Time for a manly Tummy Tuck

[miss_t]

I'll ask her. No comments about the age differential though!!

If she is that young and there is that much of an age difference then you should be proud! Anyone with anything negative to say will only be because they are jealous!
And im sorry but I had to laugh out loud literally about your black grapefruit! LOL

[Bombshell2Be]

I got me a smokin' hawt girlfriend now....and I don't want to lose her to a younger, fitter guy.
(Okay, I'm doing this for myself, too)

Awww, That's really sweet! So happy for you! She is one lucky girl for sure!

[VeryLargeBob]

..And im sorry but I had to laugh out loud literally about your black grapefruit! LOL

I think I reacted the same way a woman reacts the very first time she gets her "monthly visitor". You've been told to expect it, but when it happens it's like "What in God's name is going on down there? Am I dying?"

[Ann2]

I'll ask her. No comments about the age differential though!!

What is she? 80? 85?

[susan_b]

Oh gosh I hope you are drinkkkkkkking and starting to feel better. Get well soon and I hope you are more than happy with the results. If I were a bloke (Aussie for male) I would be taking a bottle to bed with me so I didn't need to get up and go to the loo. I hope you are getting some home care. Best wishes, Susan

[VeryLargeBob]

Day 5 post-op.
Diet's back to normal, I'm standing up for longer periods, leaning 20% forward.
Biggest accomplishment: Got out of bed by myself in less than 2 minutes.
Biggest drawback: Repacked my bandages and put on my binder. I slouched in a chair and the bottom of of my super-stiff stage 1 binder "bit" into my incision line. Let's just say I will never EVER make that mistake again!!

Also, sneezing will ratchet the pain level up to 11 for a few seconds. Be forewarned!

Day 5 edit: My four day Experal pain block wore off a 10 a.m.
I went from being able to stand up 90% of the way and do laundry and dishes to a hunched over cripple in little more than an hour.

Going to go curl up with some prescription painkillers and feel sorry for myself for a while. I'm just glad I didn't have any abdominal pain at all virtually the past week with the Experal. I feel like I've been sawed in half!

[susan_b]

Its still early days. There was a time not that long ago when surgery like that resulted in 7 days in hospital. Going home sooner doesn't mean you are ready to get on with your life... a few more days bed rest sounds good to me! Take it easy and get well slowly and surely.

[VeryLargeBob]

Its still early days. There was a time not that long ago when surgery like that resulted in 7 days in hospital. Going home sooner doesn't mean you are ready to get on with your life... a few more days bed rest sounds good to me! Take it easy and get well slowly and surely.

This has been the single biggest 'takeaway' from my experience. Had I "followed the script", I'd have had it much easier, but I'm a stoopid bullheaded thinks-he-knows-it-all and every single setback I've had (and there haven't been too many) was because I pushed myself.

Anyway, Day 7 update:
Black is Beautiful.

I'd noticed how little bruising I've had post-op and smugly thought the regimen of bromelein and arnica really really helped reduced bruising.

Took off my binder yesterday and was absolutely gobsmacked at the extensive bruising that showed up literally overnight. 25% of my body is one contiguous shiny deep black-purple bruise! Doesn't hurt at all, just looks ugly.

Swelling in my scrotum has gone down 50%, right on schedule and thanks be to the Scrotum Gods because that was probably the biggest single pain. Still very very bruised "down there".

[susan_b]

Yes to homeopathy! - it sure has its place in healing. Too bad about the setbacks - must be the cowboy in ya lol I hope you resist the urge to push the limits again and get comfy with resting. You might want to take some pics - not necessarily for publication but to remind you what not to do. I wish you a relaxing recovery. Cheers

[Ann2]

When this is all over, you should do a "Serious Advice on Considering a Tummy Surgery" thread. I bet it would help a lot of people.

Thanks for posting about your adventures. I don't know if I'll go the tummy tuck route, but if I do I'll be looking for insights. I really did not like hearing about your 2 1/2 hour entrapment between the bed and your wall the first night home when you fell due to dehydration. That was scary.

[Bombshell2Be]

Thanks for keeping us informed throughout this process, so glad you are feeling better! I hope your new "smokin' hawt" girlfriend is taking good care of you during your recovery!

[VeryLargeBob]

Thanks for keeping us informed throughout this process, so glad you are feeling better! I hope your new "smokin' hawt" girlfriend is taking good care of you during your recovery!

I haven't quite convinced her to wear the cute little nurse outfit yet, but she's really been helpful and extremely supportive of my recovery efforts!

[VeryLargeBob]

Day 8 update
Saw my plastic surgeon to get my drain out.
Didn't happen.
When I fell 3 times last week, I badly bruised major muscles that had been subjected to liposuction 48 hrs previously.
There was a lot of internal bleeding within these muscles. Thankfully the bleeding stopped, and now my body is busy expelling all this nasty ichor from my system. Most of it falls into the surgical drain so I have quite a bit of occult blood (sounds spooky!) to get rid of.
Long story short: drain stays in for 7 more days. Yuck.

On a positive note, he reviewed my post-op surgical report with me. He told me on men of my size I should have expected to loose a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 7 pounds in total from my flanks.

He said he took out a little more than 15 pounds.
15 pounds of fat.

He said I should expect to see a minimum of a 25 pound weight loss once the tumescent fluid leaves my body and my swelling goes down.

Unreal!!!

[LtWeight]

Sorry you have to wait another 7 days for the drain to be removed. Glad you seem to be healing well and feeling better tho.

[VeryLargeBob]

Day 13 post-op
I'm still leaking plenty of ugly black fluid into my drain. How much internal bruising/bleeding can I have? Over 100ml a day...not good.

If you're considering a tummy tuck, here is a "must have": Arnica Gel.

Arnica Gel is an over-the-counter anti-bruising gel you can get at any pharmacy.

I have a large 18 inch by 24 inch bruise on my left side. I put Arnica gel on it but didn't think it was working...until yesterday.

I happened to look in the mirror in a side profile, I could see the parts of my body where I could reach to apply the gel vs. the five or so inches I could not reach.

My jaw dropped.

You could SEE where I could apply the gel, the places I could not reach were 2 to 3 times darker, still a very deep purple. The applied areas were much much lighter and disappearing fast. I've gone from being a skeptic to a "true believer"!!!