I cannot believe it has already been 3 weeks since my Mommy Makeover. Part of it feels like it has flown by and other parts feel very slow. I will be recapping this process by week until I hit the month mark. Here are all the details from Mommy Makeover Week 3.
Honestly, this week was pretty easy. Each week gets better and better. I am still sleeping in my avocado pool float and still sitting in my lift chair with a butt pillow. I am not allowed to put direct pressure on my butt until 6 weeks out so I will be doing those things for another 3 weeks. I can’t wait to be done with all that. If you just have a tummy tuck you get released from most things at around 4 week, but with the fat transfer it adds another 2 weeks to your recovery protocol.
I am able to stand much straighter now, so each day life is getting a little more normal. I can also shower pretty easily now which is awesome! I am still in my compression garment 24/7 so my female urinal is still my best friend. As far as meds, I am taking 2 stool softeners, 1 iron pill and 2 Bromelain pills a day, plus 1 Tramadol when I go to bed for pain. The pain gets more intense at night since you are not moving around at all.
This week I was able to remove the tape off my incisions. They recommended doing it in the shower. I didn’t love this feeling. It didn’t really hurt, but the nerves are all strange and mentally it is just strange pulling tape off an incision. Everything looked good and closed up which I was very glad to see!
The biggest change this week was on Saturday I drove for the first time. Technically, I have been allowed to drive, but it is not very comfortable. I have to sit on my butt pillow in the car and I still have all this foam in my compression garment so I don’t really want to run into anyone out and about. I am not taking any pain meds during the day so there is no real reason I can’t drive other than discomfort. Saturday night Braden was sick and broke out in a crazy rash with swelling. Geoff was sick, so I decided to run him up to urgent care. That is a a whole long story, but bottom line it forced me to get out of the house and drive and I was fine. If I need to get out an about I am able too. It is nice knowing that, even though I will probably wait until 4 weeks to do a ton of stuff outside of the house.
PAIN
I know pain is always a huge question and this is a constantly changing answer. The pain is very manageable at this point. Like I mentioned, I am not taking any pain meds during the day. I would describe it as discomfort more than pain. Kind of like how your body feels after a really hard workout (with tons of lactic acid build up), plus the way your body feels when you have bad PMS? I know that is a strange description, but I feel like that is pretty accurate. Things are just sore and tight. In the beginning my breasts and my liposuction areas didn’t hurt at all. Now I would say they are the most uncomfortable spots. I cannot feel any of my incisions at all, but my thighs and breasts sort of ache. They are both very tender. My doctor said this is due to the nerves growing back and all the numbing wearing off. I am still swollen, but not nearly as much as I was before. Swelling does increase more throughout the day though. My energy levels increase each day, but still get worn out way faster than before surgery.
PHOTO FROM MY WEEK 3 INSTAGRAM STORIES…I WAS FEELING A-OKAY! SOME OF YALL HATE THE FILTERS, WHICH I HONESTLY THINK IS HILARIOUS. MY ADVICE: WHEN YOU HAVE JUST HAD SURGERY, IF A FILTER MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER…GO FOR IT! DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY!
All and all I am very happy with my recovery and where I am 3 weeks post op. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! Next week when I remove the foam from my compression garments, my life will look a lot more normal. I can start running errands, going out with friends, etc. I am very excited about all of that! I will recap Week 4 next week and than 6 weeks post op when I get to remove my compression garments, my surgical bra and go for my post op check up!
CATCH UP ON MY OTHER POSTS
MOMMY MAKEOVER: PRE-OP & SURGERY DAY
MOMMY MAKEOVER: WEEK 1
MOMMY MAKEOVER: WEEK 2
You can check out all of my plastic surgery & weight loss posts here.
**IF YOU’VE HAD OR ARE INTERESTED IN GASTRIC SLEEVE SURGERY OR MOMMY MAKEOVER TYPE OF PLASTIC SURGERY JOIN THE HOH PRIVATE FACEBOOK COMMUNITY WHERE WE CAN ALL SHARE OUR STORIES, GET QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND CHEER EACH ON DURING OUR INDIVIDUAL JOURNEYS. I AM HOPING THIS WILL BE A VERY HELPFUL RESOURCE FOR EVERYONE CONSIDERING/OR HAVE HAD THESE PROCEDURES.