Today has been very interesting. I woke up feeling pretty good this morning. I actually slept throughout the night without waking up in pain! I even got up by myself this morning and went to the bathroom. I was very surprised that my night went as well as it did, because around 9PM I started swelling. My stomach as sides started swelling so much that I thought I was going to have to unsnap my garment so I could breathe. I drank lots of water before I went to sleep, and when I woke up this morning the swelling had gone down a little.
Since my surgery, I haven't been able to take a shower or a bath. I've been under strict orders not to remove my compression garment and to sponge bathe only. This morning, however, something had to give. I could literally smell myself. I was stinky. The medications that I'm on have caused me to be super emotional, so once again I started crying. This time, it was because I smelled like funk. Shane calmed me down, wrapped saran wrap around my garment and tubes and helped me to the bath tub. With just a little water in the tub, he scrubbed me down, then got me out and dried me off. Then I got on my knees and leaned my hair over the tub, and he washed it for me. By the time the ordeal was over my incision was KILLING me. It was burning like someone had poured hot coals into my compression garment. Shane got me back to the recliner, brushed and dried my hair for me, and then snuggled me up. He gave me some medicine to help the pain ease off, and as I was drifting off to sleep, I opened my eyes to see him dabbing a little bit of my favorite perfume behind my ear. I smiled and he said, "I just want to help you feel as pretty as you are."
I've read a lot online about other people's tummy tuck experiences, and a lot of people claim to be off their pain meds by day 3 or walking around with no issues by day 5. I must just be a slow healer or something. There's no way I could completely come off my pain meds right now or walk around effortlessly. It still leaves me breathless just to walk to the bathroom! I'm supposed to start my new job on Friday, and I honestly don't know if I'll be ready by then. If I am anything like I am today, I just can't do it. I think I'm going to wait until I go back to the doctor on Wednesday and see how that goes. If need be, I think I might call and see if I can start on Monday instead of Friday. I don't want to jeopardize my new job, but I don't think they would be very impressed if I collapsed on the first day either. ;)
Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 30, 2012
I Spoke Too Soon....
I was feeling wonderful today. I even ate some vegetable lo mein for dinner. Then, BAM! The pain hit me full force, and I curled up and cried for an hour until the Oxycodone knocked me out. I think it's safe to say that I'm over this. I'm over the pain. Over the swelling. Over sitting in the house all day. Just over it.
I'm blessed and grateful that I had the opportunity to do this, but I'm ready to feel like myself and enjoy the results.
I'm blessed and grateful that I had the opportunity to do this, but I'm ready to feel like myself and enjoy the results.
The Pain
It's day 5, and I'm starting to become restless. The pain level is starting to decrease slowly, and sitting in this chair is getting old. The nights seem to be the worst pain wise. Shane said that I was moaning in my sleep last night, so he woke me up to give me some pain meds. He said I started crying and asking for "airplane pretzels". I guess I was wanting some of those little pretzels you get when you're on a flight. LOL! Being the sweet husband that he is, he went to the store and got my airplane pretzels and some beef jerky. (He knows beef jerky is my favorite.) After that, all was good in the world.
The main reason I started this blog was to describe and explain my experience for others who are interested in abdominoplasty. I realized that I haven't fully described the pain, so I'm going to do that now: Immediately after the surgery, the pain is mediocre. You'll think, 'This is it? Wow, I can handle this!'. It will just be a soreness; kind of like you've done about 200 sit-ups. After the first 12 hours, the real pain sets in, and when it does you will think you are dying. The areas that have been liposuctioned will be swollen and black and blue. The pain in those areas was worse for me than the pain where my abdominal muscles were tightened. It literally feels like someone beat me on my sides with a baseball bat. Luckily, my stomach is very numb and the feeling is temporarily gone in some spots due to the tummy tuck. That being said, my abs do hurt and feel very tight from time to time, but the worst part is the incision. The incision runs from hip bone to hip bone. The incision line is about an inch below my panty line, so my panties/bathing suit will always keep it covered. The drain tubes are sewn into the incision right above the vagina. The tubes come out of a hole in the compression garment and drain into small pouches on the left and right sides. The incision burns and sometimes just plain hurts. Everything is sewn and pulled so tightly that it is impossible to walk upright. At this point, I am getting around better. I can walk on my own for a few steps before getting so out of breath that I need Shane to hold me up. The worst part right now is the swelling and tightness. Everything is swollen--my stomach, my sides, even my vajayjay. The compression garment really helps with the pain and swelling. I've only had to unzip it a couple of times, and I couldn't wait to get it back on. In a strange way, it provides relief and comfort. I've had two other surgeries in my lifetime, and this one is certainly the worst pain wise. Even though the healing process is slow and the pain hasn't been a walk in the park, I would do it all over again! I'm so proud of the way my stomach looks now!
