Having lost 7 stone in weight, I have wanted a TT...
Having lost 7 stone in weight, I have wanted a TT for over 10 years. I am a small uk size 8-10 and 5ft 11 tall but was left with lose skin I hated.
When I saw Mrs Kat's work, I knew straight away she was the surgeon for me. I arranged an appointment to see her and was very impressed. She was professional and welcoming and made me feel at ease. She explained to me the procedure and how it would work for me and said that I had no fat under the skin and excellent muscle tone (all good things) so the procedure would give good results.
I booked the operation for the 24th June and prepared my body with vitamin C and other healing vitamins.
I had my surgery at Spire little Aston hospital in the Midlands, United Kingdom. The surgery team were brilliant. I am now 6 days post op and feel better then I had expected. I have a lot of swelling so cannot comment on results yet.
7 days post op
I'm so swollen!! I have been swollen since I woke up from surgery. It's quite annoying as I would like to get a clue about my results but I'm just rounded at the moment. I have fluid collection in my thighs too - which is highly attractive, but this reassures me that it is indeed just swelling.
I'm not in any pain anymore. I get the odd pain if I move in the wrong manner and I have general discomfort. I cannot walk straight and I'm not allowed to until after my day 14 check up (because of belly button healing). And I can't remove my garment till then either. I did try and put on some Spanx earlier (to wear beneath) as I think my garment is slightly too big but no way could I get those on with my limited mobility haha.
7 days has come around fast. Just hoping and praying for the swelling to vanish over night and to wake up flat and perfect!
My dressings were changed on Thursday and they get removed on the 8th, which is when I get surgical tape and can have a shower. That'll be one glorious shower!!
It's very odd how everyone seems to follow different rules on here. But everything my surgeon has said is very logical and I trust her implicitly.
Hopefully I'll have some after photos to show soon :)
Day 9 post op
Today it is much easier to move. I feel less tight and more comfortable. I still haven't attempted standing fully upright (it's still very tight to do that) but I'm happy with the progress. I'm very cautious to keep enough blood going to my belly button.
I have lost 2lbs of water weight and I can see that the swelling has reduce slightly - happy with this :)
I still have an odd looking upper abdomen, as you can see the muscle indentation but it's swollen around it - so looks odd. But I know it'll look good once the swelling diminishes.
Bowl movements have been fine. Haven't had any problems with that at all. I've been taking vitamin C, bromeline, probiotics etc. Maybe this helps with that? But I feel good.
Can't wait for all the swelling to go!
Photos day 9 post op
I feel so huge right now. Very swollen and very frumpy. And it's uncomfortable without my garment on (regret taking it off again) but thought it best to capture my progress
Day 11 P.O
So my CG is driving me bonkers. I'm 5ft 11 so it keeps riding up. I'm pretty sure I put it on slightly off centre last time, so more uncomfortable than usual. However, I feel so much better when it's on. When I take it off I feel very tight in my upper torso and harder to breathe with some minor discomfort where the muscle was stitched back together. So it's a love hate relationship
Today when I woke up I noticed the swelling is going down still. Still very swollen but each day gets better. I'm also feeling slight pain again as the numbness goes away. Not enough to take any pain meds - just the occasional burning sensation or sharp ouchie along the scar line. But I know it means the nerves are healing and this is good :)
I've been eating very well. I don't really like salty food so I guess that's a bonus for me. I've also been drinking about 4 litres a day of water and taking all my vitamins (I take arnica, vitamin C, zinc, bromeline, b vitamins, probiotics, coQ10). I think they help. I'm healing very well.
Day 12 feeling depressed
Today is day 12 and I feel even more swollen and it's getting me down. I'm way bigger than I was pre op and I'm just generally miserable about that. I see no improvement - I just look worse at the moment. And I know it'll get better, I'm just feeling crap about being so swollen. And I haven't been sleeping very well because I have this odd pain that keeps me awake where my nerve is coming back to life. Apparently it only wakes up at night.
On the scales, the water weight is still decreasing but it doesn't look like it. Sitting down I look like a beach ball. Please tell me it gets better.
Laughing
Laughing is most peculiar - it is no longer painful, it just feels very weird. And once I stop laughing, my whole tummy feels super tight and stays that way for about 10 minutes. Such an odd experience. Thought I would share it!
Waist size
So before surgery my waist was 27 inches and 13 days p.o it is 31 inches. I'm going to use this as my marker for swelling reduction. So my waist is at least 4 inches swollen right now.
2 weeks p.o
So today marks 2 weeks post op! And tomorrow I will see my surgeon and (hopefully) replace my padding for waterproof tape (which means shower time!!)
I noticed today that I have feeling back in (I would take a guess) 80% of my tummy. I have a few odd spots that are still numb, especially around my belly button. But sensation returning is good. Those nerves are doing me proud!!
