Nervous about Tummy Tuck!!!

I'm getting a Tummy Tuck and thigh lift March 20th and i'm freaking out! How long does it take to heal? Is the pain as bad as the gastric surgery??  If anybody has had one could u let me know your experience please :)

I'm not sure, but OMG! I can't WAIT to get mine too! Did your insurance cover it? How do you get insurance to cover it?

I had a TT and breast lift done, and it took me about 5 weeks before I was ready to go back to work.  It is very individual, as I know of a few people who were up and around and back to work well before I was after their TT.  

I would suggest you get an elevated toilet seat; that squatting was the worst part for me and with you getting your thighs done as well, I would think that would really help you.  They are maybe $25 at the drugstore or medical supply place?  You can probably even order one from Amazon.

Best of luck to you, and try not to freak out; I am sure you will be very happy afterwards!!!!    

Hi I had a lower body lift over 5 yrs ago.    I personally didn't think it was all that bad but I have a extremely high pain tolerance too.    I would allow a full 6 weeks.   I was told that the inner thigh lift was the worse surgery to recover from.    If you do exactly as your surgeon requests you should do fine.     As for the pain and how quickly you heal that is very individual.    Where you are cut you will be numb so you won't feel much there for a very long time.   I still have a few areas that have very little feeling.    IMHO....I would rent a lift chair to help you out....you may have issues getting up and down having the thigh lift.    Good luck to you and don't be scared !!!

 

Hugs and blessings ~~~ Vivian

Let me preface this:  I am a very fast healer, and have a high pain threshold.

Yes, the pain is MUCH worse that the RNY.  I had a LBL and BL in November.  I took one week off of work, worked from home the 2nd week, and returned to the office full time week 3.  Had no complications.  The incisions were no big deal, and all 3 of my drains were pulled in the first week.  The main pain was from where they did the muscle tightening in the abdominal area.  I was back to running at 1 month out, and lifting weights at 6 weeks.  I'm back to full workouts now.

I really had no pain with the RNY.  I never took a pain pill after I left the hospital for that surgery.

3 months later, I am so happy with the results, and am so glad I did it.

There's lots of good advice/support over on the plastic surgery forum.

I had a TT 16 years ago. As I remember the pain was worse than the RNY. I had to have a tube connected to a bag coming out of me for about a week. I was off my feet pretty much for about 3 weeks, but then healed up pretty good. Good thing is that after that I gained weight again but now as I have lost it again, the TT is still working and my stomach is flat and looks good. Now if the rest of me looked as good I would be happy. I would still do it and even paid for it myself. Well worth the pain, looking back.

I had a TT, breast lift with implants and brachioplasty done together in 2007.  I had a very easy recovery, pain pills for 3 days then I took nothing.  I hate the way pain pills make me feel and the pain was not that bad for me.  It did take me about 4 days before I could sleep comfortably in my bed. 

I came home with two drains in my lower abdomen one was removed after 1 week the other 2 weeks.  I did end up having to go in the office twice to have a seroma drained.  It wasn't painful at all but very weird feeling.

I also have a high pain tolerance but yes I would say there was more pain with the plastics than WLS.  Any pain was worth seeing the results!!!!!!

Best wishes!

My panniculectomy was way more painful than my RNY, but my RNY wasn't very painful at all (I'm a sissy). I will say though, it is all worth it!!

Martha 

I would love to have a neck lift.  I'm happy with everything else.  Hate my neck.  Hubs said no way on the 7K it would cost here in Indiana.

 

Tummy tuck (or LBL in my case) was a piece of cake and quick recovery. The thighs were the most painful out of all the PS procedures I've had done. However I was back to normal activities at 3 weeks post op.