End of week 1

 I saw the doctor yesterday (6 days after surgery). He was very pleased with how everything looked. Me...I couldn't wait to see how everything looked! I keep thinking someone pinch me this can't really be me!!! My dh  has taken before & after pics that I'll post shortly. Poor guy is suffering from muscle spasms in his back from sleeping on the sofa. 

The tank tops under the binder are a must! They have made me much more comfortable. Definitely have a few men's hankies for those spots that need extra padding, they're soft and you can fold them to fit the area. 

I was taking Colace once a day for a few days prior to my surgery & then 3 times a days since. I wasn't able to move my bowels until the morning of day 6. It wasn't painful but it could definitely have been easier/softer. 

I've had no swelling in my legs. My right arm is minimally swollen. My left arm the swelling fluctuates between mild to moderate. The doctor attributes this to the iv being in that arm. There's virtually no swelling in my tummy. My two drains were removed. I thought one would be as it never put out more than 25 since going home, but the second had dropped significantly in the last two days. Removing the drains wasn't painful. My drains were near my hips & the area is a little sore but nothing horrible.

My doctor said after week 2 toss the binder & begin wearing Spanx.I just started wearing the arm sleeves and that's an adjustment.

All in all I feel pretty good. Looking forward to having more strength but won't be pushing myself to quickly.  I am very thankful to feel strong & know that each day it gets better.

 Cindy it sounds like you are doing well. Sounds like your recovery is going smoothly. I am just a few days ahead of you so it's nice to see how I am comparing to others at the same stage. The. Most obvious swelling I had was in my hands. It never got better until one of nurses used scissors to make a small cut in my garment sleeves. After that the swelling went down within the next 12 hours or so. 

Jennifer

Glad you are healing so well... encouraging update for those of us still trying to decide.

 Great update! And thanks for the tank top tip for us pre-ops!

 Cindy, it's great to hear that you're doing so well!  Keep up the good healing!

 Glad you are doing well, and I second the thanks for the encouragement to those of us who are still pre-op.

 I'm really happy to be passing it forward as I gained so much from others. Each time I remove my binder I feel as if a miracle has been performed on my body. Through this process I've learned a great deal about myself. I am coming out much stronger. I have always put my needs last & always sacrificed what I wanted for my kids (as my Mom mistakenly did). I've now come to realize that I should ask for help & expect to receive it & that my two youngest children (teens) won't implode if I don't drive them everywhere or they can't make a last minute practice (that a coach with no life schedules). Hunched over...walking slowly...needing the assistance of others...I don't recall the last time I felt this good! 

Hunched over...walking slowly...needing the assistance of others...I don't recall the last time I felt this good! 

Ah ha,  I love it! 

Thanks for posting.  I'm really surprised all that colace didn't do much, guess I'd better have some Miralax on hand...