On November 18, 2008,
I am having a full tummy tuck
performed by Dr. Lewis T. Ladocsi at Richmond Plastic Surgeons.
This is to document everything
from pre-op to longtern post op results.

Thursday, March 26, 2009 Saturday, February 14, 2009 Wednesday, January 21, 2009 Progress continues! 9 weeks post-op...I don't really have many complainrs, I'm not crazy about my new belly button, and I still feel the necessity to wear either the binger or the compression garment (sometimes I even wear both!!!), but overall I am feeling great and comfortable. I started running again this past Saturday, it is slow going and I am following a "beginner run/walk" program to get myself back into it. I have a 10K on March 28 and I am thinking about a triathlon that is on May 31, there are a few more to consider, one on June 28 and another on August 9 and then yet another October 11...so lots to consider! Thursday, January 8, 2009 Happy New Year! Not a lot to report. Recovery is going very well. I have had many ups and downs and the worst part has been the waiting and being confined by inactivity. My results are starting to become more profound and I am very pleased. I have had some major swelling at times, which was quite depresing, but I am seeing small changes almost every day. I also feel better and better every day. I have been walking fairly regularly for a while, but this week, being 7 weeks out, I have really kicked things up a notch. I am walking 4.0mph for 45 minutes and lifting weights...light weights and high reps. I feel like I am getting my focus back after having to take it easy, and my weight is holding steady. I'm fortunate that my weight is OK, during the holidays I struggles a lot with my eating but I have managed things and the holidays are over, yippee! I don't really have any complaints, I have swelling at my hips, probably ongoing from the trauma of having drains there...and then I have read that it is common because of wearing a binder and or compression garment for 24 hours a day every day, and it eventually gets better and goes away. It has gone down a lot, but having these HIPS is really new to me! Thursday, December 11, 2008  I'm back to my pre-op weight, which means I need to lose about 5 more pounds to balance with the "about 5 pounds" removed during sugery. I feel really great. Sometime it is true what they say, you don't know how bad you feel until you feel better. Not that I have been feeling "bad," I thought I was feeling great over a week ago, but this has been my best week and I have had my best days. I can sleep on my sides now, I can move more freely. I had been dealing with a pretty rotten and painful pinching sensation that dragged me down emotionally and that is pretty much gone now. What a relief! I went to the gym last Tuesday and it was fine, but the rest of the week I was not up to going. This week, I went Tuesday and tonight and walked a mile each time. I was up for going last night but did not want to push things, but the matter is, I feel good enough to do more. I am feeling like my usual self. Still a lot of swelling, but today least swollen thus far...so you get some updated photos... Oh, and the before... above the belly button... tan line, that is now located just above the scar line, in case you were wondering.... Red marks are from the damn binder....         Friday, November 28, 2008 I feel pretty darned good. I am very swollen, even though you can't really see it much in the above photo, reason being I was flat on my back. I had my first post-op with my surgeon on Monday, my drains were removed and doc said I am right where he expected me to be in my recovery. No sign of infection, normal swelling, and back to feeling good. The drain removal itself was tough. I was more nervous about the drains coming out than I was the morning of surgery. Some people asy it does not hurt, some say it does. The first drain came out with ease and I felt nothing. The second one was awful. I'll leave it at that. I have my second post-op on Tuesday morning. I don't know if my belly button stitches will come out at that time, or if my doc will just check me over. I am more concerned with the swelling than he is, so maybe if I am still "out there" I will address that with him. Otherwise, all is well. I Worked 10-6 Thanksgiving Day and that was fine. My normal schedule resumes on Sunday. Wednesday, November 19, 2008 My surgery yesterday went off without a hitch. Surgeon reported to my Mom that when he opened me up, he saw a tiny little figure in there, and that will be reflected in my results down the road. And he removed about 5 pounds of skin and my fat pudge! They wheeled my into the OR at about 11 and I don't remember a thing. I had already been sedated and the drug doc said here we go and I was out. I woke up with ease, all the