Chocmumof2

Hi Your PS may have a preferred supplier/brand so ask them first. I order Cica Care from my local pharmacy as he doesn't stock it normally. I will be picking up my second sheet on the weekend as the first one I ordered is getting 'ratty' after a month of use. Every day when I take it off I hand wash it under running water with a bit of hand soap. I lay it on the original packaging to dry. Then it dries overnight before I use it again.

Good luck! Be be kind to yourself - one day at a time x

Hi ladies, I was the same... I had extensive lipo removing every since chocolate bar... (the lipo apparently the reason for the drains being in for 3 weeks apparently). Weirdly - I have gone off red meat since my surgery. I just couldn't eat it in hospital and have chosen not to order / buy it since. I have eaten a lot of fish and chicken. I have lost 5 kilos post surgery.

Hi Kel1987 Unfortunately the brand is not on my binder that I got from hospital. But what I can tell you is that since hospital I always wear a tank top underneath it for comfort. I don't wear the binder to bed (I wear it all day until bedtime)... a lot of people do but I just don't like it. My swelling has certainly gone down heaps but if I am active during the day, I am bloated at night - which I was thinking this morning is a pain as I know this will get me frustrated on what I will be able to wear whilst this is still healing... I have become very good with my routine of scar management. Bio Oil massaged in when I wake up. Every morning I have a shower I put the (Cica Care) silicone sheets on and take them off after dinner. I find that they start to hurt on my skin when I am bloated at night so I take them off. I have a shower every night so that I can massage my stomach in the shower and then I put on another layer of bio oil for bedtime. I always massage the bio oil in - in circles. I had a pretty ugly keliode scar forming at the front / centre of my scar which is gone since I have done this daily routine. The only thing I have left is puckering on the left hand (end) of my scar. I have been told this will go down when the swelling goes down. The rest of my scar is already pencil thin. Hi mumo5 Don't panic ! No doubt you have done your research of your PS and are more prepared than you think. I would recommend that you stop researching the actual procedure. I remember having to stop myself too as you have to reach a point that you are being kind to yourself. I would recommend you get busy with preparing your house, pantry, packing for hospital, organise playdates etc. Having my kids not impacted too much on their mums recovery was important to me. So I told a handful of my kids friends parents that I was having major 'womans' surgery. Not one parent has asked me what I had done (which is good as I am not telling hahaha), but all have been so so supportive with playdates etc. Thanks to this and other forums, we can see that everyone's surgery is different - so prepare for the worst length of downtime just in case, but you may be on the road to recovery quicker which will be easy for you then as you were prepared. All the best !

Wow Miss-teach - sounds like a dream ! Did you have a full TT (hip to hip scar) and did you have any lipo? Apparently the lipo caused the drains to be in for so long for me ? Do you have a pain bubble? It is given to patients who have a full TT for the first 3 days and then they pull it out. Maybe that's why you don't need the panadeine forte. I was 4 weeks post op yesterday. Last night (and I have tried many times before !) was the first night that I slept flat. Bliss ! I drove my car today too for the first time. Bliss ! and I went to the shops by myself. Bliss !! haha So today was great - I tried some clothes in the shops and I have gone from a L to XL in a top to a M - L already. Very very happy about that. The top of my torso is so small, I love it. Can't wait for the swelling to go down... Miss-teach the swelling on the belly does suck!! I wear my binder every day except sleeping. Hoping it will hurry up and go down for summer. Lucky it isn't winter as I still cannot do up jeans... ?? Thank you liqufiedstars ! Try not to stress about the sleeping. Everyone is different and even if you can't for a few days, it is only temporary. I have collected every spare pillow in the house. I start with all of them and wake up with all but two on the floor ??

Update time ! Today I am 26 days post op. The last 24 hours I have noticed that I have a lot more movement in my torso and I am walking better (hunch still there but less than before). Last night was my first 'what have I done to myself' cry. I got pretty upset maybe also because I still have not slept all night and although my PS told me recovery is months not weeks, it sometimes feels hard to be in that moment waiting, waiting, waiting and I am only under 4 weeks post op !! Apparently all normal according to my nurse 'just be patient' 'be kind to yourself' 'you deserve this for you' she said to me today. Nice lady :) Last night I slept on the couch. It sort of worked. Tonight I will try the bed again. Can't wait to get a good night sleep that goes for hours ! I wake up 2-3 times a night uncomfortable and at least one of these times I will have to get up and stretch myself out before I get back it again as my abdomin gets so tight. The silicone strips / bio oil combination seem to be working ok for me so far. I can already see a small improvement on my scar. My tummy is still very swollen (cannot do up jeans) but I noticed today it is the softest it has been since post op. I can press it and it goes down. My belly button is still trying to heal. Looks so gross inside. I wipe it with betadine after every shower and am still on keflex. Pain wise, I barely have panadol now. I got myself off the hard stuff last week. I still have a lot of discomfort - but not pain so I hardly take pain relief now. ??

