My stitches look good and I’m hopeful that the results will be great

I have wanted to have my stomach fixed for decades now, but it has taken me this long to achieve a balance in life that will allow me to maintain my results. Over the last two years, I’ve lost 40 lbs through diet and exercise, but I needed abdominal muscle repair and removal of excess skin. Breastfeeding and weight loss also affected the volume of my breasts.

There was a wait time of 9 months for my consult, but booking the surgery was fairly quick. I had a tummy tuck and breast lift with liposuction, removing 5 lbs. of tissue in all.

I didn’t react well to the narcotics so I have been managing the pain using over the counter medications. Overall, it has been more difficult than expected. I am fortunate to have my husband to help me get out of bed and feed me! I’m now two weeks post-surgery and I’m walking around more easily but still not upright. I have quite a lot of swelling, but my stitches look good and I’m hopeful that the results will be great.

Things appear to be healing well, but I wasn’t prepared for the emotional roller coaster. Don’t kid yourself, this is major surgery and recovery is slow. It’s very frustrating to not be able to lift, bend or reach, and to rely so much on others. Overall, I don’t have a lot of pain, just discomfort. I had hoped to be back at work after 3 weeks, but it looks like I’m taking more time off.

4 weeks post-op: The swelling is slowly subsiding so I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. My breasts are still really tender and I am having random shooting pain in my nipples. I’m just glad I still have feeling in them, tbh. The abdominal sutures are tolerable now. I’m getting out of bed without too much trouble. I’m still off work for another 2 weeks.
My mood is also improving. I was in tears at least once a day for the first three weeks. Some people experience depression after anesthesia, apparently, so perhaps I am one of them? It’s been very frustrating to be inactive and dependent on others. I’m also struggling to be patient with my body and my recovery. Other reviews made me think that my recovery was slow, but I am actually still within the normal range.