57 Yrs Old and on Step One of my Remodel! Full Tummy Tuck w/Muscle Repair on 10.16.14 - Grand Junction, CO

Hello! It was 3 weeks Thursday that I had my surgery, and healing is still in progress. I found the high wasted girdle that I'm wearing for the long haul. I've gotten the hang of pulling it up and down without sliding it over the incision; I'll post a picture of the tag. The other one I was using with the hooks in front and in the crotch didn't have an even amount of compression from top to bottom. The one in the latest picture is from Wal-Mart, under $8.00, and comes n black and White.
My incision and belly button is healing well. I'm putting scar ointment on in the morning and vanicream lotion on at night. The bruising on my hips have been gone for a while now. I still haven't graduated back to my bed. It takes a while to get to sleep and I wake up every morning at 3:00 a.m. use the bathroom and go back to sleep until 6:00 or 7:00. My goal is to transition back to my bed by Thanksgiving......hahah, mostly because I will need the guest room for guests! I've become a little too used to having my own space, turning the TV on and off as I please, no hubby snoring......I've always been a light sleeper. I'm back to somewhat normal activities such as going to the office, driving, grocery shopping. I still haven't gotten back to using the elliptical but plan on starting slowly this week. I've been taking long walks with no problem. The main issue right now is swelling in the lower abdomen. Gosh, I will be so happy when that goes away....When? When? It is lowest in the morning and then varies throughout the day but is worst starting at about 4:00 in the afternoon and into the evening. I still use ice in later evening but no longer fall asleep with the ice bag. I've started back on my Vitamin's again. PS wanted me off of them for 3 weeks after sx. Need the B vitamin's for the hair......It's been falling out a bit since sx which I've read is very common. I'm also back on Vit. D and C. My energy level is fairly low; I get tired easily and need a
30 minute nap at some point during the day or else I'm exhausted by 7:00! My weight has been stable throughout the process but in the last couple of days I've really had an appetite.
Well, that's about it for now RS ladies! Hugs!!

This update is sort of a mishmash of different information. I'm posting pictures of the Wal-Mart high wasted girdle that un-hooks in the crotch $11.77, and my bed at the incline I'm currently sleeping at.
I went shopping in my own closet and found a shaper that goes just under the bra line and down to mid thigh. It's Dress Barns version of spanx. I have a good sized bottom and thighs so it's tough going over that area, making it tough going over the incision......What were "they" thinking when they designed these garments?? I mean really? Getting this up and down on a good day is difficult and we go how many times a day? No peep hole for the Pee? Clearly this will have to wait until I'm further along in recovery. Oh, and while on the subject of shopping my own closet....Holy Cow!! I have so many shaper type thingies!! There are shaper slips in black and nude, shaper undies in black and nude, some still have the price tags attached. I have tight fitting tanks in every color imaginable. That was my way to hold in the tummy and add camouflage at the bottom of shorter tops, I wore a long tank under every top I own. OMG, I rarely say that but I am truly having an OMG moment!!! Hello! I don't have to do that anymore!!!!
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I took back all of my unused supplies to Wal-Mart for a refund of $51.00!! I'm really glad that I made my pre-sx purchases all at one store and on the same day.....one receipt for returns! On a separate receipt I returned compression garments for a refund of $49.00. I wanted to buy them in advance since I knew that I wouldn't want to shop too soon after surgery. Conclusion is that we need decent compression but it's not good to go too tight. I kept only the garment that I show in the picture. It digs into the tops of my thighs when I sit too long but otherwise it's comfortable. I think that it will be great once I'm not so swollen in the lower body but until then I will continue to wear my happy binder!
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I'm Including a picture to show how I've progressed in sleeping. I started out with the head of this bed nearly as straight as it will go and legs up a bit. PS calls it "beach chair position" It's now been at this incline since po day 13. The flatter my head goes the higher my legs need to go. It's kind of odd.....I stand very straight with shoulders back yet I cannot sleep flat. I tried lying in my regular bed and was fine with head on pillow as long as my knees were completely bent. I gradually attempted to straighten them thinking I may be able to sleep in my pre-sx position with a small pillow under knees but this is not happening as I could feel the pull in my stomach muscles. I'll give it 2 more weeks.

I worked two days in a row for about 3 hours each day. Felt great to be back in the saddle again!!
Swelling: Post having the drains removed......lots of swelling in low abdomen just above the mons area, right around the incision. Holy Cow it gets tight and bulges. I now think I understand the meaning of "Swell Hell." I began using my Walmart high wasted girdle on the two days that I worked; it's the one that you pull on and then hook up the last several inches. It unhooks in the crotch which is a lovely thing! I was wearing bikini cotton undies underneath to wick any sweat away, fully cover the incision and to avoid daily washing of the girdle. I stick a round cotton pad in there to cover the BB, again just in case the girdle is sweaty. I don't know if it is due to my having just gotten the last drain removed or sitting at my desk or a combination of the two but my evening swelling seems to be mostly in the low area that I mentioned. When taking off the girdle I realized that the swelling is exactly in the area beneath the hooked up part on my girdle, leading me to wonder if that lower area needs to have a bit more compression. Boy oh Boy!!
I love the binder that I got after sx, it's my Happy Binder.....We are bonded. Nothing feels as good as that one. I slept in it last night and have had it on all day. I took a longer walk today but other than that I haven't done much and still this evening I am quite swollen so guessing that Swell hell is going to happen no matter which compression I'm wearing so I may as well wear my happy binder. I was told of a homeopathic that is good for swelling. This one is in spray form and you spray once a day under the tongue. I ordered it and will let you know how it works. I hear that swelling can go on for months but would be so Happy to hear of suggestions and to know how long the initial swelling lasts. I'm drinking a lot of water and not sure but I think it helps.