6 months pics update. Extended TT with muscle repair, a little lipo to the flanks and tubal ligation

It's been a long while...my last review was at 2 months post op! I haven't seen my PS since then because I went on vacation back home and then since being back never had RS nor check up on my to-do list :-)

Anywhoo... I had stopped gym 2 weeks before surgery and started exercising again in late July. My abs of course is my weakest link, I do overall exercises fine, but when it comes to abs I don't push it, and the bit of ab work I do at the end of each aerobics class, I can barely manage to do. I cannot do sit ups and wouldn't even think of it! But I do half heartedly some basic crunches, reverse crunches and plank. I get sore sometimes and feel internal pricking that lasts a few hours, but I can see a difference in my ab muscles compared to before surgery, even though I'm not pushing the abs as much as I did before surgery. I do wear those abs support/waist belts during workout...not sure how much they really help me to engage my core tho.

Oh before I forget, the squeem didn't do anything for me. I bought the size small vest, had to get my hubby to help the first fit, but after that I could fit in it on my own, and then I realised it wasn't compressing my lower abs and around the incision as much as I wanted, and then it pushed up all my back fat up to my underarm making my upper back look huge compared to the tight waist it created. Within a week I had stopped wearing it. I thought of getting the xs, but then maybe it would end up being shorter length. I ended up using a simple waist belt/ab support and used a hard book cover to keep my tummy flat, which helped to reduce swelling on those terrible days.

I'm not flat...unless I engage my core...which they always tell you to do at the gym, if I let go my tummy it will not be as big as before surgery but it will not be flat either, if I stand properly then it looks better ;-). My PS did tell me that I wouldn't be flat...so I guess I can't say I'm disappointed. But thank God I'm able to work on my abs now...and like I said, I'm seeing improvements there.

When I swell up my tummy becomes uneven and have a lumpy look, I don't know why, right now I have one side more swollen than the other, the swelling has gone down a bit but still...you can see in some of the pics.

Since surgery I had been busy trying to recreate the shape of my belly button to something that looked more common on black people, that didn't work...I had to give up. I realise whatever shape your PS created is what it will always be...putting buttons and ear plugs and cotton balls only cause it to sweat up and take longer to heal. It won't close up though, which is the fear most people have.

I had mentioned that sometimes I feel pricks in my tummy, especially after exercising, I wonder if it's the stitches. I had a piece in my navel that kept irritating me and I could feel it anytime I brushed my fingers against my navel. I squeezed/pushed down my navel to clip off part of the stitching that was sticking out and poking me, that helped a lot because now it looks a little better than before where it seemed that top part of my navel wasn't healing.

I had been watching for a while the ends of my incision which looks a bit like puckering, which you can see when I stand at an angle. I've found that when that puckered end is compressed it doesn't show as much, but it doesn't seem like something that will eventually disappear because it has been like this since the dressing came off. So now at 6 months, which is when they say is a good time to know if any repairs or "retouch" is needed, I'll bring this up when I go in for a check up soon.

Overall I'm happy, I feel so much sexier, I'm wearing out all the clothes in my closet that I either had to stop wearing or bought hoping one day...Yeah, I feel so much more confident, I can pretty much wear anything in fashion now...crop tops...you betcha!! ;-)

I realise I have very bad posture! I really hope the Squeem can help me!

Let's see...
So I've "discovered!" Lol...that the amount and type of compression you get really determines the shape of your tummy and lipoed area. From before surgery I knew my 2 garments recommended by my PS wouldn't provide the compression I needed, I complained to my PS, and the garment company rep fixed them and what they did was to only tighten at the ribs (top of the garment) and my tummy area was still not compressed! So I've had to wear it squeezing my rib cage but not doing the job.

 I decided to get one of those ordinary shapers in the smallest size, it was the knee length one, it compressed my butt! I had to cut out the butt part! It compressed my thighs and the lower tummy but left the upper tummy without any compression! So I at times wore both garments together. Still I wasn't satisfied! I decided to go back to my old gym belts, the ones that wrap around with the neoprene material. I used two to compress the whole tummy but they left dents because they wrapped over each other at some parts and provided extra compression in a particular area that left the dents as a result. I've tried adjusted them so they don't overlap so I'm not dent up as before, but because I can wrap them as tight as I want they have provided the most compression so far. I realise though that since I haven't been wearing the cg at my incision line becomes thick and swollen and gives an appearance of dog ears! So I have to be careful to full compression right below incision line.

I also discovered! ;-) ab boards! I'm not too trusting of certain websites especially since not every site accepts international credit cards. I almost always only order from Amazon and unfortunately they are not sold on Amazon. Anywho...I came across a RS post about a PS recommending to use cardboard box as a temp fix for the real thing, so I decided to give that a go. I have to say since I started using a small piece of cardboard along my muscle repair I've noticed a huge difference wherein my tummy doesnt swell up and bulge by evening time anymore! You know how I came across this, just before 5 weeks post op I went out with some friends for ladies night, I didnt want to feel uncomfortable in my cg so I wore the panty shaper/girdle panty I wore pre op. Talking above loud music strained my tummy/muscles! It hurt like hell!!! When I woke the next morning my tummy looked 2-3 months pregnant! I freaked out!!! I swore my muscle repair came apart and I researched like hell on it! That's what brought me to that blog. I swear I never leave the house again without any compression! 

I've ordered the Squeem miracle vest (small) from Amazon. It took me a long long time to decide the size and whether vest or waist cincher! Read so many reviews I decided to go with my purchase. My current waist measurement is 28 natural, 27 if I pull the tape tight, and 30 around belly button. In a post prior to surgery I believe it was 29 and 34.5 respectively! I really want compression but I also want to be able to wear what I paid so much money for, $75!! If I get smaller then I can always go get the extra small, if it's not as tight then I'll use the gym belts underneath.

I went to the hospital to see my PSs for 6 week check up, but my PS was in theatre and the other two PS were on leave. Anywho, it's just a 10 mins drive from my house, I'll go back this Friday. I've taken my own permission to start exercising full on. Prior to at 4 weeks I was just walking on the treadmill, now at 6 weeks I started running on the treadmill and lifting my usual 4kg and 5kg dumbbell weights. Gotta tell ya it hurt when I was done, my ab/muscle repair was swore yet I wasn't doing any abs! But it's been almost 2 months since I haven't done real exercise (just before surgery) and I really don't want my love handles to come back...damn "hate handles!!" 

Oh my belly button...for a while I put a small button in with tape over it to keep a roundish shape, but as soon as I took it out and went a day without it the shape went back to how it currently looks, the way my PS intended! So I've given up! Maybe because I'm so used to my big outie belly button I find this too small...but I gotta get used to it! 

So far looking at where I'm coming from I'm fine with what I have, happy even! From 6 months pregnant...I'm good! I really want to get flat though...my PS had said don't expect to look like I did pre pregnancy, but even then I had to work hard to have abs, so I can't wait to get the go ahead to start working my abs! That way I can wear tight shirts without any compression and without sucking in!!! Can't wait!!!

All the best to you lovely ladies re surgery and recovery!

Pics coming next..