Had Surgery Monday with Dr. Cappella see update here;
Thanks all for the kind words of support. I'm home and healing well --Yay! (body lift, breast lift(reduction) connected to arm lift (so he gets the sides too -side boob?)
I'm sure if I don't share details now, they will slip away, so here goes. (FYI, I am on meds and wiped out, so forgive me if it sounds convoluted/disorganized);
Checked in 8:45 am at Hackensack University Medical Center. Treated well by all. Dressed in a gown and then waited with my husband. Kind of a long time, so that's difficult to keep in check your emotions. I know he had a surgery before mine, so you wonder if it's going well...don't want him to rush..or work too hard so he's tired when it's my turn (for a 6 hr surgery!). Had an experience once before when I was waiting all day (no food water) and the surgery before me got complicated, so ran way long. Finally the surgeon came to me and said we could still go, or wait for tomorrow. All I thought was that I want him to be at his best and well rested etc.. So was grateful that this doc was not such and "A type" that he wanted to power through. Anyway, even though a big drag to leave and do it all again in the morning, that's what we did!
So back to Monday. Anesthesiologist came in around 10:30, all good, DR Capella a bit later with 2 residents. He was nice and asked before bringing them in if they could observe him marking me up. I didn't know it then, but did feel kind of a "vibe", that his surgical assistant of 8 years had called in sick that day--first time ever--I found out later!! OMG. Capella put me at ease (which is a lot as he must have been managing this last minute news with some challenges)--so I felt like all was ok. I still am not sure if these guys were the ones who helped out, but apparently my surgery still stuck to the schedule at 6 hrs, and a resident did help with stitching.
Woke up without trouble in recovery. Abdominal binder, bandages around arms, bra and bandages, 5 drains. Nurses all just great, knowledgeable, kind. No nausea. Eventually transitioned/transported to hospital. Again great nurses and staff. My husband was with me, but I probably could have been alone. They were responsive in a timely manner which is so important when you are so vulnerable. Had the leg cuffs on (massaging to avoid clots) and spent the whole night (24 hrs) in bed with catheter. That came out in the morning. Sleep was not great. Pain was not unbearable, but ugh. Kinda loud, but I guess that's just life in a hospital. Can't say enough about nurses and aides.
Just uploaded pics from today. Looking super rough and swollen, no waistline, weird gap in bottom crack etc.. Just awful, but trying to share good bad and ugly for the purposes of helping anyone interested! Hopefully swelling in belly and legs goes down soon etc... Trying to suspend judgement. Not easy!
I think the way you look right after surgery is always not really what you expect! Your body will still change soooo much over the next few weeks as you heal and swelling goes down. Just give it some time and stay positive! And even though you're dealing with swelling, aren't you just thinking "holy crap i have a flat tummy!!"? I couldn't stop touching my stomach after surgery. Heck, I still can't!
I can't wait to see it change further. Last December I had a abdominal hernia repair with a tummy tuck, so I've actually been living the amazing flat stomach dream for a year. The reason I went further now, is because the TT left lumps on my hips (dog ears). After meeting with Dr. Capella discussing fixing those, reading about him here and other research I went ahead and had my dream wish list done at once! My stomach is bloated though now...but I'm sure that's temporary, as it went in flat! I'm 52 and have never had a flat stomach. I feel very grateful that this has been possible for me to do!
Thanks grayC. I'm glad you are doing so well. I would love to see any after surgery pics you might want to share, since you had the same surgeon and procedures. Thanks for all. I hope the healing will look better for me soon. It feels kinda out of body to see this person that is supposed to be me...Not the me I have known ! Quite gnarly now but in a new way. And yes, the drains are really the worst part . I keep pinching one. Oooh that hurts. Are your scars more or less flat now? Are you happy with the way things are shaping up as the swelling goes down?
My insisions are all flat now, and have been since 6 weeks out (just like he said)
But while waiting for them to flatten seems like you'll be stuck
looking like raggedy Ann for the rest of your life..
