My Journey To The Flat Side - Morristown, NJ

Still realizing that although I feel pretty good, I am not yet at 100%. At 5 weeks I can do a lot but just trying to clean the kitchen and scrub the counters is enough to make me need a rest. I have been more sore and swollen at times recently most likely due to the fact that I have been doing more like up/down 3 flights of stairs several times, taking care of my kids, and getting back to exercising. Thank goodness I was able to take 10 weeks off from work to recover or there is no way I could be back at work as a PT. However, I continue to be so excited with my results. No more pregnant belly just flatness!

Today was the first day I was able to jog on the treadmill and feel good doing it! It was so great to be able to get my heart rate up again and feel like I was doing something. So I was able to jog at a 12 minute mile pace for almost 20 minutes. Otherwise I feel as if my energy level is almost back to normal unless I overdo it a little. Since wearing my binder only at night and the 90 +degree weather I have started to swell a little more which can get frustrating but all I have to do is look at my before pics to remind myself how much better it looks now even with the swelling. Feeling happy, happy, happy!

So I started my review at 3 weeks and was eager to post my before and after pics. Now that I have a little time I can recap what weeks 1 and 2 looked like for me. Days 1-4: I needed a lot of help to stand up, shower, get up and down the stairs and move around. I was just sore. After day 4 I was at least able to get around the house and to the bathroom myself. Days 4-9 were more of the same but a little better each day. By day 9 I felt pretty good so I decided to do some "light cleaning" of the kitchen. Oops I soon learned this was a little too much and spent day 10 in the recliner. I had 2 drains in until day 12 when I went for my first post-op appt. Once they were removed (which didn't hurt) I felt so much better and was able to stand up straight and finally sleep in my bed (somewhat comfortably). Thank goodness because my butt was getting so numb from the recliner. I started driving short distances at 16 days only because I have a stick shift and I am short. So it is a long stretch to the clutch. And then days 16-21 were just more of the same slow and steady recovery. Overall I didn't have any pain just soreness and fatigue. For me it has been very similar to recovery after my 2 c-sections, just a little slower to gain strength and get back to my daily routine. I have been extremely pleased with my recovery so far!