Hi Honeybee089 I hope you have recovered well. I'm glad that you mentioned the nerve pain. It is so damn awful. The only thing that fixes it for me is a heat pack. How long did the nerve pain go on for you? I am 24 days Post OP for full TT and lip. Thanks

Hi Liquiefiedstars, Not sure - apparently depending on the surgeon, they can keep patients in until the drains come out - which is mostly around the 5 day mark. I had muscle repair and extensive lipo so right from the start my PS told me that I would take longer to recover ( he told me 4 weeks back to work instead of normal 3). As I said above, it was 3 weeks until my drains came out - I would have gone stir crazy if I had stayed in hospital for that long haha I also had very low blood pressure (had to stay in chair on some days) - caused by pain meds apparently. Maybe a contribution... Don't feel nervous - everyone is different and everyone responds to their surgery differently. Tonight i am finally going to try and sleep in a bed and not the recliner. I am hoping this is more restful as I have had enough of the recliner. I am still so tight across the stomach - no chance of laying down yet - so I have grabbed all the spare pillows in my house! Let me know how you go on 7 Oct. All the best! ??

Hi Jessegirl85 I had mine done at The Mater - funnily the same place I had both my kids! Can you please find out what brand of silicone strips he recommends. I am very interested to know as the ones I have - I have to cut 4 pieces along the scar. Would be so much better if it was just one ! Thanks I hope your appointment goes well

I thought I would give a quick update. Yesterday I (finally) had my second drain out. 22 days post surgery felt like a very long time, but the rule was less than 30ml of fluid for 2 days and the community nurse made sure we waited until this happened. The other drain came out Monday - 19 days post op. Having a shower this morning without any drains, was so good! For the first time yesterday, I thought I would try and lie down in my bed, but I still needed cushions under my legs, so I will continue to sleep in my hired recliner until this improves. I am barely on any pain medication, only taking panadol (and keflex) four times a day, and one Endone about 6pm as for some reason it all gets way to tight on the ends of the scar line and (chinese burn) painful across the abdomin by this time of day. Without the pain relief, I cannot eat dinner, sit or stand. Looking forward for that to pass. I still get nerve pain and find the best thing is a heat pack. Make sure it isn't too hot! The warmth of the heat pack definitely takes away the pain instead of taking a pill. I started using silicon sheet strips yesterday. The pack said '4 hours on first' day. My plan is to build up using them during the day and when I take them off later the scar with Bio Oil for when I go to bed. I would really like to use just one silicone strip that goes the entire length of my scar - as what I have is cut into 4 pieces across the length. If anyone can recommend a better silicon sheet I would greatly appreciate it. I wear the binder for most of the day but not when I sleep as I want to be comfortable. I think that's it for now ?? Everyone is different

Hi jessegirl85 Everyone's recovery is very different so I can only speak for myself.... I had my TT on 2 Sept. I still have 2 drains in and a daily visit from a community nurse. I will be so happy when the drains come out !! I had terrible muscle separation fixed and he also did some lipo. Some people on this forum have been able to do things after a couple of weeks. I have trouble standing for more than a couple of hours (like making dinner) and then I am back in my hired recliner having a sleep/rest! What is recovery time like? everyone is different - depends on how much you have done to you. My surgeon has told me I should be able to start working again after 4 weeks. I have hired a recliner and a table on wheels that goes over itCost? for me it was close to $6K and as I had a medicare item number I will get back a small amount What are you being charged?Restrictions on everyday things? (Cleaning, lifting kids etc) 17 days post op, I am making meals and doing the washing and nothing else. Definitely no heavy lifting like kids etc as I do not want to mess with the surgeons work until it has recovered. To do the washing, I have to have the different piles on the floor and I crouch down to the ground and pass it in. To take washing out, I crouch down and lift it up to the bench. There is no way that I can bend down and up to do it normally yet. How long until i can have sex? No idea. Not on my mind as any sharp movement is still painful hahaAny additional requirements (garments, dressings etc) Buy yourself singlets with bra type inserts for comfort (I got mine from Peter Alexander 2 for $40). Then the binder can go over the top and it will not irritate your skin. I also bought night shirts like this one http://www.sussan.com.au/sleepwear/clover-nightie-blue-iris as they are comfortable and easy to wear around hospital / at home. The hospital provides you with the socks, binders, dressings etc. Also, FYI some drs want their patients to stay in hospital until the drains come out and some want their patients to use home nursing service. Do i need to do any preparation pre-op? If you can cook extra meals for the freezer before you go in and if you have kids organise play dates for when you come hope (where they pick up and drop off your kids), and try to get your house in order so your husband/family can find stuff it will be really helpful. Also do a shop of stuff that you should stock up on for the next months use e.g. sauce, flour, canned tomatoes, butter etc - so that only fresh items need to be purchased whilst you are out of action. Download some new movies on your iPad before you go into hospital. You usually have 30 days to watch them. I downloaded 3 which was enough. Also make sure your iPad has Fox Go on it as normal television is super duper boring ! The hospital I had allowed you to use their wireless, you might want to check if this is available otherwise get the internet working on your iPad. I also bought a new pair of $8 Target slid on slippers for the hospital that I threw out when I left On day 2 they had me out of bed. By day 3 I was walking around the ward doing a lap. By day 5 I would take a magazine outside in the garden in the sun.What complications can occur? I wasn't aware of anything other than the normal of going into theatre. After the operation though, I have experienced all sorts of pain - as the dr will cut through nerves, I have found this to be the most unusual pain, like pins and needs with a chinese burn all in one! I also at times feel very very tight across the scar line (that goes from hip to hip)All the best!

