May 15- day 1 post-op

 

My belly the day after the operation. Lots of puckering but the doctor says most of that will clear up on its own within the next few months.

 

This is what it looks like wih the tape on. As you can see there is a dramatic improvement already from what it looked like before.

This is the binder that needs to be worn as much as possible in the weeks following the operation.

The first night was a bit rough- I had to take pain relief pretty regularly and found it a bit difficult to sleep due to pain, having to sleep on my back in one position and also being woken by the nurses for obs to be taken and IV antibiotics to be administered.
In the morning they took the calf-massaging machine off and assisted me to go to the toilet on my own. It was difficult and painful trying to get up. I had to roll over to the side and then push myself up rather like when I was pregnant. I was quite dizzy upon sitting up and it took a lot longer than I expected for this to subside. I had to really support my belly with my hands and kind of shuffle. I got dizzy after standing up for a bit so I'll have to take it a bit easier.
I had my drains taken out and new dressings put on and then after my shower I was allowed to go home. I spent the rest of the day dozing and resting. I was super tired- it probably had something to do with all the pain meds! I was a lot more comfortable in my own bed and being able to lay on my side. When walking, I was bent over quite a bit but after being up for a little while I could straighten up a bit. I had a bit of bleeding throughout the day but this is normal and with rest and pressure this subsided.