Today is post-op day 5 for my revision, dog ear removal and liposuction to correct some asymmetry. Today was a big day for me. It didn’t feel like it was a big deal while it was going on, it felt good. But now, as I lay in my bed, I am tired. Exhausted. Swollen. I don’t feel good.
My friend Kristi picked me up to take me to to see Dr. Yamahata cuz I can’t drive yet and the hubby needed to work and Kristi is a lovergirlsisterfriend with a rad work schedule who always says yes. We call him YamaTATA. He did Kristi’s boobs, too. Yet another thing we have in common. 🖤
So I had my first post-op follow-up appointment with Dr. Yamahata today. His assistant, Nin, helped take my dressings off. “Can I look,” I asked. They have a full length mirror in their exam rooms. It felt so good to take that binder off! The bruising is already mostly fading, you know the shade, when the purple has gone from black to plum to blue to greenish yellowish. The incisions are much longer than I expected. They start under each breast in the middle, and go all the way to my back. I need to take it easy for a bit longer, at least until it scabs over. I really hope I don’t have spitting stitches again. That sucked.
The left side lays mostly flat and the breast looks perfectly rounded. The right side, where he did more lipo, is very swollen and no where near flat.
Trust the process they say.
Trust the process, I will continue to do.
Nin gave me a silky robe to wear, as if it doesn’t come off as soon as the doctor is in the room. “Everything looks good,” he said. He wants me to wear compression 23/7 and shower and walk everyday. Same as before. Follow up in a week.
Dr. Yamahata’s nurse gave me a Stage 1 faja on the day of surgery in a size XL. I think I was in a 3XL after my tummy tuck. Can you believe that? Including surgery and weight loss while taking Mounjaro, I have lost 59 lbs. From plus size to midsize. And today they gave me a surgical bra and two ace bandages to go with the faja. Shower first, faja second.
After the appointment, Kristi and I went to Sephora, mostly for her teenage daughter’s Easter basket stuff. Like mother like daughter. Kristi is my beauty product guru. I got some liquidy eye shadow from Glossier, Lidstar in the color Branch. And a white eye pencil, for my waterline. It was only $6 and I want to try it. It’s supposed to brighten up your eyes. We will see.
After that we went and had some Greek food. I ate less than half of my falafel sandwich, but it was delicious. Then we went to Dick’s Sporting Goods so I could pick up my second pair of Nike Waffle Debut sneakers. I love the retro yet modern look and fit so much that I got a blue pair for work and a white pair for home. They were on sale for like $56.
Then we went to Walmart to finish up the Easter baskets for Kristi’s kids. I was feeling good. I didn’t even take any pain medicine today…yet. When the swelling peaks, then I will take it.
It felt good to be out and about while I was out and about. Good to spend time with my friend and get out of the house for the first time in 5 days. But as soon as I got home, I got into bed and took a nap. Exhausted. And I still needed to shower.
The first shower feels so good. It feels good to take the binder off. My skin was so itchy!! Dr. Yamahata suggests using Dial antibacterial bar soap before surgery, and after. As an RN that takes care of surgical patients, I know to start from clean to dirty, do not rub the incisions, use gentle clean hands and warm, soapy water and let it run over the incisions and rinse well. Don’t have the water too hot because sometimes it can make you get dizzy or light headed. If you ever feel that way, get back to bed and drink more water and eat/drink more protein. After the shower, blot to dry with a clean towel from clean to dirty again. Allow it all to air dry, then get into compression.
So here we are again. Back in the faja, with lipo foams and two ace bandages wrapped tightly around my chest with clean hair and a clean vajay. Bruisex cream all over. Just FYI, this part sucks. I know from experience things will get exponentially better over the next two weeks, and by comparison this is so much easier than my other surgeries…
I just have to remember that although it is easier than an Extended Abdominoplasty with repair of the Diastasis Recti with Liposuction to the Flanks followed by a Breast Reduction and lipo to the bra line 10 weeks after the first surgery, that it was still a significant revision. I’m no plastic surgeon, but I think this was more than the average dog ear removal. No wonder I needed IV sedation and two hours in the OR and not just local anesthesia in the office. Dr. Yamahata hooked me up. He said he did more lipo than I expected to fix the asymmetry as well. Now that I have seen the incisions, how long they are, I need to dial it back a notch and take it easy. Today was great, but I need these incisions heal properly. I need to move on with my life.
Dear Goddess, Please let my incisions heal nice and flat and please can I not have the spitting stitches this time and please can it look amazing and symmetrical and please help me to keep fucking going every day and love myself no matter what it all looks like in the end. A few months makes a huge difference, I know. My lymphatic system has to repair itself again…I won’t see all of the results for a year. I knew this. I know this.
And I know everything is gonna be alright.
Cuz I am strong like Mulan and can handle anything that comes my way.
I keep telling myself that anyway.
Annie D 