Home from my Tummy Tuck...

I have not even seen the result myself, lol. Still in the binder they put on me after surgery. They said just to leave it on until my first followup appointment on Tuesday. I am dying to see my results, but I don't want to struggle with trying to get the binder back in place, so I'll leave it alone, as instructed. 

I'm actually feeling really good. My surgeon goes really tight, and says you won't be able to stand upright for almost two weeks. I can stand almost upright, though. I'm trying to get up and walk around as much as possible in an effort to get my strength back faster. 

I'm also taking pain meds, though I may start weaning off of them tomorrow. I noticed that I can go futher and further between doses, so it may be time to cut back. I always hate the headaches and stuff that go with withdrawal from the surgical meds and the pain meds. Oh, and the vivid dreams are awful! Can't wait to get off of it, but I will make sure that I can manage my pain with Tylenol before doing away with the prescription stuff.

I had breast implants many years ago (just recently had them taken out), and I alway say that was the most painful surgery I've ever had (and I've had a bunch). Ouch!! Lots of people say it's not a painful surgery, though, so hopefully you'll breeze through it.

No matter how much discomfort these surgeries bring, I think it's totally worth a week or two of pain for years of feeling better about ourselves. I'm SO glad to be rid of my flabby tummy!

Best of luck with your surgeries. Can't wait to hear how things go for you.

Glad you're doing well. Didn't you go out of the country for your other work? What made you stay in the country for your tt??

Take the meds as long as you need them. I don't put up with pain. I have a stash of old pain meds in my cabinet in case of emergencies 

Laura

Yes, Laura, I went to Costa Rica for a facelift in March. Dr. Lev offered to do the tummy tuck while I was down there (a week after my facelift), but I had already gotten a great quote from a local surgeon that is well-known for her tummy tucks. It's actually cheaper for me to do the tummy tuck here, and being able to stay home for recovery is a bonus, too.

The only reason that I went to Dr. Lev for my facial work was because I knew him to be really good at getting a nice, tight neck. My neck was my problem area, so I really wanted someone very skilled to work on that.

A Brazilian-trained surgeon would always be my first choice for any cosmetic surgery, and Dr. Lev was trained in Brazil. If I ever need any facial work done, I will return to Dr. Lev, for sure. He did a great job for me. I honestly could not be happier. 

I have always been one to skip the prescription pain meds, but over the years have found that it really works well for me when I am in real pain. If the pain is not bad enough, the meds make me nauseous. They are working great for me right now, so I will continue taking them until I am a little more healed. I also have a cabinet full of expired pain meds since I never take them as perscribed. Forgive any typos, because this pain medication does make me worry a little less about misspelled words, lol. I'm not going to bother to spellcheck tonight. I'm a real rebel, huh?

glad u are doing well...i had my TT 4 weeks ago. it was not much pain. they removed 6 lbs of skin. i took the pain meds mostly at night. i had 1 drain removed at 2 weeks and the second one at 4 weeks and I agree they are a pain. my doctor told me i would see the full results at 3 months. weirdest thing though i can fit into size 4 shorts but my size 12 pants just fit me....whats up with that?

Thanks! Glad yours went well, too. Wow, six pounds of skin! I did not have a lot of skin. No clue what all she did, but I know the incision was much longer that I originally thought it would be. That's a good thing, though. Maybe it will cure any hangover around my jeans. Hope so, anyway.

I'm sitting here wondering if I should be changing any of my yucky bandages. They said that I could wait until my followup on Tuesday, but some of them are pretty bad, so I may go ahead and change them.

That is odd about the sizing. I guess the way they size clothing these days, you really can't tell what size you are from brand to brand until you try stuff on. Can you tell if you've gone down any in waist size yet? I imagine with six pounds of sking gone, you'd have to go down a bunch, especially after the swelling goes away.

Hope your healing continues to go well.  

Glad to hear you're doing well! After maybe the first few days, I was able to increase the time between taking the pain meds and then just took at night for a few days before stopping completely.