The photo I've included is not very flattering, but it gives you an idea of what I've looked like since Wednesday. ;)
The main reason I started this blog was to describe and explain my experience for others who are interested in abdominoplasty. I realized that I haven't fully described the pain, so I'm going to do that now: Immediately after the surgery, the pain is mediocre. You'll think, 'This is it? Wow, I can handle this!'. It will just be a soreness; kind of like you've done about 200 sit-ups. After the first 12 hours, the real pain sets in, and when it does you will think you are dying. The areas that have been liposuctioned will be swollen and black and blue. The pain in those areas was worse for me than the pain where my abdominal muscles were tightened. It literally feels like someone beat me on my sides with a baseball bat. Luckily, my stomach is very numb and the feeling is temporarily gone in some spots due to the tummy tuck. That being said, my abs do hurt and feel very tight from time to time, but the worst part is the incision. The incision runs from hip bone to hip bone. The incision line is about an inch below my panty line, so my panties/bathing suit will always keep it covered. The drain tubes are sewn into the incision right above the vagina. The tubes come out of a hole in the compression garment and drain into small pouches on the left and right sides. The incision burns and sometimes just plain hurts. Everything is sewn and pulled so tightly that it is impossible to walk upright. At this point, I am getting around better. I can walk on my own for a few steps before getting so out of breath that I need Shane to hold me up. The worst part right now is the swelling and tightness. Everything is swollen--my stomach, my sides, even my vajayjay. The compression garment really helps with the pain and swelling. I've only had to unzip it a couple of times, and I couldn't wait to get it back on. In a strange way, it provides relief and comfort. I've had two other surgeries in my lifetime, and this one is certainly the worst pain wise. Even though the healing process is slow and the pain hasn't been a walk in the park, I would do it all over again! I'm so proud of the way my stomach looks now!
The photo I've included is not very flattering, but it gives you an idea of what I've looked like since Wednesday. ;)
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Update: Day 4
Well, I made it past the dreaded third day! I will admit that it was a lot more painful and uncomfortable than I expected, but I'm proud of myself for handling it as well as I did. Last night was a bit of a bad night. Around 9PM, I started draining A LOT of fluid. Because my body was losing so much fluid, I became a bit dehydrated and developed a really bad headache. No matter what I took, the headache just wouldn't go away. I finally took a Valium to knock myself out so that I could actually rest. I also started running a fever again last night. It got up to 101. The nurse on call told Shane to bring me in immediately if it got up to 101.5. Luckily, my fever broke around 3 AM, and I didn't have to go to the hospital. The pain hasn't been so bad today; I've just been completely drained and exhausted. It amazes me that walking to the bathroom and back to the chair feels like I have just completed a marathon. I had an emotional moment earlier and cried for my mama. So, now she's on her way to help Shane take care of me for the rest of the day :)
The good news out of all of this is that the drainage is beginning to turn clear instead of bloody, and that's a good thing! The swelling and bruising also seems to be doing well too. I'd say overall, I'm definitely progressing in the healing process. One thing I have learned from this is that even though abdominoplasty is an elective cosmetic surgery, it is a big deal! It really takes a toll on you physically and mentally.
The last thing I'm going to share today is something kind of funny: I have always been very shy about, um, "pooting" in front of Shane. Well, all of the meds that I'm on has created horrible, horrible gas. This morning, I started crying. I mean really bawling. Shane immediately asked what was wrong. In between tears I said, "I just have to poot so bad right now, and I don't want to do it in front of you!" He laughed and laughed. Needless to say, the pooting barrier was broken between us today LOL :)
The good news out of all of this is that the drainage is beginning to turn clear instead of bloody, and that's a good thing! The swelling and bruising also seems to be doing well too. I'd say overall, I'm definitely progressing in the healing process. One thing I have learned from this is that even though abdominoplasty is an elective cosmetic surgery, it is a big deal! It really takes a toll on you physically and mentally.
