One Year Later!!! Extended Tummy Tuck African American Woman - Maryland

So I made the decision to blog about my lip suction 10 months ago in an effort to help someone and I after going back and forth, I have decided to also share my second journey in hopes that it will also help someone.

As mentioned above I had high volume liposuction 10 months ago and post that my surgeon suggested I get a tummy tuck to address future loose skin. I opted not to have it, however over that 10 month time frame I lost 30 pounds. This resulted in more loose skin then I expected, and I was not happy with the my stomach. So since you can not lose skin through diet and exercise, I started my journey towards a tummy tuck. Due partially to genetics and the other half just being the way life is, my skin fell around my entire torso and back similar to a “spare tire.” Due to this I had two options. I could get a regular tummy tuck to address the front area, and then later have a back lift which would address the sides and back or I could have what is called a circumferential abdominoplasty which is mostly called an extended tummy tuck, along with muscle repair The decision point had to do with where I wanted the scar. Did I want a small scar in my bikini line and a scar in my bra line or did I want a scar that went in a complete circle from my bikini line to my butt. After thinking it through I chose the extended tummy tuck (with muscle repair) with the scar from the front to my butt for several reasons. The most important reason included that I did not want to have 2 surgeries to address my stomach and back. In addition I really didn't care about the long scar to be honest. I would take the scar over the loose skin, besides if it gets on my nerves, I can get cool tattoo to cover it up.

After deciding I scheduled my surgery for 3 months later. Fast forward to August 5, 2016 (2 weeks ago) and I have had my surgery. The surgery took 5 hours and I woke up in pain, which felt like a extreme burning sensation. It was like someone lit my insides on fire. The good news is I opted for a pain pump which was the best decision I ever made. I was able to get through the recovery phase with absolutely no pain medicine, yes NONE! This is critical for me because I do not like pain medicine and I also think it added in my quick recovery. The pain pump simply contains numbing medicine similar to Novocain so you can not feel the pain from the muscle repair (picture attached) and is inserted during surgery. You remove it 5 days later and you can remove it yourself. It was super easy and painless.

I stayed in the hospital over night and was discharged the next day. I was happy to be home however I was extremely uncomfortable. You have to sleep in a reclining position and I don’t have a recliner. What I brought instead was one of those old school pillows that have the arms on the side. I propped that up in my bed with a ton of pillows and it worked fine. The uncomfortable part was the tightness of my muscles. It makes it difficult to exist, lol. Sneezing, coughing, and laughing are not options for the first two weeks. It hurt like hell to do them all and truth be told is still uncomfortable. I used tons of cough drops and literally prayed my coughs away because it hurt to do it. I had read previously that women had extreme constipation from pain pills and it was excruciating during their recovery. I did not take pain pills, however I still prepared ahead of time anyway just in case because that was the last thing I needed. So I took stool softeners and drank prune juice everyday, worked like a charm! If this grosses you out, I am sorry, but I am just trying to save you from the hassle.

I could not shower for five days and I was anxious about my first shower. When I peeled of the compression garment and compression belt, I was shocked. I think I expected my waist to look like Frankenstein even though my surgeon did a great job of explaining things to me, but my imagination is vivid. My stitches were on the inside and all that I saw was a scar with a ton of glue on it. No gore, no blood, no Frankenstein! I had to have my mom help me with my first shower because I was walking hunched over and I had drains. I could not hold the drains and shower at the same time. My mom held the drains and I was able to shower rather easily which was surprising.

I am going to be honest the first 8 days were the hardest. I did not sleep much and I had a melt down a week in that included regret, anxiety, and crying. I am sure it was because of the lack of sleep and just being alone in my own thoughts for too long. After a long talk with best friends and my mother, I was all set.

So two weeks post surgery, what is the word……..It was the best decision I made in a long time. The scar is healing nicely and will fade significantly. It will still be visible but not as prominent as it is now and I am so happy with my results, honestly I don’t care. I am still really tight and walk semi hunched over. Everyday I can walk straighter and straighter, but it will be awhile before I can do it all day. By the time night comes I am fully hunched over again. I am still swollen and will be for weeks to come, but again I am ok with that, it will go away eventually. the compression garment and belt are tight but help with sitting and standing. I have retuned back to work after 2 weeks because I have a sedentary job, so that made it easier. I can drive myself and shower myself with no issues and I can wear a string bikini without anyone seeing my scar and just seeing my great results. I am the happiest I have been in a long time and I am thankful for that.

I hope this helps you in your decision or in your journey. I made the decision not to share my surgery decisions with certain friends and family members because everyone is not supportive of this change and thats ok. Surround yourself with family and friends that you can trust and that uplift. You will need it for sure. I also encourage you to make the decision for yourself and you're journey to happiness. Not because someone tells you too or because you want to look like a celebrity on social media. Life is too short to be unhappy, so chose today to be happy! Be blessed and if you have any questions, feel free to ask, I will be happy to answer them.