TT - Day 2 - Post Op - Flowers from Work

Not only are they pretty but their scent is nice too.

Thanks co-workers!

TT - Day 1 - Surgery

At the time I am typing this up, I am about 10 hours post-op.

I was quite anxious when going into surgery although I didn't do as poorly as I thought I would when they took pre-op pictures. Stand this way.  Turn that way.  Sit here.

I had to take a concoction of pills along with an anti-acid drink to aid during and after the surgery. It was to help prevent nausea from the anesthesia. The nurse suggested, "Put the pills in your mouth and wash them down with the anti-acid drink. You know, like a shot".  That made me laugh on the inside.  I can't do shots, the liquid gets stuck in my mouth.  I momentarily forget how to swallow.  Needless to say, I got it down after holding it in my jaws and breaking it up into two swallows. After that, I was marked like a piece of meat, a line drawn here, a line drawn there and another and another.

I continued to feel anxious as I walked into the surgery room only dressed in a robe and some tacky little paperish thong panties still being worn from the pictures taken. I climbed up on the surgical table/gurney, disrobed and was then draped with a heated blanket.  Two nurses were busy with their duties hooking me up to the blood pressure machine, placing the air pump machine between my calves to help with circulation and prevention of blood clots (along with my TED hose I was already wearing).

The anesthesiologist inserted an IV as he asked a few questions, probably to see how aware I was so he could measure my responses as he sent me into la la land.  He said as he made friendly conversation "You'll be gone in about a minute".  That was no lie.  I felt the burn of the medicine being administered and remember being gone with what felt like a matter of seconds.

I was pretty groggy following and remained that way on the way home.  I barely remember getting in the car and I don't even remember how or who put my shirt, robe and slippers on.  I vaguely remember a phone call from my daughter checking on me but didn't speak with her because I was still too out of it.

I had a severe case of cotton mouth and presumed it was a side affect from the medicine administered by the anesthesiologist, that or a result of the concoction taken prior to surgery.  I tried to eat some toast after arriving home but it seemed that my mouth got even drier and I had to drink something with each bite so I was able to swallow. I took a pain pill to help with any discomfort that I would soon be feeling and to also help me sleep.

I rested for a bit, then according to schedule (every three hours) I had to get up for a bit to walk around.  After being up for a short while, I was still feeling somewhat groggy and went laid back down.  I actually woke up before time to get up and move around again.  So being the Miss Independent that I am, I tried to get up by myself and was unsuccessful.  So I asked for help.

I've been up for nearly two hours now.  I got on Skype with my oldest daughter (she wanted to check on me) who lives in Canada and I have eaten a little bit of chicken and a few bites of potatoes that my mom brought over.  She'll be staying the night to help too.  Although, the best help from her is just her company rather than her actually helping.

Now after being up for a bit longer, I'm not feeling a whole lot of pain, not really a whole lot of discomfort. Yet. I think I may take a half of a pain pill as it has been almost 8 hours since the first one.  I'm not a fan of pain medication but also know that I need to take it to prevent being uncomfortable unnecessarily.

Surgery done.  Let the recovery phase begins.

On a side note, I had hoped to post this last night but felt that I probably should go lay down and review it again later.  Good thing for spell check because there were several misspellings.  It really let me know how I was a tad bit loopy last night. 

Yay & Double Yay

Today is my Friday. 

Tomorrow is my Surgery.

Feeling Anxious

This morning I went to the doc to have lab work completed as well as an EKG.  My blood was drawn.  What a prick!  Yeouch.  But, it’s par for the course and it’s done.  I got a Tetanus shot too.  Before leaving my appointment, the P.A. came in to tell me there was a small anomaly on my EKG reading.  I could see she circled the slight hiccup on the graph.   I’m hoping that it’s nothing to cause any delays but the reading will be forwarded on to a cardiologist just to ensure that I am indeed good to go next week.  I should hear from them by the end of this week, at the latest Monday.

I’ve been online watching before and after videos and looking at photos of others that have had the same procedure done.  Most of them praise their surgeon and talk about it being a  good experience. They don’t mind their scars.  I look to see what it is that I have to look forward to and wonder if I’ll share the same attitude following.  I know that the surgeon I'll be using has a little different approach when doing surgery.  He will perform the surgery while I'm in a seated position.  He says, "Everyone's stomach looks good when they're lying down". I have to agree with him, even my flabby abs look decent when I'm laying down flat on my back as long as I don't turn to either side.  So doing the surgery while in a seated position allows the abdominal area to be tight from the get go.  According to his assistant, she tells me I’ll wear a bikini again.  That remains to be seen as I haven’t donned a bikini out in public since I was pregnant with my oldest child over 25 years ago.  She also tells me I’ll never have to do another abdominal crunch. Ever.  THAT, on the other hand, I can live with.