nurses were surprised and said I'd be out of there in no time, and I was. I was at home just before 3 and I slept off and on all evening, took meds, ate, slept. I was up walking around every couple of hours, too, and I finally was able to pee at about 9. My surgeon called me to check on me at about 9:40, he said he was sorry to call late, I told him no problem, I was watching the Biggest Loser. He laughed. I'm getting ready to have my Mom and sister help me take off the binder and dressings for the first time. I'm scared, but I'll get through it. I'll also have my sister take a photo. All in all, I don't feel too bad. Just a bit anxious that I'm healing, trying to be very careful, walking around often, and eating pretty well. Today is worse than yesterday, tomorrow will be worse than today, and then I think things will get better. But nothing is unbearable. Monday, October 27, 2008 Pre-op at 9am with RN: Gwen. 10am Pre-op with Dr. Ladocsi. I spent an hour with Gwen (She is the RN whom I spoke with before making the consult appointment. A family member of one of the residents gave me her number.), she was very thorough and gave me all my pre-surgical and post-op instructions. She was GREAT. She also took my BP and weight and said that everything looks great. I signed all of my consent forms and paid the fee, egads! I got my prescriptions for my pain meds and antibiotics, too. For two weeks before surgery, No medications (over-the-counter and otherwise) containing Aspirin...no vitamin E or any multivitamins containing vitamin E, and no herbal medications. The day before surgery I have to be on a clear liquid diet. No food, water, gum, lifesavers, hard candy, after midnight the night before surgery. The day of surgery: I can have clear liquids once I am home and then advance to a "normal diet," though foods that do not require a lot of chewing are recommended. She said soups are best, and to shy away from high fiber foods. She also said stay away from dairy. I am to be up every 2 hours to walk around. I will be wearing TED hose for 48 hours post-op. I will wear a binder for no less than 2 weeks, some patients wear it for 6-8 weeks to feel more supported and secure. While sleeping, I will have pillows under my back, head, and knees. My dressing is to be changed once daily. She said I should only really need to change it once a day. The sutures are all absorbable with the exception of the ones at the site of my new belly button! I will have a "Jackson-Pratt" drain. The drain will need to be emptied 2 times a day. The drain will be removed on the Monday after surgery, unless the drainage output is less than 40cc in a 24 hour period of time, at which I am to call the office to let them know I need to come in and have it removed. I can shower 24 hours post-op. No heavy lifting or strenuous activity until seen in office the Monday after surgery. No lifting over 10 pounds for a total of 4 weeks. I will have post-op the Monday after surgery, then in another week - 2 weeks depending on initial post-op. I can drive as long as I am not taking the pain meds. Since I am planning to return to work 8 days post-op, she said to be sure and stand up and move around as much as I am able to. My boss told me that if I need an extra day or two, no problem. I have sick time available! I will only work 3.5 hours on the 26th anyway, so it's not that big of a deal. I will take Percocet for pain, as needed, for the first 3 days, and may alternate with Tylenol Extra Strength if I am tolerating and managing pain. No aspirin or Ibuprofen for 2 weeks. After all that, Gwen showed me where to go the morning of surgery and told me that my surgery should take about 2 hours and certainly no more than 3 hours. Soon after I am done, doc will go to the waiting lounge and tell my Mom how I did and am doing and then soon after she can join me in recovery. I will be in recovery for about 2 hours and then I am discharged to home. I met with Dr. Ladocsi after Gwen was done with me. Our visit was short, he looked over my info and asked me if I had any questions. He told me how things would go the morning of surgery from start to finish. He asked me if I was ready and I told him YES! Funny that after I got to work, his scheduling coordinator called me and asked if I'd like to move my surgery up a week, to the 11th, as they had a woman's surgery canceled because she had not gotten medical clearance from her physician. I told her that I wished I could but I had a half-marathon to run on the 15th. Wednesday, October 18, 2008 Pre-op lab work and medical clearance with my primary doc. I have a wonderful and supportive doctor, he is just as excited for my tummy tuck surgery as I am! He thinks that I will come out of it with a lot more confidence.

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