6 days

I definitely overdid it yesterday, so took this morning  to sit around and be still.  Got myself together about noon and went to Publix.  Felt great putting on a pair of jeans that actually looked good for once in 20 years.  Even my tops are fitting loose, something I hadn't really counted on.

Got a beautiful bottle of perfume in the mail today from a super sweet friend out-of-state.  What a great surprise!  After not being able to actually shower for what will be a week tomorrow, a little perfume was in order.  :)

While swabbing my navel with a peroxide dipped Qtip tonight, it sizzled.  Hope that's a good sign.  My drainage output is considerably reduced - less than 100 for each side in the past 24 hours.  Very happy about that.  Will be very happy to get those drains out next week.  Sooner would be better.

Feeling super tight tonight.  Not sure if it's from sitting around all day today or just a normal course of healing.  I know it's going to take some time for the skin that's left to stretch enough for me to stand up straight.  What a glorious day that will be!  Wish it would hurry up and get here!  Yes, you may be detecting a little bit of impatience.  :)

Have to meet a client tomorrow, take photos of her property, measure her rooms, and go to the office to turn in some paperwork.  A week ago, that would have seemed like an easy day with too much dead time.  Now, it's making me want to go to bed early just thinking about it.  LOL

5 days post-op pics

First Post-Op Visit

Five days out, the verdict is... success!  The doc said everything is healing just fine and will see me back a week from tomorrow.  She said my stomach muscles were not in terrible shape; they were separated in the middle, but are now good as new.  The amount of skin removed was significant.  She said they didn't weigh it, but the "large bin" they had holding the "parts" was "full".  Essentially, a couple inches above the navel and down was completely removed.


The padding under the compression garment is out (YAY!) and I'm back in the same garment for another week.  They gave me a lighter one to start wearing next week.  The drains are still in, as expected.  Hopefully, the output will be reduced enough to remove them next week.  My new instructions are to use two Qtips with peroxide to clean out my navel twice a day and then a thin coat of bacitracin on a small gauze square to cover it.  Same cleaning procedure for the drain sites.  The nurse suggested only a small piece of paper tape to secure the lower gauze, as the newly stretched skin is still tender and we didn't want to irritate it while it was healing.  She showed me a patter with tape to secure it as neatly as possible without damaging the skin.


My initial reaction was not what the doctor expected, maybe she even didn't appreciate it, but as you will see from the two pics I'm about to post, my view was a little different from hers. After looking closer at the pictures, I see that the results are great, especially for where I am in recovery.  I just needed to see it from out front and not up above and behind (looking down while scrunched up on a table).  She reminded me that although there is some swelling, she had to leave a layer of fat between the abdominal wall and the skin to allow blood flow and facilitate healing.  No one said I couldn't get rid of said fat, which I intend to do as soon as reasonably possible.  She did take a good amount off the hips (measurements coming soon).


Now that the padding is out and the bandages reduced to one small square over the navel and two large squares at the drainage sites, I already feel a HUGE improvement in my shape.  I'm wearing a nice pair of black fitted workout pants with a slight flare at the bottom and even I have to admit that it looks pretty good.  Take away the bloody drains, hoses, and stand me up straight - look out world!


Took over two hours this morning to get myself together - washed my hair by kneeling on a folded towel in front of my walk-in shower and using the hose attachment, tried to let my hair dry on it's own but got impatient and sat down with the hair dryer to finish it off, hit it with the Chi, a long foot soak and sponge bath, some mineral foundation and mascara, earrings, watch, rings, long pants (albeit spandex), shoes and sunglasses - and I felt almost normal again.


Had to stop by the office on my way to the doc for my sign and some files, then meet with a client after the doc to sign a listing agreement.  Rode home with Rebekah and dropped her off, then headed back to the office to complete the paperwork.  This took until 8:15 tonight.  Stopped at CVS for supplies on the way home and I'm WIPED OUT.  I'm glad I finally took the initiative to get the heating pad on my back earlier today because I made a beeline for it tonight after so much walking in a stooped over position.  Picked up some Mucinex-D to try to get this snot under control - nose blowing and sneezing should be avoided after a tummy tuck.  Trust me.


