Surgery: the details

I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to write here, but I have gotten some requests for more details on my abdominoplasty surgery, which I had done on March 28. I’m nearly six weeks out from surgery, and feeling very good. I’d say I’m about 90% healed, but I have a feeling the last 10% is going to take a while.

For instance, I can sleep on my stomach now, but if I stretch a certain way, I can feel it in my abdominal muscles. I know I have a lot of stitches on the inside, and that’s when I can feel them.

My scar is thin and fading, but I have to wear scar tape (like this) for another 7 weeks. Fortunately, one sheet lasts a long time.

I still have pretty intense swelling, mostly right below my belly button, and that could last for a few more months, if not longer. Right now I’m sitting here feeling like I have a pillow in my binder. Combined with the numbness (which will also last months, if not forever), it’s a very odd feeling. I had some liposuction on my hips and sides (they do this for contouring so you’re not all weird and lumpy from the abdominoplasty) and those areas, ironically, are weird and lumpy. They say the final results from that might not be seen for a year.

I’ve been to the gym a few times, but since I am still wearing my binder, it’s not terribly fun. Binders are hot, and therefore not great exercise wear. But I’m dying to run again. To see what it’s like, really. So far so good.

Speaking of the binder (and various other compression garments I’ve collected), I have to wear them 24/7 (unless I’m showering) until the 6 week mark, and then I will have a little more leeway. I will say, I’ve gained a new respect for Spanx over the past several weeks, but that’s not to say I won’t be happy to stop wearing them all the time.

What everyone really wants are before and after pictures. I think you know me well enough to understand that I’m not going to show any immodest photos. But I will share a few clothed ones.

These photos are from the boys’ birthday party in December. I’d be lying if I didn’t say these photos made me realize how badly I needed (and wanted) this surgery. I’d lost 40 pounds, and I still looked this bad? This lumpy? Weight loss and exercise weren’t cutting it, and for me, nothing short of surgery was going to repair the damage a triplet pregnancy did to my body.

I can’t believe I’m inviting everyone to examine my fat rolls here. Only because they’re gone now. Ha!

And here’s a picture from the other day.
jeans

Ah, that’s better!

So if you have any other questions about my surgery, please ask in the comments.

25 thoughts on “Surgery: the details”

  5. Beth

    Thanks for sharing and you look amazing! Good luck with the rest of the recovery and getting back into running 🙂

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  6. mary

    What a hottie!!!!!

    How did you finally decide on a surgeon? It is hard for me to find somone to trust. i do not know anyone here wwho has had this done.

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    1. pyjammy

      That was the hard part. I googled, looked on realself.com, and asked a friend who is a doctor. Then I consulted with three different doctors before making my choice.

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      1. mary

        Thank you for taking the time to answer! I appreciate it. I really need this procedure done! I carried over 13 pounds of twin baby in my belly which resulted in a skin texture similar to a raisin/prune.

        Did you have diastasis recti? (I have some major stomach separation and my belly button is a complete wreck. My waist grew to be 50 inches around at full-term, and I am super short so I didnt carry the baby weight as well as taller women!) If so, did that cost a significant amount extra in addition to the “regular” TT? Also, did the surgeon give you an option to use mesh or not for repairing muscle separation?

        Thank you again.

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      2. pyjammy

        I forgot to answer this. I actually didn’t have diastasis too badly. A bit, but I have a long torso, so that helped in carrying triplets. 🙂

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      3. mary

        How do/did you deal with relatives/friends thinking that you should spend the money on something else? I can see my in-laws thinking that I was horribly vain/superficial if I went ahead with this. They would think of a million other things that the money should be used for — such as extracurriculars for the 3 kids, a new roof or siding for the house, nest egg, or whatever. Also, since I don’t work outside of the home, they would think that it is actually “their son’s money” which is what actually pisses me off the most!!!!!!

