Y’all.
I knew it would be tough to hear my kids playing downstairs (or worse, crying!) and be unable to go to them but so far, that’s the most painful part of recovery. Hands down.
My first day and night at home were pretty good. I’ll confess I missed a couple of medication doses but I’m really happy that I only needed to take my heavy pain meds twice (instead of up to four times). I’m doing my best to stay on top of the Tylenol and Advil dosing so I can skip the Dilaudid whenever possible, but I did take it when things were getting a little too spicy.
Before bed, I emptied my own drain reservoir for the first time. It was easy but also, ew (good thing I don’t get squeamish!) It’s a pain in the ass to have it attached to me but it’s only for a week.
The Routine
I got home just around 7am on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after my surgery. My first order of business was coffee and getting into my own bed.
I spent the vast majority of the day in bed, with hourly walks around the top floor of the house. I went downstairs to the kitchen twice to grab snacks. The stairs were a challenge but not too bad!
By early afternoon, I was pretty zonked so I napped off and on for a couple of hours. I had an early(ish) dinner – just soup, my appetite hasn’t fully returned – and I settled into sleep around 9pm.
Drain Care
My drain is emptied twice a day. Once in the morning and once at night. I don’t need to measure the liquid daily, but I have been keeping an eye to see how much there is. There was about 2x as much as last night as this morning.
Walking Breaks
Lying down all day sounds like a dream until you’re doing it. I get up roughly every hour to walk around a bit. I was moving much more slowly by the end of the day yesterday because the pain was creeping up, but today (36+ hrs later) I’m feeling much more mobile and with less pain.
Medications
Of course, medication dosing is individualized and based on the surgeon’s recommendation and the patient’s own needs. This is just the schedule I was given. If you are having surgery, be sure to chat with your surgeon to understand YOUR needs.
– Acetominophen/Tylenol Extra Strength 1000mg every 6 hours when awake
– Ibuprofen/Advil 200-400mg every 6-8 hours as needed
– Hydromorphone/Dilaudid 2mg every 4-6 hours or as needed
– Stool softeners wile taking Dilaudid
TED Stockings/ Compression Stockings
I removed the stockings at 3pm yesterday. I haven’t put any compression stockings back on because I’m up and moving lots. So far, I have no fluid buildup in my hands or feet!
The Belly Binder
The belly binder is worn around the clock for at least 3 weeks (based on my surgeon’s recommendations). Three times a day, while resting — that is, while lying down — I open the binder and let my body breathe a little for 20-30 minutes.
Bathing
I’m on the sponge bath grind for this week (womp) but I’ll look forward to a very long shower next week when I get my drain out! (My appointment is booked for November 26). Getting the permanent marker off my skin has been particularly interesting!
I woke up feeling remarkably well-rested and with minimal pain this morning, which was great. I had almost 12-hours of sleep (with a few wake-ups of course) which sure helped.
Later today, I’m having my first of several lymphatic drainage massage therapy sessions post-op. Stay tuned!
Halifax Tummy Tuck 
Leave a comment