- Username: zzroged
- Location: Du, United Arab Emirates
- Member Since: 2/11/2010
- BMI: 25.1
- Post Op
- Surgery Type: VSG (03/09/10)
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Countdown to Phase 2 - Nip & Tuck on May 31, 2011 4:47 am
5 1/2 weeks ago I had a breast lift and tummy tuck as Phase 1 of my nip & tuck journey and had planned to have Phase 2 around about now - however since I had a large amount of bleeding during my surgery resulting in reduced iron levels - I postponed Phase 2 for a couple of weeks to allow myself a bit more time to recovery.
This morning I got confirmation that my blood levels are fine for Phase 2 surgery and so on 12th June I have an inner thigh lift and arm lift planned. My pre-op is next Thursday - mainly to sign the consents and also to discuss again with the surgeon that I want radical work and am prepared to cope with scars v's excess fat & skin. I think he's fine with that - it's just that I think he wants to make sure that I am fully prepared to accept the extent of scars that I'm facing. I've done lots of research, seen lots of pictures of before's and afters - and know what I am facing in terms of scars (I've even watched video's on UTube so know what to expect in terms of the actual surgery!). I want to get rid of the excess fat and skin and can more than deal with the scars as a fair trade off. In particular I'm hoping that both surgeries will mean that I feel more comfortable when I am running and doing exercise as well as fitting into my clothes without excess skin flapping around as a constant reminder of my heavy past.
In terms of the recovery, I'm not completely sure what to expect - there are so many different views out there regarding levels of pain and recovery - some say no big deal for the arms (except the first few days) - others that the thighs are the worse thing ever (my surgeon says it will be ok and no worse than phase 1 - but although he does the surgeries - he's never had it done himself to fully comment !). I am expecting not to be able to do much for the first week (which i hate) and then it should improve. I'm thinking it will be a slightly harder recovery than my breasts and tummy because of the length and positions of the scars and just in terms of general mobility. I'm guessing the wounds might take a bit longer to heal because of the position of them and the fact that it will be easy to put the scars under tension - particularly as all of our furniture tends to be quite low down including my bed and recliner. No doubt I'll blog about it and let you know !
Phase 1 Update :
Yesterday was the first day that I went without my compression garment during the day-time. My surgeon has you stay in it for 24/7 for the first month and then 12 hours a day afterwards. I've always felt a bit vulnerable without it - but yesterday I didn't wear it around the house for the whole day and felt ok. I did swell up and feel uncomfortable but not too badly. I think my new routine will be to put my compression garment and silicon tape on at about 8pm and then wear it overnight for 12 hours and then go without with either a binder on or no support depending on what I am doing during the daytime. Anyway, that's all short-term as my surgeon uses compression garments my phase 2 surgerie so I will be back in a compression top/sleeves and tummy/thighs again soon so will enjoy my time not wearing my compression garment whilst I can.
My scars are all healed up now (finally), so i'm working in earnest with the silicon tape and also a scar reducing cream during the daytime plus arnica on my tummy and hips as I still have a tiny bit of visible bruising and since I'm completely hard under the skin must have a lot of bruising/swelling etc underneath - it seems to follow the line of where he did the muscle repair so that makes sense. Not sure if arnica works/doesn't work - but hey - it's got to be worth a try.
I was also cleared for driving this weekend which is good as I have my freedom back (well until the 12th then it all stops again !). I think it came at just about the right time as I was beginning to get a bit stir crazy - there's only so much reading and watching the TV you can do before you go a bit mad - or become completely addicted to trash TV !
I have a conservative surgeon who says no driving for a month whom I trust explicitly - so I stuck it out and followed his plan to the letter - I can't see the point of having surgery and then not following his plan (after all he does this day in/day out) - plus I'm quite a compliant follower of rules !
Foodwise I'm doing ok with eating some more carbs - the scales jumped up 8lbs overnight a few days ago !! - I'm guessing that has got to be mainly water - so am not worrying too much. It's weird - clothes fits me better even though the inches are not really any different than before my nip & tuck - but I expect them to drop as the swelling goes down. I still can't get over how small I'm going to be in terms of my final dress size - I'll be wearing clothese sizes that I've never worn before as an adult - even my gym kit which was quite fitted is now flapping on me (not that I should be wearing it as I'm not cleared for exercise & I am SO MISSING IT !)
Am still working on my protein - trying to get 150g's per day - it's doable but challenging sometimes as it feels like I'm constantly eating/snacking ! - but if it helps my recover then it's all good - thank heavens for Isopure which gives 40g's in one drink (it's not the nicest of drinks but it's completely doable).
Have finally stopped taking my iron pills which is good as I didn't like taking them at all - but needs must !
Anyway, enough of my rambling - off to watch some more daytime TV !
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Nip & Tuck - 1 Month Out - Smaller Clothes Victory ! on May 25, 2011 5:29 am
WOW - can't believe how quickly time flies ! It doesn't seem like that long ago that I had surgery, but in other ways it seems such a long time ago.
