Beginning of Day 4 post op

Hard to believe that it has only been 4 days since surgery because it seems like it has been much longer.  I guess when you go practically sleepless for the first 2 days, it makes it seem so much longer.  I am sleeping much better now, and I am actually surprised on how well I am doing.  The pain the first day was pretty much unbearable, and it was the worst pain I had ever felt.  The butt grafting was definitely the worst, but well worth it!!! I can say that now because it doesn't hurt very much now, just a little uncomfortable.  My butt is now a nice shade of light purple and swollen to the size of a JLo booty.  I do have pictures from the back, and you will have to email me at ivfmommee@gmail.com if you would like to see the full on back shot.  I took some new pictures last night, and I can really tell a difference, especially from the side. Isn't the bruising lovely from the lipo??
                                     Night before surgery                         3 days post op

I am amazed on how much bigger my butt is and how much smaller my legs are from the lower body lift!! The swelling is pretty bad, but I still look better than I did pre op!!   I started sleeping on my sides so I could get some relief from my butt, and that has helped a lot.  I can sleep on either side and turn over in the bed without using the bed rails.  I am standing completely vertical now and can sleep flat in the bed as well.  The only part that hurts is my sides and back where he lipo'd.  Don't get me wrong, my tummy still hurts since he did repair the 3 to 3 1/2 inch gap in my stomach muscles and a hernia at the top of my muscles that was about between the size of a baseball and an orange.  It feels a little more sore than it did after my 2 C-sections. I have a lot of bruising showing up now, but I am taking my Bromelain faithfully!  Hopefully the bruising and swelling will get a little better soon.  Dr Sauceda came by last night and said I was doing remarkably well and better than he though I would be.  He said patients usually put out more fluid in their drains, but I don't seem to be putting out much and should get a couple of them removed in the next couple of days.  He was shocked that I am more swollen after having so much lipo done, but I told him that I am ok with that!  One of my drains is producing something that looks like cooking oil, and he said it was probably the residual fat left over from the lipo, Can you say GROSS?????

My neck looks absolutely amazing, but now it makes my nose look bigger!!  LOL!!!  I do have a rash under my neck, and I am assuming it is from the head wrap because it probably has latex in it.  I have a sensitivity to latex and get rashes from it.  Isn't my dirty hair lovely in my post op picture???

                                                           Preop Night before surgery

                                                 
                                                                      3 days post op

Since Dr Sauceda said I am doing so well, I will probably be moving to the hotel tomorrow.  I am ok with that because I can pretty much do everything on my own now.  I will have some help showering in the mornings and getting back in to my garment, but that it all I really need help with anyway.  As my kids say, I only have 11 more sleeps to go in Mexico, and I will be back in Hawaii!  I really miss Chief and the kids, but it has helped being able to talk to them and see them on Google chat.  Chief is doing such an amazing job taking care of them and the house.  I don't even think they notice I am gone!  I wish I could blink and be 6 months down the road and be out of all of the swelling and see what my shape is going to really look like.  Dr Sauceda is very pleased so far, and so am I!  I am so glad I did this, so happy the surgery is in the past, and I am so looking forward to the future.  I am relieved that the anticipation is gone, the researching for hours at a time on the procedures I was having done, constantly reading and looking for new information about Dr Sauceda and his work, and finally just trying to get back to normalcy again. But, will normalcy ever happen in my life?  I doubt it because I have an amazing fun-filled life with amazing family and friends!  The encouragement and support I have received over the last couple of months and especially the last few days has been heart touching.  It helps more than anyone knows, and it means the world to me.  I cannot thank everyone enough for the prayers and concern. Now, on to my yummy breakfast of Mexian Omlette with fresh cut up fruit and a protein shake!