Missing my flat tummy... will this swelling really go away?

I am 3 weeks post op form my tummy tuck and in swell hell. I feel like I am carrying a heavy bag of water in the lower center of my body, pooling in my lower abdomen and pubic mound.

I miss the flat tummy and little mons that I had before they pulled my drains out! For those who have gone through this and are recovered, please tell me if your tummy and mons are as flat and tight as they were right after surgery. Right now I am wondering if I will ever look like that again!

Some of you already know that my abdomen recently became riddled with stretch marks, ruining the perfect skin I had after surgery. I am wondering if anything else will get ruined. Will all this extra swelling that I carry around day and night stretch out my skin and leave it saggy once the swelling finally subsides? 

My surgeon doesn't use a compression garment but I went out and bought a flexes today. The weight of this swelling pulling on me is driving me crazy. I feel like my tummy and mons will fall down again and remain this way. 

Thanks!

I did not have increased swelling after the drains were pulled. I think my compression garment helped with that.

Yes, my tummy and mons are flat. Hang in there!!

Thank you, Laura. Did you have much swelling at all? I just assumed everyone swelled after the drains were pulled. Maybe the ladies who wear the compression garments do not. When you finally stopped wearing it, did you swell?

Yes, it really will. I went back to work five weeks after surgery. Within the first day, I swelled up so much I gained 7 pounds and 4-5 inches on my waist! I looked like an Oompa Loompa and felt like I was going to explode. I had to have fluid drained and an ultra sound, but it all worked out! I wore my compression garment for a few extra weeks and the abdominal binder on top of it at night for some extra support. By about two months after surgery, the majority of the swelling was gone. I am six months out now, and still have days were I swell up, but that uncomfortable feeling like I am going to explode has not returned. You are still in the very early stages of healing, so just take care of yourself and hang in there for a few more weeks!

Thanks for the support, Angela. Did you have a seroma?

I did have a small one. My surgeon removed about 50 ccs of fluid in her office (not fun) and she followed that up with an ultrasound. The rest of the fluid was just general swelling and all I could do was take it easy and give it time!

Thanks again!

3 weeks was when my doc said swell hell starts.  And it sucks.  There were times it was hard to breathe because the swelling was inching its way all the way up my ribcage.

Yes, it gets better, slowly.  I'm not the most patient person in the world, but fretting about it just doesn't move it along any faster.  I'm about 3 1/2 month out and still swell in the evening, but not nearly as much as in the beginning.  And it gets better every week.

Yeah, I seriously need to take a chill pill. Thanks for your reply! I am sending deflating thoughts to your tummy!!!

Are you sure you have swelling and not a massive Seroma?  My swelling remained for a while after I removed my garment at 8 weeks, so I went back to wearing it.  The swelling was diffuse, not located in one section of my stomach.  When you said yours is centered above your mons, lower abdomen, it makes me wonder if its a seroma. 

My swelling eventually left, I wore my garment for 6 months and that helped a lot, I also decreased my sodium intake, increased my protein intake and rested when I could.  When I did too much, I swelling more.

Has your surgeon asessed your swelling?

I wore the full body compression from www.designveronique.com