I had a 4 week follow up consult on Monday, and had the last few stitches removed - they were lurking in a few of the scars which were taking their time to heal. Not painful as I'm still quite numb - but I could feel some tugging as they came out.
I'm doing great - the tummy is lovely and flat (though swells if I do anything too much), the boobs are pert and lifted ! I have two small areas of scar which are not yet closed over - one on the T part of my tummy tuck scar and one on the T junction just under my breast. They are not infected but are still open as they under the most tension so are taking a while longer than the rest to heal. I've now started on my silicon stage - where I get silicon strips to lay against the scar to try and minimise the scarring and keep the scars moist - it's expensive - but hopefully worth it.
In terms of looking after myself - this surgery means I get to spend a lot of time looking after myself rather than my quick usual routine. I now change dressings daily, take long slow showers, spend a long time air drying, change compression garments and silicon strips and rub copious amounts of smelly unctions into my bruises/swellings/scars - all different creams, then remove them all and start again before bed time ! My skin has never had it so good ! - but it's also a bit of a pain ! I just hope it's worth it !
The surgeon is pleased with my progress and gave me the green light to have my next consult for phase 2 of my surgery (thigh and arm lift). Provisionally I've booked this for 19th June, but would like to get it earlier if possible to reduce the amount of down time that I have in between surgeries. My next consult should be fun (not) - as he's going to make me stand naked in front of the mirror again and try to manipulate my thighs and arms to show me the 'art of the possible' - whilst I'm now completely comfortable being naked in front of the surgeon (I've never met him when I wasn't now ! and did I mention how HOT he is??) - it's still a bit embarrassing in terms of how far I let my body go before taking action - WHY couldn't I see what I was doing to myself as I gained weight? - WHY did no-one really tell me in a way that would make me LISTEN? WHY, OH WHY ? - no easy answers really - but WHY, OH WHY???
I'm now cleared to drive - YAHOO ! - but am going to wait a few days as ideally I want my incisions to fully heal over before I start putting pressure on them. I'm able to get out and about either walking, taxi or using the metro - so whilst I'd love to drive, I'd also like to heal as best I can so will be patient - although it is so HOT in the compression garments when out and about - but heh - maybe I'll burn some more calories and drop some more pounds !
Energy wise - some days are better than others - I'm still not sleeping that great so am awake at 5.30 am and then usually catch a nap or deep sleep sometime in the afternoon and then am in bed again by 10pm. I'm still sleeping with an assortment of pillows arranged under and around me but am finding that I can now sleep on my sides if I am careful when turning.
I went shopping earlier and bought a few items of clothing to keep me going - pyjamas - UK size 10 - (US 6) and North Face Trousers and a shirt UK 12 (US8) - WOW - I've never, ever, ever been that small (well ok, maybe when I was at school - but I don't remember it).
Anyway, must go - time for a nap/siesta/slumber/deep sleep - whatever - I need to shut my eyes ......just for a little while .....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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Wow - come so far in 3 weeks - Nip & Tuck Phase 1 on May 17, 2011 4:24 am
I can't believe how much difference 3 weeks makes in terms of healing post cosmetic surgery.
3 weeks ago yesterday I had a tummy tuck with some lipo on my hips and a breast lift and I am so pleased with the results so far, even though I'm still swollen and wearing compression garments. Here's a few pics taken this morning during a rare moment outside of my compression garment. I can see that I'm shaping up nicely.
I had a follow up consultation today and so far so good, there is still some swelling to go down (apparently I won't see the final shape etc for another couple of months or so) and a minor healing issue at the T junction on my belly where there is tension on the incision (unfortunately I didn't have enough belly to remove to allow my original belly button to be completely removed).
I'm now moving into the stage where I'll start using a silicon gel during the day and silicon gel sheet overnight on my scars. In addition I have a round wedgie sort of thing in my new belly button to help shape my belly button (who knew you would have to do this ?? - apparently if you don't the scar will contract and change the shape).
Nutrition wise, I'm aiming for 150g of protein per day - which seems to be a full time eating hobby (never thought I'd say that !) - on most days it's doable. I've relaxed my carbs and am eating some fruit as snacks and the odd piece of toast as I feel that I want to provide my body with some additional nutrition for healing - I'm holding my weight at 164lbs so this seems to be working. I don't want to lose any more at the moment as I'm sure I will lose some more on my next surgery which is only 4 weeks away and I'm only 5lbs away from my goal of 159lbs.
I'm taking the following supplments : Vitamin C, Zinc, Iron, Multivit, Vit D, Vit B12 so am on a schedule for these.
Energy wise - I'm still quite tired - probably a mixture of healing and the fact that I'm not sleeping that well - still not really got the knack of sleeping on my back - but am sure it will go better - in the meantime I'm napping when I need to.
Size wise - I think I'll end up a UK 12 once the swelling has gone down - that's a US 8 which is more than fine by me. I will have to buy a few bits of clothes for now - I can step out of my pyjama bottoms now as they wiggle down my hips to the floor - often - and without notice which is not attractive !
