1 week ps follow up

i saw the ps yesterday afternoon. he barely looked at me then took out my drains which made me feel like he was ripping me apart. then he proceeded to take out all my staples..... hello i was a week out??!?!? i figured he would at least replace them with steristrip.....NOT! he then packed some gauze is my underwear and said "see you in 3 months". i was miserable before the appt but since then i feel like i am going to burst open any moment. my swelling and pain are worse but he also didnt give me a refill on my pain meds. i am trying not to take the tylenol with codeine any way because of the constipation. i knoew i am not supposed to feel like running a marathon but i honestly didnt expect to feel like wishing someone would put me out of my misery. i have a bindr on its way but with nothing holding my insiscion together i am terrified to use it. i made the mistake of lookig in the mirror........ i was horrified, i had my husband take some pictures but at this point i am afraid to share,

like i said yesterday my drains were removed after 3 days and staples in 10
i left the hospital with a binder they furnished and it really helps with the swelling. Sorry you Dr seems to be so barbaric. i am 4 weeks out today and still wear my binder sometimes. hope you start feeling better soon~!

Every doctor is so different. I had my drains out before I left the hospital (two days after surgery he removed them). It does feel like they are pulling your insides out. At my first visit a week later, he removed my staples and he did put steristrips on and said to let them fall off on their own. I never had to wear a binder though. I was also horrified after looking at the incision and was so afraid it would break open. Things will get better. Just rest, rest, rest and stay hydrated. That is your job for now.

 Was your surgery done by a Board Certified plastic surgeon? I can't imagine being closed up with staples on a cosmetic procedure. The intent is for it to look aesthetically nice not for you to be horrified. So sorry you are having this experience. The binder should have been on from the get-go. It really helps with the swelling.

My PS used staples on my panniculectomy b/c the skin was so thin that he was afraid that it wouldn't "HOLD" stitches.  I am fairly sure this was due to the size of my tummy and how long I had been SSMO.  He also knows that I plan to have a TT later on (after babies).

Just giving you another perspective, sweets :)

And yeah this doc sounds like a dick.

 My DS was closed with staples and it really faded over time and didn't really look all that bad. As I lost more and more weight it kept shrinking in length.

My plastic surgeon closes with internal sutures and they are tied off in some places externally like at the ends and the incision is covered in steri-strips. I guess depending on the condition of the skin and other factors determines how they prefer to close. 

he is board certified. he told me before surgery that imight have staples if the surgery ran longer than expected and/or i lost too much blood because staples take less time than stitches to put in. i definitely wont be recommending him too anyone else.

I hope having the drains out will make you feel a little better, they did me.

And yeah looking horrible right after is a little bit of a nasty shock, but it WILL get better over time, promise.  However if it is THAT bad, maybe you need another doc to take a look.  Do you have any infection going on or is it just the swelling?

If you are in pain call him back and DEMAND another refill on the pain meds.  You do NOT need to be in pain.  If you want to take the tyelnol 3 - just take it with some colace and miralax...to combat the constipation.  I am fairly sure you can't OD on colace!

One thing that will help with the swelling and the feeling like you are going to split open is getting a good compression garment.  I didn't have a "binder" either of these two panties will do the trick.  So find somewhere local to buy them and go out and get yourself a few pair. 
http://www.spanx.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10918462&cp=2992555.3010053&page=1&pageBucket=0&parentPage=family

http://www.spanx.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2990097&cp=2992555.3010053&page=1&pageBucket=0&parentPage=family

I was required to wear mine 24 hours a day for 2 months and then I could sleep without them but still was supposed to wear them during the day.  I STILL wear them today b/c they do such a great job of sucking in my tummy (I didn't get a TT with my panniculectomy).

Your doctor sounds like a giant jack ass. I can't believe that he treated you that way!  He should have had you all prepared with a compression garment already in hand and want to see you in a few weeks, not months!  I would NOT be referring anyone I knew to him!  Sorry you had to deal with that jack ass.

i have a pair of spanx but i am not sure if they will fit. i will try them on today. i will not be referring anyone to him. i heard really good things about him before surgery but am now wondering if i got this kind of treatment because of the type of insurance i have. there have been other times when i have been unhappy with the care i got because the dr treated me different because i have medicaid. i know medicaid doesnt pay what the drs want them to but that doesnt excuse ****ty treatment.