Fed BC/BS Approved for Panni & Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasti) !!! SURGERY...

Hooray!! Been approved and scheduled and I have my surgery now tomorrow morning! I am excited and nervous all at the same time. I would love to hear any advice and how your procedures went. I know the recovery time will be much longer than my breast aug/lift and definitely won't be running or lifting weights every day for a while.

I have my fridge stocked with Chobani Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, hummus, almond milk for shakes, fresh fruit & veggies.

House is cleaned and laundry caught up.....

1. Any advice on healing and staying comfortable?

2. How long did it take before swelling was gone and you could really notice the difference in appearance?

3. How many sizes did you go down if any?

I have worked really hard to get here so I want to have the best overall results I can have!

congratulations!!  sounds like you have everything ready to go, that's a great list of food, I would just add maybe eggs and potatoes for mashed potatoes -yes carbs but post surgery sometimes it is very soothing,  and the cleaning and laundry is up to date....it's like delivery

try to rest as much as possible (I had a LBL not abdominoplasty) and keep your legs up as much as possible with frequent light walking, every hour or so walk for 5-10 minutes increasing without getting swell hell.....as much as you can, don't overdo it

don't lift anything heavy including children

you will most likely walk over stooped, like an 85 yr old  for 3-4 weeks (well for a LBL I did)

it took me about 3 months for about 80% to be resolved

I went down 1 dress size I was a 2 down to a size 0

Just a question, or concern that your abdominoplasty is being performed post BL+BA I would be concerned especially for inframammary fold being displaced laterally.  Ask your PS

wishing you a fast easy and great recovery

Disclaimer - I haven't had WLS PS but I did have lots of PS after a bilateral mastectomy the final one included a large TT.

Compression is your FRIEND!!!

Keep the compression garments on, keep them snug, keep your feet elevated if you can... Ask if you can use ice for any break through pain - I had pain around my drain site and a frozen gel pack tucked into my compression garment was heaven!

I drank protein shakes for at least a week. My stomach muscles were pulled so tight it was hard for me to eat solid food. I took my pain meds on schedule for at least a week, then cut back a little. By the end of month2, most of my swelling was gone. I did not go down in size (size 6 before and after).

Best wishes for a speedy recovery!!

I had a TT 6 weeks ago:

1) I used a wedge pillow until about 3-4 weeks post-op. That was probably the thing that kept me the most comfortable 

2) I could see the difference immediately and swelling was diwn by 3 weeks.  BUT I had essentially no fat (just skin removal and muscle tightening - no liposuction)

3) No change in size (because no fat gone, just lots of skin). 

Compression compression compression! Get two sets of small size garments so you can wa**** out each nite . Surgeons almost always buy large which is not nearly compressive enough to get totally smooth skin. 

Believe me it's worth the two hundred bucks a good garment to end up with no sagging no wrinkles skin attached to muscle properly like it was born there and great definition! 

Wear the garments every day all day for at least six weeks . And invest in silicone scar softening bands ( they're expensive but reusable ) and scar gel after you heal . No one needs to know six months from now that u had this surgery ! 

((( ))) good luck ! 

Can I ask what some of your requirements were to get the approval? I had a consultation the other day and my doctor wants to submit to the Highmark BC/BS insurance in three months and use that time to basically build a case and show a need for the operation in order for them to pay for some if not all of it. My skin is very thin and saggy with a small amount of over-lay so he prescribed an anti-fungal cream to help with redness and itchiness (even if I don't have these symptoms) but I have to "use" it for 3 months. I've also had a c-section and a spinal fusion on my spine where they went in through my stomach and he wants to bring these points up too. I'm hoping for the best but trying not to get my hopes up too high!

With federal BC/BS I had my surgeon submit photographs. Had to have skin hang below pubic region and documented rashes. Also had to have documented attempts with fitness to reduce skin hanging. I was approved for the Panni to be covered 100%. The TT portion was out of pocket for $3800 which covered my surgeon and the hospital fees.  I took a loan from my 401k to cover my portion.  Your surgeon should be able to tell you how to approach your specific insurance company's requirements. I do not have a yearly deductible only a copay for my surgeon and the hospital. Hope this answers your question.

Day 5 post-op....

I have been taking my pain mess every 4 hours to keep on top of the pain. Been using the breath apparatus to keep my lungs clear. Coughing hurts so bad so trying to avoid my lungs getting any fluid build up. It's been easier the past day getting in and out of bed with no assistance and it's far less painful. Drinking lots of water and having yogurt, soup and fruit. Will start in on protein shakes today.