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Week 4 TT Progress
I like to call this one "fatty, fatty two by four!"
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Today is a GREAT day! It is Doug's birthday, Alex turns 3 months old today and... Addy is 2 years, 8 months, 1 week & 3 days LOL!
Things have been getting a lot better this week; some days I almost forget I had surgery at all :)
My average daily pain level is about a 1; sometimes 2, but rarely. I have stopped taking pain killers , but sometimes I take ES Tylenol.
I have been sleeping in bed since pretty much every night - through the night.
I have been doing much more myself, like grocery shopping and wasn't as tired, sore nor swollen when I got home.
Taking care of the kids, breastfeeding, chores, cooking and showering normal.
I still feel a little numb in my outer thighs. I still have some sharp, shooting pain run through my left upper thigh when I move a certain way, but they are less and less frequent lately. I am hoping that these things are temporary.
I still wear my binder but not nearly as much as I had been. Sometimes I go several hours without. I will try to use Spanx in the near future instead.
As for results:
Results =
5 Thrilled
4 Happy
3 Pretty Satisfied
2 Disappointed/Unhappy
1 Regret doing it
I still feel like I am holding steady at 3.5; maybe pushing 4.
Day 21 (05/05/10) I was playing with the kids in the back yard and attempted to lie on my tummy! WOW! What a mistake! I got the worst shooting pain through my left thigh and it persisted for quite a while this time. I am nowhere near ready to be able to lie on my tummy yet. :(
Day 24 (05/08/10) We ran quite a few errands and did some shopping. I was surprisingly not too tired, sore or swollen afterwards. Today after my evening shower I noticed a sore spot by my vertical incision. This has me worried because the skin is also purple-ish. I am hoping and praying that it does not turn into something like necrosis; which the surgeon said I was out of the woods for. I guess time will tell.
Day 25 (05/09/10) Was Mother's Day! I had a fantastic day with Doug and the kids. We went to brunch at Red Lobster, planted flowers and made bird feeders. We had a lot of fun! I also mowed (mine & my neighbors) lawn and grilled out dinner. I have been VERY sore since. Since I have stopped taking pain killers I have been relying on ES Tylenol and Ben Gay for the aches and pains. I have noticed that since I stopped the pain medicine I have been going through what I can only assume are 'withdrawls.' I have been incredibly restless, whole body restlessness, for a few days now. And a little insomnia; It is quite irritating to say the least.
Here are some pictures I took today to show my 4 week tummy tuck progress:
Week 3 TT Progress
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Things have been getting a lot better this week; some days I almost forget I had surgery at all :)
My average daily pain level is about a 1; sometimes 2-3, but rarely. I am still taking pain killers daily, but I have significantly decreased the amount I take; sometimes I just take ES Tylenol.
I have been sleeping in bed since pretty much every night - through the night.
I went grocery shopping with Doug and the kids again on day 18. This time I didn't ride in an electric scooter; I walked the store and wasn't as tired, sore nor swollen when I got home this time.
Taking care of the kids, breastfeeding, chores and showering are getting really easy. I cook pretty much daily now without any issues.
I still feel somewhat numb in my outer thighs. I still have some sharp, shooting pain run through my left upper thigh when I move a certain way. I am hoping that these things are temporary.
I still wear my binder but I go a couple of hours here and there without it. I will try to use Spanx in the near future instead.
As for results:
Results =
5 Thrilled
4 Happy
3 Pretty Satisfied
2 Disappointed/Unhappy
1 Regret doing it
I still feel like I am holding steady at 3.5; maybe pushing 4.
My surgeons office sent me my pre-op pictures from when I was originally supposed to have surgery July 8, 2009 (but found out I was pregnant 06/23/09).
Day 15 (04/29/10) I had my 2 week (15 day) follow up appointment. I took some pictures before the appointment.
Day 16 (04/30/10) I had two of my best friends and their kids over for an outdoor playdate. We had a wonderful time in the sunshine!
Day 18 (05/02/10) Had a kinda wow moment... saying goodbye to the granny panties and tried on my first pair of normal ones post op. Probably need to tweek the sizing and style quite a bit until I find something a lil more flattering though.
