First post!
Nicholes Tummy Tuck Blog
03/17/2008 rny gastric bypass
04/2008 gallbladder removal
04/2010 pancreatic surgery (g tube insertion)
05/2010 pancreatic surgery repeat
06/2010 g tube removal
11/15/2010 tummy tuck blog began
11/16/2010 surgery date (tummy tuck)
Hi, My name is Nichole. I am 31 y/o F. I had gastric bypass almost 3 years ago.
On 3/17/2008. I have lost 140 lbs. I was 305 lbs, I am 5'6. I am currently give or
take 165-168 lbs. I have had some problems since my gastric bypass to include,
pancreatitis as the biggest problem. There have been a few others, 3 abdominal
surgeries. I also have given birth to 4 children. So needless to say I have some
extra abdominal skin that needs to come off and hopefully my outcome will be
desirable and cosmetically appealing. This blog is a journal of my pre op
mental state. Post op feelings and events. As well as I will TRY to add photos
for those who wish to see what I look like before and after. I am getting a
Tummy Tuck with a muscle repair.
(written on 11/15/10)
Last week 11/05/10 and 11/10/10. I did all my pre op stuff I had to do. UA, Blood
and meet with whom will be my favorite pre op person the anesthesia (spelling I know)
gal. Who will be giving me the good drugs :D. I also met with the surgeons PA.
She seemed nice, she will also be in the OR with him (Dr Woll) as well. I was told
then I will have 2-4 drains. 2 below my hips and maybe 2 above the incision.
I was also told that I will have an incision about 2 inches past my hip bone to hip
bone. I will be taking photos in a few minutes to document my "physical" appearance
and for me to be able to look at when I wonder what in the hell did I do to myself.
I will be also likely having a muscle repair. The muscle repair is basically where
they take the muscle that has stretched from my zyphoid process (lower breast bone)
to my pelvis/pubic area. The muscle repair is supposed to be basically like what
a shoelace does to a shoe. Brings the muscle into itself again so I can have
better muscular definition in my stomach. 6 pack maybe :D.
I know I will be in a decent amount of pain. I will be on a morphine pca
(patient controlled analgesia) pump. Basically I will be able to give myself my
painkillers as soon as I am post op. I plan on keeping it in my hand ;). Because I
am planning on being in a considerable amount of pain. I also was told I will be on
painkillers (percoset or vicodin) when I return home.
11/15/2010: about 24 hours pre op
Today is a mix of emotions. I am scared, happy, nervous, excited, anxious. I feel
like I did when I was 9 mos pregnant, I am nesting of sorts. Pre making meals for
us, doing laundry, keeping up on dishes, cleaning. I have to go take my pregnancy test
later on at the hospital. I also hope to make it to the library to grab a few books
and dvds to kill time while I am post op and not able to do a lot. Tonight I have
shower (duh) but I am supposed to scrub the "site" with some scrubby thing with
antibacterial soap in it. I am also supposed to use it again in the am. I have to
call later on to get my op time. I sure hope they give me something for nerves.
Think it is too early to ask??? I am beginning to be a nervous wreck.
I have had some problems with anesthesia before with previous surgeries. I had a
knee surgery about 5 years or so ago. When I was still fat. I was in the OR, I was
given the paralytic that they give so your body relaxes before they place the
breathing tube. I had what is called "anesthesia awareness" meaning I remember more
than I should. I remember the Dr asking the nurse to apply cricoid pressure.
Meaning I was about to have a breathing tube down my throat while awake but
paralyzed. Not being able to open your eyes or being able to let the OR staff know
that I was not "out" is not a fun thing. Scary as hell actually.
I also "woke up" once during a procedure. I woke up during the removal of a g tube
(feeding tube).
I felt the pain when they were taking it out and yelled that it hurt. The Dr then
told them to give me more meds.
So that said I am a bit apprehensive. I have told everyone who will be in the OR
about my past experience and that I do NOT wish for it to happen again.
Day 2 Post op: 11/19/2010
Well hello again. Surgery was 2 days ago, on the 16th. It is now the 19th and I
have been home for just under 24 hours. I woke up from surgery not feeling too bad.
I made it to my room and was put on a clear liquid diet. (water basically). I was
handed a "full clear liquid" diet. To include ginger ale, jello and fruit juice.
All full of sugar. My mom brought me a burger and zucchini. So I decided to skip
the clears and eat some food. I had no problems with that. My pain was minimal,
morphine was not working well for my respiratory effort. I was only breathing
5x per min they said. Spo2 levels were down from 54%-90%. While awake and
sleeping so I was put on o2. I was also switched to dilauded. That helped some,
with the pain I know now I prefer morphine for pain control. I slept on and off the
first night. Never sleeping for more than an hour and 1/2 at a time. I awoke about
6 am ate, and decided I felt so good I would go for a walk around the floor, with
help of course. I cleaned up my room, washed up and brushed my teeth and hair.
I overdid it. I also paid for it as well. So I have learned my activity level has to be restricted no matter how good I feel. I was not expecting to feel as well as I do but I feel alright.