I had 2lbs of excess skin removed from my tummy - not a huge amount, but enough to remove the overhand which I was not happy with and the lipo has made my hips blend in really well. I can't wait to get my arms and thighs done - I really think that these two will make a huge difference to my overall shape.
Headwise - it still feels strange to see me in the mirror - my tummy is washboard flat and my breasts are higher than I ever seem to have had them before and smaller too - they are now in proportion to my new body and are nice and 'pert' rather than empty, flat and pointing south ! (NOTE TO SELF : I wonder if you can still mesmorise a man with smaller boobs in the same way that you can with larger ones?? Or whether I'll ever be talking to a man only to find out that he's talking to my breasts !! - will have to conduct some research and let you know !) I'm sure it will take me a while yet to really see myself at the shape and size that I am - I can see that I am smaller in the mirror and can feel it in so many ways - I feel more confident, more sexy and am certainly more agile - BUT I still head to the oversize part of the shop first when clothes shopping and often have to return stuff because it's too big !! - plenty of time for this to sink in yet.
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I "heart" my surgeon - Nip & Tuck pics on May 11, 2011 11:52 pm
Ha - got your attention - course it helps that not only is he a great surgeon (in my humble opinion) - he is also, as I've mentioned before, Dr Hottie !
So - here I am 17 days post surgery for my TT and breast lift - and so far so good. My energy seems to come and go depending on what I do - as does the swelling - all to be expected at this early stage. I can go up about 2 inches or so on my hips and waist during the day, then shrink back overnight before the whole thing starts again.
Yesterday I woke at 6 am - lazed around reading/surfing etc til 1pm then went food shopping and for a coffee (with help) and got home around 4.30pm, took a slow shower and changed my dressings (1 hour) then lazed til 9pm then cooked an easy supper before crashing out on the sofa fast asleep by 9.30 pm ! Boy this is the life !!
So here are a few pics which I took earlier today, am still very swollen and have a bit of a minor wound infection that I am keeping my eye on, but I am so, so pleased with my results so far.
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Nip & Tuck - 16 Days out - where's my energy gone ? on May 10, 2011 11:53 pm
I've had a fab couple of weeks since surgery earlier this month. On the second week out - I went shopping a few times, out for coffee a few times etc and felt great. I've had to rely on friends to come collect me as I'm still now allowed to drive, and to fetch and carry heavy shopping etc but all in all not too bad. Over the weekend I went out for lunch twice and pottered around in the kitchen doing a bit of cooking.
However - I think I overdid it a bit as I got carried away by feeling so good. I went out for breakfast with a pal on Monday morning and we spent a couple of hours sitting outside and enjoying the weather, however by Monday afternoon - I was massively swollen and uncomfortable - my tummy was pulling and I was stooped over more than usual and I had ZERO energy - I kept falling asleep whenever I sat down and rested. Yesterday I decided to have an easy day and just lounged around the house, walked a very short distance for a Starbucks and then walked slowly back and I slept 4 times during the day - and it's paid off - today I have hardly any swelling and feel so much better. So I guess the lesson is slowly, slowly and listen to your body - yeah - I knew that really - I was just feeling so good - I thought I knew better !
On a positive front, I can now take a shower completely unassisted - but do need a bit of help putting my dressings back on (I also have enough spare dressings etc to open my own chemist due to a slight misunderstanding on what I was ordering with the chemist !).
I don't have any pain - I can feel pulling, I can feel the odd electric shock type of pain as the nerves start working again etc - but no real pain at all.
Am still sleeping on the sofa as it's still the most comfortble place to be - hope to graduate back into the bed soon - but will see how I go.
Weight wise - I am maintaining at 164lbs - just 5lbs away from goal. The strange thing is that the swelling doesn't seem to make any difference to the scales that I can see which is weird - I always thought I would weigh heavier if I was swollen - the body confuses me often!
My measurements are now back to before I had surgery - I still have some swelling so expect these to drop at some stage - Bust 39", Waist 32" Hips 39"
I'm healing up well - I still have a lot of stitches, think most if not all of them will come out next week - but will see what my surgeon says. Am still in my compression garment - and now I wear a cotton cami and underwear underneath it - find it ok to wear 24/7 - in fact it feels quite comforting !
Foodwise - I'm not hungry - that's usual for me - but am focussing on getting in my protein - at least 100g per day and more if I can do so. I'm making good use of my slow cooker so that each meal I prepare makes 3-4 other meals for the freezer which is great.
Exercise wise - I'm missing my exercise (though wouldn't have the energy to do it!) - I hadn't realised how much it played a part in my weekly routine and how good I feel when I am doing it - never mind only another 3-4 months of not exercising to go - aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhh. In the meantime, I've signed up for a 1/2 marathon next year in Feb - which will give me a goal to work towards once I'm cleared for exercise. I am walking when I can - but I don't get any endorphin highs or great sense of achievement by doing this - particularly as most exercise is done inside as it's beginning to get really hot here now even early in the morning.
Will maybe post some photos later once I'm all showered and spruced up again (and after I've had several naps and maybe a little Starbucks jaunt !).
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