physically under stress and tend to get Sleep Paralysis and Hypnotic Negotia. I had a pretty creepy episode that is hard to recall now I just remember my eyes being wide open but not being able to move and seeing weird things and hearing strange sounds (like music I had never heard before). Because it was Saturday, I asked my husband to stay with me for the remainder of my nap which made me feel better. He also got me some won-ton soup from my favorite Chinese restaurant, Peking Delight, which was the perfect thing to have post surgery. All I had on surgery day was about 5 crackers when I got home lol
DAY 3 (2/7)- UP and ABOUT
I was amazed with my energy level today. I was still eating light. Mostly fruit, veggies and finally lean protein. Hubby even treated me to a little ice cream. I was able to help out with little things like letting the pets outside, making a formula bottle for my daughter, picking out clothes for the kids to get dressed and things like that. I have been worried about my mom and hubby getting stressed so I walked around, hunched over of course, and slowly but surely did what I could to assist. When my 11 month old when down for a nap, I took one too. I realized my goal is to stay on the same schedule as her which is nap around 10AM for 1 to 2 hours and then nap again around 1:30pm for 2-3 hours with bedtime at pm. That seems to be the best way to get my blood circulating enough during waking hours but still get enough sleep to rest and heal.
My follow up appointment is this Weds 2/10. I plan to take my Vicodin and Valium right before as I think Dr. Williams will be removing my drain and I am quite nervous about that!
I had nerves all Thursday night. In fact I did more texting than sleeping. Before I knew it it was 1AM so I finally decided to try to sleep. At 5AM I as up, brushed my teeth really well and gargled with Listerine ( as I was instructed),put on loose sweat pants and, a sip up sports bra and a sip p sweat jacket (to make it easy for the nurses). I made sure I had no metal/jewelry/piercings on me, put my hair in a braided pony tail with a non metal hair tie and requested my Uber ride. The Uber ride was totally worth it from San Ramon to Livermore. Only $16 considering the demand at the buttcrack of dawn was rather low.
When I checked in at Valley Care, all the nurses/Anesthesiologists/doctors were SO SO NICE! I remember Allison in particular--she was great with a sweet can caring bedside manner and a great sense of humor. And so was Judy! But even the nurses with whom I was not under their direct care were so friendly and would smile and wave as they walked by my hospital bed from the hall. I appreciated all the double and triple checking they did to make sure I was the right patient receiving the right procedure with the right doctor and given the correct meds.
After all the prep, it was almost prime time. Dr. Steven Williams came in to see me. He made markings on my breast and belly, explaining what they meant and what to expect from how these markings will be a blueprint for the incisions to be made. It was very exciting to get a visual of what to expect. He asked me if I had any questions--I didn't. Between my talks with him and Tracy at the office at Tri Valley Plastic Surgery, I couldn't think of any concern or question. Dr. Williams explained a few more things and once again asked if I had any questions. I still didn't but truly appreciated his concern in making sure I had no questions or concerns.
Minutes later, Nurse Allison came back with a drug to relax me. It felt as if I had a glass of wine. I was rolled into the operation room. All I remember was looking at the lighting on the ceiling. They never told me when the anesthesia was put in or maybe they did...all I know was I conked out after that and that I was in good hands. When I woke up, I was all wrapped up, but could see my cleavage was more heaving that usual--I had a feeling I was going to be happy with the breast lift. I was in a bit of pain, but decided to bear through it because the nurses said whenever they gave me pain meds, my heart rate would drop. I had paid an extra $500 for a injectable anesthetic called Exparell (totally worth getting by the way-don't skimp on this!) which is given in the belly before waking up. The nurses said it would kick in in a few hours. I toughened up through the pain which felt like moderate menstrual cramps and by the time my husband was there to pick me up I was feeling better.
Once my husband took me home, I was able to pretty easily get out of the car and walk hunched over to the bedroom with some assistance. I took my meds and slept. Don't remember too much after that. I made sure to drink lots of water and got up only to go pee. My mom or husband would come in to drain my drain. Yay.
