From Flabby to Fabulous - 3 months PO. Minneapolis, MN

February 12, 2012

Three months, 2 days post op.

There hasn't been a significant change from 2 months post-op to three months po, so no new pics. I had been having some sensitivity at the two ends of my incision (hip area), must have been my nerves coming back to life because they feel fine now. I'm still up 5-7 pounds since the surgery, which has been my own fault.

My swelling still comes and goes, and I'm a little surprised by this even though everyone has consistently said to expect it and it's normal! :) Like Lil_Gunz, I've kind of treated the swelling like a game, taking it in stride. I swell after I work out (mostly circuit/cross-fit training, step aerobics and yoga/pilates. Ab classes are still hard for me and I only do them at about 50% power) Working-out-swelling isn't too bad. The swelling after I eat processed/salty food or fatty food is more bothersome.

I had my 3-month follow up with my surgeon a few days ago and he was a little surprised at how pink/red my scar still is. It's completely healed over, just deep pink. I told him I was using Bio-Oil on the scar and he said petroleum-based products could be a problem. He said I should try cocoa butter cream, so I switched a few days ago. I know others here with beautiful/light scars have been using cocoa butter cream so I hope it helps lighten my scar. I should have tried it a long time ago.

I have a goal to lose these additional 5-7 pounds, and another five or so after that, for a total goal of 10 lbs to lose. Other TT'ers who've lost some weight post-op look TERRIFIC and are very inspiring to me. I just need to get serious. And I will. When I'm ready LOL! I have a Vegas trip planned in April, at my 5 month post-op point, so that's my motivation to lose these 10 - I'll want to show my fellow TT'ers how much my scar has improved/not improved and show off one of the eight new bikinis I've purchased in the last six weeks. Yes, eight bikinis. I'm the girl who hasn't shown her stomach in public in the past 21 years, I'm making up for lost time. So be prepared for five or six new bikini photos at that next update. :D

I still don't regret this TT one bit and would do it again in a heartbeat! For anyone who's got a surgery coming up, or are contemplating whether or not to do it, I say go for it.

Hugs to you all!! I may not be posting much but I'm lurking and enjoying your stories and journeys!

2 MONTHS POST OP. :)~ Wow!! Time has flown. I'll try to cover the basics here. Happy healing to all.

Weight:
I’m back to 141-145 (up 5-7 pounds), depending on the day and the swelling. That’s on me though (holiday meals and lazy eating habits) and I’m working hard to get back under the 140 mark! Today’s 2 mo. PO photos are me at 143 lbs, up five from the previous pics.

Swelling:
Minimal...at its best I ignore it. At its worst I’m annoyed by it. No pain with the swelling. I find swelling due to exercising is tolerable and goes away after a few hours, but swelling due to poor diet (high sodium, fatty foods, too much food) is generally worse and very uncomfortable and will last all day. My pants have fit since post-op day 5, and I’ve purchased smaller jeans since then, so swelling hasn’t bothered me as far as clothes go – I’m thankful every day for that part of my recovery.

Exercise:
At 6 wks I’ve been back in the gym with light cardio and light weights. Broke a sweat but didn’t push it. Swelling occurs after each work out, but I think it’s slowly getting better?! At 8 wks I bumped up to moderate cardio and moderate weights, and started Zumba again. Zumba made me swell more than anything (all that hip swaying and twisting around). I found that moves that include significant stretching (esp overhead stuff), and even planks, were way too much for my abdomen, pulled in ways that didn’t feel good so I’m skipping those for now. Every week I try to re-introduce something back into my routine. No killer-core classes yet but I may try that at week 10.

Sneezing/Stretching/Deep Belly Laughs:
All cause light discomfort for four-five seconds, but 85-95% better. I even got the pukey/poopy flu the week before Christmas and the heaving was tolerable. Or at least as tolerable as heaving can be :)

Compression Garments:
Mostly haven’t worn anything, prob since 4-5 weeks. The couple of times I’ve worn it have been after eating too much or my Zumba days (both for swelling reasons, worn for the day). It just felt better to have support with the swelling. I slept in it one night, I’d forgotten how uncomfortable sleeping in it was!!

Scar/Skin recovery:
Scar seems deeper pink at this point in my recovery, as many others have said it might (especially after the gym). I’m confident it will fade. Still no dog ears, no uneven healing, no muffin top. My waist continues to be defined (I’m constantly amazed by this. I’ve never ever EVER had a waist). I massage my scars daily with Bio Oil and the scars feel soft. My belly still feels mostly numb and firm (swelling?) but some parts are softening and I notice a little “hang” when I bend over now – sort of wrinkly, shows off the remaining stretch marks. I don’t know if that’s because of my weight gain or just how I’m healing. Not perfect, but I’ll take it!

Belly button:
I love the little "hood" Dr. F sewed into my BB. Still wishing the BB was more vertical and less circular/horizontal - I just prefer that presentation. But it's healing really well and I don't expect it to change shape from here on out.

1 Month Post-op

The time has flown by, I can't believe I'm one month post-op.

I've had zero problems with infection, spit stitches, oozing, emotional roller coaster rides or excessive swelling. I've been very lucky. I continue to eat (mostly) clean, drink lots of water, and avoid sodium at all costs (read labels!! you'll be shocked at how much sodium things have. I buy low/no sodium everything and eat out only occasionally). I am taking Arnica Montana (doctor recommended), an OTC anti-inflammatory I found at a health food store (GNC in Minnesota). It all seems to be working to keep my swelling to a minimum.

I'm still a couple of pounds down from my pre-op weight (138 vs. 140) but I haven't been cleared to work out for another 2 weeks. But the big news is my pants size ... I was a comfortable/loose size 10 pre-op and this week I bought a pair of size 6 skinny jeans from Express. *That's* where I've seen my biggest improvement: my pants size. I was all "gut" before, and now post-TT, I'm amazed at how much smaller my pants are, even though I'm relatively the same weight.

I've been massaging my scar with Manuka Honey and/or Bio Oil and it's softening. I'm not convinced the honey is helping/hurting, but I enjoy the smell and feel of the Bio Oil. Touching my scar is still creepy to me since it's numb in places. Yuck. But I plan to follow my doc's advice to the T. I still wear a control garment about 75% of the time (not always at night, not always during the day either) ... I like the Hanes brand underwear-up-to-my-ribcage style I got at Target (for the days I want extra sucking-in power) and a Spanx tank-top style one I got at TJ Maxx (which I wear about 80% of the time). I don't "need" to wear either, but I think it helps with any swelling at the end of the day and it just makes me feel good. :)

Not much else to report. Happy healing!!