For those of you who have had a TT

What supplies do you recomend I get? Before surgery and for after.

I bought the following items and used them faithfully:

Maxi pads over night thin ones to use as dressings - super cheap and effective - but make sure they are thin to fit under your compression garment. I bought paper sticky tape to hold them in place. The paper one from 3M does not cause rashes and doesn't pull hair out as badly :-).

Polysporin to apply to the incisions daily until healed up

Bio Oil for the scars once you are healed.

Food wise:  I bought premade no sugar added Jello to have handy

                 Protein powder for protein shakes - twice a day - protein helps you heal

                 Pear juice (baby) to add to your water so that you have some sugar to help go to the washroom

                 Speaking of going to the wash room, I used herbal tea (senna tea) to help me go because you get plugged up from  the meds.

A step stool for your bathroom so that when you sit on the potty you can put your feet up, it helps with going number 2 so that you don't have to pu**** puts you in a more natural position. You want to avoid pushing if you can.

Clothing:  I wore super baggy fleece PJ bottoms, sweat pants work as well. I wore them to the clinic and then I slept in them.  I also had my arms done so I got a package of mens cotton under shirts and I wore thoses as well as a baggy flannel shirt of my husbands. You are probably getting the idea that it was cold here. Well it was -50 the first two weeks after had my surgeries done.

I also wore a fairly loose sports bra, I had the ancor TT and the incision comes right up through the bra line. So you want something soft there.

Good Luck - you will love it.

Thank you so much I will get that stuff :)

I will be 2 months out from my TT this wednesday.  I can say, I agree with loose fitting sweat pants were a big hit for me.  Not only where they easy to take on and off the ones with pockets were perfect for holding the drains as I moved around.  I drank the already made protine shakes twice a day and easy to eat items like applesauce and soups.  I bought the maxi pads like others mentioned but never used them.  I bought a package of mens Hanes undershirts and wear them under my garment.  I have had no problems with stiches being tugged or other issues.  They can be thrown away after the garment has been released from wear from my doctor (which I hope is this week).  I would also find a pair of slip on shoes since bending over will not be as fun.  Some may also say that a walker or cane can help.  I didn't use one but I did rely on my family for support when walking longer distances.  Otherwise the wall was perfectly fine for me.  I would make sure to have stool softeners on hand just in case.  I needed them because it was quite difficult to push when you needed to. 

Hope this helps a little bit, and good luck!

Tracy

Keep plenty of easy to prepare protein on hand.  You'll crave it.  Protein drinks and bars, tuna, chicken, eggs....all the old standbys.  Make sure you have lots of easy to drink liquids - bottled water, sports drinks, etc.  Your energy will be down, so think of things that you can grab and take back to bed with you.

If your doc uses a compression garment, get some non-adhesive medical pads and anti-bacterial ointment (Bacitracin is my doc's choice).  You can cut the pads into strips to go along the incision.  The ointment and the compression garment will hold them in place with little to no tape.  If you won't have a compression garment, get some tape, but use as little as possible.  Tape seems to be the single thing that folks will have a reaction to.

Speaking of reactions, have some benedryl on hand in case you have one!  Start taking colace before surgery and continue until you're off the pain meds.  Keep some miralax on hand as well.  There's nothing worse than being constipated on top of being in pain.

Hello.  Get a couple abdominal binders.  Use some t-shirts underneath to prevent chafing and rubbing.  I was told to put absolutely no oils or creams on my incisions.  I just let them heal on their own.  When they were completely healed, I rubbed on some bio oil to speed up the scar lightening.  I used mirilax and stool softners to keep regular.  You do not want to strain at all if you are also getting some muscle tightening done.  I slept in a recliner for 4 weeks.  Keep up on your protein and keep hydrated.  Use pain meds as you need them. Don't lift and walk as much as you can.  Even if it's only laps around the kitchen island.

Good luck! You will love the results.

Giselle

A wedge pillow for sleeping in bed and a compression wrap for my tummy. My two essentials.

I loved my toilet seat riser. Getting up and down was much easier with it.

Ready-to-drink protein shakes. Make yourself drink them even when you do not feel hungry. It's important to keep your nutrition up for optimal healing.

Good luck!!

The only thing that I craved was no sugar added grape juice, they gave it to me while I was still in recovery and then I craved it for a few months after surgery.  It is hard to find in my local grocery stores.  I get that anestesia taste in my mouth and I think the grape juice was a nice diversion.  I drank it after my arm lift also.  Besides that I didn't eat anything special nor did I waste money on stuff to put on my scar, they don't do a thing.  I bought some support garments.  And remember the drains are a vacuum so they can suck upwards as well as downwards.  I tucked mine in my bra when I went out, I called them my drain implants.  My plastic surgeon thought this was ingenious. 

Good Luck!

How long did you keep the drains