I am moving now. Last night was a bit rough, I slept on the couch and had to go to
the bathroom a lot as the IV fluids were coming off.
Dr Woll was awesome!! He said he took 2 1/2 lbs of skin off!! I have 2 drains and
they are in my groin area. I have not taken the bandages off yet. I have seen a small
preview of my tummy without the binder on and I have an hourglass figure already!!
I am supposed to take the binder off tonight and the bandages off over the
incision. Shower and lightly clean the area. I am still on pain killers now but I do not think I will need them much longer. I need to learn to take it easy. Benadryl is somewhat helping the itching. I am itchy everywhere!! My back, arms, legs and even face.I have tons of small open scratches all over my body. Mostly because of the pain killers are making me itch. I feel well I am able to get on and off the couch alone now. Tonight may be different, as that is when it seems I am the sleepiest and in the most pain. Well it is nap time again. I will write more whenever. I also have some photos to post and I will be taking more pics as time and how I feel permits. Maybe before/after my bandages come off tonight.
\
Nov 22,2010
6 days post op:
Day 6. Today is the first day I can stand up for more than 5 minutes and not be
exhausted. Thank goodness. I can also (for the most part) stand up straight.
I was able to stand and wash dishes from dinner,last night this morning. Excited I
was able to do them but sad cause I able to do them agin lol. So much for milking
it. (Just kidding) I have taken more photos since surgery. I will have to add them to the blog page
when I get internet. I feel good for the most part. 2 nights ago we went to the mall. I walked around
for almost 1 1/2 hours. I was dragging ass yesterday for overdoing it. So yesterday
I chilled out on the sofa. And did a whole lot of nothing. However last night I
needed to make a trip to the store. I went to walmart and got a new tank top. I
LOVE wearing tank tops what are "slim" fitting. 1 it shows off my tummy and 2 it
also although it is likely psychological, helps me with some compression in the
tummy area. I cant really wear a bra with the binder on tho so that kinda sucks.
But I digress,
I needed to get some milk and maxi pads also. Yea sounds like TMI however there is
a reason that I mentioned this. To the people who are reading this blog who will be
getting a tummy tuck, taking care of someone who is having a tummy tuck. I HIGHLY
recommend Extra long maxi pads. I am using Stayfree brand 4 wall/channel extra
long pads. I love them!! I am using them for covering my incisions. They are PERFECT!
Tape them over the steri stips and they provide immediate softness and protection.
Wide enough for adequate coverage and thick enough not to cause pain under the
abdominal binder I have to wear for the next 3 weeks. Also thin enough not to hinder
the job the binder is doing. They also would not snag the stitches I have (if I have any)
should they poke out and catch like gauze would. The Pads would work for someone
Who’s wound is not healing and constantly seeping. They can also be cut around your
drains and do not hinder bathroom use one bit! My wounds are healing well and my
incisions are not infected (that I know of). But there is occasional tugging and
pulling of my incisions that is painful and has made me wonder if I tore something
in the area. I just look at the pads and know I am not bleeding or goo is coming
out. Much cheaper than gauze and less tape is needed. I have 2 pads taped together
and then taped onto me. Aw hell rather than explain it I will add the photo to this blog.
I am not sure what the actual job that the binder is doing but I am ok with wearing
it. I do take it off (not completely) just open it up a few times daily to let
myself breathe normally and my incisions get some fresh air. I may be able to take
a shower alone today. I may ask for some help from the kiddo cause I need to shave my legs badly.
That may hurt to bend over like that. I can also bend over now and pick something
small and light off the floor. It does hurt but I can do it. I am also mostly
standing up straight again also. Actually this morning my glasses had fallen under
my bed and in order for me to be able to see I had to get them. I got on my hands
and knees to reach under the bed and retrieve them. No one was here sooo... I did
it. It hurt like heck but I am trying to wean myself of the painkillers.. Did not
happen this am because of the glasses thing. I hope to be completely off within the
next day or 2. I need to make an appt for a "wound check" for tomorrow with the Drs office. They
should pull the right drain out. The output is 20 cc. They will take it out they
said when it is less than 20cc for 24 hours. I MAY be able to talk them into it
tomorrow or wed. The drain is a pain, The right one pulls and tugs and when I strip
the tubing it causes some pain in my right side as well as burns a bit. The drain
looks like it will hurt like a SOB when it is pulled. I know when I had my drain in
my left side post op from my gastric bypass it was the most painful 20 seconds I
had ever experienced in my life. It was also infected and the pa did not know it
was sutured into my skin at the time. So that I am sure did not help my experience
much. I just know that I am hopeful to have at least the 1 removed.
Today is Monday, Thursday is Thanksgiving. I am planning on going to my moms house
to spend the holiday with them. I have not spent a holiday
with them in the past few years. Well I have nothing post op to write
about at this time. I will write more after I visit the Drs for my post op check up. I am also 165 again. Back to my pre op weight (give or take a few lbs) Until then have a fabulous week!
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