I'm still swollen but I suppose I'm doing well considering I haven't had any drains at all. It seems to be around my belly button and incision that are most swollen, with mild inflammation in my upper abs.
Hopefully tomorrow my surgeon will say that my belly button is doing well. She was worried about it because i got pulled very tight.
I'm about 80% upright now too. Bottom half, fine. Top of abs don't want to stretch yet. But this was the part that was pulled tight as I had very little loose skin above my bb.
Ohh and I can see my ribs again. I could see my ribs pre op and they vanished into swelling. So this is progress as well :)
15 days post op
Okay, so still majorly swollen! None of my clothes actually fit at the moment (not even my period jeans). But that'll reduce over time. Contour is looking nice though and love my belly button :) nice low scar too
New CG
The hospital gave me 2 compression garments after surgery but they gave me larges. Being a uk 8-10 (us size 6-8) and 5ft 11, I am far from large. So they just weren't working in reducing swelling. I bought myself a smaller garment (still slightly too big but far more comfortable) and in just a few days I've gone down 5 inches.
My waist pre surgery was 27 inches
My waist currently is 29 inches (progress from 34)
My hips pre surgery were 34
My hips are currently 38
So still quite a bit of swelling but it does seem to be reducing :)
Just goes to show, get a good fit for your CG!!
I still have a right nightmare with length (as it digs into my crotch) but it's helping my tummy more
19 days PO
My tape fell off today so thought I would show my scar at 19 days before taping it again :) as you can see, swelling going down but still swollen. But it's improving day by day
25 days PO
So I managed to get into some of my trousers today whoop. And I have ribs again for the first time since the op. Swelling is still there but going down. It's especially stubborn on my lower belly. And a CG in this hot weather is itchy as bugger. But I'm happy with how it's all going.
Morning time less swollen and sitting down
The photos I posted the other day were at 9pm. I took these ones at 12pm. To be fair, the ones the other day were on a good day. Some evenings I'm mega swollen. So just wanted to show how I look earlier on (27 days po) plus a sitting down photo. No rolls!!
Asymmetry
Has anyone else noticed at 4 weeks post op that they are slightly more swollen on one side than the other? On my hips, by my incision, one side is noticeably more swollen. I'm sure it'll resolve itself.
A month post op
I realise I am terrible at taking photos on my phone. So I have tried to get more of a full body to give you an idea of proportions. I do mirror photos and I'm lanky so have to bend to fit in. But these are 1 month post op and hopefully give a better overall idea of shape. Still swollen and wearing my CG. But am over whelmed by results so far. C C Kat is amazing
Swelling above incision
Does anyone else have swelling above the end of the incision that looks a bit like a muffin top without clothes? I'm only 5 weeks post op, so will it go away?! Is it just fluid and swelling because it's at the end of the incision? One side is worse than other and I'm so paranoid about it. I would be so upset if it stayed as I never had it before. I'm hoping it is just swelling.
5 weeks PO
Still mostly the same. Still swollen in my lower tummy and sides (see previous post) but overall happy so far. Belly button has healed, just swollen. And thighs still swollen. I guess the fluid drains into them.
Day by day
I woke up this morning feeling much less swollen. Still not much change around my BB and hips but perhaps a half inch. Waist is now 26 inches. But starting to see more definition :) scales keep going up and down a few lbs, so the water is always shifting. I think it really depends on what I eat.
6 weeks p.o and physio
So today is 6 weeks p.o and also when I had my complimentary physio appointment. It was quite useful - she showed me some abdominal exercises I am now allowed to do (Pilates style) and it was nice to stretch. I couldn't do them all yet (as it hurts still) but excited to be having abdominal toning again! I have also discovered that eating canned soup can cause a whole 6lbs of water weight to come and say hello over night!!! So watching the sodium like a hawk!
Almost 2 months
-
20 Sep 2016
-
2 months post
On the 24th I will be 2 months post op. Swelling has been reducing slowly. I'm much much flatter now but it's very hard to show in a photo. I still have swelling, just below my belly button and above it. And slightly at the end of my scar. But it seems to get better steadily. My waist is now a 25.5 inches (27 po) and my hips are almost back to 34! They're still swollen (around the scar) but I measure myself to know that it's all going down :)
I've been wearing my compression garment still. I'll stop at 3 months. And I've been slowly adding in core exercises. Whatever feels okay to do off the list my physio gave me. I still get sore and my tummy is still sore. But it's getting better too, day by day!
