Mommy makeover- 2 weeks postop tomorrow

Been thinking about this for years, the build up and nerves prior were probably the worst part. Now that I'm on the other side I'm excited for results to keep improving while managing my own expectations (perfectionist here). It's definitely a fantastic improvement! Dr. Petersen is kind, personable and did an amazing job. I consulted with 4 surgeons; his recommendations seemed to fall right in middle (so nothing super conservative or super out there, and I did get some of that) and I liked his gallery work the best. He was worth the travel!
My recovery has been fairly smooth- drains out at day 7, I can almost stand fully upright, the swelling goes down everyday, and incisions are closed and healing.
I'm looking forward to getting back to the gym; the biggest gift of this procedure is how empowered I feel- for once I can put in the work and see results, not just the same old floppy belly that never goes away!
I learned a lot in the process about what helped and what didn't, so I will leave that in another note.

1. The constipation and gas. So painful and I felt like I was going to pop those first few days. I back up when I’m stressed, so my poop cycles were already off before surgery. I started Miralax a few days before surgery, and kept it going everyday for the first week. I also took Senna every evening and still am, since I think my guts are still adjusting. Lots of water. Walking. Hot tea. Cut back then got off the Percocet as soon as I could.
2. The drains! Ugh! Necessary but terrible. I could not sleep and the dang drain sites hurt so bad I barely noticed the incisions. Not much to do but ride it out. What concerned me after the second day was the internal pain when I stripped them. Did some research that appeared this was normal with fluid filling the empty space/drain vacuum. Also stripping the drains when I felt very swollen seemed to help. Gave myself plenty of time to sit after stripping as it kinda knocked the wind out of me that first time.
3. Nutrition…luckily I didn’t have any problems with nausea or vomiting. I bought some Ensure pre surgery drinks and had 2 the day before. I actually lost about 5 pounds after surgery because I had no appetite. Bought some max protein Ensure shakes and drank with meds to get something in me. Protein helps healing and keeps the fluid down. Lots of water and Gatorade. Yogurt once I could eat to help with antibiotics.
4. Sleep. So hard. I slept terrible the first week. Once the drains came out it was better. I got up every 2 hours to walk/breast massage/strip drains and move the fluid around. Bought a wedge pillow I’m still using since I’m sleeping on my back. Small pillow on top of the wedge and 2 firm pillows under my knees seem to do the trick.
5. Swelling. I’m still swollen in my abdomen although it seems to be improving. I massage my breasts and lipo sites on my hips/back. Wear my binder religiously except when washing. Kept my SCDs and Ted hose on which helped with my ankles. Right after surgery everything was swollen…fingers, toes, all of it. Walking and water always help.
Hope some of that helps!