Hi everyone! Well, I am scheduled for my full tummy tuck this coming Wednesday. Nervous/excited/nervous/excited!

I have created a photo album on make me heal. I was inspired by Laura P. to include pics of me wearing my "goal pants" Just about fainted trying to zip them up, but hopefully I'll fit into them eventually. Feel free to look at my pics if you'd like. I'll be updating them as I go along.

Plastic Surgery Pictures, Videos, Photos, Pics, Before, After, Cosmetic Surgery.

password: goobgone

Mini, I am so happy it is a hematoma and not a seroma, yippee!!! Loved your picture and I don't think you have to worry about dog ears the way he dipped down the ends.

Mimi

Okay, ladies, I have posted some new pics! I gotta tell ya, now that the swelling is going down I am really happy with how I look. I can't wait to see how it will be in another month!

I'm also feeling quite good. a little tired, a little sore, but not too bad, all things considered. I'm so happy I did this!

Plastic Surgery Pictures, Videos, Photos, Pics, Before, After, Cosmetic Surgery

password: goobgone

HI Mini,

So happy to hear your swelling is going down and you are doing well! Your figure is going to be fantastic!! It looks amazing now even with the swelling. Thanks for keeping us posted with pics and updates on your healing. Take care.

Barb

Thank you so much, Barb. I appreciate it.

Hey, do you take folic acid? I think low folic acid has something to do with low red blood levels too . . . just a thought.

Mini, I am so happy it is a hematoma and not a seroma, yippee!!! Loved your picture and I don't think you have to worry about dog ears the way he dipped down the ends.

Mimi

Hi Mimi. I think you're right about the dog ears. I was a little shocked when I first saw how far back he had made the cuts, but I think it will be really good in the end.

Mini,

Sorry I had missed this thread. I am so happy for you - YEA FLATLAND. You sound like you are doing great. I am glad that the hematome is getting better. Take your pain meds as needed, they will help you, they are your friend. Like you, I am happy to be seeing some parts of my body that I could not see with that big roll of flab. J

Just rest, and rest some more. You will never get the chance again to heal well now.

Take care,

Laura

Mini,

Sorry I had missed this thread. I am so happy for you - YEA FLATLAND. You sound like you are doing great. I am glad that the hematome is getting better. Take your pain meds as needed, they will help you, they are your friend. Like you, I am happy to be seeing some parts of my body that I could not see with that big roll of flab. J

Just rest, and rest some more. You will never get the chance again to heal well now.

Take care,

Laura

Thanks, Laura. I have done nothing today but doze in my chair. For some reason, I have just felt out of sorts today. I suppose it's just one of those "post-surgical" things. And my belly button hurts - ha ha! Such a silly thing!

Mini,

pics look good. Glad to hear pain is not too bad. What is hematoma vs seroma? I think procedure will go further like yours. I go 10/24 for pre-op appt. yay

Mini,

pics look good. Glad to hear pain is not too bad. What is hematoma vs seroma? I think procedure will go further like yours. I go 10/24 for pre-op appt. yay

From what I understand, a hematoma is due to active bleeding under the skin, while seroma occurs when Fluid seeps into a pocket under the skin. Not exactly sure why one or the other occurs.

October will be here before you know it! I felt like I waited and waited to get my TT and now it's been a week already!

Hi Mini, You now will be a mini. :thumbup: You look great. I hope I look half as good as you when I am done with surgery on November 6, 2009. Yes I am counting down. :smile2:

Katie

Hi Mini, You now will be a mini. :thumbup: You look great. I hope I look half as good as you when I am done with surgery on November 6, 2009. Yes I am counting down. :smile2:

Katie

Thanks, Katie! And counting down is half the fun. It will be here before you know it. I am so happy that I had it done. I can't believe it's me!