The last thing I'm going to share today is something kind of funny: I have always been very shy about, um, "pooting" in front of Shane. Well, all of the meds that I'm on has created horrible, horrible gas. This morning, I started crying. I mean really bawling. Shane immediately asked what was wrong. In between tears I said, "I just have to poot so bad right now, and I don't want to do it in front of you!" He laughed and laughed. Needless to say, the pooting barrier was broken between us today LOL :)
Friday, December 28, 2012
Is It Worth It?
When getting ready to leave the surgical ward yesterday, my nurses told me that I would probably ask myself, "What have I done?" Or "Was it really worth it?" This morning, I asked myself both of those questions. The pain was excruciating. As I walked, I sobbed and clung onto Shane's shirt. I just kept telling myself that I just had to get past this worst part. The third day is supposed to be the worst, and if I could make it over this hump, the rest of the healing process would be easier.
After my morning "exercise", Shane gave me a sponge bath. I can't shower until Jan. 2 after I see Dr. Vann for a checkup.
When he took off my compression socks, my toes were super swollen. They looked like Vienna sausages. I was also running a low grade fever. Shane called my doctor and was told all of these things are normal.
Shane also gave me my first blood thinning shot today. I must say that he did great! I didn't even feel it!
Tomorrow, I get to unzip my compression panel for just a quick second. Hopefully, I can snap a quick picture of what I look like 4 days post-op. :-)
My last thought for today is about my sweet little Lucy. She has been by my side since I came home from the hospital. Her sweet little self has most definitely helped keep my spirits high!
After my morning "exercise", Shane gave me a sponge bath. I can't shower until Jan. 2 after I see Dr. Vann for a checkup.
When he took off my compression socks, my toes were super swollen. They looked like Vienna sausages. I was also running a low grade fever. Shane called my doctor and was told all of these things are normal.
Shane also gave me my first blood thinning shot today. I must say that he did great! I didn't even feel it!
Tomorrow, I get to unzip my compression panel for just a quick second. Hopefully, I can snap a quick picture of what I look like 4 days post-op. :-)
My last thought for today is about my sweet little Lucy. She has been by my side since I came home from the hospital. Her sweet little self has most definitely helped keep my spirits high!
Day Three: Hell
The nurses told me that day three would be the worst, and so far, they're correct. I have been awake most of the night in pain. Most of my pain seems to be coming from my sides where to liposuction was performed. I can also feel my incision stinging. Each time that I have gotten up to do my little walk every couple of hours, it has left me in tears and needing pain medication. At this point, even with the pain medication, I can't seem to get comfortable. Up until this morning, I hadn't experienced any nausea. However, my pain reached a new peak this morning which caused the onset of nausea. Luckily, my doctor gave me a prescription for nausea meds, and so far they seem to be helping.
I have to give my husband lots of credit. He has been so wonderful helping me through this process. He has been sleeping on the couch while I sleep in the recliner. Every two hours, he gets up to clean my drains, give me my medicine, and help me use the restroom. Not once has he complained about lack of sleep. He even brought me beautiful freshcut flowers and chocolates to help me feel better. A strong support system is imperative when undergoing any type of surgery--especially a tummy tuck.
So far, this is the best advice I can offer if you decide to choose this procedure:
Have someone with you at all times. It will require help getting up and down.
Get up and walk every two hours. The longer you stay stationary, the stiffer you will become. This will cause even more pain once you do get up to move around.
Sleep in a recliner. Never lie flat on your back. It will be almost impossible to get up if you do.
Take your meds on time, every time, no matter how good you feel. If you skip them, the pain WILL come back with a vengence.
Eat light. All I've been able to stomach the last three days is broth-based soups and crackers. Anything heavier will cause your stomach to feel uncomfortable.
Make sure to keep your drains clean. This allows the fluid to drain more efficiently, which helps with the healing process.
My husband is preparing to give me my first blood-thinning shot as I type. Fingers crossed that he knows what he's doing and that he paid attention yesterday when the nurses showed him how to do this! Check back often for more updates about the recovery process. As always, comments and questions are welcome!
Thursday, December 27, 2012
The Surgery and The Day After
It's the day after surgery, and I just got home from the hospital a couple of hours ago. The surgery went very well. First and foremost, I must say that Dr. Vann, the surgery coordinator, the pre-op nurse, the OR nurse, the CRNA, the nurse who got me ready for surgery, and my two overnight nurses we all amazing. They were kind, compasionate, thorough, and did an excellent job making sure my experience was as relaxed and stress-free as possible.
At this point, I am going to go step-by-step an explained what happened before, during, and after surgery. The purpose of doing this is to help anyone who has been considering a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) understand exactly what to expect.
