DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE EASILY GROSSED OUT!!!

CAUTION:  THIS PARTICULAR BLOG ENTRY IS NOT FOR THE EASILY SQUEAMISH OR GROSSED OUT AS IT CONTAINS SOME GRAPHIC DETAILS ABOUT MY 

POST-SURGERY!!!  

OKAY, YOU’VE BEEN WARNED.

I didn’t post anything yesterday (Tuesday) because I was in a butt-load of pain.  At first, it was just uncomfortable and sore, and I could deal with that, but it progressively got quite painful.  You have to know that I have massive cuts in my torso (imagine a huge upside down capital T with one cut from hip to hip and another from breast bone to below my belly button.)  Yeah, we are talking a lot of cutting.  On top of that, they took off a lot of excess skin and fat (ew) and pulled the skin so it would be tighter, which is the whole reason I had the procedure (duh). 

These are not my legs.

I get to wear these way sexy compression knee socks.  First of all, they are tan.  Secondly, they are knee socks.  Thirdly, they are tan knee sock.  Enough said.

Legal drugs.

Yes, I’m on drugs (legal ones, of course).  I take hydrocodone every four hours and have a pain pump.  It’s both gross and fashionable at the same time.  I have a fanny pack with the pain meds (lidocaine) that is continuously pumped directly into my body through a tube that is in my right hip.  The tube site is very, very sore and kind of bloody.  Darryl has been very good about putting antibiotic ointment on it because (honestly) it nauseates me to touch it.  Even with the double doses of pain meds, it can really hurt, especially around the site where the tubes go in and when the it’s around hour three…

Sexy pain pump fanny pack

Pain pump

Jackson Pratt d

Yes, I said tubes (plural) because there is another one too.  The pain drugs go in one, but in the other one, stuff comes out.  I have a drain attached to a tube that is constantly draining excess blood and fluid (you were warned).  It’s call the Jackson Pratt drain.  I have it pinned to the fanny pack and every few hours I have to empty it.  Yes, it is very disgusting.  I also have to write down the amount of crap that comes out.  The goal is for less than 50 ccs to come out in a 24 hour period.  I am nowhere close to that now.  I guess I’ll be wearing a drain for a few more days at the very least.  The only upside is that without it, all this extra blood and fluid and other yucky stuff would be inside of me, and that would be all kinds of bad.

Because of these tubes and drains, I cannot shower.  Usually, I shower twice a day, but I am not missing it.  I don’t feel strong enough to stand up for that long.  A bath is out too since I have open wounds.  I don’t think I could get out of the tub anyway. 

Ok, this is a bit of an exaggeration...

 Oh, did I mention I haven’t been in a completely horizontal position since my surgery because I can’t get up?  Yeah, I’ve been sleeping on the chaise lounge on my sectional in a reclined position. I use the word sleeping very, very loosely.  As I mentioned earlier, I’m all sorts of uncomfortable because of the pain and soreness, so I’m not really sleeping.  It’s more like napping.  I nap in little spurts… 15 minutes here, an hour there.  It makes for one grumpy Rebecca. 

The upside:  I won’t always feel like this.  When it’s over, I’ll have a nice, flat belly.  I am thankful to have had enough sick time saved up to take this week off and have two weeks off for winter break.  Darryl is off from work and Tiernen is done with her semester, so they can help take care of me. 

I don’t regret my decision to get a tummy tuck at all.  I’ve had a skin skirt since high school, and I’m happy it’s gone.  I can’t wait to like my body!