This heating pad is so wonderful.

A Few Clarifications

Just to clear up any lingering questions, my husband works out of town which is why he's not involved with much of my post-surgical ramblings.  I will see him next on November 17th, or 50 days, 13 hours, and 2 minutes to be exact, but who's counting?  


And thank you to my dear friend and fellow Realtor for taking the "second shift" at the hospital so my daughter wouldn't have to sit there alone in the waiting room.  Thank you, too, to my friends from afar for your support and encouragement.  It may seem like just another email or greeting card to you, but it's everything to me and I really appreciate you.  There have been many moments of self-doubt throughout this process and you've always been there to reinforce and encourage me to continue.


While I've tried to make this as informative and meaningful as possible, I have not previewed or edited any of my text.  It's all from the hip, typos and spelling errors included. 


I will be posting pictures soon...

Drugs, Poop, and Food

Drugs - never liked them, still don't.  My pre-surgical prescription list included an antibiotic, a muscle relaxer, a narcotic pain reliever, a blood thinner in four injectable needles, and something for nausea.  The doctor gave me the prescriptions at my office visit weeks before the surgery, when the "before pictures" were taken.  I had them filled at my local pharmacy about a week in advance and my insurance covered them like they do my other medications.  I take two blood pressure medications (one is also a diuretic) and two medications for Lupus (Plaquenil and Mobic).  I had to stop the Mobic two weeks prior to surgery, as well as all of my multivitamins.  My surgeon did recommend a list of homeopathic options to help me prepare for and recover from my surgery, including bromelain, vitamin C, arnica montana, alfalfa, and vitamin k, all at very specific doses.  She also suggested lymphatic drainage.  I opted for everything but the alfalfa, as I have had issues with that in the past.  I also asked about vitamin B supplementing and she approved that.  Since I already eat a hypernutritious diet to begin with, I'm not sure how much this "cocktail" helped me, and it's probably too early to tell for sure.  I only had time for two lymphatic drainage therapies before my surgery, but I did like them and will continue with the remainder of the sessions that I purchased in advance.  I am told it can reduce healing time by up to 50%, and reduce fluid retention which cause much of the swelling, and I'm all for prevention.  
I think my daughter may have given me a few of the narcotic pain pills the first night, but since then I have opted for Tylenol and the muscle relaxers.  As I said, I have never liked anesthesia or narcotics, and my stomach and incision area are really not bothering me.  If they do become an issue, I will do as I did after my gallbladder removal and hysterectomy and don the ice packs.  The doctor's staff strongly suggested I stay on the muscle relaxers for at least a week, and then stopping as I felt like I could.  I can live with them without sleeping or thinking stupid thoughts, so I'll take their advice on this one.
The blood thinner shots are not that bad at all.  I've never been a fan of needles and have only had to give a couple of shots in my day (unwillingly), but I am managing these just fine after the first time.  Thanks to my good friend who came to the hospital that morning for coming over the first night to show me the way.  I will say that they are much easier to give on the fatty inner thigh than the outer thigh, with less swelling and bruising.  Almost painless.
Poop!  If you've ever had anesthesia, you know how your bowels can just shut down.  Good night, Poop!  Being in my own bathroom helped get mine going quicker than if I had stayed in the hospital, but they still didn't move until Sunday morning (about 48 hours post-op).  Imagine pushing the Titanic through a garden hose and you're getting close.  Subsequent movements were much more comfortable and returned to normal within 24 hours after the first plugger-upper.  I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, legumes, and drink a lot of water.  I don't know where I would be if not for the roughage.
Food.  For obvious reasons, food was not in my post-op plan until I stopped vomiting.  I ate a few pieces of fruit here and there, drank water, and slowly resumed my normal vegan diet by Saturday night.  I'm eating light, smaller portions than I am used to, but slightly more often.  Food is delicious and makes me feel better overall.  THIS is noteworthy...even since switching to a vegan diet over a year ago and loving my new lifestyle, I still had "issues" with food lurking under the surface.  I was worried that I might have a bout of forced starvation post-op, since I really watched my intake in the month leading up to surgery.  I don't feel that at all.  I am conscious of what I'm eating and how much, but not obsessively so.  I'm in a much better place than I was even after losing all that weight - I'm not thinking about the Flapper Large Marge every time I put food into my mouth.  She's gone, at least as far as I can tell through these compression garments.  I look forward to continuing my quest for health through nutrition and lifestyle.

