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.