Once they flattened, then the insisions felt (to the touch)
like string ...now I have places where it's totally flat and feels just like my own skin..
for me the most difficult part were the arms..just I the fact that I couldn't comfortably
put my arms at my side for about a month..then one day poof fine and normal..
but that was what gave me the most, IDK, I'd say annoyance..
I swelled QUITE A BIT AND FOR A LOOONNGGGG TIME!!
quite frankly, I was disappointed and scared that I'd still have ( somewhat) of a belly
I have the image of a really toned like Christy Brinkley in my head....
And much to my RELIEF and surprise 2 days before I was going for my 3 month I drastically
reduced in swelling..I'm almost where I feel I should be..oh, and my posture sucks but when I actually
stand up straight and not hunch I look REALLY GOOD!
One of my arms came out bigger than the other which we touched on at my 3 month follow up
but right now I'm too gun shy...he tried to re assure me that it's a quick fix if I wanted it, but I'm not hearing it right now...I'm sure I'll be less opposed to it in another 3 months...we'll see.
all in all I'm very happy with the way I look, and as I peruse this for any errors, it makes me shake my head to think what "FAT" Gray would have to say about all my personal critiquing...
its amazing to me, how we change on all levels through the weight loss and beyond...
Im sooo not the same person..
I'lll see if I can get some pictures up for you, I'm sooo not good at posting on this site..
oh, and edited to add: I also had muscle tightening ( which, I think you mentioned you where doing)
WARNING: BRACE YOURSELF for those first sneezes...OH, DEAR, JESUS!!!!
Thank you so much again GrayC. I'm so glad you are happy with your outcome. Funny how the swelling resolved itself just before your 3 mo. follow up! Or not funny.. That is just wonderful though. It really is a new lease on life!
I think I have reasonable expectations, and am grateful for each day incremental improvement. Hopefully that will continue to be the case. It was definitely a long road that got me here, so it makes sense that healing should take awhile as I get used to this new me.
I didn't have muscle tightening, because last December I had a TT and hernia repair, and going in last Monday, I was flat. The reason I went to Dr. C was for a second opinion about how to handle "dog ears" on my hips and whether he could do arms at the same time. So my thinking evolved a long way as he reassured me that all could be done at the same time. SO glad I did it this way. I mean pain, awkwardness, getting anesthesia out of the system is all yucky, but doing it all at once just makes it one big deal, not many repeat performances!
I've always dreamed of having nice breasts. This is my most "superficial" desire, but even that, having big floppy ones, has been difficult in summer with rashes, and such uncomfortable bras that dig. Even though last year I was finally measured and figured out what the right size was. Wow, I'll need to have a big bra sale some day. I hope my breasts heal nicely. They look pretty grim right now.
I won't drone on, but one very big thing I'm trying to stay cool about is that there is an opening around my right breast. I found out after surgery that Scott (his assistant) was not there that day for surgery! Apparently after 8 years it was the first time he had to call in sick! I hope I will heal well, despite residents helping in the OR. I mean Dr C and Scott have this down to a science, I hope I was't given short shrift for the sake of keeping to the schedule. I hope to not have to have any more repairs down the road.
Thanks again. Good luck loading pics. It is so encouraging to see other people's progress. It is a lot to keep it together mentally as all heals. Pics are great incentive! Congrats on all your successes.
I had openings under my right arm, breasts (underneath and nipple area (small)
and a HUGE one on my right hip, that I think opened as they moved me from the operating table
when woke up it was there like encrusted blood, that turned into a huge scab,
I still have it, the scab fell off 2 weeks ago, and left a nice open wound...
I treat it like the rest, although, because it's on my hip bone,
rather than just put a pad in the area on my undies, I tape a piece of gauze to it...
its drying and healing very well...I'm now in the stage where I'm rubbing vitamin E
OIL onto the scars...Dr C said I didn't have to spend the money, that time will heal it
just fine, but it can't hurt so, why not...I'm going to give it a month or 2 and see if I see
a difference.