Update
-
11 Oct 2016
-
3 months post
So, I am still swollen. I thought by now it would all be perfect but alas, it is not. I'm not as swollen as I was after the op but still pretty swollen. The area below my belly button just wants to hold onto it. I hope it will go down soon. I also still have an abnormal lump on my right hip which had me crying the other day. I don't know if it's a seroma or where the lipo wasn't don't evenly. But I can't see anyone till the 29th November so just have to be patient. It's hard because I'm still bigger than I was pre op and I have disfigurements I didn't have pre op, which is pretty depressing. But I'm sure they'll go away. It's just the not knowing. Swelling is so annoying. I'm also noticing that I have some little bits of loose skin by the incision on my hips. But I'm sure this can be sorted. I guess maybe because I was slim pre op that swelling is just more noticeable for me. I get discomfort still too. If I stretch wrongly or do exercise, I get pains. Especially in my belly button! So maybe as long as you are still in pain, there's going to be swelling. Hopefully by 3 months (that's the 24th of this month) it'll all be de-swelled :)
Turmeric
-
15 Oct 2016
-
3 months post
I was in Tesco recently and they had this digestion aid liquid on special offer (£20 off). I saw it had turmeric in it and thought "why not?!" So I bought it. I've been taking it for about a week now and the swelling has been reducing so much!! I still have the issue with my hip but my tummy is tiny. I'll do more photos on the 24th (3 months post op). Can't wait to start yoga and swimming again then!! But my gosh - if you are struggling with the last bits of swelling, get turmeric down ya!
Pre operation photos
-
17 Oct 2016
-
3 months post
I wanted to share some photos of how I looked pre op so you get an idea of my shape. When comparing yourself to other people, it's pretty dangerous to your own mindset because everyone has a different starting point. So this is my shape. It doesn't show my loose skin (I got to be a pro at hiding it) and these were one off photos. I would never ever go out like it!! But you can see my loose skin in my first photo on this blog. And my unhappy belly button in these photos. Maybe it will also help with understanding why lumps and bumps post op bother me. They stick out like a saw thumb!! And swelling is noticeable because I'm not very big. Although looking at the bright orange.... I wish my legs were that slim right now hahaha. 3 months of no exercise has had its toll but I'm gonna fix that soon. But anyway, I guess what I'm saying is that you'll likely only have similar results to people if you are the same body shape. So, when looking for ideas on how you'll look, find someone who's had the op who is similar to you. I hope this helps people similar to me :)
Almost 3 months post op
-
22 Oct 2016
-
3 months post
Photos of almost 3 months post op. Still unhappy with hip lump and loose skin on hips but I'm sure that will be revised when I get to see Mrs Kat (in over a month ????)
3 months post op
-
24 Oct 2016
-
3 months post
So here I am, 3 months post op. I'm out of my compression garment now, nice to be out of it. I'm also doing ab exercises again now (back up to 300 crunches). But I'm still a bit depressed about my results. It's hard to show people in photos but there are still some real issues with my hips and no one will let me speak to my surgeon. The after care seems to be the receptionist who doesn't know and can't do anything till your specified surgeon date (which is 4.5 months post op). It's just frustrating. I also have some laxity when sitting slouched. I have flared ribs (born with them) and I guess they don't help. And the tissue above my abdomen still ripples like it has water underneath it. Not sure if that's normal? But I can't ask my surgeon so I just have to sit and worry. I know it'll improve still over the next few months but there are aspects that aren't right and it would be nice, after spending so much money, to have a bit more support from my surgeon. I hope they are good about it when I do get to see them, and all this will be a distant resolved memory!
CG back on
-
24 Oct 2016
-
3 months post
I've decided to put the CG back on. The skin above my BB literally ripples with fluid. I guess I'll keep it on until it gets better.
Quick update
-
12 Nov 2016
-
4 months post
Still a good few weeks till I get to see Mrs Kat to address loose skin I still have but I'll update on other progresses.
My waist is now 24 inches (was 27)
My hips are now 34 inches (was 34 so same there)
I've been doing crunches and Pilates to build muscle tone. And that's going well. And, although I still have abdominal swelling, it is reducing.
I'm still wearing my CG just because I don't want to get down about the bits I don't like. And it makes me feel better. But I'll update on those bits
Once I see Mrs Kat.
Loose skin
-
27 Nov 2016
-
4 months post
It's so hard to capture just how much loose skin I still have and it's not normal for 4 months post op. I feel like I have completely wasted £6500. I'm devastated. And I can only hope on Tuesday Mrs Kat will do something about it. I made a video but I can't share videos so I tried to screen shot some bits to try and show. But it looks much worse in real life. I'm not over weight at all. I'm tiny. It's all skin.
January in the Dominican Republic
I'm spending two weeks in the DR. It's warm and lovely. I've been exercising my tummy and working on it and I'm learning to like it more. I've been off in the bikini ???? which I haven't done before. Maybe a few too many cocktails...
9 months post op
-
19 Apr 2017
-
9 months post
I've been continuing to do core work (Pilates) and have started the gym. Seems to be settling down well. I do have some unevenness but I actually think this is because I have so little fat on my lower abs that my tendent sticks out a bit. I'm also trying to get rid of the lumpy bit on my hip still - slowly but surely :)
Scar after 9 months
-
21 Apr 2017
-
9 months post
I think the scar has healed super nicely - still love my belly button :)