Hi MMO..DD Wow - your recovery is so different to mine. My full TT has given me maximum grief and heavy duty pain relief (initially bubble of pain relief in stomach + PCA. Then Targin and Endone). Now I am on regular panadol and heat packs. I can't believe you went home after 1 day. Good on you - what a strong woman you are The hospital keep me in for 10 days - as they don't like sending patients home with drains. I still had drains in day 10 so they organised a community nurse to visit me daily to check/change the bags. Still this morning day 15 I had 60ml on each side. Hating the drains !! haha Amazing how different everyone recovers. All the best with your recovery

Hi imperfectly_lou - yes super intense roller coaster so far! Thank you for your comment. Hi AH8TR, My surgeon didn't quote for lip either - he just said afterwards it was necessary for me. Maybe yours hasn't quoted as he doesn't know if he will need to do it. Maybe you should ask if it is included? When my drains come out, I plan on wearing two binders - which is what I have seen many in the US do on their youtube videos. Also FYI - I hired a recliner and a table on wheels that goes over the top. It has been so good. The hire fees are low but there was a deliver fee of $185. They charged me upfront for 1 month but minimal I can call and give them back is 2 weeks and I will get a refund for the extra weeks I have not used. I have also hired a frame and toilet seat to go over the toilet, as I had read it was hard to sit down, and this has been great for me also. Clothes wise for hospital - I bought singlet tops with built in bra (well it's not a bra it's extra material with elastic) from Peter Alexander. I bought 2 for $40, but got my friend to go back and get two more as the washing isn't being done daily since I have had my op (can't complain as at least it is being done !). After 3 days of wearing the hospital clothing, i started wearing it with a cotton nightie - http://www.sussan.com.au/clover-nightie-blue-iris I bought this one and a couple others similar. They have been great at home too. If you wear the singlet, then you can put the binder over the top and it stops the binder from annoying your skin (as it did to me and I was getting a rash). Then you wear the nightie over the top. I hope this helps! ??

Hi I am a mum of two kids 6 and 9. After my second child, I had terrible muscle separation. I tried exercise to fix it but no luck. (My surgeon has since told me I had 2.5 inches of separation - this was reassuring as I just knew I had no chance of fixing this myself!) I pretty much looked 3-4 months pregnant for the last 5-6 years.... Even the last day before my surgery the girl waxing me said 'so how long until your baby is due'. I knew I was making the right decision. I had my surgery 2 Sept. I had a full tummy tuck with lipo. I spent 10 days in hospital. Today I am 2 weeks post op. I still have 2 drains in. They are in bags that I can put over my shoulder. I can't wait to get them out as it is easy to pull on them which hurts and having them above my pubic (and below scar) makes it more complicated to go to the loo. My scar is from hip to hip. Pretty overwhelming to look in the mirror and see it everyday. I have already started using bio-oil. Have ordered silicon sheets to start using next week. my stomach looks pretty flat but I've read that this will change when the drains come out as the swelling will increase for a few months before it properly settles down. I hate wearing the binder (esp when sitting down) but do so. Maybe it gets better when the drains come out. I'm on strong pain meds but have cut down since I came home. Still trying to find the right balance. I have a lot of help at home - could not have done this surgery without it. Would love to hear from others who have had this surgery and am happy to answer Qs about mine ??