have my surgery date...yikes!!!

Hello all...I have my surgery date, January 26th, for an Abdominoplasty, and also a Mastopexy, with Dr. Silverman here in Ottawa, Ontario.  I was surprised to have an opening so soon...expected that I would need to wait 3 or 4 months...but when I was told January 26th was open, I knew I had to take that date, it seemed like an omen because it will be my birthday!!   Happy Birthday to me...

Now the nerves are setting in.  I am excited but sooooooooooo darn nervous now.  I have been reading a lot of the posts to see if I can pick up any tips of what to expect and what to prepare for.  If anyone has a good tip to pass on to me, please feel free, I would love as much information as I can get.

I do have one rather personal question.  How is the bathroom issue when you get home after surgery?  Is it difficult to use the bathroom...ie, will I need a raised toilet seat...or is it going to be ok to use the bathroom as I normally would prior to surgery?

Also wondered how long before you can drive again?

Thanks for sharing all the info that you do...and I look forward to any helpful hints any of you may have.

Take care...Linda

Congrats on your surgery date.  Can't help with your other questions yet.

I drove at 4 weeks post op and I remember a woman running a red light and I had to hit my brake really hard.  My tummy muscles spasmed and it hurt like heck.  Other than that I did fine.  I had a brachioplasty, so I waited the 4 weeks to drive because I wanted to not use my arms too much.  Just make sure you aren't using narcs for pain - if you're going to be driving.

As far as the bathroom is concerned.  I was going to get a raised seat, but didn't and I'm glad I didn't.  I did fine with the regular height toilet seat.  You have to take it slow and easy as you lower yourself and raise up, but it's doable. 

Hi Linda,

I had abdominoplasty and mastopexy on 12/3. 

I was able to go to the bathroom with some help getting up and down, starting the morning after the surgery - one of the requirements for going home.  I do have a tall toilet downstairs - helped but would not buy anything.  I could use the bathroom by myself easily my second day home.  No problem wiping myself.  It is actually now a bit irritating as my abdominal drains are in the way.  Showering was harder.  When I could shower, after breast drains came out at 6 days, I felt very weak when the compression band came off. . . still do.  I really appreciate help during showers.

At a little under two weeks post-op, I don't feel like I can drive yet.  I am still taking narcotics and have anxiety about moving.  I have been out to the supermarket and drug store.  I could walk around for a bit but did have to go back to the car before checkout.  My arms and boobs hurt the most the first week.  Abdomen is hurting more the second week.

As for helpful hints, have everything organized prior to coming home. 
how to keep pets from jumping on me, TV table, recliner, where/how to sleep, pillows, loose pants (consider tie instead of elastic) for coming home, button-down shirts that you don't mind pinning drains to, sports bra, foods you like (soft / protein drinks at the beginning), stool softener, understand what goes under the compression band (in my case sanitary pads), long t-shirts for under compression band . . .

Hope this helps, Meg

LOL - what a way to celebrate your birthday - it's kismet. It's normal to be nervous but you'll be fine. I hope you have an easy, fast recovery.

Bathroom was not a problem - eat plenty of fiber and take stool softeners to keep the bowel moving smoothly. I had a LBL/hernia repair and arm lift and I needed help to walk to the toilet the first day post op due to side effects of morphine (dizzy and nausea) but I had no problems getting on and off or wiping. If your legs are weak and you have trouble walking up and down stairs or using the toilet - then yes, get a raised toilet seat - otherwise save your money for new clothes.

I stopped all pain medication the second day post op - but I still waited about 4 weeks before driving locally for short distances. It's not just being able to drive under normal non-stressful conditions, but what will you be able to do in an emergency which may require you to brake quickly and strongly or severely twisty your body to quickly swing out of the lane you're in - because of that I waited till I was 5 weeks out before driving on the highway or under heavy traffic conditions. Better to be safe than sorry.

Buy several long soft tank tops to wear under your binder to help protect your skin. I bought two packages of menstrual pads - one thin and one thick which came in handy a couple of times - one of my drains leaked a lot and I needed the maxi to help absorb the fluids until I fixed the drain (kept stripping it until I moved the clot that was blocking the exit). The thin ones were used for when the drains were removed - some leaked a little for a few days while others just closed up and did nothing - can't predict what will happen so be prepared.  As for the drains, when I woke up in the hospital they were already safety pinned to my binder - it worked so I just kept doing that. For taking a shower I wore a long cord and I just safety pinned the drains to that when I took the binder off.

Plan to have someone ready to come into the bathroom and be with you when you take your first couple of showers, especially that first one. You may feel very dizzy and weak and it just comes out of no where and whacks you without warning. Some people buy a shower chair - I would think if you have a lawn chair or something you don't mind getting wet AND is completely stable, you could use that. I didn't have a shower chair, but I do have a vanity chair in my bathroom and I needed to sit in that after that first shower. I also needed help from DH to get my compression garments back on after a shower and it helped to have someone else look carefully at my wounds after the shower in case there were any problems.