Prepping for Surgery - My Tummy Tuck Journey Part 2

Prior to my surgery I did so much research about things I would need to do and have here for after surgery. I was in hospital overnight and I had my drains in, I could walk around but it was easier not to.

I’ve made a list of things I would recommend you bring with you for your hospital stay.

These are all things that I used, I brought a book too but I was too tired and groggy to concentrate on it. I found it easier just to browse Instagram etc. I also reccomend you have someone plug in the phone charger for you before they leave. Don’t forget you will need to bring loose clothes with you for leaving in, also slip on runners/shoes are the best, a really loose pair of bottoms and sweatshirt would be the best. I would advise you to bring a pillow too for the car journey home, to put between your tummy and the seat belt. I also brought a grave neck pillow. I had my chair pushed all the way back.

When you get home you should have lots of pillows to prop you up in bed with as laying flat is impossible. I also had a pillow under my knees too which helped reduce swelling in my legs. The first three nights it’s uncomfortable to sleep, but once you take your painkillers and get comfy you should be fine. It’s a good idea if you’re resting to do a few leg exercises too!

I also found bringing my painkillers up with a glass of water and leaving them beside my bed helped when I woke up, if I was in pain. The other useful trick was taking your painkillers while you’re in bed and letting them kick in before you get up every morning. Obviously if you have small children in the house it might be a good idea to have someone ensure you are keeping them out of reach!

Speaking of someone else, you will definitely need someone to be with you for a few days to help you out, I found it difficult to get up and down so it was great to have my husband here to help. if you have kids it would be great if your partner or friend could be with you for the first week. I was actually pretty mobile at day 5, but having my husband here prevented me from overdoing it.

Here’s my little home prep list

This is just my essentials list, taking some time to set up your necessary and essential items on your bedside locker before you leave for your procedure, will make things run more smoothly when you get home! Ensuring you’ve done your food shopping, and even prepping and freezing some meals will be a great help.

The only other thing needed then is resting and taking care of yourself, gently walking around to keep your blood flow moving well.

Within a week I was feeling more or less back to normal, but it was a few weeks before I was able to wear jeans and trousers. The recovery was pretty straight forward, and much faster than a lot of people expect.

I was in lots of Facebook groups which actually helped me answer a lot of questions, and it helped me to feel like I wasn’t alone in certain things! Some people may find that they would prefer not to be in a group, but I did find it helpful.

I think the most important thing to remember is to allow yourself to go at your own pace, and not compare yourself to others. And of course when you’re all healed this part will be a distant memory!