I predict some show-offy photos, just a matter of when. 
ABDOMINOPLASTY ADVICE PLEASE?
- Thread starter DianaCox
- Start date
maybe Liz knows?
I do but she has to email it, I run it thru my graphics editor and then can post for her or email it back.
hilary1617
First time at the rodeo.
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2014
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Hope you are feeling a bit better and that the getting up and down is getting easier!!!!
Yes, I’m independent now with respect to getting up and down out of the recliner. At some point, I’m going to have to decide that I can manage getting up and down from bed, so we can remove the recliner - but we’re going to have to get someone to come over to the house to move it back into the living room. And I can’t use the bed with the recliner in the way.
But I’m getting better each day. Going for a checkup and dressing change this morning - hoping that the very small amount of drainage (less than 10 ml/day in each) will justify early removal of the JP drains. That will make things a lot easier.
But I’m getting better each day. Going for a checkup and dressing change this morning - hoping that the very small amount of drainage (less than 10 ml/day in each) will justify early removal of the JP drains. That will make things a lot easier.
I'm glad it's going so well.
8 days post-op, good news and bad news.
Good news: incisions look fine, dressings removed AND I got the JP drains removed. I just have to be diligent about wearing the abdominal binder, which is fine with me. Looks reasonably good to me.
Bad news: it looks like I might lose my belly button after all. There was some concern about the blood supply to it because I had a prior umbilical hernia repair, and this incisional hernia had torn down to join with the prior scar tissue. But the black-looking skin was still soft, so all hope is not lost yet - the surgeon put a medicated dressing on it and refilled my antibiotic prescription and we’ll check it again next week - unless I develop symptoms of an infection in which case it will happen sooner.
I’m not upset about losing the belly button, just the concern that it may get infected and the ”ookiness” factor of possibly having it removed in an in-office procedure under a local.
I also got a copy of my op and path reports. I had 3.2 lbs of skin removed. Don’t know how much the lipoma weighed, but probably no more than 0.3 lbs. so I’ll call it a rough way to lose 3.5 lbs.
Good news: incisions look fine, dressings removed AND I got the JP drains removed. I just have to be diligent about wearing the abdominal binder, which is fine with me. Looks reasonably good to me.
Bad news: it looks like I might lose my belly button after all. There was some concern about the blood supply to it because I had a prior umbilical hernia repair, and this incisional hernia had torn down to join with the prior scar tissue. But the black-looking skin was still soft, so all hope is not lost yet - the surgeon put a medicated dressing on it and refilled my antibiotic prescription and we’ll check it again next week - unless I develop symptoms of an infection in which case it will happen sooner.
I’m not upset about losing the belly button, just the concern that it may get infected and the ”ookiness” factor of possibly having it removed in an in-office procedure under a local.
I also got a copy of my op and path reports. I had 3.2 lbs of skin removed. Don’t know how much the lipoma weighed, but probably no more than 0.3 lbs. so I’ll call it a rough way to lose 3.5 lbs.
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hilary1617
First time at the rodeo.
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2014
- Messages
- 3,761
Though I'm sad you're having a challenge and may lose it, I am with you in thinking belly buttons are superfluous. Glad your incisions are good and the drains are out - such a relief!! Hang in there.
I had cautiously added my calcium and magnesium back to my regimen on Saturday after successfully stepping down from oxycodone to codeine, and maintaining satisfactory poop status with twice a day Colace. Late this afternoon, after my morning routine was disrupted by having to go to the checkup, I sat down to finish the job.
I will spare you the worst of the details, but over the next 2 hours, I seriously debated going to the hospital and/or using a gloved finger or various household tools to disimpact myself. I thought I might have suffered a prolapsed rectum (actually used a hand mirror to check, it felt so bad). I even tried (cleverly, I thought) using the Toto bidet in mid-attempted-poop as a kind of “powerwasher” to break up the brick, without sufficient result.
Finally, the problem resolved itself in one fell swoop (and I didn’t see anything that was hard enough to have justified the pain), but the whole episode hurt like hell (not my belly - just my butt) and scared me. (Would that it had scared the crap out of me - or maybe it did!) And I’m not taking calcium again until I’m off of all opioids.
Weird fact: after we got home from the appointment, I asked Charles to apply some antibiotic ointment to my suture lines, as the surgeon had suggested. He applied it using a Q-tip. As he was swabbing the goo on, in one spot where my incision line is down low (bikini line), I felt the tickle at my waistline, I assume where that piece of skin used to live! That was strange!
I will spare you the worst of the details, but over the next 2 hours, I seriously debated going to the hospital and/or using a gloved finger or various household tools to disimpact myself. I thought I might have suffered a prolapsed rectum (actually used a hand mirror to check, it felt so bad). I even tried (cleverly, I thought) using the Toto bidet in mid-attempted-poop as a kind of “powerwasher” to break up the brick, without sufficient result.
Finally, the problem resolved itself in one fell swoop (and I didn’t see anything that was hard enough to have justified the pain), but the whole episode hurt like hell (not my belly - just my butt) and scared me. (Would that it had scared the crap out of me - or maybe it did!) And I’m not taking calcium again until I’m off of all opioids.
Weird fact: after we got home from the appointment, I asked Charles to apply some antibiotic ointment to my suture lines, as the surgeon had suggested. He applied it using a Q-tip. As he was swabbing the goo on, in one spot where my incision line is down low (bikini line), I felt the tickle at my waistline, I assume where that piece of skin used to live! That was strange!
hilary1617
First time at the rodeo.
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2014
- Messages
- 3,761
Diana, maybe for good measure add in a couple of pedialax watermelon chewables (magnesium hydroxide) - available at most drugstores. It can work wonders to counteract the codeine's cement factory works. All the best and sorry you experienced that. Also, keep drinking. Hydration is your best friend!
Also, keep drinking. Hydration is your best friend!Similar threads
