Day 19 Post-Op (WHOA!)

Where did THAT come from?

I think I may have skipped a few days! While I've been making TikToks along the way (check them out below), I definitely have forgotten to update my blog so I'm going to get caught up here, for anyone who cares ;0)

TikTok 1 - TikTok 2 - Insta - TikTok 3 - TikTok 4

The last update was on Day 3 and I was just getting used to recovery and hanging in there doing the things I was told to do. I've been staying SUPER hydrated, eating plenty of protein (as always), moving, and trying to get back to normal life.

I just have to say, this was NOT that bad. Anyone who is even remotely considering something like this in their future, but is worried about the recovery, it wasn't nearly as terrible as I thought. I mean....shit hurt....like, a bunch of skin was taken off of me, I have a massive stitch around the majority of my waist, and felt like someone beat me with a bat on my back where I got lipo, HOWEVER, LOL all things considered, not terrible.

Of course, I give massive kudos to the team at my surgery center, they were all just so great. I felt 100% prepared and I feel all the information I was given before surgery is what prepared me to have the smooth recovery that I've had.

So here are some of the key moments I've had over the last, almost, 3 weeks.

- By Thursday of week 1, I was doing everything myself. My sister didn't leave until Friday morning, but I wanted to return to my normal self-care while she was still there, just in case I needed her to do anything for me before she left, I would know. Freaking. Saint. My sister is seriously the best. It was SO great having her stay the week with me, I just .......can't even. Love her.

- By that weekend, I was off my pain meds and only on the nerve meds and Tylenol and back to most of my normal routine, cooking, caring for my pigs, picking up, doing dishes, small loads of laundry, etc.

- After Week 1, I started working from home again and also got released to drive again, but let me just say, YOU'RE WELCOME NORTH FORT WORTH because I was not and still CAN NOT take the roundabouts at even a fraction of the speed I used to LOL. Gotta take those roundabouts and speed bumps REAL slow. Once I was able to drive, I took that opportunity to get out of the house a couple of times for some super mild activity, see some friends, and visit the gym.

- I think honestly one of the harder things about recovery for me personally, has been NOT working out. I went from 1 - 2 hours a day, 5 days a week at the gym to NOT AT ALL FOR 4-6 WEEKS. Dying. I mean....I'll live but still. I miss it.

- A difficult task that I didn't even remotely consider is coughing, sneezing and LAUGHING. I try hard NOT to cough, by ALWAYS having water with me. My sneezes are the most BIZARRE sound so that I have the smallest impact possible. My laughing, as I have warned a few people of, sounds fake and condescending because I can't yet put my belly and heart into it LOL.

- This Week (is it Week 3? or Week 2? I'm in my 3rd week, but it's not 3 weeks until Monday, so....idk, whatever) I finally got my drains out and got switched out from my binder to my compression garment. At first, I was like THERE'S NO WAY I can be without my binder. It's so secure. My doc said it was ok for me to still wear it sometimes but I needed to eventually get out of it. I've only worn it a few times since then. Definitely getting used to not having it a bit more.

- I finally weighed myself for the first time - PRE surgery I was at 229, and I'm now at 218. EEK! I started back with logging my food and counting my macros literally at the end of week 1. Some may be like MAN FORGET THAT! It's a sense of security for me, helps me and I have been doing it for so long that everything is in there and it LITERALLY takes barely any time for me. A lot of things for me are preset at this point. I didn't come this far to fall off the wagon folks.

That's where I'm at. At this point, I'm back in my normal routine (except for the gym) and just being careful with my movements and healing up! My next follow-up with my doc isn't until the 6-week mark, so until then, I'm just cruisin' and healin'.

This whole experience has been so surreal still. To see myself in the

mirror, to wear shirts I never wore that are in my closet because they were too short or too tight. Never wearing pants, only leggings (with a long shirt) or skirts/dresses, and now being able to wear cute comfy pants and shorter shirts are like.....those little moments of happiness for me.

I'm far from done as I have 2 more surgeries to go, but the silver lining is more apparent now than it's ever been and I'm so grateful that the team I chose to help me with this journey is amazing because we're in it together for the long haul!

I never felt like a number to them, not for a second. I honestly feel that they're just as invested in this life change as I am and excited to be on the journey with me. I talked with several centers before choosing this one and most were very short and to the point vs actually hearing me. I felt like a number from the beginning which just wasn't a good sign. Listen, I understand BUSINESS. These are BUSINESSES and it takes a special effort to pour into your patients to make sure the business aspect doesn't overpower the rapport. I know this seems like an unexpected rant at the end of the blog, which, let's be honest, IT IS, HOWEVER, it's because the more I started to type about how great this team is, the more it reminded me how SHITTY I felt before I found them. You work SO HARD for YEARS. You change BEHAVIORS within yourself. You make yourself a better person from the inside out. You FINALLY get the courage to make the calls and book consultations for something you're KIND OF FREAKIN TERRIFIED ABOUT only to be treated disrespectfully because you're not the "ideal" mommy makeover case by office after office. That feeling just really stuck with me. I worked so hard to convince myself over the years that I was good enough, only to get to the end and feel like I STILL wasn't. Until I found Westside. So when I say I'm grateful I found them, it wasn't just because I paid them money, got surgery and it changed my life. It was so much more. THEY were so much more.

ok. NOW I'm done. If you don't already, follow me on the tikytok's or insta where YOU KNOW I'll continue to post my progress then you should do that ;0) but I'll try not to forget to keep blogging. For my 3 fans LOL.