2 Weeks Postop

I'll post weekly from now on! Just continuing to gradually heal. The nice thing is that I definitely notice improvement day by day....in the overall swelling, my discomfort (which is primarily in the incision line now), and in my range of motion. Coughing and laughing don't hurt as much as they used to (pro tip: hold your abs with a pillow or arms whenever you have to cough/laugh/sneeze or you'll regret it!) I am still pretty numb in the lower abs, but that reminds me a lot of my cesarean section so I imagine this is what happens with these incisions. 

Other random thoughts...the weirdest sensation I have noticed is when my entire abdomen flexes involuntarily. It doesn't hurt per se but can get very uncomfortable. It can be triggered by me walking fast, or maybe being on my feet for a while, or when my bladder is too full...or for nothing at all. It was happening all the time at first but is starting to decrease in frequency. The muscle relaxant helped a lot with this.

Also, I was able to officially get back on the Peloton bike today! Took it slow with a nice 20-minute low impact ride...and loved every second. I didn't realize how much I would miss it! And I found it easier than doing a walk on my treadmill....by leaning forward on the bike I didn't feel like I was putting as much pressure on my abs. Then I did a quick lower body workout with light dumbbells, taking my time to avoid moves that involved too much core, and finished with a 5 minute stretch. Interestingly, the stretch was tough because I found that a bunch of moves started to activate my core! So I made the most modifications there.

Pic of me with my fabulous workout compression wrap from Amazon! Was highly recommended by a girlfriend who also had a tuck, and I loved how easy it was to use. 

Last but not least, I had my 2 week postop follow up appointment today! Surgeon is very pleased with my progress. She tried to see if there was any fluid pocket to drain above my belly button, but the needle came up empty (I didn't feel it, thank goodness I'm still pretty numb) so her conclusion is that I have generalized swelling. She promised it would all be settled by 8 weeks postop but who's counting?? 🤣 She also removed the bigger stitches anchoring the corners of my incisions and my belly button. I actually did feel that quite a bit...but nothing awful. She said I could start using a silicone scar cream after 1 more week, and that I could also start to wean off my compression garments if I wanted to as well. For now I actually prefer the compression, it feels better than without, and she said that was fine too!

Progress pics...