Just wanted to reach out and tell someone that can relate to my feelings right now that my Tummy Tuck is scheduled for tomorrow morning, Jan. 3, 2013, at 7am! I'm soooooo excited but getting nervous and anxious. I was doing o.k. until the anesthisiologist called me a minute ago. I am not at goal weight which was originally set at my personal want of 140lbs. I really don't think I can maintain 140 as the last time I was that weight was 10 years ago and prior to my open heart surgery, full hysterectomy, hypothyroidism and Hoshimoto's . I could probably get there if I tried extremely hard but I know that realistically I won't be able to maintain that weight and if I could it would be a constant struggle. I'm at 157 and my plastic surgeon believes that 150 is a more realistic and maintainable weight for me since for the past 4 months I have maintained from 153 to 157 (I'm 5'71/2"). Therefore, since I'm within 10 lbs of my goal weight my surgeon says it will be perfectly fine for the TT operation. My VSG was one year ago on Dec. 13th.

I've already ordered the silicone sheets for after the scabs have fallen off to help the scar look better. If anyone is curious or wants more info. on them go to silon.com. I bought the abdominoplasty shaped sheet that is made for TT's or C-section areas. I watched a Youtube video where a woman had a TT and used the silicon sheets and her scar came out beautifully!

Wish me luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck

Am happy for you and love your positive energy

Arrrrgghhh, I am sooo excited about my upcoming procedures and dreading them as well! Im thinking the VSG wasn't anything compared to the recovery for plastics! My VSG was smooth, had it done while hubby was overseas, and came home to home alone except for 2 teenage boys that are NO help at all. Not a problem at all. But Im thinking this plastic thing is not gonna be sooo smooth! LOL

Keep up the good work girl, your getting there day by day!

You are completely right... The VSG was nothing compared to the TT! I went back to work one week after my VSG and only had to deal with eating frustrations. The TT, to me, has been very painful and uncomfortable. It's not EXTREMELY painful and I would do it again in a second but it certainly puts you down for awhile and you HAVE to have help for at least the first 3 days. Everyone is different though and you may not have as tough experience as I am. The results will be well worth our time!! Thanks to eveyone for all the encouraging words and I'm glad to hear that I'm putting out a positive energy as my posts are not to bring anybody down but they are to be just one persons personal experience with a TT in hopes to maybe answer questions that others may have that might help them make a more informed decision of getting a TT an/or to provide a realistic account of what a person may go through in recovery of a TT. Thanks for all the support!!!!!!

Your post are not discouraging at all I don't think. I consider them educational! LOL I think a person has to be realistic in their expectations of recovery and the more info you can gather the better prepared you are. Although I don't think a person can ever be truly prepared, I think it helps to watch others journeys so you can at least get an idea of what to expect. I have to say, after reading so many post on VSG, I expected to wheel out of the OR pain free,, basically a walk in the park! My first thought waking up was OMG! what have I done! I wasn't really in any excrusiating pain, just so violently sick I thought I would die! My surgeon wanted me up walking by 2 hours post op and it was terrible walking while so nauseous..I was maxed out on phenergan, zofran, and that patch behind the ears, plus anesthesia, so walking while so sleepy was also no fun. The nurse would pat me on the cheek and say wake up, you cant sleep while walking, which I literally was doing! LOL By that night I was fine, and everything settled down, nausea subsided, I finally woke up, etc. My point is, postings like yours are making me much more educated than I was pre=VSG. I am going into this procedure with a total different mind set. I know this will be painful, I know this will be a long hard recovery, I know I can't do this alone, etc. So Please keep posting! I am trying to soak in as much info as I can before the 24th!

BTW-I think you are doing awesome in your recovery!!!

Hope u r doing fine

No updates for few days

Today is day 11 and everything is moving right along. The Nurse called me yesterday to come in and have the 2nd drain tube removed! OMG! It feels great to no longer have drain tubes! The fluid in the tubes before they were removed was an orangish yellow and very thin. The incision area still doesn't hurt. The drain tube incisions are very sore but nothing Tylenol can't handle. Since the drain tubes have been removed I was cleared to sleep in a recliner. RIGHT! I sat down in it o.k. and had some trouble pulling the arm on the side to bring up my feet because it takes some stomach muscle BUT when I tried to push down the feet to get up I absolutely couldn't!!! My boyfriend and I tried everything to get me out of the chair without a pull on my stomach. My boyfriend even tied a rope from the leg of the dresser so I could help pull myself forward but that apparently takes stomach muscles too and I just couldn't do it. So, needless to say I'm back in bed on my back again! I'll give the recliner another try in a couple of days. Very upsetting! Other than that everything is going great. The nurse said bedrest for 3 more days to help prevent a seroma since the drain tubes are no longer there to release any fluid build-up. Real tired of laying down all the time but if it keeps a seroma from forming then I'm o.k. with being on my back a few more days!

Thanks for your concern, Ultrav!olet! I had some company for a couple of days that took up my time. It was nice to see someone besides these walls! I never thought in a million years that I would look forward to returning to work but I really do miss the socializing and being around people!

OMG, Kwindham! Your surgery is just around the corner! I'm sooo excited for you! You are very wise to research as much as possible to learn everything you can prior to surgery. I thought I had done alot of research but there was still so much more that I didn't know and that I've learned only through the experience. One thing I didn't do was pay attention to the DIFFERENCES in the experiences from different people. Everyone is different and every experience is going to be slanted slightly different and I was just sort of focused on the overall procedure and after effects. For instance, I had no idea that my stomach muscles were going to hurt so bad. I thought the incision was going to be the major source of pain and it doesn't hurt at all. I also ran out and bought a used recliner before surgery and had no idea that I couldn't sleep in it until my drain tubes were removed. Of course, that restriction was from my doc but it still goes to show you that everyone's experience is going to be different but the more you learn now the more you won't be surprised when or if it happens to you. I sure hope you fair better with the anesthesia this time! The last thing you are going to want to do is to use your stomach muscles!

I bought a wedge pillow. Maybe you should try to get the bf to try to locate one for you somewhere local? I live in the "woods" so I had to go out of town to find one, but I know it is going to be h3ll trying to come up from a complete flat position.

Glad you're improving!

good luck ... u do fine & be bikini ready in no time

Day 12 !!! No big change. I'm real sore at the areas where the drain tubes came out. The incision looks real good and I am just so pleased at how low it is. Even with all the complaining that I've been doing over the past 12 days...I've already started looking in to my next procedure. Sound crazy? Maybe...but maybe it means the TT must not have been THAT BAD afterall OR maybe it means the end justifies the means...?

Frumpynomore I've really enjoyed following your improvement and recovery. I had a facelift two weeks ago and have been in recovery mode myself (although a facelift is NOT as painful as a TT my pain control was not good for the first 4 days).

I'm having a TT and thighplasty in three weeks. As you have mentioned, the TT alone is a very difficult recovery, so I'm expecting it to be a living he||. The surgery is about 10 hours - none of that twilight stuff for me (I'm sure it works fine for people, but I don't want any chance of waking up). I'm having a lift/aug last, once I've recovered - mid May probably.

Do you have any advice about the TT? Will I wear loose sweats as I recover or will even that hurt? I have a hired a caregiver for the first week who will stay at the house. Is there anything you recommend having prepared ahead of time? I know I will seriously stock up on my bottled Water and Protein drinks. Other than that, I have my phone, iPad, and TV. With my facelift though I didn't feel well enough to watch TV for the first week. What else do you recommend preparing ahead of time?

Thanks for any advice!

Glad to hear it went well can't wait to see the after pics :*)

Came through the TT just fine at 7am and in the car to go home at 12:30. The actual surgery was 4hours long. I'm hurting real bad but still not one painkiller. Doc doesn't want me to take the painkillers until it's absolutely necessary. I take extra strength Tylenol and Celebrex. My back is killing me because I have to lay on it with neck flat on bed and no pillows until he removes the drain tubes. I can't wait to see the results! Thank you all for your support!

LOL I agree everyone made the VSG sound like nothing. I woke up thinking the same thing "What did I do to myself?" Have to admit I would definitely do it over because I am happy with my results, but I do tell anyone considering it the absolute truth. Surgery is not the easy way out like some may think. I am glad that someone else is educating us and giving realistic expectations.

Your post are not discouraging at all I don't think. I consider them educational! LOL I think a person has to be realistic in their expectations of recovery and the more info you can gather the better prepared you are. Although I don't think a person can ever be truly prepared, I think it helps to watch others journeys so you can at least get an idea of what to expect. I have to say, after reading so many post on VSG, I expected to wheel out of the OR pain free,, basically a walk in the park! My first thought waking up was OMG! what have I done! I wasn't really in any excrusiating pain, just so violently sick I thought I would die! My surgeon wanted me up walking by 2 hours post op and it was terrible walking while so nauseous..I was maxed out on phenergan, zofran, and that patch behind the ears, plus anesthesia, so walking while so sleepy was also no fun. The nurse would pat me on the cheek and say wake up, you cant sleep while walking, which I literally was doing! LOL By that night I was fine, and everything settled down, nausea subsided, I finally woke up, etc. My point is, postings like yours are making me much more educated than I was pre=VSG. I am going into this procedure with a total different mind set. I know this will be painful, I know this will be a long hard recovery, I know I can't do this alone, etc. So Please keep posting! I am trying to soak in as much info as I can before the 24th!

BTW-I think you are doing awesome in your recovery!!!

hi to every one! i just had my tt last saturday and i though it was going to be more painful. the only thing is this drain that keeps following me every were i go lol