Aftermath

I am 3.5 months out from a tummy tuck with muscle tightening and silicone breast implants with lift. A few questions...

1. Are you still swollen? When does the swelling actually go away?
2. Did any one actually gain weight? The scale is a complete mind fk even post VSG now so ive opted to stay away from it. Could the weight gain be from the water weight of the swelling?
3. How long did it take for everything to smooth out?

Im kind of in a funk. Need a little pick me up, and just curious how long others took to heal.

Swelling can last up to a year, and yes, if you're still swelling then you're retaining fluid and that will affect the scale.  Somewhere between 6 and 12 months is when everything really "smoothed out" for me.  I didn't have anything serious, but a few little puckers in the incision line.  When the dissolvable suture finally dissolved, it released the tissue and it finally laid totally flat. 

I know it's hard to hear, but you have to practice patience. 

Thanks so much. I really appreciate your response. I go through highs and lows and patience is not one of my strong points ;). My surgeon keeps telling me I need time, im only 3 months out. But when you start feeling back to normal, its hard to swallow that you still need to be patient for another 9 months. my boobs are great. My stomach is getting there. IM working out too so the weight gain (im approx. 10 pounds up from my lightest with VSG over 2 years ago) its totally screwing with  my head and my heart.

I understand.  Part of you believes that they're telling you to "give it time" just to shut you up, but it really does take longer than you expect to see final results.  And the swelling is just very different from person to person.  Some folks barely swell, others have massive swelling, and everything in between.

Just curious, how much do the implants themselves weigh?

I asked that last time b/c im crazy LOL..only 1-1.5 pounds total. I was waiting for him to say 5 pounds LOL. Even large and in charge, my legs and thighs were never huge. Now, I feel like they are what is swollen along with my lady parts. He said that would happen and that's the last place the swelling disappears from.

The TT disrupts your lymphatic system, and it has to re-establi****self.  And gravity is still at work, so, yes, the swelling from the scar line down takes quite awhile to totally disappear.

I would have thought the implants weighed more, too!

Thank you so much for responding. The information you just gave me regarding your experience has truly helped me to clear my head and stay on track!

I am 7 week out from Lower Body Lift... and while think a lot of swelling has gone down... I do notice it comes and goes. I had the realization one night looking in the mirror  and then again in the morning that the swelling had gone down overnight.... Hadn't thought I was particularly swollen the night before, but after rest I could see a difference. Yes it can take up to a year to totally go down... I laughed at the 'lady parts'...I said this to my Doc at my one month follow-up... 'this area here doesn't look right'...LOL. He was like "It's still swollen!" haha, OK....

I still get really tight feeling in my muscles in my abdomen sometimes, thought that wouldn't still be happening...Like I am wearing a tight girdle....

may i ask hoe painful were your breast implants? were they under the muscle? thanks

Of course you can. Implants were not painful and yes under the muscle. I had the tummy tuck done at the same time so the pain was focused on the tummy vs. breast. I was uncomfortable, more just sore, for two days but a little bit of ice and that was it. I was on pain meds anyway for stomach so that may have helped ease any pain experienced. Happy to answer any additional questions!