Halifax Tummy Tuck

You know how much it sucks when you cough with sore abs? Imagine that, on steroids and on fire. And that’s what led me to have a near-panic attack at 11pm last night.

I was warned by the nurses and surgeon to support my lower abdomen with both hands and/or hug a pillow when I needed to cough. What I wasn’t prepared for was how painful coughing would be. Or how terrified I would be of reopening my incision.

Or how those two things combined would send me into a tailspin.

And then it happened.

Truly, this was the first time post-op that I was in any real distress. I suddenly had a horrific tickle in my chest that wouldn’t go away. I desperately pressed against my incision as the first cough came and the pain was white hot. I swear, I could see how badly it hurt.

I immediately begged M for help. My panic sent him into a panic. He offered water and raced to try to find cough drops. I’m not exaggerating when I say I was borderline hysterical.

(I realised this morning that coughing and sneezing don’t actually exert enough force to cause any damage, they just suck. A lot.)

Since the initial cough attack, I’ve had a few more minor coughing incidents and while I’m no longer sideways when they happen, it’s effing TERRIBLE every time.

I was prepared for a lot, but certainly NOT how much a mere cough (or sneeze) was going to fuck me up! I all but kept cough drops in my mouth for the last 22 hours – fearful AF of the repeat.