Day 19 (05/03/10) I played with the kids in the back yard. We had a great time and I captured some awesome pictures!
Day 20 (05/04/10) I noticed a stitch was coming out a couple days ago; today I started to tug on it. It was one that my surgeon warned me about. He called it a "barbed stitch." It ended up being about 8 inches long!
I mowed the lawn & weed-wacked Sunday & Tuesday. I was told not to do so for at least another week but I was confident all would be okay and it has been. I was surprised that I wasn't in too much pain and it wasn't hard to complete. I have been a lil sore in my right upper arm; but that is definitely from lack of use!
Here are some pictures I took today to show my 3 week tummy tuck progress:
MORE (Gastric Bypass) PICTURES
Things have been getting a lot better this week; some days I almost forget I had surgery at all :)
My average daily pain level is about a 1; sometimes 2-3, but rarely. I am still taking pain killers daily, but I have significantly decreased the amount I take; sometimes I just take ES Tylenol.
I have been sleeping in bed since pretty much every night - through the night.
I went grocery shopping with Doug and the kids again on day 18. This time I didn't ride in an electric scooter; I walked the store and wasn't as tired, sore nor swollen when I got home this time.
Taking care of the kids, breastfeeding, chores and showering are getting really easy. I cook pretty much daily now without any issues.
I still feel somewhat numb in my outer thighs. I still have some sharp, shooting pain run through my left upper thigh when I move a certain way. I am hoping that these things are temporary.
I still wear my binder but I go a couple of hours here and there without it. I will try to use Spanx in the near future instead.
As for results:
Results =
5 Thrilled
4 Happy
3 Pretty Satisfied
2 Disappointed/Unhappy
1 Regret doing it
I still feel like I am holding steady at 3.5; maybe pushing 4.
My surgeons office sent me my pre-op pictures from when I was originally supposed to have surgery July 8, 2009 (but found out I was pregnant 06/23/09).
Day 15 (04/29/10) I had my 2 week (15 day) follow up appointment. I took some pictures before the appointment.
Day 16 (04/30/10) I had two of my best friends and their kids over for an outdoor playdate. We had a wonderful time in the sunshine!
Day 18 (05/02/10) Had a kinda wow moment... saying goodbye to the granny panties and tried on my first pair of normal ones post op. Probably need to tweek the sizing and style quite a bit until I find something a lil more flattering though.
Day 19 (05/03/10) I played with the kids in the back yard. We had a great time and I captured some awesome pictures!
Day 20 (05/04/10) I noticed a stitch was coming out a couple days ago; today I started to tug on it. It was one that my surgeon warned me about. He called it a "barbed stitch." It ended up being about 8 inches long!
I mowed the lawn & weed-wacked Sunday & Tuesday. I was told not to do so for at least another week but I was confident all would be okay and it has been. I was surprised that I wasn't in too much pain and it wasn't hard to complete. I have been a lil sore in my right upper arm; but that is definitely from lack of use!
Here are some pictures I took today to show my 3 week tummy tuck progress:
2 Week TT Doctor Appt.
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I had my two-week (15 day) post-op appointment this afternoon.
I worked in the yard, played with the kids and did other misc. things so I was surprised that when it came time (3:30pm) to get ready for the appointment I wasn't more swollen than I was.
I took these pictures when getting ready to go:
The doctor said that everything is healing wonderfully. I asked him about the sharp, shooting pain I get in my upper left thigh and he really didn't have ryhme or reason as to why it was happening. He said that the numbness could persist for several months and in some cases be permanant, but the pain is something he has never really heard of from any of his patients. So I guess it will just be a wait and see kinda thing.
I had him check an area at the top of my vertical incision, to the right that I thought must either be fluid build up or a seroma; he assured me it was neither and more than likely scar tissue or fat out of place. He said that I could do a revision in the future to take care of the pucker at the top of my vertical scar too. There is a hard knot under it and it looks awful. I am hoping during the revision that he would be able to do something about the left over skin and line up there as well. I asked him if it would be considered cosmetic or if insurance would pay for it. He told me that he could document the hard knot and pain and run it through as "scar pain". So that is great news!!
He was surprised that my belly button "took." I guess it was questionable as to whether or not it was going to survive. God must truly be with me!!!
