It's been almost three months since I've posted anything about my TT recovery process. In just a few more days or so it will mark 22 weeks (approximately 5 months) since surgery. It's still hard to believe how it was years and years and years that I had wanted the surgery and now it's close to a half a year behind me.
I have some TT post surgery photos I took a week or so ago but I'll come back and either update this blog or just create a new blog to include them.
Let's see ...
Follow-up: Bad me, I still need to go back. I had a third follow-up scheduled mid-November but due to work being busy at the time, I had to cancel and really need to call to reschedule. They still have yet to take the post surgery snapshots and I'm assuming when I go in they'll take them then.
Exercise: I'd say I'm pretty much back to my pre-surgery self with the exception of the excess skin being attached. I am able to work out completely. Run, walk, jog, lift, pull, push etcetera. No restrictions or cautiousness in regards to working my abdominal muscles. I'm able to do sit-ups, crunches, planks, and most exercise that engages the core. I've been involved in a fitness studio class for months now and have even attended boot camp classes for the past couple weeks on days that I'm not going to the studio.
Tanning: It's getting close to tanning time but I haven't done that yet since surgery. Remember as noted here, the rule is no tanning or sun around the scarred area for at least six months. Although my scar is darkening, I can still see some reddish/pinkish hue on the scar line.
Swell hell: This has gotten way better. I don't notice that I'm swollen as often anymore. Actually, I'm not swollen more often than I am. I do notice, however, if I've consumed a lot of sodium, I'm still more inclined to exhibit swelling in the area between my navel and scar.
Scarring: As I mentioned above about tanning, my scar is darkening but still reddish/pinkish along the scar line. My scar is 18 inches in length. Yes, I measured it. My scarring on the right side looks much better than the scarring on the left. Even though I'm pleased with my scarring results and how the incision healed, it just seems less on the right side. Also, the scar around my navel seems to be a little darker, thicker and noticeable on the right side than the left. But it's nothing I can't live with.
Shopping: It's so much better than it was. I wear clothes now that I wouldn't have even thought about wearing before or if I had worn them, I would have been highly self-conscious about it or worn a long shirt to hide the area. For example, yoga pants before would have gotten a heck no, forget it, no flippin' way but now I've gotten myself several pair and don't look bad in them if I do say so myself. I can wear dresses or slacks that fit my abdominal area nice and flat and I cannot express how awesome that is. I'm less inclined to wear blouses or items of clothing that hang and hide my mid-section. I tuck in my blouses and shirts more now than I did before.
Numbness: The area between my navel and my scar continues to be numb. But as I've noted here, that's to be expected as well as the expectation that the feeling may never return.
I think that concludes the high points in a nutshell.
In between blogging this and working, I managed to squeeze in calling the surgeon and the missed appointment has now been rescheduled for next week and post op photos will definitely be taken. I'm recalling how uncomfortable I was in my pre-op photos baring it all and now, I don't even feel that it's going to be an issue. It's crazy how a surgery can help alter perceptions in the way one sees him or herself, in a good way.
I have some TT post surgery photos I took a week or so ago but I'll come back and either update this blog or just create a new blog to include them.
Let's see ...
Follow-up: Bad me, I still need to go back. I had a third follow-up scheduled mid-November but due to work being busy at the time, I had to cancel and really need to call to reschedule. They still have yet to take the post surgery snapshots and I'm assuming when I go in they'll take them then.
Exercise: I'd say I'm pretty much back to my pre-surgery self with the exception of the excess skin being attached. I am able to work out completely. Run, walk, jog, lift, pull, push etcetera. No restrictions or cautiousness in regards to working my abdominal muscles. I'm able to do sit-ups, crunches, planks, and most exercise that engages the core. I've been involved in a fitness studio class for months now and have even attended boot camp classes for the past couple weeks on days that I'm not going to the studio.
Tanning: It's getting close to tanning time but I haven't done that yet since surgery. Remember as noted here, the rule is no tanning or sun around the scarred area for at least six months. Although my scar is darkening, I can still see some reddish/pinkish hue on the scar line.
Swell hell: This has gotten way better. I don't notice that I'm swollen as often anymore. Actually, I'm not swollen more often than I am. I do notice, however, if I've consumed a lot of sodium, I'm still more inclined to exhibit swelling in the area between my navel and scar.
Scarring: As I mentioned above about tanning, my scar is darkening but still reddish/pinkish along the scar line. My scar is 18 inches in length. Yes, I measured it. My scarring on the right side looks much better than the scarring on the left. Even though I'm pleased with my scarring results and how the incision healed, it just seems less on the right side. Also, the scar around my navel seems to be a little darker, thicker and noticeable on the right side than the left. But it's nothing I can't live with.
Shopping: It's so much better than it was. I wear clothes now that I wouldn't have even thought about wearing before or if I had worn them, I would have been highly self-conscious about it or worn a long shirt to hide the area. For example, yoga pants before would have gotten a heck no, forget it, no flippin' way but now I've gotten myself several pair and don't look bad in them if I do say so myself. I can wear dresses or slacks that fit my abdominal area nice and flat and I cannot express how awesome that is. I'm less inclined to wear blouses or items of clothing that hang and hide my mid-section. I tuck in my blouses and shirts more now than I did before.
Numbness: The area between my navel and my scar continues to be numb. But as I've noted here, that's to be expected as well as the expectation that the feeling may never return.
I think that concludes the high points in a nutshell.
In between blogging this and working, I managed to squeeze in calling the surgeon and the missed appointment has now been rescheduled for next week and post op photos will definitely be taken. I'm recalling how uncomfortable I was in my pre-op photos baring it all and now, I don't even feel that it's going to be an issue. It's crazy how a surgery can help alter perceptions in the way one sees him or herself, in a good way.
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Good luck with your surgery and/or recovery!