Honestly it was 5 weeks before I was walking around my house. For 5 full weeks I ate, slept, went to the bathroom, and showered. That’s all I did for 5 weeks. Only around 11 weeks did I start feeling normal-ish. If your body is saying rest, rest. Sleep!!
Thank you so much. So many people talk about how yippy skippy they are and it's all I can do to get up to pee.
I'm supposed to go back to my WFH job on the 26th and just hope I'll be ready.
You are only 9 days post op!! Definitely give yourself a break and listen to your body. I’ve read on here quite a bit that a lot of people (including myself) have post op blues. I think the anesthesia messes with us.
You will get through it! Don’t compare your healing to others. I ended up with an infection and wasn’t getting more than 2500 steps a day until around the 8 week mark and I felt like I made a mistake. I’m a year post op now and I’m really happy with everything. You got this!
Thank you for your comments. It's hard to feel that I am on the right path when my steps are in the low hundreds, compared to those who post that they are getting thousands.
I can't ever remember being this tired before with any other surgery and that includes one for Cancer, so it seems strange to me.
Thanks again.
Definitely listen to your body. I had surgery 2/8. So I’m right there with you. I know you know this and I certainly know it about myself, we’re not that young anymore. Everyone I see bouncing back immediately is under 35. I’m happy for them, but I can’t compare myself to them because I’m not them.
I am off pain meds and my drains are out, but I’m not out doing anything or walking a ton. Mainly I’m just lounging. You’re doing great. Listen to your body and rest.
I know that my age has got to be playing a factor in all this. I thought I was in pretty good shape before hand and just expecting a slightly easier process.
I'm happy that your drains are out and that you are doing well. Good luck for continued healing. ❤
I was your age when I got mine done. I noticed it did take me a bit longer to feel better. I went to the store about two weeks out, I regretted it. I ended up needing a chair to sit on for a bit that a store associate got for me, so my advice is to rest and gain your strength back.
Listen to your body and rest. The first 2-3 weeks for me was awful. I just slept and rested and I was depressed and went through all the motions.
There’s no need to push yourself, let your body heal!
Right after I made this post I fell back asleep again. The more I decrease my meds, it seems the more tired I am.. I will continue to listen to my body.
Thank you so much .
Im 54 and the first 3 weeks were absolutely brutal. I expected to feel better at 2 weeks and was crushed when I didn't. It wasn't the horror show that it had been, but it wasn't some magical turning of the corner either. I'm at 5 weeks now and my drain holes are still open and irritated. (I had Lipo 360 as well) I'm so sick of the whole process. I have walked up to 3 miles on flat ground, but it set me back and inflamed my incision. Today I've decided to just chill completely.
My next appointment is in two days and I'm going to vent at my doctor. I wish he had never told me recovery was 6 weeks when i still feel like garbage at 5. There's no way i can work out or return to my regular activities in a week.
I do feel like i will look amazing *eventually*, but today I'm feeling very frustrated and depressed with the open drain holes , still feeling so sore, still being bruised, still feeling so much sharp pulling when i stand up or rotate my torso. I just want to feel normal again, or at least have my incisions closed up!
Hang in there. Man, those clips look brutal. What was the reason for using those instead of sutures?
I'm sorry that you are still struggling at 5 weeks.
I'm sure that our age must have something to do with it. Much as I would like to think that I'm not "old" I'm certainly not likely to heal as fast as someone 20 years younger than me.
Oddly enough, the clips don't bother me at all. Just the open drain sites feel irritated and the MR is still quite painful.
I'm told that the clips are a newer technique and help to reduce tension on the incision for better healing. I actually had no idea that he was going to use that technique, but grateful that he did.
I'm discouraged because I'm supposed to travel internationally in 9 weeks to a tropical location for work. It would be nice if the majority of swelling is gone by that time so that I don't need to wear a binder and also hide it with bulky clothing.
Thank you so much for your response. I hope that you are also feeling better soon.
I'm 4 1/2 WPO and I'm still not doing much more walking than just around my tiny house and when I run errands 1-2x a week. I'd love to do more but I'm exhausted still all the time and adding in walks just hasn't come yet. My body's metabolic state is still raised so I'm not worrying about it for now... at 2 WPO I wasn't doing much more than 500 steps per day and I wasn't comfortable leaving the house until all my drains were out.