Other than that I really didn't have any other issues to go over with him.
I asked what my restrictions are and he said that I was cleared to do pretty much anything except really physical exercise and activities. I can mow the lawn in a couple weeks but as of right now I can push a shopping cart, stroller, drive, vacuum, clean, etc... Bet Doug is happy about that!!!
He said that I can switch to a girdle-type garmet at any point. I have Spanx but they are terribly hard to get on; so I think I'll stick to my binder a while longer.
I asked the staff to email me the 'before' pictures I had taken last year when I was origianlly supposed to get the tuck. They said that they will send them to me Monday :) I am looking forward to that.
My next appointment isn't until July 8th.
Everything is going so well!!!
MORE (Gastric Bypass) PICTURES
I had my two-week (15 day) post-op appointment this afternoon.
I worked in the yard, played with the kids and did other misc. things so I was surprised that when it came time (3:30pm) to get ready for the appointment I wasn't more swollen than I was.
I took these pictures when getting ready to go:
The doctor said that everything is healing wonderfully. I asked him about the sharp, shooting pain I get in my upper left thigh and he really didn't have ryhme or reason as to why it was happening. He said that the numbness could persist for several months and in some cases be permanant, but the pain is something he has never really heard of from any of his patients. So I guess it will just be a wait and see kinda thing.
I had him check an area at the top of my vertical incision, to the right that I thought must either be fluid build up or a seroma; he assured me it was neither and more than likely scar tissue or fat out of place. He said that I could do a revision in the future to take care of the pucker at the top of my vertical scar too. There is a hard knot under it and it looks awful. I am hoping during the revision that he would be able to do something about the left over skin and line up there as well. I asked him if it would be considered cosmetic or if insurance would pay for it. He told me that he could document the hard knot and pain and run it through as "scar pain". So that is great news!!
He was surprised that my belly button "took." I guess it was questionable as to whether or not it was going to survive. God must truly be with me!!!
Other than that I really didn't have any other issues to go over with him.
I asked what my restrictions are and he said that I was cleared to do pretty much anything except really physical exercise and activities. I can mow the lawn in a couple weeks but as of right now I can push a shopping cart, stroller, drive, vacuum, clean, etc... Bet Doug is happy about that!!!
He said that I can switch to a girdle-type garmet at any point. I have Spanx but they are terribly hard to get on; so I think I'll stick to my binder a while longer.
I asked the staff to email me the 'before' pictures I had taken last year when I was origianlly supposed to get the tuck. They said that they will send them to me Monday :) I am looking forward to that.
My next appointment isn't until July 8th.
Everything is going so well!!!
Week 2 TT Progress
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Things have been getting much better this week. I am still surprised at the lack of pain that I have had, but I am in no way complaining!
My average daily pain level is about a 2; sometimes 3-4, but rarely. I am still taking pain killers daily, but I have significantly decreased the amount I take.
I have been sleeping in bed since day 8, sometimes I fall asleep on the couch though - but anything is better than the recliner!
I went grocery shopping with Doug and the kids on day 10. I rode in an electric scooter and was still very tired and somewhat sore when I got home; not to mention - very swollen.
Taking care of the kids, breastfeeding, chores and showering are getting so much easier. I have done so well with the showering lately that I have been able to have Addy shower with me. Bending over is getting so much easier and not painful at all.
I spent a lot of time cooking on day 11. I made sausage and homemade home fries for breakfast, toasted chicken & mozzarella ravioli with homemade Alfredo sauce for lunch and had split pea soup with ham simmering in the slow cooker all afternoon for dinner. YUM! I also made a lot of roasted garlic to have on hand, some deviled eggs and some brownies! It was so nice to cook again!!! I have been cooking a lot since then, too.
I am walking compltely upright all the time now, crossing my legs, putting a leg or both Indian-style under myself when I sit and relax, getting up and down without any pain and thankfully my ability to jump up when something bad happens is great now.
I still feel somewhat numb in my outer thighs. I still have some sharp, shooting pain run through my left upper thigh when I move a certain way. I am hoping that these things are temporary.
I still wear my binder 24/7 with the exception of showering and a few half-hour breaks throughout the day/night. I tried wearing my Spanx the other day and they are just too hard to get on at this point.
