Now that I have my pre-op pics from the doctor I thought I'd start this thread. I have learned so much watching Julie and Puddin I wanted to follow their example and share my journey as well.

I am posting my surgical pre-op photos below but am leaving my before/current photos of my clothed self off this thread for now. Somehow that makes me feel just a little more exposed on this thread. Silly I know since my photos are already on several other threads.

My husband pulled the pain pump tubes out of me this morning. One didn't hurt at all the other felt like he was trying to pull out a nose or pubic hair. I kept grabbing his arm and digging my nails in. He is lucky I didn't draw blood. But over all I guess it wasn't too bad.

I have two drains in me right in the front center of my pubic hair area, which makes it a bit akward and uncomfortable to wipe in the bathroom. If I barely brush against them or tug on them it feels like I'm pulling on my pubic hairs. I've been taking 1 pain pill every 4 hours like clockwork, the doc said I could take as many as 2 but so far I've stuck with just the one. It leaves me with kind of a dull pain across my stomach, sides and inner thighs. With the pain pump gone today has been the most uncomfortable but still bearable. Getting up and down is difficult but do-able. It almost hurts less if I just do it myself. I even wanted to go into work for an hour or so yesterday and today but DH & DM (Dear Mother) refused to drive me over. They are probably right not to let me go back so soon, I'm just getting antsy stuck at home with work piling up over there.

DIANE: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaa!!!!!!!!! TAKE IT EASY WOMAN!

Diane: Congratulations. Thanks for posting. Hope to hear from you in a few days. Rest up and take care of yourself!

Diane,

Be careful if you are trying to get yourself up. I did that because I felt bad waking my husband all of the time, and ended up with a hernia. Let them help you- that's why they are there.

Take care.

Hi Ghost- it sounds like you are doing well. I have been thinking about you all week. Please take it easy so you can recover and enjoy that new body. I can't:clap2: wait to see the pics!

I've been thinking about you all week! Take care of yourself!!!!

Diane--so glad you are doing so well sweetie! Listen to Julie and take it easy! No superwoman antics for a bit!

Diane- we all, would like "to do it all" all of the time- please for the sake of you surgery expense, and success... slow down and take it easy! Go stir crazy if you have to! Let the whole word become a mess, it can all be taken care of later/after you!

AND ...I can relate to dial up! Slow speed... can you use those two words together? I will be slowly waiting for your pics to appear myself! lol

PS...My DH just blew my 2008-2009 budget for Plastic Surgery... Sat. 10-13-07 he had kidney stone surgery ...I think about $20,000.00 worth, for a one hour procedure! Ohhhh, poor me oh my!

Hi all. I am really trying to take it easy. It's just so BORING. I've got a pile of books here and love to read but everytime I start I just doze off. And I NEVER fall asleep reading. I suppose that's a good sign I'm really not ready to go back to work.

The pain has really been ok. Just a sore muscle pain like you worked out too hard, combined with that very annoying hair-pulling pain when I move wrong. Today I think I'm going to only take the pain meds once every 6 hours instead of 4 and see how it goes.

The swelling really is starting to set in. They said it would peak at 5-10 days and this is 5 days right now. My whole body is swollen my little feet look like I was right back at my highest weight and my fingers and face are also very puffy. I think I'm glad I had the band loosened before surgery, I think if I hadn't I wouldn't have been able to swallow my own spit at this point. Not everyone reacts this way I hear, lucky me.

I'm trying to force down lots and lots of water today in the hopes it might help speed up flushing out the swelling. Last night I ended up sleeping with an ice pack on my nether regions. Being they are the only area not wrapped up like a mummy they were really swollen and tender. I swear I have no idea how anyone could bear a mons lift. All I have is some drain tubes sticking out of there and I'm cringing like a baby everytime I shift wrong. The ice packs really helped bring the swelling there down to a bearable level, and the tenderness has come down as well.

I'm frustrated that I still haven't get those pics from my neighbor. Unfortunately she spends most weekends with a boyfriend, so I'll probably have to wait until tomorrow night to get her to resend them now. Crazy but I still don't really know what I look like now either, but I am finally starting to feel well enough that I might just unwrap myself long enough to take a look in a mirror.

Mazie - Sorry to hear about your husband. I'll keep him "and your budget ;)" in my prayers.

Diane: Glad the pain is tolerable. How long do the drain tubes have to be in? I've heard that is the most uncomfortable part. Did you end up using the spanx like garment for your girdle or does the dr suggest something else? How long are you suppose to be all trussed up? What do they say about exercise, work, etc? Could you give us a timeline for that stuff? Thanks. Wishing you the best!

Karey,

It can vary from person to person I hear. But I will agree 100% the drain tubes are the WORST. It sure doesn't help that they have to be placed right in the middle of my pubic area. VERY uncomfortable. I wish I would have shaved pre-surgery though I'm not sure how much that would have helped or if I would have just been complaining about the painful stubble.

I ended up with 2 drains, the doc said there might have been as many as 4 but he didn't need that many on me. Don't know how he decides that. I have to empty them whenever they start to get full and record on a log sheet how much fluid came out of each drain tube. At the end of the drain tubes are these fist sized plastic balls that catch the fluid. When you empty it you squeeze as much air out as possible before resealing them to create a bit of suction on the tubes. After the first few days the fluid changes from bloody to kind of yellowish with some pink tones to it. The doc says he uses the log of how much fluid comes out of each to decide how long they stay in. He might even pull one out before the other. I've only been draining mine twice a day and even at that the ball are only about 1/4 full. The doc seemed a bit surprised at how little fluid I was getting out and says that is a positive sign. I hope he is right but I am very "puffy" everywhere else, feet, hands, face. I feel like a giant staypuff marshmallow girl.

The hospital gave me a special compression garment to wear after surgery. it is a strechy back brace thing with 3 pairs of velcro flaps that come round the front. They want me to wear this for the first 3 weeks then switch to the spanx for another 3-4 weeks. The spanx would be hard to put on right now because of the drains. I only take it off to shower and wish I could shower with it on as well. It's not that it hurts to have it off it just feels VERY WIERD. I can't describe it. It's almost like you feel if you don't have it on your insides might fall out. Kind of a seasick feeling, not painful. That's one reason I still don't really know what I look like, I rush to put the binder back on as soon as I get out of the shower. I don't even want to take the time to stand in front of a mirror right now.

Hopefully I (we) will be able to look at the pics tomorrow night. I've left an e-mail and a phone message for the neighbor that the pics didn't come through. So hopefully she will get them resent tomorrow.

Hi everyone! I finally got the pics from my neighbor. They don't look too terrible considering the swelling. I can't wait to see how I look once the swelling begins to go down instead of up.

Wow Diane you are going to look amazing! I am still blown away at what a tummy tuck can do. I hope to be there this time next year (I finally got everything done and my paperwork gets submitted to insurance this week so I am hoping I am approved and don't have to blow my ps budget on self-pay!)

Anyway thanks for sharing everything - even if it does make me cringe a little! Keep those pictures coming.

Kim

I wish I would have shaved pre-surgery though I'm not sure how much that would have helped or if I would have just been complaining about the painful stubble.

Ahh! That's why I got waxed a couple of days pre op!! I am actually surprised they didn't shave you.

Looking good! :clap2: