Author: cursingcats.com

Wild West

Posted on | by cursingcats.com | Leave a Comment on Wild West

It’s like the fucking wild west over here! I saw the doctor today as scheduled. 19 days post-op. He barely looked me over. He did look at the little wound opening but it’s not bad apparently. I had to make him look at the drain holes to make sure they were fine. He asked if I had any questions. Oh I have questions.

Can I switch to this binder (I had pulled it up on Amazon because I forgot to bring it) instead of the one they sent me home in?

As long as it’s supportive you can wear whatever you want.

Do I still need the lipo foam?

Is it bugging you?

Yes?

Then you don’t have to use it if your new binder supports your back.

I’ve been sleeping on a wedge with my shoulders and knees raised on my back but I’m a side…

You can sleep however you want.

However I want? FUCK ME. I’ve been over here on the couch carefully positioned between two wedges on my back with my arms out. And you’re telling me I could be in my bed on my side? It’s the Wild West! Wear what I want, sleep how I want. What the fuck!? I thought we had rules!

The only rule that stands is that I can’t have these bastard drains out until they are under 15cc per drain per day. Fuck. They’re around 100cc right now 🙁 I swear he put them right there so I could see what it was like to have balls.

Well, Mr C is very happy he doesn’t have to help me get in that old binder anymore. New binder is much easier to put on.

2.5 Weeks Post-Op

Posted on | by cursingcats.com | Leave a Comment on 2.5 Weeks Post-Op

So I’m 17 days out from my surgery. Abdominoplasty with Placation and Bracioplasty — AKA a tummy tuck and arm lift. I have to pee. Like a lot.

After surgery, my hips and thighs swelled to comical proportions (especially compared to my new slim waist line – I’m a fucking XL anime chick over here). I was afraid I’d get new stretchmarks! They were rock hard, they were so swollen. Now I’m starting to get jiggly again. Lord help, I never thought I’d be thankful for jiggly thighs. So my swelling is finally going down! WOOT WOOT!

However, that fluid has to go somewhere. And that somewhere goes right through my bladder. Basically every time I get comfortable, I have to pee again. I should be a pregnant lady over here with my lift recliner and bladder that has me peeing every hour! I laid down on the couch and Jack (the cat) got comfortable and then I had to get up. He heavily sighed at me and went to sleep on his heated bed under the Christmas Tree.

I’m not sure if this is a result of the Bromelain I started taking on Friday or just coincidental timing. I know most people say the 2/3 week mark is when they start feeling more like themselves. Or hey, I’ll take the magical pineapple extract theory too. Though, I will say I went through three containers of Arnica extract and it didn’t do shit. I waited on the Bromelain because I read it could affect blood thinners which I was on for the first week.

Yay, jiggly thighs!

Some Things 12/17

Posted on | by cursingcats.com | Leave a Comment on Some Things 12/17

1) My poor sweet kitty, Jack, has a cold. Yesterday, bless him, he was a mess. Sneezing and mouth breathing with watery eyes. K was going to help me take him to the vet today but he’s doing much better. He woke up when I did and went straight to his food bowl. He ate a good bit and meowed (you can tell he sounds congested) and harassed me and purred for pets. So he’s feeling much better. I’m so glad.

3) I hear Mr C whistling the Top Gun theme song. I guess Christmas music is getting old. At least he’s happy. He only whistles when he’s happy.

2) My surgery recovery is well. I had two breakdowns yesterday. One, the physical. I noticed leakage from my tummy tuck incision. Oh no. I freaked out. I sent pictures. I talked to the doctor. It’s dead skin and a popped stitch. It might turn into a gross wound that takes a while to heal. But it’s normal. Just put some ointment and a bandage on it. EWWW. Dammit.

