Three weeks out from a Belt lipectomy with "butt lift"! need some advice

Hello!

Quick stats about me: I am 22 years old and I had RNY in June of 2010, HW:435, CW: 220 GW:200, Height; 5'11.

On july 24 I had 16 lbs of skin removed from my abdomen and hips and had my own fat put into my butt to give me some shape. The two days i spent in the hospital I absolutely regretted having the surgery and felt like death the entire time. Now, obviously I am almost back to normal and i am happy i had the surgery, I credit my youth for my quick recovery. However I have had one complication which is more annoying than it is painful: as my incision is 360 degrees around my body and meets in the back where my butt crack is, that is a high tension area and a small hole ended up opening and fluid is just pouring out of it whenever I sit or lye on my back. I started with 4 drains and they had to add one in that hole to help suck the fluid out. Just imagine a jackson pratt drain coming right out the top of your buttcrack and having to try to conduct normal life like that. I was optimistic that I wouldnt have any complications and this really is not the worst that could happen and i know with time it will close and heal, but I have been so depressed and the only time i feel good really is when i take the prescribed oxycodone, which I can feel myself building a tolerance to and now i can see how people become addicted. I'm also thinking of my next surgery for my upper body, breast and arms, which i am scheduling for December of this year,

I guess my question is to anyone who has had their plastics is how are you coping with chronic pain and thinking about any future surgeries. I will say it is difficult to find people who are my age going through this because i also think about the future and if i ever want to have kids i would never want to put my body through anymore plastics....too much to handle!!!

any advice would be appreciated, I will be posting after pics on my page very soon. I didnt take before pics regretfully on my own but my surgeon has some and i will try to get those from her asap.

Thank you!

--olivia

UPDATE: a few pics posted on my page! more to come!!

It's like childbirth. You forget the pain and enjoy the results!

I had the same issue with the butt crack, although I didn't have a drain back there. Try using a sanitary napkin. Anchor it to whatever undies you're wearing so that it covers the hole. That'll cushion it as we'll as catch drainage. 

Wow you look great! Who is your plastic surgeon? Will this surgeon also be doing your upper body lift?

thanks so much. my surgeon is Dr. Joanne Lenert at the GWU hospital in DC. i think i will stay with her for the upper body because i just feel more comfortable doing so as they have my complete medical history. 

I also had a few issues with the butt crack and opening. I had a full body lift on January 15 and just recently I'm starting to feel "normal" I did however need a retightening of my sides because of a lil meat left over on the 13th of August. But it does get better with time. I take pain pills if I need to but it's still early for you and around a month after I still occasionally needed my pills.

My surgeon does not put the Indian into the butt crack for this reason (Dr. Capella).

*incision