Tummy Tuck questions

I'm scheduled for a tummy tuck on 5/12, and will stay in the hospital for one night.  Other than wearing some loose clothing on my trip home, I'd like to know any other hints/clues/recommendations for the period of time I'll be healing. 

Were you able to get in/out of bed on your own?  On/off the toilet on your own?  How much time did you spend in bed vs. sitting in a chair?  Tell me how much help you needed for getting your food, dressing, etc.  Are there any gadgets or tools you found useful during your recovery period?  Did you have a lot of external bleeding or discharge after the surgery.  (I'm wondering if I need something to protect my bed/chair.) 

Anything else you can add that would be of help would be useful and appreciated.  Thank you.

You will need help getting up and down. I'd recommend renting a recliner if you don't have one. I slept in one for over a week. Two weeks out, my back still starts hurting sleeping flat on it. The toilet was tough the first week. I had to sort of fall onto it gently and needed help getting up. You don't want to get constipated. You can't really use your muscles to push (sorry..I know that's gross but true) so you need to be regular. It's uncomfortable otherwise. Pain meds contribute to the constipation so water and miralax or some other med is advisable. I sat the whole first week in a recliner. I had very little bleeding or seeping. I needed water, juice, coconu****er, Gatorade G2, apple sauce, jello, things like that.

Basically plan on not lifting anything over 5 lbs the first 6 weeks. No cleaning, vacuuming, picking things up. Be really really prepared so you can just rest and recover. Have books to read, magazines, movies to watch, etc. In case you don't have much pain, you'll have a lot of time to kill waiting on your mobility to return.

I do think too, you need to get up every hour and move around to avoid blood clots and get things moving. It's recommended to mover around 5-10 mins every hour. It helps keeping from getting stiff too. Someone will probably have to help you up and down the first week and maybe the second.

Also, ask your doc how they treat the belly button. Do they use a marble or ear plug in it to keep it's shape. I had an ear plug in mine but it crusted with blood and it looks like my BB is getting infected so I took it out. I go to the dr on Tuesday so I'm waiting to see them but I wonder if I should have cleaned it with peroxide or forced an ear plug back in. I called the office to ask but no one got back to me. I wish I had known to ask beforehand.

I had an LBL and the TT is part of that. My doc wouldn't let me get out of bed for 24 hrs. After that i was able to get up and lay down or sit by myself and toilet was not a problem but that was three days later coz I had a catheter for the first three days. Hospital stay was 4 nights. They do things old school here! I was ready to go for sure by the time they let me out. I also had four drains that were removed on day 4. I had absolutely no bleeding or discharge at all externally so did not need anything to protect clothing or the bed/chair. I found laying down way more comfortable than sitting but ny incision goes all rge way around so maybe you will find sitting easier. 

The worst was coughing or sneezing the first week. That hurt like the devil! Keep yourself hydrated and suck on some cough drops if you feel a cough coming on. It was the worst part by far.

i had nothing in my newly constructed belly button at all and it kept its shape just fine. Just dabbed it with an iodine disinfectant and that was all. 

Also wasn't allowed to put anything on my incision apart from the disinfectant and some antibiotic ointment. Steri strips came off less than a week later and apart from the compression binder I don't do anything special at all. I have pictures in my profile so you can have a look.

good luck! Hope it goes really well for you.

Many thanks to both of you for replying.  My pre-op appt. is tomorrow, and now I have a few more questions to ask...thanks to both of you. 

Steph, are you saying that the only thing you ate for awhile was applesauce, Gatorade, Jello, etc.?  If so, why?

I've never heard of putting a plug of some sort in the new belly button, but then again, I've never asked about it.  Good question for tomorrow.

I'm concerned about the getting up/down because all I have is dh here at home.  He still works full-time, so I'll be alone for quite a bit of the time.  I know that my dd will come over as much as possible to help, but she works full-time, and has 3 little boys, so her time is limited.  Can either of you think of any kind of device that would help me to use the toilet on my own?  A raised toilet seat?  (I'm thankful we already have a tall toilet.)

I already to have a La-Z-Boy chair, so I'm all set for comfortable seating.  I also happen to have an adjustable base bed, so I can raise/lower my head/legs as I see fit.  Those two things will be life-savers for sure!

I forgot to ask specifically, what did you wear when you came home from the hospital, and what did you find most comfortable to wear during the first couple of weeks at home? 

I live by myself and I managed after the LBL by myself.  I wasn't doing much "dressing" - usually just a big shirt over the compression garment.  You'll have to be up and walking anyway, so fixing meals wasn't an issue.  Keep it simple.  And try to stage everything you think you'll need for the first week and have it within easy reach.

I was able to get in and out of my bed, but I think a recliner would have been easier.  Either way, you'll want many different sized pillows so you can support different parts of your body.  Standing was actually the most comfortable position, until the lower back started aching.  I found a walker handy.  A grabbing stick was a lifesaver - surprising how many thing**** the floor and bending over was NOT an option.  I was able to get up and down from the toilet just fine.  And once I was in a sitting position, getting up wasn't a problem because I could use my arms to push myself to my feet.

If you're wearing a binder or compression garment, make sure you loosen it/take it off while you're in bed horizontal and give your blood pressure time to normalize.  If you get up too soon, you'll pass out.  In general, just move carefully and you'll be fine.

Be very careful about the kind of diet that you follow after your tummy tuck surgery. Do not eat any sort of food which can make you get constipated. And yes you will need a recliner and a lot of help will be needed after the surgery. Make sure that you have people around to take care of you. No physical labor for a couple of months!

Recliner

Walker

Grabber

Shower Seat and Shower Spray if possible

Toilet Seat Riser

Loose clothing

Large safety pins for pinning drains to clothing

Pad to protect mattress or furniture

It looks like the only thing I'm lacking is a toilet seat riser, so I'm in pretty good shape.

Thanks to ALL of you for responding with your suggestions.  I appreciate it very much.