Abdominal wall reconstruction and hernia repair tomorrow!

[sassy14 178]

It's tomorrow!!! After a month and a half delay after a spider bite, I am good to go for surgery tomorrow morning. I'm going to have the BARs procedure--realigning of abdominal organs and a plastic screen attached to my pelvis. I've had a big issue with recurrent hernias and this will solve that problem.

And, all the icky skin will be gone. Goodbye panni! I will lose my belly button and I am just fine with that!

This is the best Christmas gift ever!

[old_rn 110]

Yay for you!!!!!!!! I hope I can bid mine goodbye at some point too. Hope all goes well

[bobbyswife 862]

That's awesome! Keep us posted!

[mommietam 26]

Fantastic!

[finediva 979]

Will they be able to "make" a new belly button? What type of hernia do you have? I have a large hernia that needs to be repaired for the second time in 10 yrs. I hope to have a Tummy Tuck done at the same time.

[sassy14 178]

I'm waiting to go to the or now! I said not to bother with the belly button. And they are doing the TT-- all with the repair of the recurrent hernia and some additional ones that I got. Can't wait for it to be over!!

[finediva 979]

So excited for you. Pray that all went well and you are recovering with some great drugs!

[blondebomb 580]

Congrats!! Did insurance pay for your tummy work? I am going to look into this also. My next app with surgeon will be in spring. Going to talk to him hoping for a speedy recovery!

[sassy14 178]

Hi! All went very well and I did not need to have the BARs procedure. The surgeons were able to sew and reinforce my diastasis recti muscles. They had separated 9cm allowing the formation of lots of hernias.

I had a lot of skin removal and it looks good! 2 drains until likely next week. The pain is not bad-- under control with one percoset every 4 hours. I am getting up (with help) and using bathroom. I'm eating and drinking and I go home today!! All good.

Yes--insurance is paying. Because I have had recurrent incarcerated hernias the reconstruction was not considered cosmetic.

[finediva 979]

So happy for you that you are safely out of surgery. Thanks for sharing about the procedure. Take good care of yourself.

[Bronco0605 135]

I hope all is well can't wait to hear your update!

[sassy14 178]

I'm doing very well. The drains came out today--not painful. I'm healing well with minor pain. I am eating and sleeping well. Only issue is I have take more Phillips milk of magnesia. I'm a bit constipated.

I'm tired and very glad I took off four weeks!

[Bronco0605 135]

I am so glad you are doing well! How are you spending your time?

[sassy14 178]

Thanks! While I have very little pain, I have even less ambition. So I nap, read a lot, watch movies and read blogs! Next week, after doc appt on Wednesday I'm going to go to the library! Woohoo!

[sassy14 178]

Two weeks and two days post surgery-- thought I'd give an update.

I am only taking one half a percoset for pain at night. I am so pleasantly surprised by the level of pain. It was not nearly as awful as I anticipated. The plastic surgeon did a pain block during the surgery, but I had repair of a bunch of hernias, removal of lots of skin and fat and sewing of diastasis recti muscles and mesh. I had two drains for 1 week and gave myself blood thinner shots for two weeks and took antibiotics for one week.

I can sleep in my bed--have from the first night home from my one night stay at Hosp. But I have to sleep on my back still. (I like my side)

After 8-10 days I had no problem getting out of bed on my own. I am still swollen-- my waist was 33 inches the morning of surgery. Today it is 35. The plastic surgeon said it takes at least a month of recovery-- wearing the binder 24/7-- to go down. Starting today I will take 1 aleve with a protonix twice a day to help with swelling. (No worries-- my bariatric surgeon approved this too, but for only one week.)

The binder is wonderful. But buy some sleeveless men's t-shirts to wear under it. I only take off the binder for a shower.

I am slowly gaining back strength. I am 58 and notice that my body is just needing a lot more rest than I would have thought. I have gone to the store with my hubby and that is a lot for me. I can't lift anything more than a half a gallon of milk for a long time. Never more than 35 lbs.

I trust my abdomen will firm up-- it's better today than it was but it's never going to be great. I had two c-sections, emergency gall bladder repair that gave me a huge horizontal scar and emergency hernia repair last year that left me a huge vertical scar. My belly button was taken--too many surgeries through it to save.

I no longer have the dreaded "front apron" and I will have a normal tummy for a 58 year old.

All in all, so glad I did this as a combined hernia repair, panniculectomy, abdominal wall reconstruction.