Belt Lipectomy and Breast Reduction After 160 Lb Weight Loss. Saint Cloud, MN

I was getting better, but then I got worse. The night of July 15, I got a fever that spiked up to 101.9 and didn't break until the morning of the 16th. It only broke for about an hour before it started creeping up again throughout the day, back to the tripple digits by night. I called the on-call medical professionals at Midsota, and they told me to come in the next day. They appointment schedule was full, but they would have someone see me during their lunch break.

The swelling had increased (as had the pain), the area was VERY warm to the touch, and was pretty red. The doc who saw me took in my story, gave me a look, took my vitals, and left the room to cunsult with my surgeon by phone, who was in surgery at the St. Cloud hospital all day. She came back with the reccomendation that I have an irregation and debridement of my surgical site. This meant going back under the knife, and cleaning out the infected surgical site.

Since I have rhumatoid arthritis, I am on quite a few immunosuppressant drugs. The worst one, humira, I stopped taking 3 weeks before surgery, but I continued the other two I take, because without them I am not functional. Given that I had signs of infection (including rapid heartbeat) and was taking some heavy duty drugs that are designed to weaken your immune system, she wanted to be safe, rather than sorry.

She told me to head over to the hosptial rather quickly, to force some IV fluids and have blood drawn. My surgery was scheduled for 6:45pm. My bloodwork showed both my white blood cell count and my CRP were both wicked high, sure signs of infection.

Well, my doc went in and cleaned me out. He got out some [RS bleep] infection stuff, but not too much. He also cleaned out that hard lump of hematoma that I had been feeling. They took out the old drain and placed a new one elsewhere.

I spent a day in hospital on IV antibiotics, then they sent me home with a 10 day course of antibiotic pills, which I haven't finished yet. Already, I feel lots better. Temp hasn't raised above 99.5 since surgery, and I got my drain out on Thursday. I'm still pretty weak, and tire easily, but the same was true of my surgery in December, so that's just normal.

I still have some swelling, which I fully expect to go down over the next few weeks/months, but at least I can get my old jeans on again! It was an ordeal, but nothing I couldn't survive. Even with these complications, I have never regreted for a moment having this done.

I will take some pics once my swelling is completely gone.

These photos were taken on Wednesday, July 8th (six days post-surgery). There was quite extensive swelling at the time. I usually wear size 8 jeans, and when this was taken, I couldn't even button size 10s. The day before surgery, I weighed 170lbs, when this was taken I had swollen up to 178lbs.

Unlike after the original surgery, I have hard sections of swelling around my navel this time, and now, even 12 days after surgery, can still feel them (though they are smaller. This morning the scale was back down to 172, and I can button my size 8s again. When I spend any time out of my binder, though, the swelling increases, so I'm keeping it on for now.

One interesting tidbit: the blood that's not draining into the drain is causing some interesting bruise patterns under my skin as it moves south with gravity. These bruises showed up after these pictures were taken, and now range from purple/black to olive green/yellow.

This far after surgery last time, I had already gotten my drains taken out. This time, my drain is still in. Output is low (about 25ml a day) but the color is still pretty red.

In my seven day follow-up, I was pale, weak, and winded. Apparently, there was a small bleed after surgery, and I had grown anemic. Doc prescribed iron supplements. My hemoglobin is up to 11.5, and my strength is a little better, so based on how much is in my drain tomorrow morning, I may get my drains out tomorrow.

I'm looking forward to the swelling being done, so I can get this binder off and see my final shape). I'm also looking forward to the time when I don't feel like I'm ripping myself a new one every time I sneeze.

But, as you can see, even with the off-the-charts swelling in these pictures, and the fact that I couldn't even stand with a straight back yet (even now, I'm still doing the old lady shuffle) it looks incredible! When the tape come off the incisions and swelling is gone, I'll take more pics.

After surgery (as you can see from previous pictures) I still had a mons that hung down too low, and a small bulge above my navel too. Surgeon said to give it six months, because sometimes swelling can last that long and may correct itself in that time. Well, after six months, those problems were still there, so doc agreed to a revision surgery.

Revision surgery was on July 2, 2015, and I am now 3 days post. I have less incision this time, since last time was breasts and all the way around my middle, and this time is just the front. Last time I had four drains, this time I have one.

I am swelling more (and getting more in my drain) than I did last time, though. Pain isn't that bad anymore, mostly just the discomfort from swelling. When I get a burst of energy, I'll take new pictures.