Posted pre-op vs post-op pics

What excuse have people used when they are out for 2+ weeks?

Consultation wth PS2 went well. But the 2 dr's I met are completely different. Different personalities and the recommended procedure(s) were different too! Not sure if this means I need to find a 3rd opinion. Tough decision.

After much thought, I am going back for appt 2 with the initial PS I met with. He was professional, thorough and he spent the time understanding my body. This is what I want from a dr. I am eager to get something scheduled, but want to be sure I am making the best decision. As we all know, it just has to feel right.

After mtg PS1 for the 2nd time, I really felt like I was in the right hands. Now I am just pondering the date. I had to go out of town for work (week) and the time away has given some distance on this decision. I am concerned that if I delay, I won't do it, or the timing will start to interfere with other activities. I guess once I commit to the date, that's it. I want to do it, but just a bit scared at the same time.

Need some support. Should I just mentally plan for 3 wks of pain? Just trying to calm my mind.

I've been driving my poor husband crazy. One day I am am incredibly excited, the next I am paranoid about what co-workers will think, and then the next I am completely freaked out about pain. I think I went through all that within the course of a few hrs. Right now I am in the excited phase. I posted a few pics. I had fairly large volume lipo about 10 yrs ago, and then lost more weight from just being healthy. All good stuff but my belly and upper thighs are a mess.

Anyone have any input in Exparel? My PS mentioned that his patients are experiencing less pain.

Getting very excited. I am staying calm and positive and getting my life prepared for post op. I bought a new yet ugly housecoat on eBay that has snaps and pockets (for drains), and somehow found a homedics back support cushion that has a massage unit in the back. Brand new is $80 but I found it at a thrift store in like new condition for $10. Slowly but surely it's all coming together.

I told work that I needed to have "lady stuff" surgery and that I didn't want to talk about it. Only told the necessary folks but will need to tell others closer to my date.

How is everyone else dealing with work and family? Especially curious for those that aren't telling folks they are having a TT.

Pretty much all set. Had blood work, pre-op appt, paid and got most of the post op stuff. Found some great organic cotton socks with grips, btw. I would have just gone with the hospital ones, but my feet get hot in nylon AND I want something super grippy since I am clumsy.

I need to be strong in the recovery phase. I don't do well with pain but I am going to have to keep it together. It will take time to heal, so if I lose patience early, it really will be a long haul.

24 hrs from now I will be in surgery. Crazy. I am as prepared as i can be. A little anxious, but I need to be as strong as possible. I don't do well with pain at all, but after going through lipo i do have a sense of what surgery is like. I know a TT is way more painful, but i do remember the stages of recovery...nausea, swelling, depression, difficulties getting up etc. It's all over the place, and I am sure i will experience it all.

I have all my post op clothing (what little there is) on a shelf at waist level. puke bucket, movies and snacks are all good to go. bring it on!

i had a mani/pedi (just buff, no polish), colored my hair and shaved my legs more thoroughly than i've ever done before.

i haven't been eating that much, and yesterday i had a few sips of my husband's scotch and then quickly threw up. the ickyness didn't linger so it def wasn't the flu. i think it's nerves, lack of food and a few boozy sips. :)

today i am going to relax as much as possible and enjoy my last workout! all last week, i would find myself saying to myself "last with this body".

time is moving really slowly right now.

So relieved that surgery day is just about done.

Super drugged up but here's how it went. Arrived at the hospital a few hrs prior to surgery, met all the nurses, the started an iv, final markings by the PS. All went well. I stayed calm , I think my husband was more stressed out than I was. I Actually told the nurse that my husband needed something to take the edge off. We all laughed!

The nursing staff was amazing and incredibly supportive.

Surgery took a few hrs, and recovery wasn't as alarming as what I remembered from other surgeries.

I didn't feel sick and was in good spirits. My husband said I looked really good and was sporting a smile.

