July 10, 2016
I am so excited!! I can finally stand-up straight!! No more walking like a hunched-backed-grandma. As much as I have complained about my life-sucking-tummy-binder, this tight-itchy-contraption has been my solution to standing 100% erect (yes I typed erect … hehe. Forgive me as I am sex deprived for 6 weeks during the recovery period). But seriously, when I’m not wearing my arch-nemesis-stomach-compression I find myself walking hunched over; this stupid thing does give me the back support I need to stand up straight without feeling too much tension in my stomach. Don’t get me wrong, my skin and muscles always feel like someone is pulling them in two vertically opposite directions, but the tightness doesn’t bother me as much when I’m wearing the compression.
In regards to my slight complication last week, my surgeon said that I technically didn’t rip open my tummy tuck incision. Apparently, my body was rejecting some of the internal stitches and the stitches were popping out of my skin – which caused that small opening. He said that this is completely normal and it should heal in a matter of weeks without leaving a thicker scar. He also said to not be surprised if more internal stitches begin to pop out in other spots. So yey !!! It wasn’t my fault !!!
Unfortunately, as fast as I am healing, I am still uncomfortable sleeping in my bed; so I am forced to continue sleeping in my reclining chair. Last night I tried for the first time to sleep in my bed, and that did not go so well. If I turn on my side, or stretched out my legs, my stomach muscles would spasm and strain. I needed so many pillows behind me head, under my knees, and on my sides for me to even feel somewhat comfortable; so around 4:00 A.M. I gave up and had my husband help me back into my recliner. Maybe in a few more days I’ll give it another try.
Some other interesting changes this week:
- The skin on my breasts are shiny!When I signed-up for a shiny-new-body, I didn’t think it was literally going to be shiny. Why are my boobs so shiny you ask? Well, the skin on my breasts is pealing and flaking off. If I scratch the skin around my breasts (which I do a lot because it itches so badly), it literally looks like snow is falling from my boobs. Apparently, this is a normal reaction from surgery and possibly the paper tape I use to cover my incisions (and yes, I am already using the sensitive tape & lotion and it doesn’t make a difference).
- The scars on my blisters are looking much better!! Look at the difference between week 1, week 2, and week 3 !!!
- I’m losing my muscle!!Since February of this year, I have been working-out really hard. If I wasn’t running 3 – 4 miles in the evening, then I was doing the Insanity max interval training videos or the P90X DVD’s. Aside from visibly achieving zero results on my stomach area … my arms, legs, and butt were looking great – very sexy and toned. But now I’m losing the muscle I worked so hard for because my doctor doesn’t want me to do any exercise for 6 weeks. It amazing how quickly you can lose something you worked so hard to gain. NOT FAIR!!! But that’s life.
- Although I’ve lost my muscle tone, I feel much stronger in my core!!On a few occasions I had to lift my 16 month old daughter (21 lbs). Normally, I have help in my home 100% of the time because my surgeon told me that I am not allowed to lift anything heavier than a gallon on milk for 6 weeks – so I have organized help between my family, friends, and nanny for this time period. Unfortunately, there have been a few instances this week when no one was around to help me (everyone was occupied doing something else). You see, my little Amy is a climber!! She climbs everything imaginable!!! I always joke with my husband that Amy will be the boy he’s always wanted. Anyways, on a few occasions this week, I’ve had to lift Amy off of some of the things that she climbed onto. I swear my little Amy is going to give me gray hairs one day. But when I picked her up, I felt no strain at all!!! My core felt solid !!! So I guess that’s a good thing.
At my next post-op appointment on Thursday 7/14, I plan on asking my doctor if I can do a few more things now that I’m feeling stronger and standing completely straight.
- I want to lift my baby – but only when necessary (in & out of the crib, up & down from her high chair, in & out of her car seat, etc.)
- I want to start walking/jogging. I have become addicted to exercise since I began in February, and I cannot stand sitting around the house doing nothing. And walking is too boring.
I want to take my kids swimming. Hopefully my incisions will be healed enough for me to go into a pool. And then that gives me an excuse to shop for my first bikini in 5 yrs !!!!
- I want to wear a normal bra. I want to feel sexy again – and not like some chopped-up-put-back-together-raggedy-woman who looks like she ran away from the medial supplies factory. I’m also interested to see what bra size I am.
Thank you all for your support thus far. Y’all have been amazing. Keep looking out for the next update. See ya!
Although I had some serious concerns about walking, I followed the nurse’s orders; and surprisingly standing up from the recovery bed wasn’t as painful as I thought it would be. With-that-said, I was unable to stand-up straight without feeling like I was going to rip my muscles apart. In order for me to walk comfortably, I had to lean forward at a 30 to 40 degree angle and balance myself on the nurse’s arms. Honestly, my back muscles hurt more than my stomach muscles during our walk.
Lastly, you need to strip and empty the drainage tubes 2x a day. And my God does the right drain hurt more than the left! To drain the tubes, you need to squeeze all the gunk from the tube and push it into the drainage bulb. It doesn’t sound painful in theory, but for some reason squeezing the air out of the tubes & into the bulb is excruciating painful. It tightens up your muscles and burns like a son-of-a-bitch. I can’t wait to get these suckers out of me.
But by 7:30 A.M. my morning episodes had finally came to a halt and my mom and babysitter had arrived. Upon their arrival, it was time to pack up the car and say goodbye to my early morning risers – Ashley & Aubrey. I told them that mommy’s doctor was going to fix her tummy and boobies and that Debbie (their nanny) and Gigi & Babalou (my husband’s Mom & her husband) were going to come play with them for a few days while I recovered at my Grammy & Papa’s house (my parents). Needless to say, Ashley & Aubrey were super excited; not because mommy was finally getting her tummy & boobies fixed, but because their nanny and grandparents were coming to visit for a few days. Mommy always seems to be second fiddle.
Within minutes, the surgical nurse brought me into the room and told me to undress into a gown and take a pregnancy test. As expected, my pregnancy test was negative. Next, the anesthesiologist came into the room to have me sign a bunch of I-wont-sue-you-legal-papers. While signing the papers, I told the anesthesiologist about my severe nausea and low blood pressure issues that anesthesia usually causes for me, and he quickly eased my fears. He said he was going to create the perfect anti-nausea cocktail for me, and that my low blood pressure shouldn’t be an issue. Once I had all my questions answered, my surgeon came into the room to draw on me. I wanted to take a picture of the Picasso he had drawn on my torso, but my doctor didn’t allow it. I’m sure there is some logical/legal reason as to why I couldn’t take a picture of his drawings, but it was a little disappointing. Once the drawings were done it was time to say goodbye to my Mom and step into the operating room. But not before we took a final before picture (left). It was the moment of truth. It was now or never.