POSTED UNDER Tummy Tuck Reviews
Finally feeling better-YAY !!
UPDATED FROM Crystal in Ontario
I finally got discharged from homecare..Doctor...
WORTH IT
I finally got discharged from homecare..Doctor said just to leave rest of wound open to air and it will scab over..sort of worried about that but just want this over with..Was a bit depressed looking at it without the bandage on..it is really disgusting and it puckers all my skin up at the bottom and it has a bulge,,,I guess he was right I will need a revision done..Maybe next year though as Im just done with all this and want to get back to normal..He also gave me an okay to go back to work..I gained 15 pounds since my surgey ..so I really have to work my butt off to lose it now..UUgghhh!!.The results are still way better than they were to begin with..But along my belly button it is still hard and tender to touch..Is this normal or something I should be concerned about? I guess im worried because he had to pull alot of dead fat out of my stomach and im scared more died..Blaahhh I would so not want to go through that again..
Anyways i am just venting!! I will post more pics soon...
Anyways i am just venting!! I will post more pics soon...
UPDATED FROM Crystal in Ontario
I am finally almost healed now..The hole in my...
I am finally almost healed now..The hole in my stomach is only maybe 3 by 2..I really can't wait til I can have a bath..I always liked my baths at night..I can shower before my dressing change,but it is just not the same..Skin Necrosis doesn't happen to everyone..Just smokers apparently..Earlier I didn't explain much I guess..I am a mother of 2 boys 20 and 14..I had my first son at 18 and after that had numerous bowel surgeries..I had ulcerative colitis.which they removed my large bowel..then a hysterectomy..so i had numerous scarring and one part the scar attached to my muscle..so the doctor did a scar revision/tummytuck..I didnt know you had to quit smoking so when I went in for my surgery Sept 6 I was still a smoker..so im sure that was why I got skin necrosis and the fat in my stomach died which led to my second surgery Oct 3..I then quit smoking !!It has been 2 months since I smoked and I am healing great now..Although my result isnt what I had hoped for..it is still way better than before..I gained 15 pounds since my surgery..I guess from not doing much and not smoking..so I have alot to lose now..And hopefully can go back to work soon..The doctor wants to do a revision ,,but I think I will wait a year for that..I need a break!! and I guess scared the same thing will happen again.
Replies (3)
W
December 4, 2012
I just read your posts for the first time. Glad that you are finally healed and congrats on not smoking. That is a huge achievement and of one you should be proud.

CO
December 4, 2012
Thank-you so much!! I thought if I posted what smoking can do after a tummytuck ..it would help others:)))
J
December 4, 2012
Glad to hear you are on the final stretch of recovery. What a scary thing to have happened to you. I was a smoker until October 1, 2012. I would not have quit except for my surgeon telling me he would not perform the surgery if I didn't quit at least 6 weeks prior to surgery. After reading your posts, I'm glad I listened to him. I knew I needed to listen to him but there was this thought in my head that said "eh, what's the worst that can happen" and "how will he know". I'm glad I ignored those thoughts and just did what he told me to do.

CO
December 4, 2012
I'm really glad you ignored those thoughts too ..I had a long long recovery..I never thought that could happen. Hope your recovery is going great:)

FL
December 4, 2012
Aww poor you can't believe no-one told you about giving up smoking. My surgeon refusedto did mmine until I'd given up for 6 weeks prior to surgery. Luckily I had no problems healing and very naughtilly started smoking 2 weeks after surgery. At least your on the mend now . X

CO
December 4, 2012
I find it very hard not to smoke,but it did help with speeding up my healing.the weight gain sucks though..glad you had a great recovery:)
UPDATED FROM Crystal in Ontario
Well woohoo!!! Finally got the wound vac off...I...
Well woohoo!!! Finally got the wound vac off...I finally feel free..This has been a long hard recovery and on top had to deal with J-pouch infection which I am finally getting over..I had my large bowel removed in 1999..which caused most of my scaring..which led me to my decision to have a scar revision/tummy tuck...Thank God my husband has been so supportive...I am able to do most things I did before now ,but get tired faster and still have a hole in my abdomen that needs to heal..My wound is 10 cm by 5.5 cm now with hardly any depth..My surgeon says it will be completely healed by end of December ..But I think it will be sooner..I am still glad I got this surgery done though..My surgreon says I might need a revision surgery in the future >>I think because the scar is going to be hidious..I still have alot of swelling and can feel it in my legs and butt too...I dont know if this is normal or not...Right now I just cant wait to go back to work ...I do alot of lifting,so when I see my surgeon Nov 20th I will ask him when I can..I just know this site has been such a lifesaver on so many levels.:)))I will post some pics..before and 4 weeks post op..
Replies (2)

A
November 8, 2012
I'm so sorry for what you are going.through! i hope by next.year (Jan) it will all be a distant memory!

CO
November 18, 2012
I am leaving to see my doctor tomorrow and for my 39th birthday get to see the new Twilight movie..I can't believe how much my hole has closed in..It is only at 7 cm by 4 cm now ..with no depth...I am so happy this is almost over..Can't wait until I can exercise and go back to work..Its been 3 months now and I am super bored..The only real concern I have right now is tenderness around my belly button..maybe it is normal..
Replies (1)