Recent Post-Ops: Check In!

Deanna, Future PinUp Girl, Sharon? Anyone else? (Sorry for misspelled names.) How are you all doing?

I'm 7 weeks post-op from my LBL and brachioplasty and 3 weeks pre-op for my mastopexy and UBL.

Doing well. My butt hurts a lot - similar to how it felt after I'd lost my initial 100 pounds. I have a cool new seat cushion that seems to be helping? The scab from my right hip drain came off, so it's been a bit oozy again. I've been taping a pantyliner over it just so the ooze won't attach to my panties and then get pulled off as it tries to form a new scab. Pantyliners are amazing. I've almost finished my first 240-count supply...

Returning to exercise has been going well. Mainly I've been walking a lot but I've also done pilates and yoga with minimal difficulty and a bunch of modifications. And then I played 2 hours of ping pong yesterday which was great and definitely tested out my arms! They felt awesome. Sneezing/coughing still hurt. :(

I am still having what I've been calling "nerve zaps." I'll occasionally feel a shock in my thighs or waist. I assume this is just nerves reconnecting and reasserting themselves. And I occasionally have the "phantom skin syndrome" I mentioned earlier.

Over all though, I'm 100% happy! And I hope I'll be ready for surgery #2 in three weeks. Which seems really soon. Eek!

Yay! Thanks for the check-in! I'm now 3 days post-op and feeling human again! The first two days were awful and I really thought I may have to go to the hospital, because night 1 home (the day I had surgery), I got so faint when walking to the bathroom each time, that I was really, really scared I was going to lose consciousness. Hubby and mom were a blessing. On Day 1 post-op, my local anesthetic wore off, so my tummy pain was no joke, but getting less and less daily.

Today is Day 3 post-op and I am starting to feel human again! I brushed my teeth, washed my face, changed my clothes (no shower for me until my first follow-up a week after surgery, as per doctor's orders). I am able to totally go to the bathroom unassisted, make my own food, coffee, and take laps walking around the house. I had my first post-op BM today with no pain (I was scared of that. Hahaha!). I am thinking I'm going to try to venture outside later today and take a walk down the block and back.

Drains are super annoying, and one hurts (stings) where it connects in, in my pubic area, but not unbearable. Even coughing and laughing are less painful daily. I am collecting less fluid, as well. As far as painkillers? I have dropped from 6 to 4 a day, and will likely wean down, again, in a day or two.

My butt totally hurts too - just from all the reclining. And my lower back. Ick. Pantyliners have been a godsend. One of my drains is kinda leaky so those have been helping.

Overall, I am just in a positive space right now. I am anxious for my one week follow-up. Is it weird that I'm actually scared to see my body under the bandages? Like, I'm scared of seeing it all cut up and mutilated. While I'd love to see my progress and results...I'm dreading it as well. What little I can see (my pubic mound, the tops of my breasts) make me happy, at least!

I'm glad to hear you're having such amazing progress! I can't even imagine exercising again and can't wait to be there. Seems like you'll definitely be ready for surgery #3 and then be fully on the road to recovery with your new body!

It sounds like you're doing super well! How many drains do you have?

I had such an issue with walking post-op because something outside right now is really triggering my allergies. So I could walk and cough, or not walk and not cough. Since coughing was so painful then.... I chose to not walk :P

I totally get the fear of seeing your body. I was expected to look like I'd been hacked up, blood and ragged skin and lumpy and swollen and horrible. I was super nervous! (I didn't look any of those things when I finally did see myself, just FTR.)

I really can't complain so far!

I have two drains - both going right into my pubic mound. So very annoying.

On the bright side - I looked in the mirror today and my inner thighs got an unexpected lift! My top inner thighs were a little saggy but I guess when he pulled everything up, it resolved that sagging skin issue. It was an unexpected surprise and I almost cried when I saw it!

I am exactly expecting to look all hacked up and bloody, but I know I just have to accept it as temporary. How long after your surgery did you get to see what you looked like? I already see some of my TT incision (since my binder just keeps riding up due to my hunched-over position), and it's not as horrible as I imagined - though I do see some bruising.