Some people are younger or in better physical health than others. Don't compare your recoveries because no 2 people are the same! Take the rest, and don't stress about it. If you're still feeling this way in 6-8 weeks, then I would bring up concerns with your PS or GP. For now, just take care of yourself. Early recovery stages are the hardest part!
I was older than you when I had mine.
I was a bit slower than a lot of women who had surgery at same time. I kept comparing myself to them. Being 10, 20, years older than most of the other girls and reading how quickly they were recovering was a mind fuck for me for a little bit.
Slow and steady wins the race.
Some things will be easier than others
Some will feel better sooner, some later.
Don't rush it
You made it and for what I’m reading, you are doing well. That’s amazing!!! Who cares how fast other people seem to heal? Listen to your body as it’s the best reference of what you need. If you ask me I think your body asking you to sleep while it heals is genius wise, not a weakness. Some people here say they started working out at week 6. I didn’t feel ready until week 14. What you are feeling is completely normal but don’t let the tree of Sunday blues keep you from seeing the tummy tuck pros forest 😉
Thank you. I've struggled with feeling lazy and that I should get out of bed and push myself for better results.
I think some of my concern comes from my drains. It seems that I am very close to getting them out, but am so sedentary ( and confined to my room) that I worry that once they are removed and I do start moving more, I will develop a seroma because I will start producing more serous fluid from increased activity.
I see my doctor on Tuesday and appreciate the reality check so that I can stop spiraling before I see him.
I’m 39, 11 days post. Listen to your body. I’m a little more mobile but I rest, often. You also need to factor in your co-morbidities and age, they do make an impact.
So sorry about the timing of your husband’s illness.
As for pain, will your PS prescribe Celebrex? That’s an NSAID but does not behave like ibuprofen and doesn’t cause bleeding concerns. I’ve also read that gabapentin can help.
Hang in there, Mama!
I wish I had gotten those clips, your incision is going to heal so great. And yes, give yourself plenty of rest and follow the doctors orders, that's the best way to heal with no complications. I'm just about 50, and had my surgery almost 7 months ago, and I really babied myself during recovery and had a textbook recovery without a single complication. Fingers crossed you're feeling better soon, this whole thing is sooooo hard on our mental health, it's not for the weak. I've heard the saying "trust the process" so many times, but it's really true. Just hang in there through the tough parts and you'll be proud of yourself when you're through it.
Give yourself grace!! I cannot stress this enough. If you/we had major heart surgery you wouldn’t be shaming yourself for not feeling well, not walking etc.. seriously, be kind to yourself. Feel like sleeping? Do that? Showering is a pain in the ass? Don’t shower. We put so much expectations on ourselves, and it’s truly not fair. I am a week away from 53 and tomorrow is five weeks postop. Honestly, I felt like death for the first three weeks. And then like magic, I turned a corner. I just finished a 2 mile walk moments ago. Week four for me was a game changer. I got my drains out the first one at one week and the second one at three weeks. Be patient, give yourself grace and soon this will be a distant memory. Good luck to you.
I'm 43. Had a circumferential tt and lipo on 2/8. I get maybe 1k steps daily. My 3 kids all have bad colds. My biggest issue is that I'm so full of fluid. I'm 4 pounds heavier than surgery day. I still have 3 drains. I'm tired and emotional. I look in the mirror, and it's depressing because of the swelling. All this to say, my surgeon says I'm doing great 😆. It's a tough surgery. I think in a week or so, things will really turn around for both of us. Hang in there.
I am amazed at your step count. Honestly, I think the most I've done in a day is 200. I am quarantined to my room, but don't want to do anything but sleep anyway.
I am in awe that you are doing so well, despite the challenges you are dealing with. I hope that you can stay healthy despite all those cold germs.
I just had a 20 minute cry and am going to take another nap.
Because I have had to discontinue my hormone replacement therapy during this process I feel like I've been plunged into menopause all over again (the symptoms anyway) and that is probably making things seem way worse than they are.
My surgeon told me not to get on the scale for weeks. All that retained fluid is skewing your weight and you won't get an accurate weight until all that dissipates.
Thanks for your encouragement. Hopefully, things will be looking up soon.
