10 days post-op Plastics Update

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone -

I wanted to bring everyone up to date on me and my journey following my Plastic

Surgery 10 days ago. I'm finally starting to feel a bit more like myself the

last day or so.

My surgery was on 27 Aug and started at 8 am. The surgery took a total of 11.5

hours and removed 21 lbs of skin (17 lbs from the lower torso and 4 lbs from

the breasts). I lost a lot of blood during the surgery and 2 days post op

needed a transfusion of 2 units of blood.

On the lower body I have an incision that goes all the way around my body and

meets just above the crack of my butt. Since I'm allergic to all forms of

adhesives, the plastic surgeon and I had a discussion about how he should close

the skin and I now have these lovely blue external sutures in a tack stitch.

Most of the skin is healing well, I have one spot (where the sutures meet in

the back) where it's gotten necrotic (dead tissue) but we are treating that and

I'm hoping that it will heal quickly. There is still lots of swelling and it

will probably be several months before the final picture starts to develop. I

still have 2 drains in and they will probably be there for at least another

week or too. There's too much fluid draining for them to come out yet. My

right leg looks like I got run over by a truck, most of the bruising is there.

It's starting to turn all sorts of lovely colors, but it doesn't hurt.

The surgeon tightened all the muscles in my abdomen. The upper muscles don't

hurt much but the lower ones still hurt to cough, sneeze or twist. I also have

a newly re-located belly button that seems to be healing well.

Moving upward, I also had a breast reduction and lift. I've gone from having

to roll and stuff myself into a DD bra down into a much smaller bra (with all

the bandages I fill out the C but may eventually end up a B-cup. The drains up

here came out on Tuesday and while things are very black and blue, it's healing

nicely. I do have a couple of flaps of skin in my armpits that will need to be

addressed at a later date but there is considerably less under there than

before. The reason he left the flaps was he felt it would be easier to

repair/hide them later than to carry the scars all the around into my back.

Tuesday I got clearance to start walking, so Mom and I have been doing walks in

temperature controlled places like warehouse clubs and shopping malls. As

usual, that's extremely dangerous to the wallet but each day I feel a

little stronger and hopefully if the temperatures drop a bit this weekend I can

go for a walk in the neighborhood.

I see the surgeon again on Tuesday and he will probably take out a majority of

the sutures. I'm also hoping that he will let me drive again. That way I can

go home to my house (I love my parents, but I can only take soooooo much).

I'm still experimenting with compression garments. The one they put on me in

the hospital didn't work well (my thighs are not proportional to the rest of

my body) and it caused several blisters. What I am finding works is the

compression shorts I wore to play softball, so for now that's what I'm wearing.

Other than sweats, shorts and t-shirts, I haven't tried any clothes on so I

can't tell yet how things will fit. But it's nice to not have to manipulate my

apron and hanging boobs around to perform normal hygienic(sp?) activities.

Thanks to all the folks that have called and emailed and sent cards.

Talk to you again soon.

Jan

Post-op RNY - 7 Sept 2000

Then 407, Now 205

Dr. ph Afram, Washington DC

Circumfrential Body Lift, Breast Reduction and Lift - 27 Aug 2002

Dr. Mark s, Bethesda MD

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