How bad is it? .... like.... REALLY?

I am scheduled to have all of the excess skin removed from my stomach, abdomen, hips and butt. No tightening of muscles but he will be cutting all the way around. How uncomfortable is it? I'm concerned that I won't be able to sit or lay in any direction.

Any insight would be wonderful. Thanks all!

It's bad. Certainly the worst pain I've endured outside of a kidney stone. But, the pain is really bearable with A) proper pain management, B) when laying/sitting. It's getting up and moving and specifically the up/down that hurts like a bear.

I would say while sitting/laying I was 'very uncomfortable' and while getting up/down I was 'down right miserable' for the first 4-5 days. Then after that, I was 'very uncomfortable' while getting up/down and 'pretty content' while sitting/laying after that.

I've had two c-sections and this was a pretty large shade above that. But, also totally worth it!

Thanks for your honesty! Uhg. I have a really good tolerance to pain but I'm afraid that I'm overestimating myself and underestimating this surgery.

So, I'll be just laying around for a good few days after then? How long were you hospitalized?

I had surgery at 7am on a Monday and was released around 12pm on Tuesday. My surgery was 10+ hours long.

I was totally out of it on pain meds for the first 4-5 days. Then I stopped narcotics and I remember things better. I needed a lot of help those first few days, but I could get myself to the bathroom and back and do that process by myself.

By 8-10 days out I was shuffling around the house and doing simple household chores (filling the dishwasher, folding laundry). I was showering well on my own by then. At 2 weeks I started working from home for my job, but couldn't sit for very long before my butt was really uncomfortable. I went back to work in the office at 4 weeks.

You were 100% correct. OMG.... I also had my surgical drains back up and I got horribly infected, within hours of going septic. This has been an adventure!

I was uncomfortable, but not in real pain. I had a lower body lift, sm thigh lift, breast lift and my arms. I did have an epidural and pain meds for about 30 hours, after than oral meds. My facelift 4 days later hurt more (surface nerves) and my ears pinned back against the stitches behind. I also had muscle tightened and lipo in my abdomin area. I have a very low pain tolerance. My DS was much worse than my PS.

An epidural?? OMG! Sign me up!

Dr Sauceda! Twilight sedation with epidural.

Pain wise I thought it'd be worse. I would say it was mild to moderate. I did keep medicated though using the narcotics my PS prescribed. I slept in a recliner and honestly would not have been able to sleep in bed. The first 2 days were the worst but with marked improvements from there. In my opinion based on my experience you will need a support person with you 24 hrs for the first 3 days minimum.

LBL I was fine after a day or so. Almost walking upright at 10 days. Walking the neighborhood at one week and walking on the treadmill at the gym by 3 weeks. Pretty much off pain meds except for sleeping at 1 week. That one was a piece of cake.

Thigh lift was a completely different story.