DAY 2 (2/6) - PEEKING DELIGHT
I was much more alert and chipper today. My mom helped me create a good system for my meds by placing the ones I needed to take next in clear cup near on the nightstand. It's hard opening the med containers so once I familiarized myself with what each pill looked like it was easy to take them directly from the clear plastic container. After sleeping for most of the day, my curiosity of was starting to bloom. I pulled the gauze around my breast forward a little to tale a peek and was delighted with what I saw. My breasts were quite perky. I realized they're still swollen but overall they almost look like very naturally done implants at this point.
Be aware that the Valium (despite for relaxing muscles and decreasing anxiety) can make you hallucinate a little if you already have the tendency for hallucinations. When I have either mentally or physically under stress and tend to get Sleep Paralysis and Hypnotic Negotia. I had a pretty creepy episode that is hard to recall now I just remember my eyes being wide open but not being able to move and seeing weird things and hearing strange sounds (like music I had never heard before). Because it was Saturday, I asked my husband to stay with me for the remainder of my nap which made me feel better. He also got me some won-ton soup from my favorite Chinese restaurant, Peking Delight, which was the perfect thing to have post surgery. All I had on surgery day was about 5 crackers when I got home lol
DAY 3 (2/7)- UP and ABOUT
I was amazed with my energy level today. I was still eating light. Mostly fruit, veggies and finally lean protein. Hubby even treated me to a little ice cream. I was able to help out with little things like letting the pets outside, making a formula bottle for my daughter, picking out clothes for the kids to get dressed and things like that. I have been worried about my mom and hubby getting stressed so I walked around, hunched over of course, and slowly but surely did what I could to assist. When my 11 month old when down for a nap, I took one too. I realized my goal is to stay on the same schedule as her which is nap around 10AM for 1 to 2 hours and then nap again around 1:30pm for 2-3 hours with bedtime at pm. That seems to be the best way to get my blood circulating enough during waking hours but still get enough sleep to rest and heal.
My follow up appointment is this Weds 2/10. I plan to take my Vicodin and Valium right before as I think Dr. Williams will be removing my drain and I am quite nervous about that!
The day before surgery 2/4/2016
Like most, I was a mix of nervous, excited and curious...and STRESSSED!! There was so much do be done before surgery around the house and with work. And of course my washing machine broke so I had to call someone out and of course that day was going to be my surgery day.
That Friday (2/5) was looking crazy. My husband had to be at work around 8:30am. My babysitter is to be there by 7:45am but has to leave by 12:45pm for an appointment and my mom lives just under two hours away and as long as traffic is fine she should be there by 12:30p . A little too close for comfort if you ask me. Meanwhile, my surgery is 15 miles away at Valleycare in Livermore and I need to be there at 6am for prep and should be officially operated on beginning at 7:30am and should be recovered sometime between 11am and 12pm to go home.
Washing machine repair guy is coming between 12pm and 5pm. So I'm super stressed!!!! Luckily I've been maintaining my usual weight around 112lbs so all the skin I want off should be gone!!!! Trying to stay positive. I know if my husband needs to get back from work in Pleasanton to make this all work out he will.
So I focused on what I could do and washed the dog, got my hair done, set out I instructions on caring for the pets and kids and got as much work for my business done as I could. That night I couldn't sleep much and spent most of it texting my friend.
That Friday (2/5) was looking crazy. My husband had to be at work around 8:30am. My babysitter is to be there by 7:45am but has to leave by 12:45pm for an appointment and my mom lives just under two hours away and as long as traffic is fine she should be there by 12:30p . A little too close for comfort if you ask me. Meanwhile, my surgery is 15 miles away at Valleycare in Livermore and I need to be there at 6am for prep and should be officially operated on beginning at 7:30am and should be recovered sometime between 11am and 12pm to go home.
Washing machine repair guy is coming between 12pm and 5pm. So I'm super stressed!!!! Luckily I've been maintaining my usual weight around 112lbs so all the skin I want off should be gone!!!! Trying to stay positive. I know if my husband needs to get back from work in Pleasanton to make this all work out he will.
So I focused on what I could do and washed the dog, got my hair done, set out I instructions on caring for the pets and kids and got as much work for my business done as I could. That night I couldn't sleep much and spent most of it texting my friend.
Provider Review
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
11820 Dublin Blvd., Dublin, California