And that sounds just awful about dealing with allergy-induced coughing! I can't even imagine. The five times I've had to cough over the last 3 days were no joke.

My thighs definitely looked better right after surgery, but I think it was the swelling. :P Now they look worse because of the lipo! But, this is why I have a thigh lift planned.

I honestly don't remember how long I waited after surgery to look. For a while, I just didn't care. It was probably about 2 weeks. I was also sealed up with glue, and the glue looked bad :P

Hey Gwen! I'm 5 weeks post op today and I think I have turned a corner. This weekend I started feeling better. I think that the key for me is controlling the swelling. I just took my las****er pill yesterday, and I'm going to call my surgeon today and ask them to call me in another week of it. The swelling in my abdomen is lessening, and while I'm still draining a lot on my right side, I can tell that it's slowing down. Yesterday I only drained 50ccs instead of the 70 to 80 that I had been.

My breasts are healing really well, and I'm ready to get out of this medical grade bra. As my swelling has gone down, I feel like the bra is too big for me. I'm very, very happy with the way my breasts are healing, and looking overall.

I'm scheduled for a visit with my surgeon this Thursday, but since my drain is still going to stay in, and I'm not feeling like I'm having any complications or need to see him otherwise, I'm going to call and pu**** bac****il next week (per his instructions). Hoping that by next week I can have this last drain pulled and start to get on to a semi-normal life. 5 weeks of a drain is ridiculous, but I have to listen to my body and if it's still draining, it stays.

I have a small tear in one of my incisions in the back. It's been there for 3 weeks and it's small enough that I just have to protect it and wait for my body to heal from it. I'm keeping Vaseline and a gauze pad on it to keep it from sticking to my clothes. I haven't used pantyliners on it, but that is an awesome idea. It doesn't ooze a lot, but if I don't put something over it, there is enough fluid that it sticks and then hurts like a mofo when I take off my garments. What I have done is put a full maxi-pad down along the front of my incision, over the area that has been oozing lately. Not only does it keep my garments and clothes clean, but I feel like it gives me a little buffer and keeps anything from rubbing while I'm moving around. Compression low in the groin/crease of the legs is really hard to achieve. I'm currently wearing some heavy duty spanks and an abdominal binder. If I am feeling extra swollen and want to get some more compression, I fold up a few hand towels and stick them down the front of my spanks, under the binder. It adds a bit more compression, and I woke up this morning and my swelling is virtually non-existent.

I'm glad everything is going well for you. I do look forward to the time when I can start with a little bit of stretchy yoga. I feel so tight in the tummy that I'm still not standing up completely straight. I can't even imagine going for another surgery so soon. You are a trooper and it's awesome that you're able to get it all done and out of the way ASAP instead of prolonging the healing process.

BUT, the more I look at my breasts and my abdomen, now that I've had surgery, the more that I am disliking my arms. My legs are really a non-issue at this point, but my arms are starting to bother me now and they never did before my tummy tuck and lift.

I forgot to mention this but my period has been super wonky since surgery. My first period was 14 days later but then the second was 11 days early. Thanks, body!

Speaking of... I started mine like 3 days after surgery, which was 2 weeks early. And now I'm 3 days late. I track mine in an app, so I know I'm right on my dates. There is zero chance of pregnancy, since hubby had a vasectomy in 2015 and since I'm on restrictions anyway...

Must be a thing.

Yup, totally a surgery thing. "Yay!"

Oh totally! As luck would have it, I ended up getting my period as soon as I was out of the OR! I just came to and am trying to sip water and the nurse asks "Did you have your period?" When I answered "No," she goes - "Well, you do now!"

I was horrified but she totally reassured me that it wasn't a big deal and assisted me with getting my undies and a pad on. Since that day, I have pretty much continued to have my period. Like, what usually ends up being 4 days is now going on 6 (with no indication of stopping soon). Ugggh!!!