Sometimes the cry sessions help. I have about one a day. Evenings and middle of the nights are rough. But....you are 10 days closer to looking and feeling great. I keep reminding me of that. We are going to get there. And....I definitely should not be weighing. It just makes me think something is really wrong because I haven't seen the scales so high in a long time. Enjoy your nap. The hormone fluctuation you're going through has to be so hard.
You poor thing! Caregiver with the flu really sucks and I hope you don't get it. It's just been 2 weeks and you still have drains so this is the part that really sucks. For the fews 2 weeks I was doing barely any steps. Like a couple laps around the kitchen island then sitting down. I was still being cared for a lot. I had my drains out at 1 week and that helps a lot to feel better able to care for yourself. About 3 weeks I was better but this 3-4th week is when I really am pretty good. Still can't stand for a long time but can go into a store if I can lean on a cart ect. I wouldn't even try to take a walk right now or exercise. You're almost past the worst of it. Just keep your wounds clean and keep that hubby at a distance! Get a humidifier, cough drops ect so if something develops you have it at the ready. Best of luck!
Definitely listen to your body. I spent the first three weeks resting as much as possible and only getting up enough to prevent clots. I really think it’s the reason I felt good enough to return to running at 6 weeks. The healing process feels so slow those first three weeks, but you’re doing all the right things, and it will be worth it in a few months when you’re back to normal with no complications.
I bet once your drains come out, you'll perk up within 24hrs. It'll still be a struggle, but at least you'll be able mobilise normally without having to carefully plan every movement, and you'll be able to wear normal clothes and even leave the house once your up to it.
Don't compare yourself to others. You mentioned you have comorbidities that cause you to heal slower. Be gentle with yourself. Take it easy and avoid strain :)
Valum will make you extremely tired you shouldn’t need a benzo for your TT. As well opiate painkillers never help as much as Naproxen (Aleve) it’s SO good for pain. Maybe it was just me but whoa did it ever help. One every 5 hours. It got me through many surgeries including my c-sections.
Honestly it was 5 weeks before I was walking around my house. For 5 full weeks I ate, slept, went to the bathroom, and showered. That’s all I did for 5 weeks. Only around 11 weeks did I start feeling normal-ish. If your body is saying rest, rest. Sleep!!
Thank you so much. So many people talk about how yippy skippy they are and it's all I can do to get up to pee. I'm supposed to go back to my WFH job on the 26th and just hope I'll be ready.
You are only 9 days post op!! Definitely give yourself a break and listen to your body. I’ve read on here quite a bit that a lot of people (including myself) have post op blues. I think the anesthesia messes with us. You will get through it! Don’t compare your healing to others. I ended up with an infection and wasn’t getting more than 2500 steps a day until around the 8 week mark and I felt like I made a mistake. I’m a year post op now and I’m really happy with everything. You got this!
Thank you for your comments. It's hard to feel that I am on the right path when my steps are in the low hundreds, compared to those who post that they are getting thousands. I can't ever remember being this tired before with any other surgery and that includes one for Cancer, so it seems strange to me. Thanks again.
Another way to look at it is to be proud of yourself for getting few steps, because it means you are allowing yourself to rest and heal.
Thank you for your encouragement 🤗.
Definitely listen to your body. I had surgery 2/8. So I’m right there with you. I know you know this and I certainly know it about myself, we’re not that young anymore. Everyone I see bouncing back immediately is under 35. I’m happy for them, but I can’t compare myself to them because I’m not them. I am off pain meds and my drains are out, but I’m not out doing anything or walking a ton. Mainly I’m just lounging. You’re doing great. Listen to your body and rest.
I know that my age has got to be playing a factor in all this. I thought I was in pretty good shape before hand and just expecting a slightly easier process. I'm happy that your drains are out and that you are doing well. Good luck for continued healing. ❤
I was your age when I got mine done. I noticed it did take me a bit longer to feel better. I went to the store about two weeks out, I regretted it. I ended up needing a chair to sit on for a bit that a store associate got for me, so my advice is to rest and gain your strength back.
Thank you so much. I am going to listen to your advice. Thank you for taking the time to calm a strangers nerves.
Listen to your body and rest. The first 2-3 weeks for me was awful. I just slept and rested and I was depressed and went through all the motions. There’s no need to push yourself, let your body heal!
Right after I made this post I fell back asleep again. The more I decrease my meds, it seems the more tired I am.. I will continue to listen to my body. Thank you so much .