The second breakdown was mental. Combine me worried about my precious being sick with a OPEN WOUND – Panic. I had a panic attack. I laid down for bed (on the couch) at 7:30 pm. I was so upset with myself. “What have I done!?” And freaking out — I did everything right! Tons of protein, being careful, watched all the videos, got all the supplies, followed all the directions — why me boo hoo.

One Week Post Op

Posted on | by cursingcats.com | 1 Comment on One Week Post Op

So it’s been one week since I had my tummy tuck and arm lift. I had a follow-up with the nurse this morning. Since everything looks great, I get… MORE COMPRESSION. You thought that binder was tight before — wooh, no way baby. This thing is now as tight as if you used some cable tighteners to get it cinched. Damn. Like I ain’t bending at all. Not because my abs can’t, but because I have been bound so tightly. I feel like a china doll.

So my belly button hurts. Hence I’m not napping, hence I’m posting here. I’ve been trying to get a good way to access my laptop but I just can’t. My arms need to be raised, so it makes logistics difficult. This also very much bothers my cat. The pillows take up my lap. So now whenever I go to move or get up and move the pillows or especially when I’m sitting back down, before the pillows are out, he pounces on an open lap. Poor guy.

So I’m looking great according to the nurse. They took off 15lbs total between skin and lipo. I have a very swollen hourglass. Comically swollen. Over 7lbs of what they took off was skin. Bleh. I saw the pictures. It was a lot.

I’m so glad I prepared for this surgery. I knew what to expect and I went in as prepared as I could be. The lift recliner is REQUIRED. It’s where I live. It allows me to get up and sit down on my own. It’s required. The crossfit that got my legs ready to be able to squat all my weight easily — also required. Thank GOD. If I was my old jello self, I just don’t know how I’d be getting around. Also, thank God for our tall toilets. If you have standard short toilets, you’ll want riser.

The rollator is up for debate. A walker is completely unneeded and bad for you. My doctor wants me walking upright — not hunching. Today I got in trouble for hunching too much and I thought I was doing damn good! However, the rollator is a very convenient that seat I can easily roll where ever I need it. The height of the seat makes it easy to get in and out. I use it in the kitchen to empty and clean my drains. I use it in front of the bathroom sink to clean up and brush my teeth. I use it in the bedroom to sit on when I get out of the shower and need help getting dressed. Plus I can easily move it around on my own. So I’m extremely glad I rented it. But strategically placed chairs could serve the same purpose.

I’m also glad I labeled all my medicines in layman terms. This has helped me as well as my care takers. Need a muscle relaxer? Whats it called? I don’t give a shit, it’s the one that says “muscle relaxer.” Oh and thank God for protein shakes! I’ve been living off them! Thanks to K3 who keeps ordering them for me with her Sam’s Club membership.

Recovering day 3

Posted on | by cursingcats.com | Leave a Comment on Recovering day 3

So it’s Saturday. I had my tummy tuck and arm lift on Wednesday. My recovery is going well. Thank goodness for all the cross fit I’ve done before hand. The back and leg muscles are doing me quite well. The “lipo-itch” is starting to kick in. Man, I want a back scratcher! But thanks to the lift chair I can easily get up and down. Well, “easily” isn’t quite right, but I can do it. Lift chair is the VIP of the household right now. I hope the inventor is making a ton of money off this product.

My poor Jack (cat) is unhappy. He hasn’t been able to sit in my lap and my niece is bugging the shit out of him. He hissed at her a minute ago. Ha. Told you to stop bugging him. He’s like 80, just let him sleep.

Thankfully I’ve been getting good sleep. The antinausea pill makes me sleepy.

I’m alive!

Posted on | by cursingcats.com | Leave a Comment on I’m alive!

This is day 2 post-op. Surgery was Wednesday, I came home Thursday. It’s going well. Well, as well as can be expected. I feel good this morning so I’m sitting up and thought I’d post.

I feel so guilty that I can’t do anything for myself. I got Mr C and my Sister-In-Law up here taking care of me. My drains have to be cleaned every 3 hours — they are pumping it out. I feel odd about the drains. Like I feel like I’m losing at good nutrients leaving my body. I need those!

