6 week pics

So bikini shopping went a little TOO well...I came home with not one, but FIVE new suits! Woot woot! I am also back at cardio and hoping to start some strength training this coming week and get back into P90X the following week. I would write more but it's 32 degrees outside (90ish to my American friends) and I am laying in the yard studying for a mid-term and soaking up some glorious Vitamin D (hopefully not skin cancer too) while my littlest one splashes around in his pool.

Here are the 6 week pics as promised. The last pic is (obviously) a close up of my belly button, it's looking better but I still don't "love" it, it's kinda funny looking, albeit a million times better than what I had before!

edited to add: the marks on my tummy are just from the girdle, I had just taken it off shortly before.

Love to Hate it and Hate to Love it

So this post is a little late in coming and I could give a million excuses as to why but fact is that it's just been so nice outside that I haven't made the time. My apologies to my loyal followers.

Despite being told at my 4 week appointment that I could stop wearing the girdle, it took me 8 days to work up the courage to take it off. Yes, 8 days...*hanging head in shame*...totally crazy considering how much I HATE this thing! I actually tried mid-week and just couldn't do it. It really is the very definition of love/hate relationship. Being without it is the most odd feeling I've ever felt...naked, exposed, unprotected. But Saturday night was my birthday celebration and I really didn't want to wear it so I grew myself a set of balls and took it off. I was very concerned about how much swelling I would have without it so I wore a loose fitting tank just because I didn't really want to be sitting there with a cocktail in hand looking 5 months pregnant. Much to my surprise I had NO swelling whatsoever, despite eating sodium overloaded pub food for dinner and it being hot and muggy out that day. I think I got a little too comfortable though, because I left it off all day the following day and by the end of the night (while we were at a friend's BBQ) I looked like a sausage busting out of it's casing. Luckily I had planned for this and brought the girdle, so hubby saddled me up and I felt much better by morning. I have to tell you that putting it on is the funniest thing ever, we really should youtube it or something. I wrap it around and he holds the velcro end, waiting for my command. Once I have it perfectly in place (I have it down to a fine science now) I say "ok, GO!" and he uses all his body weight to pull it nice and tight. When I try to do it myself, it just isn't the same, it's crooked or too loose, or the velcro is rubbing on my boobs or something. Damn, we're a good team =)

Anyway, this week has been a nice mix of girdle vs. no girdle. Tomorrow marks 6 weeks, which means the green light to resume working out. Pretty excited about that, I am starting to feel a little mushy in places I really don't want to be! We are going on a 10 day vacation in mid-August so I have to get back in the swing of things right away. I am actually going to go bikini shopping today...I am sure that will be a blog post in and of itself. Wish me luck.

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These were taken at 5 weeks. I will post more this weekend because oddly enough, my belly button has definitely changed for the better.

One Month Check-up Appointment

So yesterday was my 4 week post-op. Can you believe it's been a MONTH?! This was the first time I have seen my surgeon since the morning after, which as we know was absolute HELL getting to the surgery centre and involved a lot of tears and a wheelchair. Yesterday, not only did I hop out of my truck, I even took the stairs! The receptionist says to me "well, you're looking much better than the last time I saw you!" and we both instantly cracked up. There was another woman standing there as we were chatting and she piped up that she wanted to get a TT...I told her to best be prepared to be knocked flat on her ass for 2-3 weeks. She asked me if it was comparable to a c-section and I kind of giggled...not even in the same league. My c-sec was like getting a papercut compared to this!! I told her it compared to being shot in the guts and left to bleed out...LOL! Poor woman. Anyways, I then proceeded to tell her how happy I am with my results and that I know that soon enough, it will all have been worth it. I've mentioned this in a previous posting, but I am still not quite shouting from rooftops about how glad I am I did this. I have my moments, but am still feeling some guilt over the cost (especially considering we are in the process of moving which has cost us a couple thousand) and of course just not 100% comfortable in my own skin yet...but I know it WILL come, eventually. Be patient or you'll become one, as they say.