Was in recovery for 2 hrs, and then they wheeled me to my room. It's not private, and so far that's my only complaint.

If u try to engage your abs, it def hurts, but all of us know that so it's def not unexpected.

I've drinking a lot of liquids so it fells like the anesthesia is moving quickly out of body.

I had half a sandwich, no issues with eating

Not walking yet and no binder yet . Both ate tomorrow, but I am making a pt to wiggle around a bit so walking tomorrow isn't horrendous.

So not bad today, but I do that the next few days will probably be bad. Fingers crossed it won't be, but I have to mentally prep myself.

Will post pics tomorrow!

Was going to take some pics but I am wrapped up like a mummy and don't to mess with it.

I was released from the hospital, and ended up in a snugly cocoon on the couch. Glad I didn't rent a recliner, the couch is working perfectly.

Trying g to easy on the Percocet, only had one today. Advil has been working fine.

As it stands right now, this is less painful than I expected. I've got a ways to go, but I figured I'd be in the thick of total pain. The thing that hurts the most are the damn balls. They seem to pull a lot.

I've been peeing every hour or so, and I use the time to walk around the house and get A glass of water.

I can't tell you how glad I am that the surgery part is over!

I think the swelling feeling is due to actual swelling, but I have a feeling it's also that I am feeling my belly for the first time. My PS used Exparel which is a long lasting pain blocker. I think today was the first day that I felt uncomfortable, but if I take the percs, Advil, ice and do a few laps in the house, it seems to be better.

I get a feeling that day 4 will be similar to day 3, but the after that things will start to turn around.

The balls are such a nuisance. They are stuck into the pubic area (things should just not be stuck in there) and its difficult to not sit on them. And i look at the liquid constantly and wonder if its draining properly, or if the color is right.

Can wait to lose the balls!

Will post some pics tomorrow.

Wow, it's been a whole week. Overall, healing and doing well.

You really do need to take it easy although your mind is bored sitting on the couch. I did a bit more yesterday and paid the price last night. Was incredibly sore and swollen and didn't sleep very well.

So back to the couch today.

My ps says the incision area actually weakens before it gets stronger, and right now it's weakening so I have to be very careful about twisting and bending.

Had the drains removed yesterday and showered. It was pure heaven! Again, I was so jazzed I started to do too much.

Anyway, I got my first look at the result and I really like what I see. Even though I am swollen and still healing, I am def liking what i see. Sorry the pic is so bad.

Hadn't been out that much since surgery so this was a major milestone. Feeling fairly good but particularly sore on one side. I am assuming its just part of healing but will keep my eye on it.

My bb skeeves me out majorly. It's taped up but it looks like it is moist and broken inside. Gross. I hope this is normal.

Honestly, the whole incision thing, when I think about it too much or look at it too long, I get goosebumps. Anyone else feel that way?

saw my PS for 2 week checkup. he removed the steri strips so i got to see the incision up in person. it looks good, but any incision is gross to me.

i am now supposed to use gentle soap and apply a tape (can't remember the name) after showering. i am also ok'd to star the gel scar strips. just ordered online. all looks good but i guess my belly button is "soupy". i am assuming this means it's marginally infected. so i need to keep it covered and use an anti bacterial cream for a few days and then a healing ointment.

i'll talk some pics tomorrow!

it's been 3 weeks. I am glad to say that the ugliness is probably behind me. still have a ways to go, not out of the dark, but the raw feelings (emotionally and physically) seem to be gone. i still need a wee bit of support from my husband (and i am milking it a bit), but can do a lot more on my own.

last night was probably my best night's sleep in several weeks.

worked a full day yesterday. yes, i was hunched over and sore towards the end but it wasn't dehabilitating.

i think anyone thinking about having a TT should make the decision seriously. the good thing is that i don't think it's an incredibly painful thing, but it's more a slow, draining (emotionally and physically) and boring recovery.

it's that constant feeling that you are in recovery day in and day out. after a while it wears on you. you get bored sitting on the couch. and you just want to wake up and run out the door in the morning, but you can't. you need to go slow, need to take care of your incisions and really be patient.

i have an app on my phone that counts down to the 6 wk mark. that's when my PS says i should really start to feel "normal". i look at it every day. got 21 days to go. it's going slow but once i get to 19 days, i am hoping it will go fast.

healing fine. incision seems good. doing silicone gel strips. got a weird bumpiness (liek bunched up skin in the incision) on one side but i don't think it's seriously, will talk to PS about it.

