Tummy tuck????

This going tosound so crazy but I am not even sure if they are doing muscle repair or not. I got a letter from my insurance listing everything they approved which was everything my surgeon requested to do. But it's all medical terms. I tried looking it all up but.... who knows. I believe they are doing it though. I have my pre op appointment 2 days before my surgery, so I guess I can ask then. Plus they are sending me a package in the mail, so that may hav more info.... I think my biggest fear is them taking the bandages off and looking like some of these pictures I have seen on the internet. They look almost bouched!!! I just want a nice flat stomach!!!! I am starting to get nervous and had a nightmare the other night! I am sure it is normal but the anticipation is killing me. Lately I feel more aware I guess of my stomach and I don't know why that is. Maybe I just know that soon it just isn't going to be there and .... I don't know. But thank you for the advice and I will check out the website!!!

Oh, I have to agree 150%!  I had two C-sections and the most painful part of everything is above my belly button, the muscles up there.  I have about a 3" vertical section directly above my belly button that hurts SOOO bad! I also agree with someone else that said to make sure you get up and walk around.  Also - something I forgot in my other post, take stool softeners, eat plenty of fiber, and anything else to help you poop post-op!  I didn't for like 5 days afterwards and let me tell you!  Trying to do it when you can't use your abdominal muscles and are constipated is AWFUL!!!  I sweated, hurt, cried, and everything for about 30 minutes and I think I actually pulled the muscles that I talked about above.  THey've hurt ever since. I agree with everyone else - DON'T OVERDO IT!!!  You will regret it.  Try to stand up straight as soon as you can and wear sweat pants a LOT!  That's all that I wore the first 3 weeks!  :-) Michelle

I had a TT done 6-1/2 weeks ago and the best advice I can give you is to KEEP THE BINDER ON!!  I wore mine for the first 6 weeks almost 'roud the clock.  I was allowed to take it off at 6 weeks and it feels so strange not having it on now.  It helped keep things in place and made me feel more "stable". I had open RNY 5/5/05 and I thought that this hurt worse than the RNY.  I still have some pain and take an occasional pain pill for it. The belly button is the worst.  It looks nasty and feels strange.  It is still weeping a bit and I ended up with a fungal infection in it because of the moisture of the drainage. I felt nothing when I had the drains taken out - I mean literally nothing.  I was warned of how much it would hurt but before I knew it they were out!  I got a pain pump when I had the TT and that didn't hurt coming out either. Anyway, best of luck to you with your surgery!  It won't look pretty for a while.  Mine still swells in various places.  One day I'll have a bump on the right side of my belly button and the next day I'll have swelling on the left side of my bikini cut, LOL!  I never know from one day to the next!  The surgeon told me that it may take 3-6 months maybe even a year before it is totally healed over.  So don't worry!  It took me 3 weeks before I could even fit into my jeans that I wore before I had the TT.  They were too small for a while and I was like, "Ummm...'scuse me!  We're going the wrong way here!"  But now they're fitting a little looser than pre-op so I'm happy.  It's actually looking slightly normal now, too, LOL! Take care! Michelle

Amanda, I had an extended TT w/anchor, brachioplasty, breast lift w/augmentation 5 days ago today.  The pain hasn't been bad really, stay on top of your pain meds.  I took them faithfully on time the first 3 days, yesterday and today I am weining myself off of them and it's tolerable. I do have a high pain tolerance, but wanted to say based on a scale of 1-10, the highest I would rate my pain has been a 6 right out of surgery. Good luck, you will be in awe at the transformation, it's amazing.

Your being nervous is normal, as with any surgery or procedure.  I have not had a tummy tuck, but my aunt has had that and her arms done (arms were later) and she said the arms hurt more!  From what I hear, the TT doesn't seem as bad as people think it will be.  She said the arms took a full 6 weeks to start feeling better (they also did some lipo on the area that hangs over the bra back there, so I think that's what really hurt).  But I hope you find its not so bad!  Good luck and let us know how you do!