Question:
1 month post op panni...not recovering as fast as I thought...

Hey everyone, For those of you who have had a tummy tuck, I'm really not feeling as great as i thought I would at this point. I had my surgery 11/28/05, i'm still pretty sore have 2 binders plus a towel underneath. I did have a sermoa which I had dranied on Monday, I'm not as bad now, but I'm not sure if they got all the fluid cause i'm still poofed out like a balloon. I'm gonna give it a few days I see my surgeon next week. I'm happy I had this surgery, but I feel like I should be feeling much better at this point. I still can only really walk I haven't been to the gym or anything like that. I feel like i have followed all the instructions to a T. My incisions look great, but I still have kind of a "pooch". I almost feel as big as i started, but the scale still reflects a 15 lb weight loss. I would love to hear from anyone who had a rougher recovery period...is what I'm experiencing normal? My gastric bypass i had lap, and I was fine really within a week and I've never had any problems. Thanks for listening to me kinda vent and I'm anxious to see the responses :)    — mzcath (posted on December 29, 2005)

December 28, 2005
I am sorry to hear that you are having such problems. I have not had this done as of yet since I am only half way with my weightloss; and I will have it when this is is all over God willing, but I have heard of several people in my support group who say that they experienced what you are going through. They all go better and some even had a rougher time of it than you. Don't give up; 15 lbs lighter is wonderful!!. Bet you look fantastic and will feel better in no time. Just wanted to get you some support and to let you know that we are all out here for you. Laural: HW-313; SW- 292; PW-216
   — Laural D.

December 28, 2005
Dearest Kathy After my first WLS I had a full pannilectomy(sp) and a breast reduction at the same time. It is not easy. It was harder then surgery. Very painful and sore. I had my drains in when I went home and kept draining for quite some time. What you have to realize is your body is adjusting to losing a tremendous amount of middle skin and fat. Your back might spasm as all of a sudden the strain on them has been lifted. It will be sore because if I am right you have an anchor cut. You have to try not to compare this surgery to a lap surgery. Oh Hunny, Lap and Open surgeries cannot be compared in healing times. Also everytime you move or walk you irritate the stomach. I know it hurts hunny. But the old saying NO PAIN NO GAIN really applies here. But I would not take anything that does not feel "right" for granted. If you feel sick, start vommiting, feel super tired, run a fever, have alot of redness and soreness around your incision see your surgeon without delay. Also correct me if I wrong but there is alot MORE blood loss with this procedure then with the lap RNY. Good luck on the rest of your journey. I am a revison I had my RNY open on Nov 16/05 I started at 259 and I now weight 218 as of yesterday. Love and Hugs Kimmy Email me if you like [email protected]
   — whisperskiss

December 29, 2005
Hi, I am a non WLS loser (180 lbs). I had my abdominoplasty on 11/10/05. I still can't get into my pre-surgery pants, and by the end of the day I get pretty swollen in my lower stomach and pubic area. I had muscle tightening in my lower abdomen only. I was cleared at 6 weeks to get back to working out and I didn't have to wear the binder 24/7 - only if I wanted to. After one week of working out (at a way less intensity than I was before) I discover that I need to wear the binder while exercising but it is nice to have my muscles hurt again from the exercise. I'd have to classify my pain level at the end of the day at moderate discomfort. Not enough to take any thing for it, but certainly glad to sit back with the heating pad on my back for a while and then on the front. I notice that when I over do it I start to lean forward as I did after the surgery. My swelling overall has gone down. 2 weeks ago my jeans needed about 4 inches to button. On Monday I got them buttoned but I didn't want to sit down in them. I'm hoping that next week I'll be comfortable in them. Patience isn't my strong suit but since it is getting better overall I'm learning. Good luck to you and hang in there! Mary
   — mrosner

December 29, 2005
Hi there, I had a full tummy tuck, breast reduction/lift and 2 hernias repaired on 11/29/05...it has really been one heck of a month...the breasts look wonderful, I can't say enough about having this done if a person has breasts that are large and sag...I now have the breasts of a 16 yr old...I LOVE IT!...as far as the tummy tuck...well all I can say here is OUCH! I am out one month today from surgery and have just started to feel a bit normal...I still have some abdominal pain but I am using nothing more then Tylenol..although I did use Vicodin for 3 weeks..my problem is this...I had three scars removed...I had an existing c-section scar, gastric by-pass scar (open) and a gallbladder (open) scar...all three scars were removed and boy was I excited to wake up and find them gone...I looked wonderful...but about a week post-op..at the junction of the old c-section scar and the new TT scar..I split open in 2 areas... each area was about 2 inches long and got to be about 1/2 inch deep...GROSS...so now I am still in the process of packing and changing those dressing twice a day...in three weeks though they are about 1/2 the size they were and I can see a difference for the better with every dressing change...I am just happy to be up and walking and out shopping ect and actually feeling pretty good now..the surgeon seems to think in 2 weeks all will be closed and I can go back to work...My starting weight before surgery was 242...today I am 150...I am down 92 lbs...I did recieve a little nerve damage above my left leg and still have some swelling there and an occasional pain that runs down my left leg but that is also improving and was told that should go away completely...this is a tough road...if I had known before hand the pain and problems I was going to have with the TT I am sure I would have never had it done...the breast job was a breeze....however now that I am over the hump of the pain and able to get out of bed on my own and sleep on my side...thank god...I am a person that could never sleep on my back and that is all I could do for 3 1/2 weeks...I had a back ache you wouldn't believe...but now I am over the hump and glad I had the TT done...aside from the wounds still healing the rest of my incisions look great and I have the abdomin of a girl again nice and tight...whooo hooo...another plus to this is that 90% of my stretch marks from being pregnant and over weight are gone...I guess the moral of this story is...if we want to look good we are going to have to put up with some discomfort for awhile...I hope you are feeling much better and soon...Hang in there! Jodie Zins...Minnesota
   — JodieZ

December 30, 2005
I had a hernnia and a tummy tuck at the same time. It was a living hell for almost a year. I had the swallingness of the stomach for at least 2 month. But the knumbness of the lower abdomen was felt for almost one full year. It took at least that long to recover the feelings and the sensations in the tummy tucked area. Now after 5 years I feel fine and I have all of my sensations and feelings back. But I still cannot carry anyting heavy. And the 10 Lbs that I gained after the plastic surgery came off within one month after my release from the hospital.
   — Dani96