BB was slightly infected at the start but it is doing much better. treating it with Aquaphor twice a day, and rinsing in the shower. it was soooo nast at the first wk mark. omg, i could barely look at it.

it's creepy to look down and see that your old BB was in a different place, and that freckles and old scars on your body are in a new place. bizarre.

very happy with the results so far. i am still battling swelling and i think a lot of it is gas related. so started on Activia and watching what i eat. lower belly is hard, and the upper seems all super inflated. hoping it all evens out.

once my belly is less swollen, i think i am gonig to be incredibly happy. still in the cocoon phase and keeping myself wrapped up.

i need to post some new pics. everytning i take is me naked and i don't want to share every bit of myself to the world!

happy healing, ladies.

and check out obie the dog that had a tummy tuck.

It seems like so much has improved in the last wk. standing taller, working full time without feeling like I am going to die, sorta sleeping or resting on side. So much. Energy is better and my mood has greatly improved. Now I am not back to normal by any means, but better than the days where I couldn't pry myself off the couch.

I put all my recovery supplies away. Still need things every once in a while but it feels good that its tucked away, means I don't need it every day.

I am now noticing that I am swollen in my upper ab area but my PS said its still healing.

I am not one that is going to say that all this was a huge success... I am giving it another 2 wks. There's still a ways to go. I can't fit in jeans, my hips are swollen yadda yadda. Not buying anything yet. Cocooning.

Little steps.

No big healing complications. Using the silicone gel strips religiously, bb is healing slowly, biggest complaint is swell related but it is getting better. Lower ab area is still numb and feels like concrete. I wore spanx leggings today and I swear it made things worse. Bizarre.

I really want to do some major spring cleaning but holding back, it will happen when I am ready and it's not now.

Guess that's it. More next week...

I haven’t posted anything in a while, maybe because I felt like I was limbo and literally had nothing to say.

My goal was to hit week 6. That is when I heard that things start to change for the better, but for some reason recovery got harder for me. Swelling went into high gear, my bb hadn’t healed and I couldn’t fit in any pre-op clothes. After 6 weeks, I figured that my life would slowly go back to normal. But it didn’t, and honestly recovery was really wearing on me (physically and mentally).

I waited it out and at the end of week 8, I decided to go see my dr. My main issue was with upper ab swelling and bb healing. On the upper ab swelling part, he couldn’t give me a firm explanation. It could just be swelling, or it could be permanent. Too early to say. He said to really watch my salt intake and maybe try Spanx. What’s interesting is that he didn’t have me wearing a cg at all during my recovery, and now that I am wearing additional support, I have to admit that things are a LOT better. Kinda wish I had done this earlier in the process. Also really watching my salt now and eating as cleanly as possible. I think any bulging in the upper ab area will work itself out, fingers crossed. On the bb front, he said I was FINALLY healed, so now just massaging steroid cream 2x a day. Big relief there. It still looks a little angry, but not nasty.

Now that I am at week 9, I feel like this is where I thought I would be at week 6. I think I am healing slower.

Swelling is still there for sure, but not at the scale it once was. Physically feeling stronger, and pants are starting to fit (and look) a lot better.

My goal is no longer think about the TT. Once I have a day where it doesn’t enter my mind, that’s the day that I’ll feel like I’ve truly moved on.

Consolidated some pics.