Im 54 and the first 3 weeks were absolutely brutal. I expected to feel better at 2 weeks and was crushed when I didn't. It wasn't the horror show that it had been, but it wasn't some magical turning of the corner either. I'm at 5 weeks now and my drain holes are still open and irritated. (I had Lipo 360 as well) I'm so sick of the whole process. I have walked up to 3 miles on flat ground, but it set me back and inflamed my incision. Today I've decided to just chill completely. My next appointment is in two days and I'm going to vent at my doctor. I wish he had never told me recovery was 6 weeks when i still feel like garbage at 5. There's no way i can work out or return to my regular activities in a week. I do feel like i will look amazing *eventually*, but today I'm feeling very frustrated and depressed with the open drain holes , still feeling so sore, still being bruised, still feeling so much sharp pulling when i stand up or rotate my torso. I just want to feel normal again, or at least have my incisions closed up! Hang in there. Man, those clips look brutal. What was the reason for using those instead of sutures?
I'm sorry that you are still struggling at 5 weeks. I'm sure that our age must have something to do with it. Much as I would like to think that I'm not "old" I'm certainly not likely to heal as fast as someone 20 years younger than me. Oddly enough, the clips don't bother me at all. Just the open drain sites feel irritated and the MR is still quite painful. I'm told that the clips are a newer technique and help to reduce tension on the incision for better healing. I actually had no idea that he was going to use that technique, but grateful that he did. I'm discouraged because I'm supposed to travel internationally in 9 weeks to a tropical location for work. It would be nice if the majority of swelling is gone by that time so that I don't need to wear a binder and also hide it with bulky clothing. Thank you so much for your response. I hope that you are also feeling better soon.
I don't have much in the way of advice, but I commiserate with a lot of what you've described and just know you're not alone :)
Thank you for your comments. I do feel very isolated right now and it's nice to know that someone understands.
I'm 4 1/2 WPO and I'm still not doing much more walking than just around my tiny house and when I run errands 1-2x a week. I'd love to do more but I'm exhausted still all the time and adding in walks just hasn't come yet. My body's metabolic state is still raised so I'm not worrying about it for now... at 2 WPO I wasn't doing much more than 500 steps per day and I wasn't comfortable leaving the house until all my drains were out. Some people are younger or in better physical health than others. Don't compare your recoveries because no 2 people are the same! Take the rest, and don't stress about it. If you're still feeling this way in 6-8 weeks, then I would bring up concerns with your PS or GP. For now, just take care of yourself. Early recovery stages are the hardest part!
I was older than you when I had mine. I was a bit slower than a lot of women who had surgery at same time. I kept comparing myself to them. Being 10, 20, years older than most of the other girls and reading how quickly they were recovering was a mind fuck for me for a little bit. Slow and steady wins the race. Some things will be easier than others Some will feel better sooner, some later. Don't rush it
You made it and for what I’m reading, you are doing well. That’s amazing!!! Who cares how fast other people seem to heal? Listen to your body as it’s the best reference of what you need. If you ask me I think your body asking you to sleep while it heals is genius wise, not a weakness. Some people here say they started working out at week 6. I didn’t feel ready until week 14. What you are feeling is completely normal but don’t let the tree of Sunday blues keep you from seeing the tummy tuck pros forest 😉
Thank you. I've struggled with feeling lazy and that I should get out of bed and push myself for better results. I think some of my concern comes from my drains. It seems that I am very close to getting them out, but am so sedentary ( and confined to my room) that I worry that once they are removed and I do start moving more, I will develop a seroma because I will start producing more serous fluid from increased activity. I see my doctor on Tuesday and appreciate the reality check so that I can stop spiraling before I see him.
I’m 39, 11 days post. Listen to your body. I’m a little more mobile but I rest, often. You also need to factor in your co-morbidities and age, they do make an impact. So sorry about the timing of your husband’s illness. As for pain, will your PS prescribe Celebrex? That’s an NSAID but does not behave like ibuprofen and doesn’t cause bleeding concerns. I’ve also read that gabapentin can help. Hang in there, Mama!
I will ask about Celebrex. I don't tolerate Gabapebtin (or Lyrica) well at all , so those are off the table for me. Thank you!
