TT w/ muscle tightening RECOVERY???

I had an abdominioplasty with muscle tightening and a hernia repair 3 weeks and 2 days ago. I am still not able to stand up 100% straight all the time and I am having muscle cramps and tightness of the abdomin throughout the day....is this normal??? I have short periods where I am fine and others where I just wantt to be seating down curled up doing NOTHING. Both drains have been removed and most of teh staples. I am having the last few staples and stitches removed on tuesday. I wonder if that will make any difference? sometimes taking a deep breath is uncomfortable and tight....

I had the same thing done as you did 6 months ago except I didn't have any staples, sounds painful!!  My PS said that it was a BIG surgery. The muscle tightening is the biggest part, at some points it felt as though the muscles were in spasms; not really painful, just weird feeling. You have had major surgery, don't be surprised if you are still tired, I was at 3 weeks out. I'm 6 months out and still have that tight feeling from the tightening. Good luck, it will only get better!!!

I had the same thing without the hernia repair back in January.  Fortunately I was able to stand almost upright 4 days post surgery, although it was several weeks before I could "stand tall" as my grandma used to say.

It's now been almost 8 months and there are days that I still have that tight feeling in my tummy - which is what you want but not the point that it's uncomfortable.  This is MAJOR surgery and as all my friends and other posters here on OH told me, everyone heals differently.

Hang in there and just remember it could take several months if not longer to feel really better.

Franci

Hello Roxanne                           

as others have said, We had the same surgery  i had mine on Aug 7, 09., yesterday made 4 weeks  My hernia repair was an component separation techniques.  I was on that table for over 7 hours.  my tt extended all the way around, i feel as if have been stretched. By the end of the day I am so tired that I want to scream, at four weeks I still feel pressure in my back, sides, and stomach.  I am still not sleeping flat. 
to answer your question, it does not matter if the staples are out or not. 

do you feel so tight, that when you take your compression garment off you feel the same?

take care, i try to remind myself that it will get better.

Debra

I had a hernia repair and tummy tuck on 8/17. I am 3 weeks out tomorrow.
I was walking upright before I left the hospital on the 2nd day after surgery. The only real pain I have felt from the muscle tightening was while I was in the hospital and early on when I was getting up or down from a laying position. Now I still have a little pain when I cough or sneeze. Totally bearable. I have been sleeping on my back and side in a bed since I came home from the hospital. I did have staples but no stiches. They were taken out at my 1 week post-op visit along with 1 of my drains. I still have the other drain but it should come out on Tuesday. As far as the staples, the only thing that changed once they were taken out was I didn't have that annoying "pinching" feeling anymore. That shouldn't affect whether you can stand upright or not.
I have had no cramping or feelings of extreme tightness or trouble taking a deep breath.
After being up and about for a couple hours I do feel the need to go lay down for awhile, but mostly because I'm exhausted!
I think that this is a great example of how everyone is so vastly different in how they heal and recover. Maybe your body just needs more down time than up time right now to recover fully... I guess if I were you I would take all these things as signs that you need more recovery- more time laying down doing nothing!
Tammy

Right there with ya.  Had my LBL and my tummy muscles were tightened as well August 5th.  I was upright at about the 3 week mark BUT I do still have days were I feel utlra tight and walk funny.  Still loss of feeling too so add the numbness to the tightness and it is one weird experience.  Still have pain on some days as well.   Looking forward to the first "normal feeling" day.  I am thinking it might be far away!