So back to the appointment. My surgeon removed my girdle and actually said "wow, smokin' mama!" - at first I was speechless (those of you who know me realize this is a real rarity) and then I sort of laughed it off, but I guess I should give myself a little more credit. He told me that even he couldn't believe how great it turned out and how well I am healing. Minimal to no swelling, although the incision is still nasty looking but that takes months and months. I did have one spot that I mentioned to him was quite tender so he peeled off my surgical tape and took a look. Lo and behold there was a little piece of internal stitch poking out. So he removed it with scissors and tweezers (didn't hurt, more of a pinchy feeling) and told me this happens sometimes but it's nothing to worry about. He gave me the go ahead to start very light cardio, working my way back to running over the next 3 weeks or so, and resuming weight training in another 2 weeks. YAY! Wait, wait...there's MORE! I can ditch this F%$#^& girdle any time I am ready! He recommends I still wear it to sleep and if I am just at home, but said it's totally fine to take it off when I am out of the house. I have to wean myself off it slowly like a baby coming off the tit, a couple hours at a time. Just to make sure I don't swell up like a balloon.

He asked me how I felt about my results and I told him the honest truth, that I am mostly happy, but still not "there" yet. He walked over to his computer screen and proceeded to pull up my "before" picture...and as many times as I have seen it on my own computer and even on this very blog, there was something about standing there beside it, pants down, stomach bared, knowing that I was a completely different person physically. It kind of overcame me a bit and I just nodded. He told me that I truly was the perfect candidate and that he knows that in a couple more months, I will be SO thankful I did this for myself.

*raising my Timmy's coffee cup* : here's to that day coming.

3 Week Pictures

I just finished taking a few pics to try and capture the "definition" that I can see now. I think you can see it a little, it is definitely more visible in person. In the 2nd pic, you can also see how the "puckering" along the incision line has started to settle down and flatten out a bit.

Gwen Stefani, eat your heart out.

3 Week Tummyversary

I figured today is a good day to write since I am now officially 3 weeks post-op, which is also halfway to the full recovery point. It's so hard to believe that it's been that long since I was confined to bed, drugged to oblivion and wishing I were dead. I guess time flies when you're having fun!

Yesterday we took a day trip to the lake, my first real day out in the sunshine around people who were unaware that I had anything done. Wearing the girdle is definitely a total pain in the ass and is very limiting on what I can wear as far as clothing is concerned, because it is so stiff and just plain awkward. I wore 2 tank tops to try and hide the lumps and bumps of Velcro, with yoga capris. I also made a very conscious effort to stand straight, as there were a few family members there who don't know about the TT and I would prefer to keep it that way. I wouldn't say I failed miserably, but one person did ask me what was wrong with my back. So clearly I am not as upright as I seem to think I am, which means my husband was right. I guess there's a first for everything! I tell him that when he met me he knew I was Miss Right, he just didn't know my first name was Always. Hehe.

As for the healing itself, the lumps under my incision are slowly but surely breaking up, assuming from the massaging so I will keep it up until they have disappeared. I have noticed the swelling going down more and more every day, in fact I can't even wear my girdle with the velcro where it's supposed to be, it's a good 3" past now, which is a great thing. I took it off last night and stood in the full length mirror...and much to my (pleasant) surprise, I can see some slight definition already. Yes, folks, I actually have defined abs. I am SO excited to see my final result in a couple of months and ditch this freaking girdle. I am also really looking forward to being able to workout, especially running. Every time I drive past someone running, I just itch to be able to tie up my runners, toss my boys in the jogger and have a nice sweaty, lung burning run. Soon, soon.

On another note, we are moving this month. Totally spur of the moment (obviously, what moron would have major surgery and move the following month) but necessary. I have absolutely no clue how I will get through these next few weeks without driving to the nearest bridge and swandiving off, but I guess we'll find out. By sheer luck, my husband has 18 days off starting tomorrow and I will also be swallowing my pride and taking any offers for help. So if you know me and are just offering thinking I'll say don't worry about it like I usually do, better think again.

Ciao for now.