The day before surgery, I was on a liquid diet. I was only allowed broth-type soups, jello, water, gingerale, or Sprite. After midnight I wasn't allowed to have anything to eat or drink. I arrived at the surgery center at 9 AM. Once arriving, they took me back and I was changed into a hospital gown, compression socks (to help prevent bloodclots), and a surgical hair cover and booties. "Before" photos were taken of my front and side view, and then Dr. Vann came in a made his surgical markings on my stomach and sides. The prep nurse got my IV started, and then the OR nurse came out to give me my first round of antibiotics and a little something to relax me. After this was complete, my husband was allowed to come back and sit with me while waiting on the surgery to start. At 10 AM, I was taken into the operating room. I was stripped down and scrubbed from my neck to the top of my knees to make sure all areas that would be exposed during surgery were sterile. Afterwards, I got onto the operating table. The CRNA explained that she was about to administer the anesthesia. The last thing I remember is her telling me to drift away to the beach and enjoy a Mai Tai. :)
I woke up a little groggy from the anesthesia, but the pain wasn't as bad as I expected. I actually was able to walk to the recovery room with the help of a nurse. The surgery lasted about 3 hours. It took about 2 hours for the tummy tuck, 30 minutes for the liposuction of my love handles, and another 30 to get me cleaned up and into my compression garment. Once in recovery, the nurses made me very comfortable, and I slept off and on the rest of the day. My husband was allowed to stay with me until 6:30 PM, but then he had to go home for the night.
In Recovery
While staying in the recovery suite, I had to get up and walk down the hall every two hours. Even though the walking portion of recovery can be painful, it is very important. If you don't walk every couple of hours, you get very stiff and the pain is even worse. One of the first things my husband asked was, "How is she going to use the restroom?" During my hospital stay, I had a catheter inserted, so that I could rest comfortably and not have to get up to use the restroom. Also, after surgery, you will have two drains--one from each side. The drains help the fluid build up come off which is crucial to keep down swelling and help with the healing process.
I didn't experience any unbearable pain until around 3:30 AM. I woke up with my whole abdomen sore and in pain. I called the nurse and she gave me some pain medicine and muscle relaxers. After giving me something for pain, the nurses let me rest while the pain eased off. At 4:30 AM, the nurses came back to prep me to go home. The removed my catheter and IV, but kept my drains in. When my husband arrived at 5:15 to pick me up, they showed him how to flush out my drains and measure the fluid. They also showed him how to give me a shot once per day to keep my blood thinned to prevent clots.
We arrived home around 5:45 AM. All of the moving around and the drive home caused my pain to come back quickly. I took a muscle relaxer and slept from 6:15 until 10:30. When I woke up at 10:30, I was able to eat some soup and crackers, which made me feel a lot better. I've noticed my pain has been getting worse, but I am able to tolerate it well. At this point, walking is the hardest part. When walking you have to stay slumped over. It's impossible to even attempt to stand up straight after this procedure. I've also found that at this point urinating in a bed pan is much easier than actually using to toilet. Just getting up to walk down the hallway is exhausting. By the time I get back to the recliner, I am short of breath and exhausted.
The nurses told me to expect the third day to be worst pain wise. We're on day two now, so I will keep you update on how I feel tomorrow. So far, I'm hanging in there and keeping my pain undercontrol.
Oh by the way, I was able to see my tummy when the nurses took of my compression panel to put fresh gauze underneath this morning. Even though it was bruised and a bit swollen, I still teared up. I never thought I would have a flat stomach again. It was an amazing feeling to see my stomach that flat!
At this point, I am going to go step-by-step an explained what happened before, during, and after surgery. The purpose of doing this is to help anyone who has been considering a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) understand exactly what to expect.