So this lift recliner is a LIFE SAVER. Worth a grand easy. I can get up and down alone if needed. Those crossfit squats are paying off in that getting up and down for the toilet is pretty easy.

Also my doctor commented that I had great muscles! HELL YEAH. I asked how separated they were and he said only a little bit and they were in good shape. Abs baby, they’re there, you just can’t see them 😉

He took off a LOT. I think he told Mr C they lipo-ed more than 10 pounds and took 7 pounds of skin.

Thursday morning was a CLUSTERFUCK of massive proportions. I’ll tell you about it later. My arms swelling and needs to be raised.

“Tomorrow, tomorrow, it’s only a day away…”

Posted on | by cursingcats.com | Leave a Comment on “Tomorrow, tomorrow, it’s only a day away…”

So the big day is tomorrow! Tummy tuck and arm lift. 8:00 AM. Gotta be there at 7:15 AM and have three different drink mixes drank before 5:15 AM. Got it. I plan to wake up at 3:00 (it’ll be more like 3:30 before I make it downstairs), drink all the drinks that I’ve already mixed and put in the fridge. Surf Facebook while I do that. Then I’ll shower and scrub down with my antimicrobial and get dressed and ready to GO.

Yesterday they delivered the lift chair. It’s very fancy and brand new. Dear God, I hope Jack doesn’t scratch it. I also got a walker. However, today the nurse told me not to use a walker! She said I should walk hunched over for the first 24 hours. But after that I should be trying to stand up straight. She said you don’t want your abs healing all scrunched up. Makes sense. Not a total waste though. I got the walker with a seat on it. It’s the perfect height to sit at the bathroom sink and brush my teeth, freshen up, and clean my drains.

Let’s see. I took two fresh towels downstairs for cleaning up and what not. I have everything where it should be. Loads of pillows. I even bought straws. No one listed straws on their lists but they’re all using them in their videos. Big brain, that’s me 😉

I’m going to try to not watch anymore youtube videos about other people’s recoveries. It’s a bad habit I picked up. People range from “Oh I went and got starbucks on my third day” to “Kill me, this was a terrible mistake, I’m two months out and still can’t walk upright or lift my kids.”

I got this. We got this.

Surgery in T minus 4 days

Posted on | by cursingcats.com | 3 Comments on Surgery in T minus 4 days

For those scouring the internet for pre-surgery advice, this post contains my supply lists for my upcoming tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) and arm lift (brachioplasty).

l’m getting ready for my surgery. Thanksgiving is over. ALL the Christmas decorations are up inside and out. The medical equipment I’m renting is being delivered on Monday. I’ve got all the prescriptions filled and labeled in layman terms. (Except for the pain killers. Mr C will fill those day-of). I’m organizing like I’m nesting or something.

I’ve got three baskets: Hygiene, Medications, Wound Care:

Since I’ll be living downstairs for a while I loaded up the hygiene basket:

  • Body wipes for between showers
  • Face wipes
  • Chapstick
  • Deodorant
  • Tooth brush and paste
  • Mouth wash
  • Razor
  • Body Spray
  • Dry Shampoo

The medication basket contents were all laid out by my doctor:

  • Lots of prescriptions. Nausea, Motion Sickness, Antibiotic, Blood thinners, Muscle relaxers
  • Tylenol — the only over the counter pain killer I’m allowed to take starting last week
  • Probiotic
  • Stool softeners (to start Monday)
  • Laxative to start day after surgery
  • Arnica because everyone on the internet swears by it

Then we’ve got wound care:

  • Gloves
  • Bandages
  • Medical tape
  • Brand new clean scissors
  • Qtips
  • Polysporin (the latter two for around the drainage sites)
  • Antimicrobial soap
  • Alcohol wipes

