Here I go

Alright, so I have been allowed to start exercise, so I'm starting with walking. I'm almost totally straight now. I figured until I can stand straight enough to have the lower back natural curve back, then all I'll do is walk, no jogging or weights until then (my own call).

Compared to how fast I used to walk & run it's sad, but I have to start somewhere and this is it. I started with 20 mins at 3.0 mph at a 1% incline. Tomorrow I'll add 5 mins and the same the next day. After I hit 30 mins then I'll start upping the speed a bit until I get to 4 mph. Then I'll go back to adding time to add distance etc. for now. Yeah I'm DYING to workout good and hard again, but I'm not ready, I can feel that & I will not hurt myself. It felt GREAT to work up a little sweat (even if it sounds sad to be able to sweat walking "slow" compared to how I used to), I got a few endorphins & I felt so much better.

I did the walk with my binder on (which is probably why it's easier to work up a sweat, that thing is hot) and I didn't notice extra swelling afterward so things seem good so far. I'll update as I progress in that area. Once I can get to 3 or 4 miles I'll be a happy camper.

So...

This is crazy! Just when I finally start feeling a little better, Hubby has to go out & HURT himself! I know it was an accident, but crap!

He cut his left big toe with the chainsaw. He had went to cut up old logs on our property (that we don't know how old they are). I guess the pile shifted and his foot slid & he started falling back some. The chainsaw hit his safety boot & he stopped it. Of course they're steel toe boots. Anyway, so yea now he can't walk & he's on antibiotics & vicodin. On Tuesday he needs to contact an orthopedic surgeon to see if he'd want to reopen it & do stuff, or what. So now, of course, since I've been slammed with doing everything taking care of a big baby & my 2 girls my abs have been hurting more (aka sore again) but I'm dealing with it.

I must say though that showers without drains are very nice! My implants are dropping more, but I don't think you'd see it in pics. I can tell the extra skin at the bottom of them has decreased. I'm not sure if I'll be able to start fast-ish walking tomorrow, but I'll try.

Yay finally!

I am drain free! ADIOS KYLE!



So I had another weekly appointment today & my right drain came out. That was a BIOTCH! The stitch was quite tight & I sucked it up but dang getting the stitch out hurt! The drain itself being pulled out burned in the hole area & I actually felt it inside. The burning was only for a little bit though, and feeling it move inside was just strange (nothing bad about it though). I can deal with stinging & burning to get rid of it! So they made my binder tighter than usual (said to keep it that way for today), put extra padding around the lower ab area for extra pressure to get any liquid out today I guess. It should seal up today & that is that! FINALLY at 27 days post-op!

So that area in the previous blog with the circled area on the abs I put up. Well, that's a concern of mine. I've noticed it limits my standing straight (aka stops me from standing straight) and when it's being pulled/stretched in the center it feels like a raised area. So I asked Doc about that today & he thinks that could've been the area I injured that 2nd night post-op when I was trying to lay in bed & tensed my muscles. So I'm thinking it'll just be slower to heal & is why I'm taking longer to stand straight. Hopefully it won't stay a raised area months down the road.

My next appointment is in 4 weeks *YAY* and next week I can start doing light workouts!! THANK GOODNESS! Lawd knows my arse is getting softer than I like it (aka growing from lack of usage haha), so yay!

OH! I forgot. I asked Doc about recommended scar stuff & he said Mederma (since it's the only stuff that has been tested) you can get that at any pharmacy, over the counter. I even got a small sample & coupon. Of course I'm not starting any cream yet though, not until there are no more scabs. I might try the sample on my BA scars though [next week] since those are totally healed, to make sure I don't have a reaction.

Straightening out

Okay so I am pretty much dying to stand straight at this point. I know that others can be totally straight by now, and I've had my complications, but dang it I'm tired of it! Hubby says I'm straighter than I have been, but I'm seriously so tired of having the upper back hunched (even if it's slightly) and I want, very very badly, to be able to stand with my normal lower back curvature, but I'm nowhere near being able to do that yet.