Hi Ladies,

I wanted to jump in and give my two thumbs up to the Hanky Panky panties. :biggrin: I have a bunch of weight to lose still but I wear the boy short style - they cover the lower tummy flap for now and are comfy! Also, believe it or not, the Gap online has some great panties, much cheaper than the Hanky Panky brand and also comfy.

I have only lost 17 lbs so far, but I have also had 4 babies, and my lower tummy is a mess. I will be following you all, hoping to get a TT some day myself!

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

Well, poop. I have a large seroma above my left hip. Just got back from the doc. He aspirated quite a bit of it, but said it was too clotted to get all of it, so I have to go back in Monday and he'll suction it out with a cannula and put a couple of stitches in it. So I look pretty icky right now. Oh well.

Mini, my seroma lasted me 2 months worth of draining...it was horrible. However, it caused no damage or complications. Seromas occur because your body is use to something being in that area so it floods it with white blood cells to fill the space.

The one thing I will tell you is stay away from heating pads and ice.

Congrats!!

Edited September 18, 200916 yr by FighterGirl

Mini, my seroma lasted me 2 months worth of draining...it was horrible. However, it caused no damage or complications. Seromas occur because your body is use to something being in that area so it floods it with white blood cells to fill the space.

The one thing I will tell you is stay away from heating pads and ice.

Congrats!!

Thanks for the info. Supposedly mine is a hematoma, so it will hopefully not return. It has gone down quite a bit now. Yay! Sorry to hear that yours took so long.

WARNING - this post is going to be very whiny, so if you are scheduled for surgery soon and are easily discouraged, you may want to quit reading now. If, however, you understand that there will be ups and downs in the recovery process and won't take anything I have to say too seriously, then forge ahead . . . .

Okay. The whining shall commence in 3 . . 2 . .

I just feel crappy today. My lower back is so sore from not being able to stand up straight. I am almost there . . . but not quite. Everytime I try to stand up totally straight, my tummy is just too tight and it feels really weird. So I end up still being slightly stooped and have a whopper of a backache.

I still have my drains. I'm consistently draining about 50ccs per 24 hours, and on the left side (where I had the hematoma), the drainage is still very dark red. However, my PS is taking the drains out Monday regardless of how much I'm draining as he feels that leaving them in too long increases the risk of infection too much. I'm worried that I will have lots of swelling with the drains coming out, but can't wait to have them out anyway. I'm really tired of them. I'm tired of not being able to wear pants. The binder is annoying the crap out of me. Bleh. :blushing:

My incision is kinda scabby and ugly and puckery. It doesn't hurt. Quite the opposite, in fact. It is completely numb. And that bugs me. And it's not just the incision but a huge swath on either side of it. This leads me to my biggest irritation of the moment. . . I feel very disconnected from my new tummy. When I look at it in the mirror, it doesn't look like me at all. I have never had a flat tummy, ever. So it just looks like someone else's torso has been inserted into my body. And the numbness just adds to the feeling since, when I touch it, I can't feel anything. It totally creeps me out. I was putting mederma on the incision in front of the mirror and I had to quite looking at the mirror because I could see me touching myself but couldn't actually feel it and I couldn't handle the dissonance. Hope that makes sense.

As for energy, etc . . . I feel well enough to be really tired of the fact that I don't feel better. But I don't feel well enough to actually do anything. I just took a shower and, by the time I had finished, dried off, redressed my drain insertion sites, put on new panties and t-shirt, etc., I was kind of light-headed and not feeling that great. Pathetic, yes?

Okay, I'm finished. I just needed to vent. I'm sure tomorrow will be better, and it will be great to get the drains out on Monday. And don't get me wrong - I'm still thrilled that I did this. I'm just not particularly enjoying this stage of recovery.

I'll post new pics on Monday after the drains are out.

TTFN

Mini, I am sorry you are having a down day, but I am glad you posted about it. I hope hope hope you feel better tomorrow, or even tonight!!!!! I love your spirit and know this little set back won't keep you down.

Mimi