LBL February 18

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

Congrats!!!

I will always remember that first "reveal". My dear friend was with me and she actually cried with joy at the transformation. Of course i was hunched over like quasi modo so wasn't feeling too lovely BUT, flat tummy...oooh la la! No more folds of skin tween my thighs. well, and just everything was so much better.

I am so happy for you! I had very little pain and hope that is your situation too. My biggest "pain" problem was skin irritation from tape and compression garments.

[skiddles 66]

Congrats!!!

I will always remember that first "reveal". My dear friend was with me and she actually cried with joy at the transformation. Of course i was hunched over like quasi modo so wasn't feeling too lovely BUT, flat tummy...oooh la la! No more folds of skin tween my thighs. well, and just everything was so much better.

I am so happy for you! I had very little pain and hope that is your situation too. My biggest "pain" problem was skin irritation from tape and compression garments.

My words exactly cowgirljane! I will never forget my 1st peek!

[CBT 450]

Post op day 2. I came home from hospital yesterday. All has been smooth and uneventful. I'm swollen and the compression garment is giving me occasional reflux? I've not had that history of reflux. My son made me Breakfast. Bless him

I'm able to transfer myself in/out of bed but I take advantage of DH being here.

I'm going to stretch my next pain medication by an hour, from 4 to 5 cause pain seems really well managed now.

Going to shower in a couple hours. I'm excited for the shower but more excited to see my body!

[CBT 450]

Post op day 3.

I'm shocked at how well I'm recovering. I'm not complaining!

I showered yesterday and that was no problem. Putting the drains on a lanyard is brilliant Cowgirl Jane. The only reason I needed another person was to get me back into the compression garment.

OMG my body is awesome! Toot Toot! (That's my horn and maybe a bit of narcotics) I just want to look at it. I was so focused in getting the shower that I didn't take a long look. I also forgot to look at the back because my breast aug is overwhelming my eyeballs.

Yesterday I could stand straight up!!! Same today. I don't know if I am supposed to stand straight up just because I can? The PA is supposed to call me today.

I ate about 150 grams of Protein yesterday: chicken Soup, cold shrimp, Protein Drink, Fage....

I've been drinking Vitamin Water. The one with extra Vit C. I got water nausea on Wednesday and I can't look at water in a cup

This morning I walked around my house for an hour. Doing laps in your house is weird so I timed it to help get my kids ready for school. Nothing major at all. No stretching, straining, pushing or pulling. I was just and extra set of hands. I never got tired but decided it was time to get back into bed. I don't know where my physical boundaries are yet.

This post wouldn't be complete without poop and drain talk.

I have been taking 2 Senna (rx laxative and stool softener combined) twice a day and no poop. So now I'll add Miralax.

I just reduced my narcotic by half dose and stretched it out a half hour. I wasn't able to do that yesterday. Dr said stay on it 24 hours for 72 hours. I'm still taking Tylenol.

Drain care isn't an issue. I have three. I do think one is kind of pinching/burning sometimes.

So i'm gonna watch some movies because I hardly ever have time to watch TV or movies. I'm open to suggestions. I also have some crafts sitting here. I don't think I have that level of focus/concentration yet.

What else?

[skiddles 66]

Amazing how some ps say u can take a shower and others say not to until the tubes come out!

[CBT 450]

I am grateful to be one of those shower early ppl. I was allowed to shower 24 hours post op.

[Sweet Pee 349]

Here are some TV shows that are always entertaining to me.

NCIS, Doc Martin, and King Of the Hill are some suggestions.

Happy Healing,

Sweetpee

[CBT 450]

Here are some TV shows that are always entertaining to me. NCIS, Doc Martin, and King Of the Hill are some suggestions. Happy Healing, Sweetpee

Thanks for this! I haven't seen any of them.

[skiddles 66]

I spent alot of time on Facebook and this site, playing solitaire.

[CBT 450]

Post op Day 4!

I'm plodding along. I can stand up straight, get in/out of bed, get up/down from chairs. I move slow and I get sore if I stand around.

I went for a 15 minute walk outside today. On the way back my abdomen tightened up and my right side had mild spasm. Glad I was at my front door. I took a nap :-)

Still showering on my own except for the garment.I can't get in or out of it without assistance.

I have full range of motion in my arms. Feels the best to wash my hair! No pain. No limitations there. Seems strange since my pec muscles were cut and stretched....

I do swell but I prefer ice to medications so that is helping move the Fluid. I slept with ice packs the first 48 hours. After 72 hours I started ibuprofen. I'm getting good Protein.

The poop story is bad. I think the narcotic I'm taking is a grand offender and notorious for Constipation. I'm hoping it's all behind me now. Yuk yuk. Behind me.

The change is astonishing. I can't imagine what I'll look like one month from now.

Maybe i'll post some progress/drain pics. Ewwww. Post op is Tuesday.

Take home message: ice, ice, baby and range of motion.

[CBT 450]

I spent alot of time on Facebook and this site, playing solitaire.

I like solitaire

[skiddles 66]

You're doing great! Just don't get cocky like me, That's how I ripped stitches in the middle of my front and middle of my back. It's prolonged my recovery. Thank God for Laptops!

[CBT 450]

You're doing great! Just don't get cocky like me, That's how I ripped stitches in the middle of my front and middle of my back. It's prolonged my recovery. Thank God for Laptops!

Oh no! How'd you rip stitches? How far into recovery did that happen. I bet that was/is an oozy mess. Ugh. Nothing necrotic, though?

[CBT 450]

Post op day 5

Well I'm certainly sore from having to poop. That was awful. I'm on a new narcotic. My drains were running more red this morning. Tonight they've cleared up again. No doubt some bleeding from that which I will call The Event. I was tapering the other narcotic and had it pretty low but have had a pain set back secondary to The Event. Not a big set back. Totally manageable.

I have 3 drains. My middle drain is giving me some grief. Well at least I have something to do with all this laying about. Anyway, it's not holding it's suction and sometimes it is holding it's suction. Seemed random. Anyone have this problem? The PA will call me tomorrow to follow up on The Event so I'll ask. I have post op Tuesday.

I am using ice pretty much nonstop. Swelling is reducing fast. I'm grateful for that cause swelling while in compression is a hot mess.

I didn't eat great today. I'll eat more Protein before bed. No apatite. Probably secondary to The Event. So I tried to eat by the clock. It's gross to eat when you're not hungry. What I did eat was good. chicken and black Beans, mainly.

No walk outside today. I did some art and watched some House of Cards.

Oh! Oh! I got myself out of my binder for my shower! I got myself back into it only half way then needed help. I'm okay with that.

I'm still shocked by my body. As the swelling goes down I shake my head. All that skin is gone. I can't wait to dance!!! I am excited to go to yoga and hold a downward facing dog with out flying my skin flag. That was just emotionally hard. I cannot practice yoga in compression so I said a prayer for the person on the mat behind me and held my pose. Now, no distraction. I can see this in my not so distant future. For now, I lay prone.

One last thing. I can side sleep! What?!?!? I know.

So thankfully this has been an Uneventful, Eventful Day. Now I will go eat.

Ps. Seriously about the drains. Anyone?

[CBT 450]

Post op Days 6 & 7

Yesterday, day 6 was shaping up to be pretty uneventful. I put a whole rusted chicken in the crockpot so my family would have dinner and then spent the rest of the day eating and laying in bed. For most of the day my apatite was insatiable.

Drains had really slowed down as had swelling. I got myself showered and out/in my binder all by myself!!!

Around 6pm my DD said she had a sore throat. Gave her Advil. she woke up at 10 vomiting and didn't stop until 1am. Bless her. She's much better today. Laying on the other couch watching movies. Low grade fever. So that brings me to

Post op Day 7

I'm terrified to eat. I put myself on a liquid diet. I can't think about how much it will hurt to vomit like she did. Now, DH intuitively cleaned her and everything up so I'm probably being some what irrational :-0

My BFF took me to my post op nurse appointment. I'm having some nerve pain in my back incision. It's manageable but annoying to get comfortable. Ice is helping.

Anyway, appointment went fine. Tape came off sutures, stitches came out of belly button. Two of my 3 drains will come out by Friday. The central drain probably will be in until next week. I think having the left and right drains out will help my back pain. That's only instinct talking.

Nurse said suture lines are closed and look great. Belly swelling will become puffiness and hang around until about 12 weeks when the lymphatic channels have healed.

I'm freakin small, y'all. I can't visualize what I will look like once the Fluid is gone. I will be completely flat! But not my boobs. OMG. they're swollen and high. They will drop into place around 5 weeks. The sutures are tight and holding them high.

Long night and morning. The sun was out so my BFF took me for a 10m walk outside. Now I'm hangin out opposite my DD watching fairy movies. #lifeisgood #hungrybutafraidtoeat