The Big Recovery

After surviving the first night I would have expected to be a bit more positive about the situation and my decision to have a tummy tuck.  I wasn't.  I was still filled with regret through Saturday and even the early part of Sunday.  I knew deep down that if my headache would ever go away, I would have a different outlook about everything.  My back hurt immensely and the recliner was not helping.  Saturday night I decided to sleep in my bed instead of the recliner.  To my surprise, I was quite comfortable and found it easier to get in and out of the bed than I had anticipated.  A good night sleep was just what I needed.  By Sunday afternoon, I was more rested, more alert, and better fed than I had been in three days, and I finally made the turn.  My headache was finally subsiding.
I only napped a few times on Sunday, went to bed at a normal time, slept a solid 6 hours with only a few trips to the bathroom (bowels finally waking up!), and woke with a ferocious appetite.  I stayed in bed as long as reasonably tolerable and then got up for breakfast.  After a light breakfast, a coma-nap for a couple hours and I've been awake, alert, and relatively happy all day.  It's my first full good day.
As time goes on, I have transitioned from hating myself for doing this to accepting that this was the right decision, to now feeling excited for my first post-op appointment tomorrow.  I have yet to see my abdomen uncovered.  The nurse who stuck with me throughout my 1/2 day in the hospital told me how flat and pretty my tummy was as I was leaving.  She called today to check on me and told me the same thing again.  I hope this is not her rehearsed nice-nurse talking, but an honest observation.  I can stand to see something flat and pretty on me for a change.  I don't want to get my hopes up for tomorrow's appointment, but at this point, it's too hard not to.
Next up...Drugs, Poop, and Food.

The Big Day

September 23rd, my daughter and I made the 40 minute drive to the hospital for a 6 a.m. check-in.  My dear friend and fitness partner came by to wish me well and sit with my daughter for a while.  I had done blood work and spoke to the anesthesiologist a few days before, so they had everything ready for me.  Into a gown, IV in the arm, a quick visit from the surgeon for marking her plan of attack on my flap, a ride back to the OR, and the next thing I knew the nurse was firmly coaxing me out of my stupor.  I'll be totally honest - I don't like anesthesia and it doesn't like me.  I usually don't have a serious problem with it, but today was going to be a little challenging.  Not only could I not get awake and stay awake to do anything, I could not urinate on my own and eventually had to be catheterized again to empty my bladder.  And I vomited.  Over and over, greenish-yellow bile.  Vile bile.  Just typing those words now four days later makes me slightly sick.  Vomiting after my gallbladder came out was tough.  Vomiting after my full abdominal hysterectomy was tough. Vomiting after tummy tuck - brutal.  I had an excruciating headache and backache to make things even more fun.  I couldn't move without throwing up.  Getting home was a blur, but I think it was late afternoon.  The rest of the night also a blur.  I slept on and off in a recliner, needing help every time I got up to use the bathroom in vain.  I didn't actually urinate until 5 the next morning.  It was the first sign of improvement.  My daughter, who gets physically sick hearing any bodily function described even in words, reached well beyond her own limits that night and held my head while I threw up, wiped my mouth, rubbed my back, soothed me as much as she could.  She handled my bloody drains, chastising me for trying to do it myself and without gloves.  She medicated me.  She helped me in and out of the chair throughout the night.  I know without a doubt that I would not have made it without her help.  I literally felt like I was at death's door.  I was filled with regret that I would let vanity push me into this horribl

