Need advice on tummy tuck!

Hi all! Totally new here. I'm scheduled for a tummy tuck on Nov 1st. 

Does anyone have any advice for the first few days? I have 2 young children and my husband will be home so I will have help and they will have care. I'm just worried about pain, truthfully. I've been through two natural childbirth a and gastric bypass but this is terrifying to me.

 

Any tips? Things you wish you would have known or done? Advice? 

 

Thanks so much!

The pain is bad, but it is temporary and then you are left with a beautiful body. Here is all of my advice and a detailed account of my journey: http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/276918/160586/bariatr ic-abdominoplasty-ch/

I hope this helps and good luck!!! I am two weeks out from body lift (no TT), monsplasty, inner thigh lift, arm lift, flankplasty, breast lift, lipo. This recovery has been easier than the TT recovery 6-mos ago. One more round to go for me: face/neck lift and implants, and tweaks to what he already has done.

Interesting story.

If you bought a house with your plastic surgery fund how did you pay for your plastic surgery?

I cashed in a mutual fund that I had put aside as retirement. Now I will have to work longer but I decided to live life now by doing something that will make me very happy. So far I have spent 25-26k not including travel expenses. I have one more surgery to go.

I see, sorry to seem so nosey!

I have a 401k floating around that I thought I'd cash out for plastics once I'm done losing weight.  I guess my hubby mulled it over and told me just last week that he'd rather we just save the money because he'd like us to retire.  I told him I'd rather look HOT! 

Eh, I have time to convince him :)

I don't mind sharing. I think it is a really relevant question - how to afford plastic surgery. Fortunately I do not have to dip into my 401k. That was something that I was not willing to do. This mutual fund is after tax dollars but I did have it earmarked for retirement. I have just enough left in the fund to pay for my final surgery. 

I realized that life is too short and you never know when will be your last good day on Earth. So, I wanted to live life now rather than putting that off for some day that may never come. Yes, I would rather look hot now and have to retire later. 

Good luck with selling your husband on the idea. The mutual fund was 100% mine so I did not need to convince any one but myself. It took me a long long time to do that. I waited 6-7 years.

I wanted to feel whole again and had to do it for my mental health. The skin messed with my mind. My SO tried to convince me not to have it. He loved me as-is and always told me how sexy I was, but I did not feel sexy and the skin was a painful reminder of my obesity. I could not afford it but came into a little bit of money and financed the rest. The rest as they say is history. Afterwards he admitted I did the right thing for me and could tell how much better I was doing emotionally.

Plan on pain.  Plan on staying on a schedule with your pain meds.  It's tolerable, but it's no fun.

I had the lower body lift - incision 360 degrees around my torso.  The incision/skin removal was easy.  No problems with the incisions healing and the drains were more a nuisance than anything else.  The muscle tightening was a different story, and it's a different kind of pain from regular surgery.  It just plain hurt.

But it ends, and I don't know of anyone on this board or that I know that wouldn't do it again for the result.

I had TT, breast lift with small implants, and lipo sides/back towards breast level (actuall he cut me all the way past breast around towards back for the excess skin and lipo. Lipo also on hips and backside above crack of bottom (fatty area). The lipo and being on my butt hurts the most. The drain tubes (mine are at end of ens both sides) and they are annoying.  Make sure your hubby strips the tubes often through day squeezing what is in tube into bulb connected.  Track mess to stay in front of pain for a while.  I have had many surgeries and this has been the most draining painful I have had and I have high pain tolerance but I would do again tomorrow. I slept a lot the first few days. I have a chaise lounge in my bedroom and having pillows up under my knees helped a ton. I was able to get in a sort of seated position then with the pillows under knees I could lay back. Amazing how those little things do so much for you. I also found an office chair was nice to sit in with feet on something.  You will do great just don't over do it because you don't want to mess up the work they did. 

I never felt the pain to be that bad, its more sore and swollen then actual pain.  My open rny was much more painful and ever that was nothing compared to my gallbladder attack.  Don't let your kids or pets jump on your stomach, if they are prone to do that keep a pillow on your lap.  My cat liked to jump on me.  I think you should be just fine with extra help and rest.  Remember everyone has a different experience, and a positive attitude helps.