So I've been attempting to straighten out/stretch when laying down. I'm not sure how else to really try it without hurting something or making myself sore. I lay down with one pillow & straighten out my legs (thanks Kelly for the idea). At first I wasn't so sure what I felt was trying to stretch, but I know it's definitely not just the skin. I guess it has to be the muscle repair along the top. They stitch the fascia (that is over the muscles) and pull that together, so what I am feeling, I guess, is that pulling when I try to stretch. In that picture (totally not me LOL) the circled area is where I can feel the tugging & when I lie down and am trying to stretch it's like a raised area in the center line of the upper abs. So I guess that must be the muscle repair? I guess I need to ask Doc about that Monday.

Random stuff...

The first couple weeks after a tummy tuck ANYTHING engaging the abs is the worst pain imaginable. One of the best things I learned on the message boards at makemeheal.com was how to stop sneezes. You put some pressure, press down, whatever, just below your nose. It has stopped every single sneeze in its tracks since my TT. I can be thankful for that.

Coughing is a whole different issue. It is horrible! So I must say that you have to drink as carefully as possible, that has been the only times I've coughed & it is VERY difficult [but still possible] to will yourself to stop coughing when you swallow water wrong. Honestly, if I had been getting a cold that had coughing before my surgery I would've probably tried my best to post-pone. Well no, I really couldn't change the timing with all the coordinating, but if it happens to anyone reading & you have the opportunity to schedule it for a week later or whatever, please do! You don't need that pain!

I got lucky & was only mildly nauseous when I woke after surgery, but I can't even imagine actually throwing up. That would've been painful beyond belief. I'm just sayin'! If you wake up & are nauseous tell them & they will give you things to help that!

So how I'm doing... FABULOUS! I have hope finally! My drain output has gone down dramatically. Sunday & Monday it was 150 mls a day (the thick dark red old blood), Tuesday it was thick but a lighter color & 100 mls. Wednesday even lighter, maybe pinkish, & 70 mls. Thursday it was orangeish & 45 mls. Today is mostly yellow & the output is way less (I can't put a number to it yet since it hasn't been 24 hours, however I didn't even have enough to justify emptying it this morning which is a huge change). My left implant has also started dropping, so things are getting there.

I might just be able to lose Kyle on Monday =)

I believe

I think I finally may be over the hump of the junk that has been going on, finally! Yesterday I finally had no fever & my drainage has turned more of a red Kool-Aid color instead of the same ol super dark red thick ickiness. It has also started slowing down, thank goodness.

So I believe my fever really WAS related to blood pile-up in my belly, now that it is pretty much gone my fever has went. I started those antibiotics last Wednesday so if they really were fighting some infection my fever would've been gone before the weekend was over. So that is my theory, I'm sure Doc will be glad to hear.

So, finally, I am starting to feel a bit better. Now here's to getting my drain out SOON!

20 days post-op

Well, my drainage is not slowing down yet, but my fever IS getting better. The past 2 nights I haven't needed to take anything in the middle of the night to keep my temp down & now during the day I only need 3 or 4 doses of Tylenol, so it is getting better. I have yet another appointment next Monday, we are a bit tired of driving there so often. It's kinda sad when the valet parking people start recognizing you, just sayin!

I figured my drain was getting upset, so I've named him Kyle. The stitch that had been securing that drain to me disappeared, so Doc gave me another one today & I can hardly contain my enthusiasm at having it secured to me yet again, that lovely stitch that tugs on my skin oh how I love thee. Doc doesn't seem concerned about my drainage, better out than in for sure. He has no explanation, just says that he has seen it before with some people. My specialness has to do with the fever combo I guess.

I took new pics this morning & I am really liking how things are looking. My right implant is dropping, Hubby says the left one is too, just slower. My left pec is definitely stronger & tighter than my right, but it'll get there. Doc also took off the steri-strips that had been on all incisions today, so time for more healing there. There are only a couple scabs, things look good.