As for results:
Results =
5 Thrilled
4 Happy
3 Pretty Satisfied
2 Disappointed/Unhappy
1 Regret doing it
I still feel like I am holding steady at 3.5; maybe pushing 4.
I never expected to have a beach bod. I gave my surgeon one heck of a mess to work with and he did a great job piecing me back together to the best of his ability. The rest of my body needs work, but I am likely to never get the opportunity to have anything else done. But if I could it would be in the following 'wish-list' order:
1) Butt! Implants, lift, something!
2) Thighs. My thighs are horrendous!!
3) Breasts. Definitely a lift, maybe a reduction, at least one of them!
I think I am okay with the rest - even the arms...
This reminds me!
I asked my surgeon to take a picture of my skin in the OR. He said that the only way he could was if he took his personal cell phone in and took the picture. HE DID! I was so happy! He forwarded it to my email this week! I love my surgeon! If you want to see the picture it is included in MORE (GRAPHIC) PICTURES.
I took this today when I was pleasantly surprised that my pre-op jeans fit even with all of the swelling. While I am happy that they fit I am hoping that someday, preferablly sooner than later, I will get down at least one pants size. I feel like I have come too far to still be considered "plus size"!
I have met some great new friends on Make Me Heal that have supported and encouraged me through this adventure. Like this issue - they assure me that I will likely drop a size or two eventually :) I sure hope they are right!
Day 9 (04/23/10) was a gorgeous weather day! The kids and I have felt so cooped up so I took them outside this afternoon. It was so nice to enjoy the beautiful sunshine and watch Addison run around and have fun! She spent her afternoon collecting flowers, playing in the sandbox and playing on the slide and swings. How fun!!!
MORE PICTURES
Addy & I had so much fun getting into my old pants!!! HILARIOUS!!!
MORE PICTURES
I also put together some colleges from my weight loss journey:
I think my scars are healing wonderfully! At my 8 day post-op appointment last week the nurse took out my horizontal staples (30) and both of my drains. Both were quite painful but I didn't shed a tear. I actually have not cried since surgery like I thought that I would. Especially the first day home when I got my first real look at everything. Doug admitted to me a couple days ago that when he first saw it he thought that I looked like a "butchered swine!" This journey has been an emotional one to say the least; but not in the least bit have I had any depression or even sadness for that matter. I am disappointed with the results in some areas - but I am hoping that things settle down and look better in the future.
Dr. Kole said that I am healing very well. At first, when I was still at the hospital, he said that my left hortizontal incision looked "dusky". Come to find out that meant that I might not have good blood flow to that area. Come to find out I was very close to a case of Necrosis! How scary!! Expecially after reading all of the horror stories and seeing the pictures of people that have had to suffer through the dying skin and tissue. I cannot even imagine. I am counting my lucky stars that I have not yet had any complications what so ever.
The doctor told me to start applying lotion with cocoa butter 2-3 times a day. I bought some on day 10 and have been religiously using it since. The scars are to the point that almost all of the scabs have fallen off already and there are even some areas it barely looks like I was even cut. There are some areas that aren't so pretty, but again, I think in time they will look and feel much better.
I think I still have a great deal of swelling; I hope anyway. I hope that I will get smaller than this. I have a feeling that at my 15 day post-op appointment tomorrow the surgeon will be able to drain some fluid that has built up since the drains were removed last week. One area appears like there could be a seroma, I'm not sure though.
Here are some pictures I took today to show my 2 week tummy tuck progess:
Things have been getting much better this week. I am still surprised at the lack of pain that I have had, but I am in no way complaining!
My average daily pain level is about a 2; sometimes 3-4, but rarely. I am still taking pain killers daily, but I have significantly decreased the amount I take.
I have been sleeping in bed since day 8, sometimes I fall asleep on the couch though - but anything is better than the recliner!
I went grocery shopping with Doug and the kids on day 10. I rode in an electric scooter and was still very tired and somewhat sore when I got home; not to mention - very swollen.
Taking care of the kids, breastfeeding, chores and showering are getting so much easier. I have done so well with the showering lately that I have been able to have Addy shower with me. Bending over is getting so much easier and not painful at all.