The Big Decision

Keep working out or have a tummy tuck?  What a dilemma.  After three large pregnancies, weight loss, weight gain, loss and gain, again and again, stress and a number of other excuses for not taking care of myself, I finally got my diet right, lost about 60 pounds and was left with a rather large flap of skin and fat protruding from my midsection and partially covering my va'jayjay.  I had been working as hard as I possibly could - mostly running and eventually a few months of CrossFit - and everything on my body was responding except for my giant flap.  After thinking about it and talking about it for a looong time (a bad habit), I finally saw a plastic surgeon to see what my options were.  I did not want a full tummy tuck at this point because I didn't want the long down-time to interfere with my fitness goals.  Her first words upon seeing my "Flapper Large Marge" were, "Liposuction won't do you any good because this is mostly skin..."  A compliment, to be sure, though I still look down and see a big tub of fat.  But, she's the professional so I'm just gonna roll with it. 
Her assessment of what she could do and what I could expect was almost too good to be true.  Somehow, after all these years of yo-yoing weight and skin stretching, I had subconsciously accepted that this was how I was going to look for the rest of my life.  Sure, I talked a good game about getting fit and trim, and I saved my size 10 jeans from high school and post-pregnancy #1.  Inside, though, I knew those jeans were just going to hang in the closet as a constant reminder of how miserably I had failed my own health.  Suddenly, here was this fit, trim, beautiful, confident, professional woman telling me that it's about to get way better.  I wanted to shout from a mountain top with glee, but held it close, savoring the possibility of a normal stomach ever so slowly.  I told a few close friends about the appointment, and discussed it with my husband.  As always, he was supportive and excited for me and encouraged me to consider the procedure, despite the cost.
Since we're at the cost part, let's get that out of the way.  $6150, which included the surgeon, anesthesiologist, and the hospital, and the compression garment (so far).  My insurance covered my prescriptions, but nothing else.  I searched the web for weeks and find the cost does vary considerably with the surgeon and what region of the country he/she practices.  I also found over and over, you get what you pay for.  After much research, I felt that the price tag for my particular scenario was a fair price, especially considering the experience level of my surgeon and how I felt about what she said she could do for me.
After deciding on how to pay for the procedure, I scheduled the surgery and started writing checks.  Everything was paid in advance.  We did qualify for the GE Money Bank Care Credit, but, for various reasons, decided to just pay cash.  I saw the surgeon on August 25th and scheduled my surgery for September 23rd.  I could have done it Labor Day Friday, but already had plans to celebrate our daughter's 18th birthday that weekend.  I had one more office appointment to finalize the paperwork and take "before pictures" for their file.
The cute young lady who came in to take my before pictures got her camera ready and told me to throw the sheet I had wrapped around me onto the counter nearby.  At this point, I had no pride left.  I threw the sheet aside and there I stood in all my glory.  Her first words were, "Wow!  I didn't know you had all that!"  She snapped pictures, had me turn this way and that, while she continued expressing her innocent surprise at how well I hid my flap in my clothes.  She tried to turn it into a compliment, then apologized. No pride, no problem.  I just had to laugh and wonder how I managed to get to this point.  
The weeks of waiting for my surgery date were filled with a roller coaster of emotions.  The guilt of spending so much money on myself, on my vanity as I saw it, was overwhelming at times, even as I knew it was a small price to pay for what I would end up with.  Once I accepted that I was worth it and that my wonderful husband deserved it, too, I wanted the surgery YESTERDAY.  It consumed my thoughts night and day.  I know my friends and family were sick of hearing me talk about it.  Why so much emotion?  'Cause it's a BIG DEAL.  All those years of living with the Flapper Large Marge had changed me into someone I wasn't meant to be.  It's a natural progression, I guess, but still not the direction I should have been progressing.  
I started looking at clothes differently, looking sadly at the collection of "flap covers" in my own closet, and allowing myself for the first time in 18 years to imagine how I would look in a fitted blouse or a pair of jeans with a shirt tucked in.  A few days before my surgery I went into Cache, a store with beautiful clothes that I could only dream of ever wearing.  I picked out some items that I will go back for when I am off the tubes and out of the padded compression garments.  I wanted to buy them right then, but not really sure what size I'll be wearing, and I certainly don't want to miss out on spending an hour in the dressing room trying on all those beautiful clothes.  My self-confidence has slowing increased to the point where I felt unstoppable, and that was BEFORE the big day.  I can only imagine how my outlook will continue to improve over the next few months as my new figure slowly emerges.
Next up...The Big Day.