Time to Feel Better About the Way I Look - New Jersey

I am 54 years old , 5'4", physically fit, and as one sales clerk at a clothing boutique told me, "false fat". She meant that each time she brought something for me to try on, she had to go back and get a smaller size. In all the pictures since i was in my twenties, i look pudgy and it was only becasue of the spare tire i had. It is hard to see that the rest of your body is slim when you have a spare tire.

So 12 days ago i had a tummy tuck and some lipo of my hips (spare tire)! I had been thinking about having this done for four years but i couldn't bring myself to have expensieve, elective surgery - until now. Honestly my biggest worry was not working out. I have never not worked out from more than a few days, never! I was very calm leading up to the surgery becasue i had spent so long considering the operation. I told five of my closest friends and they were all very supportive (I guess that spare tire was more obvious to them than to me!).

The surgery was long - 5 hours. The time under anethesia led to serious problems with nausea after the operation. I spent 24 hours in real distress due to the nausea - i took many drugs and IV fluids to relive the nausea but none worked. That was by far the worst part of the entire process. My surgeon was very supportive and talked to me several times throughtout the day. The nurses tried but were limited in what they could do. Finally the anesthesiologist recommended Benadryl (really) and that worked. Crazy but true.

I went home (after 24 hours) and felt much better just being out of the hospital. I felt "out of it" mentally and was told it had to do with all the anti-nausea drugs i was given (that didn't work anyway). That yucky feeling lasted for almost a week and then i felt back to normal - emotionaly My back hurt (from walking hunched over) but really no pain anywhere else. I took Tylenol a few times but only for the back pain - no other pain to speak of! The drains were taken out on day 3 post op and the rest of the stiches wre removed on day 4 post op. I feel great but my doctor does not want me to do any exercise other than walking - nothing to increase my heart rate - for 4 weeks. I have been doing my joga stretching except for those stretches that affect the abdominal muscles. I feel great physically and mentally.

3 weeks post op:
I feel great. My clothes all fit in the waist (it was small enough before and it hasn't changed) and look really great around the hips. I look like those people with great curves! I had the following post-op appointments with my surgeon - next day, three days, 4 days, one week, two weeks, and my next appointment is for 4 weeks post-op. No exercize until 4 week follow-up appt! (Some people have indicated that they are working out before 4 weeks but my surgeon said I am not allowed to do anything that raises my heart rate for 4 weeks.)

I walk slowly every day - sometimes for just 20 minutes and sometimes for 1 1/2 hours. However, after my last long walk, i felt a sharp pain very low in my abdomen (below the stiches) and when i applied pressure with my hand it goes away. My doc wants me to be careful. However, sitting seems to cause that same sharp pain and when i get up it goes away. Go figure! I occasionally feel pain when i do something new like throwing clothes into the hamper across the room. So, now i just try to do everything slowly to make sure it won't hurt. But really, there is so little pain when i am careful.

I will travel by plane for the first time (short distance) and that will be just over 4 weeks post-op. Five days after that i will go to Europe for ten days. My doctor has given me approval. The only thing i'm worried about is putting things in the overhead bins. I will have to get soemoen to do it for me and i will probably have to tell a little white lie (i hurt my shoulder) if i don't want to tell the whole world that i had cosmetic surgery! On the other hand, anyone around the world can read this so maybe i shouldn't worry about telling them. What would you say in a similar situation?

My incision is pretty good with a few areas that still have scabs. I think there is a plastic stich but it isn't bothering me so i'll wait one week for my next doctor visit. There is still swelling but not bad. Sensation in abdomen and on hips is coming back.

I switched to Spanks from the doctor's girdle yesterday (girdle only at night). Yipee! Two more weeks and then i'm done with all Spanks and girdles.

4 weeks post-op:
OK, what i wrote last time sounded arrogant - about looking like the people with great curves. What i should have said is that after a life with a spare tire, how i look now is much more attractive in comparisson.

And, it is interesting who has noticed... Although i've been at work for the last three weeks, no one at work seems to have noticed. I guess since i'm wearing the same business clothes (those things that might have been tight before) it is not apparent to everyone. However, at a party yesterday, two people noticed. One pinpointed the change exactly and said, "You look great around the hips." The other one said, "You have lost weight, don't tell me that you haven't."

I still have only told five people (plus my immediate family) and it is a rather hard secret to keep since i am not the secretive type. What do the rest of you think about sharing that info?