30* 5 Children Later - Greenville, SC

My initial surgery was 7/20/2016. After lots of complications, I went in for a revision on 9/30/2016. I am 7 weeks out from my revision, and I am doing much better! My umbilicus needed correction a third time, but I think it is doing much better now, as well. I still trust my surgeon and believe he has done a fabulous job dealing with me, my pestuous behavior, and my complications. I routinely text him on his personal cell phone and he has yet to cuss me out. Lol I attribute my complications to my already poor health, the fact that I refuse to rest and even in excruciating pain, I was trying to keep my house clean on day one, and most importantly to the fact that I am a smoker. I quit smoking for surgery but have had a few hiccups along the way on really bad days. I am posting an updated picture. You will see bruising in my upper left quadrant. That is actually a lump that developed. The bruising is from aspiration attempts. I had a CT scan done today (for my Crohns Disease) that will definitely tell us what it is, but I am sure TIME will allow it to correct itself. I get my stitches out from around my umbilicus tomorrow. Things are looking up. I went back to work on October 16th and am working up to 70 hours a week. I have started working out again. I will pick up my strict Crohns diet as soon as I am happy with my healing. Thanks for the prayers!

I still have a hole where my belly button should be. It is still draining a lot of fluid, hardly any difference in amount from 8 weeks ago. I have starting taking flintstone vitamins (3 per day) and drinking 3 protein shakes a day to make up for not eating. I am still experiencing nausea and muscular pain. The swelling gets so bad after activity, that it makes me look about 6 months pregnant and is very uncomfortable. These episodes add to the nausea. I am treating pain with periodic Tramadol 50mg and I am treating the nausea with Zofran 4mg, 8mg at times. I have developed a seroma on the left side which is pulling on my incision and causing a great indentation. My vagina looks very "puffy." I still have lots of lax skin on the abdomen. I am still out of work. I have tried to go back three times, but just couldn't make it through a whole week. The swelling would get too bad and I would end up sick on my stomach and in pain. Keep in mind, I never missed work prior to surgery. So, just got off the phone with my surgeon. Revision surgery is scheduled for this Thursday! He will perform another full tummy tuck, removed the seroma, correct my umbilicus. Stitch down the flap, preventing dead space and hopefully speed healing, and use drains as well, considering the amount of fluid I produce. I am cautiously optimistic. Pray for a SPEEDY RECOVERY!

I drove myself to the ER after my last post and found out that I had developed a staff infection with systemic symptoms. My Vital signs were dangerously low. My lowest BP was 64/42, but most were between 70-80/50-60. My temp was dropping too. I was showing symptoms of sepsis. My labs were all low except my white blood cell count which was high. I was severely dehydrated, as well. My surgeon recognized this and admitted me into the hospital and I was started on IV zofran for nausea, low dose Morphine for pain (which I got just a couple times because my BP was way too low for safe administration), and IV antibiotics. I am now pouring wound cleaning agents in my belly button and taking a long Q-tip, sticking it all the way in my belly button, and cleaning beneath the skin all around my abdomen. I am FINALLY FINDING RELIEF! My wound is clean and is now healing pretty fast. I woke up at 3am this morning, as well. This time, it was because I felt NORMAL for the first time. After my skin adheres back to my abdominal muscles, my surgeon says he will reattach my belly button, which will be an easy healing process. I FINALLY feel like I am on the mend, for real this time. No nausea!!! Just cleaned my house! Feeling good! My surgeon and my husband are both still my heroes!