Even with some of the pros being said, I’ve been feeling rather anxious about the surgery. As the date gets closer, the more anxiety I feel.  So much so that I realize when I think about it I’ll actually hold my breath for a moment or two.  Then I have to remind myself to exhale.  I was even worried as I drove to the doctor’s office that my blood pressure might reflect that anxiety.  Thankfully, it didn’t.  I don’t really understand the anxiety I’m experiencing.  This is something I’ve wanted for 15+ years.  There's a zero balance.  I have everything from prescriptions to post-op items to having someone babysit me the first couple days of recovery. Time off of work is scheduled and appropriate people notified and informed. Why am I occasionally feeling like maybe I should wait? 

Somebody just smack me, please. 

I’ll most likely continue to post blogs about this experience and how I’m feeling.  If you find them boring, then mosey on your way.  If you are just as I am now and interested in others stories, then I hope I share something insightful that can guide you through your cosmetic journey and deciding if it's for you or not. I know how helpful others stories have been to me and would like to return the favor for someone searching for answers to their own questions.   I’d like to post photos and maybe even video along the way.  I took pictures this morning with that purpose in mind but I’m still mustering up the courage to post them for viewing.

Pre-Op Appointment

The pre-op is now too behind me and wow, I came away with a lot of useful information regarding the surgery and recovery.  I dropped off my prescriptions that include nausea medicine, pain medicine, Valium, antibiotics plus compression hose to wear following the surgery to aid in the prevention of blood clots.  I've also picked up non-stick gauze, polysporin ointment, hydrogen peroxide and band-aids.  Also on that list is men's cotton undershirts to wear under the binder as it supports the area as it heals. Oh, and Q-tips which I have.  I was shown how the drain would work that I'd be wearing for a week.  Informed not to take certain pain relief medicine and to stop taking one of my regular daily medicines.  Let's not forget the appointment I had to schedule on the drive home with my own family physician to get lab work and an EKG to confirm that I'm good to go for surgery.  I have to have someone sit with me the first couple days because I'll be limited in what I can do.  Hopefully being limiting in what I can do will not be an issue in the healing process.  Typically, for me, if something needs to be done then by golly, I gotta do it.

I was dreading the pre-op due to having to expose the eyesore to the surgeon as well as the groping, pulling and grabbing I had to endure but I have to admit, it wasn't as bad as the consult.  The assistant remembered me from a year ago as she said "I remember you. You are probably the most modest patient I've seen.  I remember your face and chest turning so red."  Yep, that was my anxiety manifesting last visit.  But I have to say there was no turning red this time even though I was nervous during the appointment.  I probably wouldn't have been able to say that had they taken the pre-op pictures which will expose just about everything.  Not that I will get out of those but at least they'll be taken the morning of surgery.  She said I'll feel "humiliated" due to my extreme modesty.  That makes me feel so much better, lol.

Going Under the Knife

It's hard to believe that next month will be a year since I had my first consult to have an elective surgery.  Ideally, I would have liked to have had the surgery this past March but due to more than one reason, it just didn't work itself into my schedule as I had hoped. 

I feel I have a good overall self-image of myself but there has been an area I've been very self-conscious about for years. I'm not doing it to be vain. I'm not doing it for attention. I don't expect the results to get me ahead in life. Blah, blah, blah. I'm merely doing it because every day it's an eyesore, to ME.  I want the magical surgical wand to make the body imperfection disappear. Good freakin' bye.

While I'm excited, I'm nervous too. Even though I'm more than ready for this area of me to be improved, I'm wondering if I'll be sad in some weird way about the change.  After years and years of living with such an extreme physical dislike, it has in some sort of unhealthy way been a security of sorts, it could even be viewed as a crutch in some ways. With it gone, I'm curious as to my perception of the improved area as I recover and welcome the change.  Tremendously positive, I hope. There is a trade off, that ungodly looking area will be replaced with a scar.  But after giving it a moment's thought, I'll take it. Yes, please.

I know one thing, clothes shopping has to get better.  No more picking this because 'Yes, it disguises it better' or 'No, I can't wear that because of that ick area being more noticeable' or 'Yes, this might work because it pulls ones eyes away from that area' or 'Heck no! Love it but not even going to try it on'.  Clothes shopping will most likely take on a whole new meaning compared to now.

Ah, back to the entire reason of this post, the time has finally come.  I have another consult scheduled this Friday.  Then the pre-op and I'm actually hoping to schedule the surgery within the next couple weeks at my consult this week.