The day before surgery, I was on a liquid diet. I was only allowed broth-type soups, jello, water, gingerale, or Sprite. After midnight I wasn't allowed to have anything to eat or drink. I arrived at the surgery center at 9 AM. Once arriving, they took me back and I was changed into a hospital gown, compression socks (to help prevent bloodclots), and a surgical hair cover and booties. "Before" photos were taken of my front and side view, and then Dr. Vann came in a made his surgical markings on my stomach and sides. The prep nurse got my IV started, and then the OR nurse came out to give me my first round of antibiotics and a little something to relax me. After this was complete, my husband was allowed to come back and sit with me while waiting on the surgery to start. At 10 AM, I was taken into the operating room. I was stripped down and scrubbed from my neck to the top of my knees to make sure all areas that would be exposed during surgery were sterile. Afterwards, I got onto the operating table. The CRNA explained that she was about to administer the anesthesia. The last thing I remember is her telling me to drift away to the beach and enjoy a Mai Tai. :)
Before Surgery
I woke up a little groggy from the anesthesia, but the pain wasn't as bad as I expected. I actually was able to walk to the recovery room with the help of a nurse. The surgery lasted about 3 hours. It took about 2 hours for the tummy tuck, 30 minutes for the liposuction of my love handles, and another 30 to get me cleaned up and into my compression garment. Once in recovery, the nurses made me very comfortable, and I slept off and on the rest of the day. My husband was allowed to stay with me until 6:30 PM, but then he had to go home for the night.
While staying in the recovery suite, I had to get up and walk down the hall every two hours. Even though the walking portion of recovery can be painful, it is very important. If you don't walk every couple of hours, you get very stiff and the pain is even worse. One of the first things my husband asked was, "How is she going to use the restroom?" During my hospital stay, I had a catheter inserted, so that I could rest comfortably and not have to get up to use the restroom. Also, after surgery, you will have two drains--one from each side. The drains help the fluid build up come off which is crucial to keep down swelling and help with the healing process.
I didn't experience any unbearable pain until around 3:30 AM. I woke up with my whole abdomen sore and in pain. I called the nurse and she gave me some pain medicine and muscle relaxers. After giving me something for pain, the nurses let me rest while the pain eased off. At 4:30 AM, the nurses came back to prep me to go home. The removed my catheter and IV, but kept my drains in. When my husband arrived at 5:15 to pick me up, they showed him how to flush out my drains and measure the fluid. They also showed him how to give me a shot once per day to keep my blood thinned to prevent clots.
We arrived home around 5:45 AM. All of the moving around and the drive home caused my pain to come back quickly. I took a muscle relaxer and slept from 6:15 until 10:30. When I woke up at 10:30, I was able to eat some soup and crackers, which made me feel a lot better. I've noticed my pain has been getting worse, but I am able to tolerate it well. At this point, walking is the hardest part. When walking you have to stay slumped over. It's impossible to even attempt to stand up straight after this procedure. I've also found that at this point urinating in a bed pan is much easier than actually using to toilet. Just getting up to walk down the hallway is exhausting. By the time I get back to the recliner, I am short of breath and exhausted.
The nurses told me to expect the third day to be worst pain wise. We're on day two now, so I will keep you update on how I feel tomorrow. So far, I'm hanging in there and keeping my pain undercontrol.
Oh by the way, I was able to see my tummy when the nurses took of my compression panel to put fresh gauze underneath this morning. Even though it was bruised and a bit swollen, I still teared up. I never thought I would have a flat stomach again. It was an amazing feeling to see my stomach that flat!
The First Step
After giving birth to my precious children, I was a whopping 225 lbs. Pregnancy took a toll on my body, and the weight packed on with a not so flattering array of stretch marks from just below my breasts all the way down to my inner thighs and "love handles". My youngest child was born in March of 2008. That summer, I went on a low-carb diet and lost 35 lbs. As soon as I started incorporating grains and carbs back into my diet, the weight came back quickly. Within 2 months, I had gained back a total of 45 lbs...10 more than what I originally lost. At that point I gave up. Over the next two years, the weight slowly crept up until I was at 245 lbs. Once I started having trouble buttoning my size 18 pants, I knew I had to do something. I started out walking every other day and developed a diet plan that was suitable for ME. I had a protien shake for breakfast, a protien shake for lunch, and pretty much whatever I wanted to dinner--I just kept my portions small. By the summer of 2011, I was down to 180 and in a size 10/12. I was very proud of myself, but there was one lingering problem--my stomach. It was very loose, flabby, and ridden with stretchmarks. I refused to wear anything form fitting without Spanx underneath. No matter how much I dieted or exercised, my "pooch" wouldn't go away. My husband knew that I had a very bad complex about my stomach. I was hard on myself and often compared myself to other women that I thought had a nicer figured than me. In October of 2012, we decided that a tummy tuck was the right choice. In November, we scheduled a consulation with Dr. Vann at Savannah Plastic Surgery. After taking a look at my stomach, he was confident that I had lost enough weight to acheive the results I wanted from the Abdominoplasty. At the end of the consulation we scheduled my surgery for December 26, 2012. This was the first step to changing my outlook on life!
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