I'm a couple days away from surgery, and starting to get more excited then nervous. I'm ready to get it over with so I can sleep and stop obsessing over it. I came down with a sore throat over the weekend, and a little nervous about recovery. I've gone back and forth with my decision on this, and I hope I've made the right decision.
Tummy Tuck with muscle repair and lipo on sides - Los Angeles, CA
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crossfitchick82
- Worth It
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Cost:
$9,300 - Kenneth B. Hughes, MD, Los Angeles, CA
I'm a couple days away from surgery, and starting...
Day after tummy tuck with Lipo on my sides
Kind of in shock how normal I feel. I came home from surgery and had some chicken broth with a piece of toast, and then a piece of toast later and a protein shake. I slept great, besides waking up at 4am to pee. Only pain I get is when I first standup and then I'm good. Of course being hunched over on the walk to the bathroom is a little annoying, but I feel pretty good overall. Today I had scrambled eggs with a half of a sweet potato for breakfast, followed by a beet/carrot/ginger juice, and then chicken soup with saltines for lunch. I've read that day 3 is the "bad" day. Fingers crossed for smooth sailing :)
13 days post op Tummy Tuck
Healing has been a little more extensive then I originally thought, but I'm pretty happy with the results so far. I went in thinking I would have this massive ugly scar, but my doc did an amazing job! I still have a lot of swelling in my belly, and my belly button is not so pretty at this point. I'm hoping the belly button will heal up fast and I can move on from this.
17 days post TT
I can't believe it's been 17 days since surgery! I have to say, I thought I would be much more active at this point. I'm still having issues with standing up straight, and the swelling is insane in my belly. I assume this is what it feels like to be pregnant. Before the surgery I was super active, worked out 5 times a week, always on the go, but now I'm pretty much stuck in my house. I know that it will get better eventually, but I ask myself daily why did I do this to myself?! I'm just so tired of sitting at home! I am still sleeping downstairs and not in my bed. My belly button still looks gross, and I'm hoping it will clear up one of these days :/ On the bright side- I've caught up on all my netflix shows, lol.
6 weeks post op
Still a lot of swelling, and my belly button is taking forever to heal, but I feel good about the results. I just started walking around my neighborhood with my dog, and I have to say it feels so nice to be moving! I have no idea how people can go without exercising! I feel so disgusting sitting around everyday :( I feel like my arms are getting fat, and I lost my booty that I spent hours in the gym, and 1000's of lunges & squats later building. I just started taking arnica, and hoping that will help with the swelling. Anyone out there have tips on speeding up the swelling process? I stopped wearing my compression garment about a week ago- had to because it was irritating my skin, and creating major issues with my drain incisions.
Drain/Binder irritation issues week 2 post op
I wanted to post these for anyone who may be going through the same thing, freaking out, and not knowing what the outcome will be. I am now 7 weeks almost post op, but these were from week 2 and on as healing progressed. My binder was irritating my drain incisions.
Back to cardio class!
SO excited because today I got to go back to the gym and workout! I took a bootcamp style class, and even though I modified movements- I still had a great workout! I can't wait until another month from now to be further in this journey!
I had surgery back in April, and I am so glad I...
I had surgery back in April, and I am so glad I finally went through with it! I was super terrified to have this surgery. I think I read and looked at a million reviews before finally committing. I still have a bit of swelling, but noticed the definition starting to stand out. I can't wait to see where I will be at this time next year!
2 months post op
Bought a new bathing suit today (even though I still can't swim because of my damn belly button!) hoping for this swelling to hurry up and go away so I can enjoy it! I'm super swollen this week- lots of activity, and ringing I'm going to Bootcamp class so I'm going to have a beach ball belly by night.
3rd workout this week!
Went back to Crossfit yesterday, and I was so excited to be able to do barbell work! I pushed #65lbs over my head with no problems (even though that is really light for me). I could feel a little tightness & pulling on my side, but no pain. I actually feel way better after working out! My body doesn't feel as stiff. Here's to many more workouts!
First day by the pool
So nice to lay out by the pool and not feel self conscious! I think it's the first time I walked around the pool without a towel wrapped around me! My doc still won't let me actually swim since I had healing issues with my belly button, but I'm just happy to be in a bikini :)
Spitting suture
I've had this annoying opening that hasn't healed, and FINALLY today a stitch popped up! I put on my surgeon hat and pulled it out with tweezers. I ended up having to cut it in half because it was so thick and stuck still under the skin. The spot already looks so much better since doing so! Fingers crossed it closes up by the weekend!!!
4 months post
I'm 4 moths pot of yesterday. I'm back to working out 6 days a week, and doing full ab exercises. Everything is going good, although I still have that one annoying stitch site trying to heal. It's pretty small so it doesn't really bother me much. Overall I'm happy with my results, and yes I still get swell hell from time to time.
I am so glad I ended up going with Dr. Hughes. In the beginning, I was a little apprehensive to be honest. I walked into his office (which was a zoo at the time and super small) and it was so loud and full of people. The people that worked there were super loud, gossiping with each other as if they were at the hair salon, and even a f-bombs were thrown in. Now, I am no prude by any means- BUT for my first impression, going into a place of business where I'm possibly going to spend thousands of dollars, and super afraid to begin with........it just didn't sit right with me. I literally almost didn't go with him based on this alone. I had been to other upscale offices with very professional individuals who made me feel safe. Now, with all of that said- I'm so glad I didn't let that cloud my judgement. I found out later that he shares an office with another Doc, and those staff members didn't even work for him (which they will clearly point out when you ask them anything regarding Dr. Hughes). Dr. Hughes has a wonderful nurse named Sandra, who always makes me feel comfortable & safe. The other thing that bothered me post op was how quickly we have to vacate the recovery room, and that the doc didn't even check on me or see me off when I woke up. I sound like such a girl, but I also was a bit shocked that he never called me the next day or any day after surgery to check in. I have never had a surgeon not call to check in. There is just something about that that makes you feel like everything is going to be ok. You also will most likely not be seen at your appointment time- for some reason it doesn't bother me with him I'm usually super impatient, but I don't mind it as much because I know he is so dedicated to his work. SO to the stuff you really want to hear- He did a great job! I am satisfied, and he is a very caring doc. The best part is he listens, and if you ever need him, he responds within 10 minutes! I would highly suggest him to any of my friends or family members. My incision looks great, and even though I had a couple of hiccups with my own body issues regarding healing, I am finally healing nicely and have a flat tummy! I hope none of this comes off as negative, I really want people to know that yeah there may be some annoying stuff, but he is an AWESOME surgeon so don't let the little stuff bother you!
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