I had my follow-up the next day so I got to see the difference right away. I bet you're going crazy wondering what's under that binder ;). Strangely enough, I was almost flat the day after surgery but ever since then, I've been swollen so am still not as flat as I looked the next day. Not major swelling and even with the swelling at its worst, it was WAY better than before the TT ;).

Hope you continue to heal well! If you have any questions about changing bandages, etc., you should definitely call your doctor's office. I'm sure they're used to getting these types of questions.

I tried using just Tylenol today for class since I had to drive a few miles to my class, but by the time my afternoon class rolled around, I went back to half a pain pill and half a muscle relaxer. I think the muscle relaxer she prescribes really helps with any muscle pain/spasms. It's been a really good, and fairly painless experience so far. 

And YES YES YES I am DYING to see my results!!!! I just can't wait. I'm just hoping for a well-centered belly button with a fairly nice shape, and no dog tails on my incisions. Not too much to ask for, right? I'm a bit of a perfectionist, but I also realize that perfection might not look right on my 52 year old body, so I'm open to less than perfect results. At least, that's what I'm telling myself tonight, lol. The surgeon has lots of experience, and comes across to me as having more of a "reconstructive" mentality than a "cosmetic improvement" mentality. She's not the type that likes to do "unneeded" surgery, really. I think she's likely done a great job for me. Her nurses' belly button was really nice, and her tummy was super tight. Her before and afters all looked great. Just can't wait to see mine. I've got several small, elastic with velcro type things on for a binder right now, and I was afraid that if I took them off to sneak a peek, I might not be able to get them back on right. She's giving me another binder tomorrow.

I hear you on the swelling! I was super flat (I could feel it) for three days, but today, could feel some swelling near the incision. I'm bad about swelling, so no doubt will fight it for six months to a year. Still having days when I swell from my facelift three months ago, too. Like you said, it's still a huge improvement even with the swelling, so no big deal. 

Both drains are working alright today, and the draining around the drain tube incision site has stopped, but my bandages are bloody, and really yucky. I read her instruction packet again, and it says NOT to remove any bandages, so I'm just going to show up with a sponge bath and dirty bandages tomorrow. Embarrassing!!! If it was another day or two, I'd have to change the bandages, but since my appointment is tomorrow, I'm just leaving it all alone.

I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks for the help! Hope we both continue to heal well. I have to say, it's been MUCH easier than I ever expected it to be, and I've had two c-sections and sort of knew what to expect. Today's painkillers make life easier if used properly, for sure.

Congratulations on your successful surgery!  I will be out four weeks on Thursday and hopefully, will have my last drain out by Wednesday.  My waist looks really thin compared to my rounded hips and my husband says sideways, I am thin as a dime.  (not quite, but I am pretty flat).  I hope you heal quickly and really enjoy all your results.

Lol, my husband was just laughing at me earlier because he said that I look so thin in the waist and ribs, but my hips look huge with all the drains and bandages hiding under my pj's. 

So, almost FOUR WEEK, and still have a drain? Hmmmm...I sure hope I don't have to wear them that long, but I guess it's better than just letting the fluids build up and cause problems. I had an all day class today, so I wrapped the drains in paper towels and stuck them in my bra (as suggested by someone on OH), and that worked really well. I just wore a long, loose, black gauze maxi-dress, so everything was easy to hide and I was also comfortable. Other than having to walk bent over (doctor's orders for the first week or two), I don't think anyone would have guessed I was four days out of surgery. My instructor knew, though, and I think I made major points with him just for showing up today.

I can't wait to see my results when I go for my followup tomorrow afternoon. I have not yet seen my incisions or my new belly button, so I'm hoping for a good result. Honestly, though, at 52 years of age and with 24 years of marriage under my belt, I'm not looking for perfection and I know I'll be happy.

Thanks so much for your reply, and I'm so happy for ALL of us who now have nice, tight bellies!

You can use pads to help with the leaking.  Cut it in half lengthwise and then notch it for the drain hoses and slip it up from the bottom and top and tape to hold it.  It'll catch the leaky fluid.  You may have to use a thicker pad, but the outside plastic shield should keep the liquid from your clothes.  I had leaky mons drains...