Today marks 6 weeks since I had surgery. Hell to the Yeah! Things are pretty much where they were before the procedure. Well, with the exception of exercising which I'm slowly allowing myself to get back into that routine. I'm sure there are several things to note being back to normal but the ones below are the first ones that come to mind.
I walk upright. NO. MORE. WALKING. HUNCHED. OVER. It only took about 5 weeks and several bouts with mild anxiety to get there but I did it, dang it.
I'm binder free, approximately 24 days and counting. Yes, I had some relapses along the way but I am no longer powerless to my addiction.
I am able to get out of bed without problem and sitting upright from a laying position isn't an issue either. I do feel it in my abdomen but it doesn't make me uncomfortable, it doesn't hurt. It just reminds me that my abdominal muscles are tight.
I can reach for things that are in an upper cabinet easier. Shortly after surgery it was near impossible. Imagine, you're trying to reach for something while you're hunched over, buttocks semi-tucked, standing on your tip toes, extending your fingers as far as they will stretch and you're vertically challenged to begin with. Es no bueno.
I can cough. Shortly after surgery, well a little before too, I was suffering from some allergies and drainage which would cause me to cough. After surgery I'd try coughing and it really sounded like a sissy cough (probably because it was) and I would have to grab a pillow, walk into my bathroom, lean my torso over the edge of the counter with the pillow between the counter and my abdomen, and attempt to cough. There were times when as soon as I made it back to the couch, the urge to cough would return and back to the bathroom I'd go. It was definitely no picnic.
Coughing and sneezing are not your friends for several weeks after tummy tuck surgery.
I can sneeze. I sneezed once early on in the recovery, I was probably about 2 weeks post-op, and oh my GOSH, did it hurt. Lawzy lawzy, your whole abdominal wall contracts inward as it forcibly hurls air from your body. I thought at first it was just a sneeze tease and it was going to go away so it caught me off guard and left me with no time to grab a pillow. There were other times that I thought I was going to sneeze and I'd place a hand over my nose and mouth and hold my breath until the urge to sneeze went away which was usually within a couple seconds. I figured if I stopped the air from going in then none would want to get out, lol.
I still have yet to take a bath to just sit and relax but there shouldn't be any issue with that. Even though I was told at my second follow-up (approximately 2 1/2 weeks after surgery) that I could take a bath, I had a couple very small areas that were taking a bit longer to heal and I didn't really want to sit in tub water and risk getting an infection of any kind.
Something that just dawned on me and that I haven't done since the surgery is lay on my stomach. I either lay on my side or my back.
I'm posting a few pictures from this morning for the 6 week mark. They don't really look any different than the others. Because these were taken in the morning the swelling is slight but I still experience much more swelling by the day's end. I'll try to remember to take AM and PM photos one day to show the difference.
Now .....
if I could lose about 10 more pounds, I'd be doing good.
Maybe.
I walk upright. NO. MORE. WALKING. HUNCHED. OVER. It only took about 5 weeks and several bouts with mild anxiety to get there but I did it, dang it.
I'm binder free, approximately 24 days and counting. Yes, I had some relapses along the way but I am no longer powerless to my addiction.
I am able to get out of bed without problem and sitting upright from a laying position isn't an issue either. I do feel it in my abdomen but it doesn't make me uncomfortable, it doesn't hurt. It just reminds me that my abdominal muscles are tight.
I can reach for things that are in an upper cabinet easier. Shortly after surgery it was near impossible. Imagine, you're trying to reach for something while you're hunched over, buttocks semi-tucked, standing on your tip toes, extending your fingers as far as they will stretch and you're vertically challenged to begin with. Es no bueno.
I can cough. Shortly after surgery, well a little before too, I was suffering from some allergies and drainage which would cause me to cough. After surgery I'd try coughing and it really sounded like a sissy cough (probably because it was) and I would have to grab a pillow, walk into my bathroom, lean my torso over the edge of the counter with the pillow between the counter and my abdomen, and attempt to cough. There were times when as soon as I made it back to the couch, the urge to cough would return and back to the bathroom I'd go. It was definitely no picnic.
Coughing and sneezing are not your friends for several weeks after tummy tuck surgery.
I can sneeze. I sneezed once early on in the recovery, I was probably about 2 weeks post-op, and oh my GOSH, did it hurt. Lawzy lawzy, your whole abdominal wall contracts inward as it forcibly hurls air from your body. I thought at first it was just a sneeze tease and it was going to go away so it caught me off guard and left me with no time to grab a pillow. There were other times that I thought I was going to sneeze and I'd place a hand over my nose and mouth and hold my breath until the urge to sneeze went away which was usually within a couple seconds. I figured if I stopped the air from going in then none would want to get out, lol.
I still have yet to take a bath to just sit and relax but there shouldn't be any issue with that. Even though I was told at my second follow-up (approximately 2 1/2 weeks after surgery) that I could take a bath, I had a couple very small areas that were taking a bit longer to heal and I didn't really want to sit in tub water and risk getting an infection of any kind.
Something that just dawned on me and that I haven't done since the surgery is lay on my stomach. I either lay on my side or my back.
I'm posting a few pictures from this morning for the 6 week mark. They don't really look any different than the others. Because these were taken in the morning the swelling is slight but I still experience much more swelling by the day's end. I'll try to remember to take AM and PM photos one day to show the difference.
Now .....
if I could lose about 10 more pounds, I'd be doing good.
Maybe.
 |
| Front |
 |
| Side - Slight swelling is visible as it rounds out near the panty |
 |
| Side with clothing on and hand over swelling |
 |
| The arrow marks where you can see a slight pudge which is the swelling |
 |
| Front - Slight swelling is noticeable on the right middle side of the photo although it is actually my left middle and side. I've commented before that I experience more swelling on the left side than the right. Thoroughly confused now? |
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Good luck with your surgery and/or recovery!