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      4. Wendy

        Mary- I’ve also had surgery and, should this circumstance arise, you can tell them (politely or not, up to you, I’d go with NOT) to mind their f-ing business.

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      5. pyjammy

        I’m pretty much with Wendy. But I guess it helps that I work outside of the home, and I took on a lot of freelance projects to help pay for it. Sure, I could have used that money on something else, but life’s too short. I have no regrets, and people can mind their own business. No one has said anything to me.

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  7. Jen

    I remember you from way back on my Knot days, plus I have twin nephews so I lurk a little in multiple-land 😉 You look great! I’ve never been pregnant but I have battled my weight since puberty. That plus genes for saggy skin and I too want a TT. Do you mind sharing your size pre & post surgery? Or how many sizes you dropped? You even look smaller on top but that could be b/c you can wear fitted tops now without buying them to fit your tummy. Ugh, I hate that! Please let us know how it feels once you’re back running. I’m sure you’ll be sore but I’d be excited to not have my tummy bouncing around too, ha-ha!

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    1. pyjammy

      Well, I was wearing size 18 pants pre-surgery, and the jeans I was wearing there are 16s. I hope I’ll be able to fit into 14s when the swelling goes away!

      I am a lot smaller above my belly button too, because I had a lot of skin and fat up there too that is now gone. My boobs haven’t shrunk, though, so I don’t think I’ll ever wear smaller than an XL on top. At least I can wear more fitted shirts now, though! 🙂

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      1. Jen

        Really? Based on the above pics, I would have thought you went down 3 or 4 sizes! It must be because your entire bottom half looks smooth and even without the front jiggle. And really, I say I wouldn’t care about my actual size as long as I could put on a pair of jeans, a skirt, etc, and not have to worry if the waist is high enough to contain the extra skin or make sure the fabric isn’t so clingy it shows bumps & ripples. Anyway, have fun trying on new clothes!

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      2. pyjammy

        Very true! Things definitely fit a thousand times better, even without a huge size difference. And I can wear so many more different types of clothes now. It’s nice. 🙂

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  8. KMeiss

    How did you decide when to get your surgery done, as far as weight loss? Was 40 lbs your goal? I am still 24 lbs up from my prepregnancy weight before twins, and my personal ideal would be another 20 below that. People tell me that if I lose the weight it will be better- I have the squishy belly and hanging skin now, so I know it won’t go away (my twins are 6 months) even if I lose the weight. I guess could you tell before your weight loss that you would need the TT no matter how much weight you lost? and how did you decide that you had lost enough? TIA!

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    1. pyjammy

      I was not at my goal weight, but I was about 25 lbs away from it. I decided to go to some consults just to see what doctors would say, how much it would cost, if they thought I needed to lose more weight, etc. And I was a bit surprised that none of them wanted me to lose any more weight. I knew I’d need it because the hanging skin got worse the more weight I lost. I wanted to do it at a certain time of year (for logistical reasons) so it just worked out that the end of March was perfect for me.

      One thing I will say is that I am glad I waited until the boys were this old. I could not have done it before the age of 3.5, I’d say. They were just too needy up to that point. I hardly ever pick them up now. (sniff, sniff)

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  10. Jen

    Oh, I have another question, sorry! Did your doctor do a hip to hip incision or something else? I’ve heard of the reverse T or fleur de lis for people who have extra or sagging skin above the belly button. It pulls the upper skin across to tighten but you end up with a vertical scar. I don’t really care about visible scars b/c I probably haven’t worn a 2 piece bathing suit since I was 7!

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    1. pyjammy

      It’s hip to hip. Actually, it wraps around a bit on each side as well. I was worried they’d want to do the fleur-de-lis on me since I had so much upper abdominal fat/skin, but fortunately, it wasn’t necessary.

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  11. Wendy

    I love your top! I’m so so so glad you’re healing so well. A year seems like forever away, but it’ll sneak up on you and you’ll be like DAMN. So happy for you 🙂

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