Tummy Tuck after 4 Kids!

Background: After having my fourth and final child in early 2018 I started planning for my tummy tuck. I am 5'2" and weigh 130lbs. I am fit and work out regularly. I had a consult in the spring and was advised I could have a modified tummy tuck in which the surgeon would not relocate my belly button. As a result my incision would be slightly smaller. The plan was for me to have muscle repair above and below my belly button and liposuction. I booked my surgery late August when my husband could be home with me for two straight weeks to help me recover.
I'll be sure to track my progress on here, as I have found the site really helpful. I just wish I had found it sooner!

Since I am only starting a review now, on POD 5, I will do individual posts for each day since then.
My surgery was on August 20th. I had to be at the clinic by 7:15am. Fortunately it's only a 20 minute drive from our house. My eldest was looking after the two youngest and my mom was scheduled to be at my house for the night too. Hubby drove me to the clinic and stayed with me for the pre-op bit.
We were greeted by our very friendly nurse and led into a room with heated floors and a comfy recliner. I was asked to keep my panties and bra on and change into a gown and robe and fuzzy socks they provided. My nurse then checked my vital signs and explained how the morning would go.
By 7:30am my surgeon came in and introduced himself to my husband. He asked me to stand up and took some before pictures. He will be emailing them to me, and I will post here once I have them. He then marked up my belly with blue marker and explained again what the plan was.
After the surgeon left the anesthetist came in and introduced himself and asked me a few questions. He then stepped out of the room while I removed my panties and bra and put the gown and robe back on. I said goodbye to my hubby (who was going to fill my prescription for Tramadol and check into the hotel) and was walked to the bathroom before heading to the OR. I climbed onto the operating table and layed down. I was covered with a warm blanket while the anesthetist starting my IV. Within seconds I was asleep. It was 8:00am.
I woke up in the recovery room at 10:20am. I had just been given an IV dose of Fentanyl. The dose didn't take away the pain as much as I hoped so my nurse topped me up. I immediately felt drowsy and fell asleep. Fortunately I didn't have any nausea and was able to sip water and ginger ale. My nurse showed me my one drain and undid my velcro binder to show me the bandage on my belly button (I had one stitch there - not sure why as it wasn't repositioned - and a long bandage over my incision). I was told to keep my velcro binder on 24/7 except for dressing changes and showering, which would start on post-op day 2. My incision was covered with Prineo tape which is waterproof and was to be left in place during dressing changes. My surgeon said everything went well and that he removed 500mls of fat off my tummy.
At 11:30am my husband was with me and had checked into the hotel beside the clinic. My surgeon has patients spend the night there so the nurse can do a morning check up the day following surgery. My nurse helped me transfer into a wheelchair and into the bathroom to have my first post-op pee. I was very weak and lightheaded when moving to the toilet but it felt great to pee! Then I was wheeled into my suite in the hotel.
After I was tucked into bed my husband made me a cup of tea. I had no appetite. I had made homemade soup the day before and my husband had packed it to the hotel. Our suite had a full kitchen, dining room and living room. A bit excessive but the kitchen was nice for storing the food, drinks and ice packs. I spent the rest of the day laying in bed. Three pillows under my shoulders and head and three pillows under my knees. I had to keep my body in a "V" position to keep stress off of my incision.
The night was long, as I barely slept. I think I was still running on adrenaline. I was up every few hours to pee, as I was drinking lots of water. I was slowly able to log roll and then push myself up with my arms. I definitely felt some pain and burning in my abs when I got up. It's nearly impossible to move without using core muscles. I needed my husbands help to reposition myself in bed after using the bathroom. It was a long night, but I was so happy to have had the surgery!!!

I woke up in the hotel suite feeling very tired and very sore. I knew I would sleep better at home, once the adrenaline had finally wore off. We had ordered room service to arrive at 8am and I was so excited about having a cup of coffee. I LOVE my morning coffee! I still didn't have an appetite but I did enjoy two cups of coffee. My nurse arrived at 9:30am and checked on me. She explained I could remove my binder and dressing tomorrow and shower. I was not to remove the Prineo tape which covers my incision. My nurse gave my some additional pain medication, some Dilaudid, as the Tramadol wasn't cutting it.

Before we checked out of our room I ate some yogurt and fruit parfait, as I knew I needed the calories to get up. I was not looking forward to having to walk through the lobby to our vehicle. Fortunately it wasn't as bad as I expected, having taken some Dilaudid ahead of time. However by the time I sat in our vehicle, I was feeling pretty dizzy. Positioning myself in the front seat was pretty difficult and it was hard to find a comfortable position. If we lived any further away from the clinic I would have booked another night at the hotel.

After arriving home I settled myself on the chaise of our sectional with pillows under my knees. It felt great. I spent the rest of the day between my bed and the couch and only got up to pee. Hubby brought me everything I needed.

I have to say that the first day was pretty miserable. I could feel a burning pain where my muscles had be stitched together above and below my belly button. And everytime I moved, even a little, I felt pain in my belly. I was terrified of moving the wrong way and pulling too hard on my internal stitches! I also felt close to tears quite a few times, for no reason. This is an emotional recovery too. I still had no appetite but was able to eat some soup. I was taking Dilaudid, Tylenol and Tramadol four times a day, and Ibuprofen three times a day. The pain was pretty constant, except for two hours after taking my pills.

I was so happy to be in my own bed that night!!! I managed to get about three hours of solid sleep before waking to take more pain medication and use the bathroom. Transferring out of bed was still tricky, but it was manageable. I found it very useful to keep track of when I took my pills by logging it in my phone. That way I wasn't accidentally over-dosing or under-dosing myself. I drank Metamucil twice a day, to help with my bowels. I was careful not to drink it within two hours of taking my medication though.