I also bought something so morbidly embarrassing — but better to have and not need than to need and not have: A poop stick. To wipe your butt. LOL

I’ve got wedge pillows for when I can upgrade from the recliner to the couch for sleeping. (Our bed is crazy high so that one will be a while off). A Travel neck pillow for sleeping in the recliner. I’ve got lots of compression socks (Have to wear them for a week). I bought an extra binder so I can keep one clean (It’s basically a 16 inch wide elastic band ill be wearing for 6 weeks). Two sets of arm compression sleeves. Three front zip bras. Four pairs of comfy pants that are comically too large for me. That’s because everyone says you want BAGGY clothes. Four button up plaid shirts — we’re bring grunge BACK! One fancy shirt that zips up and has pockets to hold your drains. Oh, and a boppy pillow for my arms. They need to be raised and in physical therapy they use boppy pillows for that. So I stole their idea.

I’m renting a lift recliner and a walker with a chair built in. I’m hoping to call them early enough on Monday to try to get one of those tables that goes over a hospital bed to use with the recliner for my laptop.

I’m not ready. But I’m ready.

Christmas is coming

Posted on | by cursingcats.com | 2 Comments on Christmas is coming

For those who don’t know, mom died last Christmas day. Now.

We’re putting up the Christmas decorations. I need to get everything ready before my surgery. Getting moms room done was easy. I didn’t take down her tree last year, I just shoved it in her closet. So All I did was get it out, change out the blankets and pillows and get a few more things from her closet. Easy-peasy. And I actually liked seeing it back the way she left it.

Last night we did one of the Christmas trees. The living room tree. And it sucked ass. She gave me like a third of the ornaments on there (if not more). The cat ball. The jelly fish the year I was a jelly fish for Halloween (she was so proud of that one, perfect find). Even the ones she didn’t give me, I remember showing her proudly or picking out with her. She’s always been around when we do the Christmas tree. Mostly she’s usually here as we put it up. Even if not, I’m always excited to tell her about it and for her to see it when she visits. We always go to at least one Christmas market and pick out a new ornaments each year.

The nativity wasn’t bad even though she’s given me pieces of it. She was so proud one year to give me the very coveted shepherd and camel set. I guess it wasn’t bad because she got to see it hit peak glory last year. I built a creche for it and we had a sideboard in the dining room for it. It spreads out beautifully. I’ve got it lit with LEDs. I added the beautiful mercury glass trees she gave me. I adore it. I don’t know of a more beautiful nativity that anyone else owns.

So mom saw that and that pleases me. I guess that’s why her room was the same. She knew what it looked like. She was super proud of the ribbon window swag I made her for her bedroom window. She told me exactly what she wanted and supervised the whole thing. I only added one thing: A beautiful cardinal that I know she would have loved.

There’s two more important boxes to go grab and decorate with. One of them being breakables and one being soft things. Soft things like Christmas stockings. Like moms Christmas stocking. What the fuck do I do with her Christmas stocking?

I’d lay it on her bed, but my sister-in-law will be staying in there while I recuperate from surgery and she’s very emotional. But I don’t want to just leave it boxed up. I don’t want her to be gone. She can’t be gone.

*Tears up* So it’s just been easier to lay here on the couch and not go get that box.

Making a list, checking it twice…

Posted on | by cursingcats.com | 1 Comment on Making a list, checking it twice…

I’m making a Walmart list. I hate going to Walmart so it’s pretty damn rare that I do. However, with my surgery supply list, it’s just more economical. My surgery is is a week and a half! What!? It came up so fast! I’ve got to go get all the supplies I’ll need. So I’m making my list.

Man I’m so excited and nervous and anxious. I haven’t been sleeping. I’m gonna look so good — but the results will take months and they’ll be hell to pay in the mean time. Hell to pay in months of swelling and who knows how much pain. I think a lot of pain.

I can’t believe I’m doing this! It’s happening.