I spent a lot of time cooking on day 11. I made sausage and homemade home fries for breakfast, toasted chicken & mozzarella ravioli with homemade Alfredo sauce for lunch and had split pea soup with ham simmering in the slow cooker all afternoon for dinner. YUM! I also made a lot of roasted garlic to have on hand, some deviled eggs and some brownies! It was so nice to cook again!!! I have been cooking a lot since then, too.
I am walking compltely upright all the time now, crossing my legs, putting a leg or both Indian-style under myself when I sit and relax, getting up and down without any pain and thankfully my ability to jump up when something bad happens is great now.
I still feel somewhat numb in my outer thighs. I still have some sharp, shooting pain run through my left upper thigh when I move a certain way. I am hoping that these things are temporary.
I still wear my binder 24/7 with the exception of showering and a few half-hour breaks throughout the day/night. I tried wearing my Spanx the other day and they are just too hard to get on at this point.
As for results:
Results =
5 Thrilled
4 Happy
3 Pretty Satisfied
2 Disappointed/Unhappy
1 Regret doing it
I still feel like I am holding steady at 3.5; maybe pushing 4.
I never expected to have a beach bod. I gave my surgeon one heck of a mess to work with and he did a great job piecing me back together to the best of his ability. The rest of my body needs work, but I am likely to never get the opportunity to have anything else done. But if I could it would be in the following 'wish-list' order:
1) Butt! Implants, lift, something!
2) Thighs. My thighs are horrendous!!
3) Breasts. Definitely a lift, maybe a reduction, at least one of them!
I think I am okay with the rest - even the arms...
This reminds me!
I asked my surgeon to take a picture of my skin in the OR. He said that the only way he could was if he took his personal cell phone in and took the picture. HE DID! I was so happy! He forwarded it to my email this week! I love my surgeon! If you want to see the picture it is included in MORE (GRAPHIC) PICTURES.
I took this today when I was pleasantly surprised that my pre-op jeans fit even with all of the swelling. While I am happy that they fit I am hoping that someday, preferablly sooner than later, I will get down at least one pants size. I feel like I have come too far to still be considered "plus size"!
I have met some great new friends on Make Me Heal that have supported and encouraged me through this adventure. Like this issue - they assure me that I will likely drop a size or two eventually :) I sure hope they are right!
Day 9 (04/23/10) was a gorgeous weather day! The kids and I have felt so cooped up so I took them outside this afternoon. It was so nice to enjoy the beautiful sunshine and watch Addison run around and have fun! She spent her afternoon collecting flowers, playing in the sandbox and playing on the slide and swings. How fun!!!
MORE PICTURES
Addy playing on the playscape!
Alex's first time in the grass
I took some fun pictures on day 10. I did this because I took the same pictures in the same outfit on this day last year. I didn't notice much of a difference since I have had a baby since then! And darn the breastfeeding for engorging my breasts!!!
Addy & I had so much fun getting into my old pants!!! HILARIOUS!!!
MORE PICTURES
I also put together some colleges from my weight loss journey:
I think my scars are healing wonderfully! At my 8 day post-op appointment last week the nurse took out my horizontal staples (30) and both of my drains. Both were quite painful but I didn't shed a tear. I actually have not cried since surgery like I thought that I would. Especially the first day home when I got my first real look at everything. Doug admitted to me a couple days ago that when he first saw it he thought that I looked like a "butchered swine!" This journey has been an emotional one to say the least; but not in the least bit have I had any depression or even sadness for that matter. I am disappointed with the results in some areas - but I am hoping that things settle down and look better in the future.
Dr. Kole said that I am healing very well. At first, when I was still at the hospital, he said that my left hortizontal incision looked "dusky". Come to find out that meant that I might not have good blood flow to that area. Come to find out I was very close to a case of Necrosis! How scary!! Expecially after reading all of the horror stories and seeing the pictures of people that have had to suffer through the dying skin and tissue. I cannot even imagine. I am counting my lucky stars that I have not yet had any complications what so ever.
The doctor told me to start applying lotion with cocoa butter 2-3 times a day. I bought some on day 10 and have been religiously using it since. The scars are to the point that almost all of the scabs have fallen off already and there are even some areas it barely looks like I was even cut. There are some areas that aren't so pretty, but again, I think in time they will look and feel much better.
