JustAnnieQPR: Tummy Tuck and Lipo

Sunday, 9 September 2012

Tummy Tuck and Lipo - the Blog

NOTE: Posting this at 3 months on!

You can see scarring on hips - still happy tho!

June 2012
Three weeks ago I went into a private hospital in London for an abdominoplasty and liposuction. I always intended to do a blog post on it, and thought I'd start writing today as I have woken up feeling pretty good all over.   For the first time since the operation I feel less numb, flatter (more drainage to come though) and pretty good about myself in general.   This is despite a belly button infection that I'm on antibiotics for!

I can't do the big reveal yet as I have to wear the corset day and night for another few weeks yet, but I'm confident I'll get there! (Pic above as good as I can get so far).

To go back to the beginning then, on the morning of the operation, 3rd June 2012, I was very very excited. I guess there were some nerves but the excitment that I was finally going to get rid of that "apron" was just immense. Chris drove me down whilst our lovely neighbour minded the children, and they settled me into my room before letting Chris come and see me.   It was a lovely big room with private bathroom and shower, though of course I couldn't use the shower and post op the toilet seemed an awfully long way away carrying drainage bottles!

My surgeon came to see me and drew the inevitable lines all over, he even told me to breath out and relax, I guess breathing in was futile at this point!   So now I had to just sit and wait, in my paper knickers, backless gown and anti-DVT socks - beautiful!

A few more blood pressure checks, and a visit from the anaethatist later, I was taken up to the operating theatre. I walked in and lay down as instructed, trying not to look around too much.   The mood was light though, my surgeon made some jokes and I lay down waiting for sleep to take over - I swear to God I was smiling!

When I woke up, everyone was having a good look at me, including Chris and the student nurse - by all accounts it was very impressive but I didn't see as immediately I had to don the "garment" - a white surgical looking thing, which looks nothing like the vision the word "corset" brings up!

I had a fairly relaxed evening, apart from 2 hourly checks on blood pressure and drainage, but my nurse was so lovely and I was still smiling.   I even insisted I get up to go to the toilet myself, very gingerly, but I did it. I finally had a toastie late afternoon, having been nil my mouth since the Saturday night, but I couldn't manage the grilled salmon I'd ordered for dinner!

So on the 4th June (my late father's birthday) I came home. It was the Street Party to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee, but I wasn't in much of a mood to celebrate.   Chris was going to Coldplay around 6pm too, but I just wanted to go to bed. I had to lay in a V position, and it was very unconfortable. The children were loving the party, so again my lovely neighbours looked after them, fed them, then let them in. They both knew about the operation - by now the whole street did, but no specifics - and they got themselves straight into bed.   Gone midnight and the music in the street was still bellowing and I was very grumpy - but self inflicted and all that!   I have since found out the range of different operations people thought I'd had, including certain reconstruction somewhere haha, so they are all intrigued now I've told them the truth! I'm not much good at secrets!

To sum up, I am absolutely loving it, and still look at my tummy as if I'm having an out of body experience. The tummy tuck itself wasn't painful, just a little awkward at first to get around, as you have to walk hunched over. The worst bit was actually the lipo, it was very itchy and you can see from the bruising below the trauma the body must go through. Ironically the lipo was only a couple of hundred pounds as it was incorporated with the tummy tuck!

Would I do it again - in a heartbeat! Would I have anything else done, maybe, but no plans as I really am very, very happy! This Summer I was so confident on the beach and at the pool! I realise that no-one else really cared what I looked like before, but for me, its been a big injection of very much needed body confidence!

So, to properly diarise the process I guess pics are required eek! Not for the faint hearted but am now loving it!