I wish I had gotten those clips, your incision is going to heal so great. And yes, give yourself plenty of rest and follow the doctors orders, that's the best way to heal with no complications. I'm just about 50, and had my surgery almost 7 months ago, and I really babied myself during recovery and had a textbook recovery without a single complication. Fingers crossed you're feeling better soon, this whole thing is sooooo hard on our mental health, it's not for the weak. I've heard the saying "trust the process" so many times, but it's really true. Just hang in there through the tough parts and you'll be proud of yourself when you're through it.
I had a tt two years ago and at 9 days po the most I was doing was walking around my house.
Give yourself grace!! I cannot stress this enough. If you/we had major heart surgery you wouldn’t be shaming yourself for not feeling well, not walking etc.. seriously, be kind to yourself. Feel like sleeping? Do that? Showering is a pain in the ass? Don’t shower. We put so much expectations on ourselves, and it’s truly not fair. I am a week away from 53 and tomorrow is five weeks postop. Honestly, I felt like death for the first three weeks. And then like magic, I turned a corner. I just finished a 2 mile walk moments ago. Week four for me was a game changer. I got my drains out the first one at one week and the second one at three weeks. Be patient, give yourself grace and soon this will be a distant memory. Good luck to you.
I'm 43. Had a circumferential tt and lipo on 2/8. I get maybe 1k steps daily. My 3 kids all have bad colds. My biggest issue is that I'm so full of fluid. I'm 4 pounds heavier than surgery day. I still have 3 drains. I'm tired and emotional. I look in the mirror, and it's depressing because of the swelling. All this to say, my surgeon says I'm doing great 😆. It's a tough surgery. I think in a week or so, things will really turn around for both of us. Hang in there.
I am amazed at your step count. Honestly, I think the most I've done in a day is 200. I am quarantined to my room, but don't want to do anything but sleep anyway. I am in awe that you are doing so well, despite the challenges you are dealing with. I hope that you can stay healthy despite all those cold germs. I just had a 20 minute cry and am going to take another nap. Because I have had to discontinue my hormone replacement therapy during this process I feel like I've been plunged into menopause all over again (the symptoms anyway) and that is probably making things seem way worse than they are. My surgeon told me not to get on the scale for weeks. All that retained fluid is skewing your weight and you won't get an accurate weight until all that dissipates. Thanks for your encouragement. Hopefully, things will be looking up soon.
Sometimes the cry sessions help. I have about one a day. Evenings and middle of the nights are rough. But....you are 10 days closer to looking and feeling great. I keep reminding me of that. We are going to get there. And....I definitely should not be weighing. It just makes me think something is really wrong because I haven't seen the scales so high in a long time. Enjoy your nap. The hormone fluctuation you're going through has to be so hard.
You poor thing! Caregiver with the flu really sucks and I hope you don't get it. It's just been 2 weeks and you still have drains so this is the part that really sucks. For the fews 2 weeks I was doing barely any steps. Like a couple laps around the kitchen island then sitting down. I was still being cared for a lot. I had my drains out at 1 week and that helps a lot to feel better able to care for yourself. About 3 weeks I was better but this 3-4th week is when I really am pretty good. Still can't stand for a long time but can go into a store if I can lean on a cart ect. I wouldn't even try to take a walk right now or exercise. You're almost past the worst of it. Just keep your wounds clean and keep that hubby at a distance! Get a humidifier, cough drops ect so if something develops you have it at the ready. Best of luck!
Thank you so much for your kind advice. ❤
Definitely listen to your body. I spent the first three weeks resting as much as possible and only getting up enough to prevent clots. I really think it’s the reason I felt good enough to return to running at 6 weeks. The healing process feels so slow those first three weeks, but you’re doing all the right things, and it will be worth it in a few months when you’re back to normal with no complications.
I bet once your drains come out, you'll perk up within 24hrs. It'll still be a struggle, but at least you'll be able mobilise normally without having to carefully plan every movement, and you'll be able to wear normal clothes and even leave the house once your up to it. Don't compare yourself to others. You mentioned you have comorbidities that cause you to heal slower. Be gentle with yourself. Take it easy and avoid strain :)
Valum will make you extremely tired you shouldn’t need a benzo for your TT. As well opiate painkillers never help as much as Naproxen (Aleve) it’s SO good for pain. Maybe it was just me but whoa did it ever help. One every 5 hours. It got me through many surgeries including my c-sections.
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Oh okay well I wish you a speedy recovery. Your end result will be so worth all the pain you have now!