I think I still have a great deal of swelling; I hope anyway. I hope that I will get smaller than this. I have a feeling that at my 15 day post-op appointment tomorrow the surgeon will be able to drain some fluid that has built up since the drains were removed last week. One area appears like there could be a seroma, I'm not sure though.
Here are some pictures I took today to show my 2 week tummy tuck progess:
Day 9 TT Progress Pictures
I was wearing these size 14's going into surgery. Do you think I will ever get down to at least a size 12 after all the swelling subsides?? I have come too far to still be considered "plus size!".
Week 1 TT Progress
MORE (GRAPHIC) PICTURES
Things are coming along nicely since surgery.
Pain Level:
Drain =
XX/XX (XXX) = (XXX) Equals left drain, right drain, total drainage = total drainage for the day
Results =
5 Thrilled
4 Happy
3 Pretty Satisfied
2 Disappointed/Unhappy
1 Regret doing it
04/14/10: Day of surgery (at hospital) -
Average pain level: 5/10 (with Morphine & pain pump)
Sleeping in hospital bed
Results: 1.5
04/15/10: Day 1 (at home - discharged at 3:30pm) -
Average pain level: 4/10 (with Vicodin (2) & pain pump)
Up 11 pounds of water weight
Doug home to assist
Sleeping in recliner
Drain: 70/40 (110) = (110 + drainage at hospital)
Results: 2
04/16/10: Day 2 -
Average pain level: 3/10 (with Vicodin (7 1/2) & pain pump)
Doug home to assist
First shower with Doug's assistance
Sleeping in recliner
Drain: 30/20 (50), 40/40 (80), 40/30 (70), 25/20 (45), 30/20 (50), 25/10 (35) = (330)
Results: 2
04/17/10: Day 3 -
Average pain level: 4/10 (with Vicodin (6 1/2), Tylenol PM (3) & NO pain pump)
Doug home to assist
Shower with assistance
Sleeping in recliner
Drain: 30/20 (50), 25/0 (25), 30/20 (50), 30/20 (50) = (100)
Results: 2
04/18/10: Day 4 -
Average pain level: 3/10 (with Vicodin (7), Tylenol (3), Tylenol PM (2) & Benadryl (2))
Doug home to assist
Shower with assistance
Cooked very little
Sleeping on couch
Drain: 30/25 (55), 30/10 (40) = (95)
Results: 3
04/19/10: Day 5 -
Average pain level: 2/10 (with Vicodin (4), Tylenol (2), Benadryl ())
First day home alone with kids
Cooked more, cleaned very little
Shower with little assistance
Sleeping on couch
Drain: 20/10 (30), 30/15 (45), 15/10 (25) = (100)
Results: 3
04/20/10: Day 6 -
Average pain level: 2/10 (with Vicodin (3 1/2) & Tylenol (3) & Benadryl (2))
Lost 6/11 pounds of water weight so far
Cooked, cleaned very little, drove
Shower with NO assistance
Sleeping on couch
Drain: 30/10 (40), 15/5 (20) = 60
Results: 3
04/21/10: Day 7 -
Average pain level: 1/10 (with Vicodin 1 1/2)
Stopped walking hunched-backed
Emotions are much better today after being in a lot less pain, being able to move better and seeing much better results in the mirror! Things will only get better from here on out!!!
(Hope to) sleep in bed tonight!
Drain: 15/5 (20) = (20)
Results: 3.5
I am still wearing the binder with the exception of showering and two ~half-hour increments during the day/evening.
I am walking more, breathing better and coughing less every day. Still no nausea, vomiting or sneezing - thank goodness!!!
Breastfeeding, caring for the kids and chores are getting much easier every day.
I am still really swollen as far as I can tell. Legs used to be numb on the fronts; has now moved along the sides - but not as intense. Still get sharp, shooting pains run through both thighs, more so the left. It used to feel like a bee sting, now it feels like lightening - good thing it's quick!
I have my 1-Week follow up appointment with my surgeon tomorrow; I am hoping since my drain output has been so little that they will get removed!!
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