Dealing with a healing ridge... loaded a pic of it - Salisbury, NC

I am a 34 year old mom to a 6 and 4 year old. I gained 37 lbs with my son and 60 lbs with my daughter (she made me eat too much cheesecake!). I did fortunately lose all the weight with both, but my tummy still suffered. I had diastasis recti and a bloated belly that looked about 3-4 months pregnant. I have always been on the athletic side and this tummy was not reflecting my hard work. I couldn't stand what I looked like in clothes or even when I went to work out.

After years of torment on doing it, not doing it, I did it on November 7th. I am happy I finally did it, but I am in the stage of "what the heck did I do to myself?" I am the type of person that cannot sit still. In fact when I am laying around, I am moving my leg or foot! My incision site does not hurt at all nor does the drain site as long as I carefully pull my underwear over the gauze just right. What is irritating the MOST is these dreadful hemorrhoids that decided to come out. 4 to be exact. I hate them so bad. I got them when I was pregnant and I got rid of all but one. I go to the PS on Wed. Hopefully the drains will come out so I can shower and he can tell me what I can do about my roids. The only thing I can think of that I wish I knew before is, don't let your husband give you 3 stool softner pills because you may pee out of your butt and have awful gas! So far I can tell my tummy is very flat, the scar extends to one hip but not quite to the other. The only area to look puffy is around the drain tubes. I am draining about 10-12 cc's at this time. I hope all of you out there are doing well with your post op and know you are not alone! Its amazing how many out there have gotten their's done around the same time as me! Very comforting to know I am not alone!

So today is my 1st post op visit with the doctor. I hope he takes these drains out, but I have noticed people seem to swell more after they take them out. I guess I will have to trust my PS in making that decision. I didn't sleep well at all last night. My roids are very itchy, I have my TOM as well, and my lower back really hurts. So I am still feeling a bit depressed but still happy I did this. Recoveries from anything I never easy. It definitely makes me feel better reading these sites knowing I am not alone. I am going to try to upload some pics of me before and after. Hopefully I can get it to to work this time. I know when I look at these reviews I want to see pics! Well for all you tummy tuckers who have gone before and after me- GOOD LUCK!!!

YEAH!!! I got my drains out today. I really worked myself up for it too. He clipped the stitch and as he pulled it burned some and then felt funny as it pulled through. I did not know it was going to be so long! He pulled about 9 inches out! I got a good report from him. I still can't lift anything over 5 lbs for 6 weeks, I can get a shower, still need to take stool softners, and see him again in 2 weeks. There will be some drainage from the drain site for about a week and then it will close. He took the steri strips out of my belly button and said it was alive and well. He put glue inside to seal it. After showering in 1 to 2 weeks it will come off. So pretty positive stuff. Just need the roids to leave!