WARNING! This post contains pictures(of myself) with partial nudity. Please open and read at your own discretion.
It's been a while since my last update, but that's purely because there hasn't been anything to update you guys on. There still isn't that much to update you on really.

Swelling looks the same as it did 3 weeks ago and hasn't really gone down any. I went for a checkup at the clinic so that they could check the swelling and make sure that it wasn't anything else(like a seroma). The nurse advised me to see Mr Russo(surgeon) for a checkup, so I plan on seeing him this weekend, I'm travelling down to London to see him.

Hopefully, everything is OK and its just swelling. I'm hoping that he clears me to take my binder off and also start exercising properly. I'll keep you updated.

Weight is currently up by about 7 lbs, I'm not sure what weight that is, whether its water weight or something else. It's also that time of the month this week so I'm bloated and bound to be retaining more water than usual.

I have been doing walking consistently as part of the GCC challenge to keep me active. I've definitely noticed a change in my stamina, I think its going to take me a while to get back to where I was with running. I'm out of breath just walking down the street and it sucks.

I've started scar treatment on my stomach. I've only been using it a couple of days so far. I'm using ReGen Oil and Cream which is supposedly for Stretch Marks and Scars. So I'll update on how that goes too.

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The last update I did on Surgery was listed as the 5 Week mark, but it was more in between 5 and 6 and that's why there was no 6 week mark. It's only going to be a small update as there isn't too much to update everyone on.

Recovery is going well, for the most part I'm standing straight and can walk mostly normal now.

There's no pain, there aren't any issues that I've had over the last 2 weeks. The only thing that occasionally happens is that I get a bit of a gunky belly button, but that comes from the territory apparently, even normal belly buttons can get funky.

I'm still wearing my Macom Post-Surgery bra - as I never owned any non-under-wired bras and wasn't going to buy any for the sake of it. I'm still wearing my compression binder too. I have to wear non-under-wired/post-surgery bra until 3 months and then I can make the switch to under-wired as long as I am cleared to do so by my surgeon.

I've to wear the compression garment up until 8 weeks but I need to ring my aftercare nurse to confirm for certain and find out if I'm just supposed to take it off permanently.

I'm still not cleared to start exercising again, I'll find that out too when I ring up. It should be the 8 week mark, but I have been walking anyway as its killing me not being able to do anything. The GCC challenge has started now too, so I need to keep up with my walking so I don't let my team down!

I still have a scab left on my tummy scar and quite a few left on my breasts so I haven't started any scar treatment yet, but I do have some ready and waiting and I'll update on how that goes when I start!

Swelling has considerably come down between weeks 5 and 7. A few days after my last update, I noticed the difference. There is definitely still swelling there but its definitely not as bad as it was, so I'm happy with that!
Not much change with regards to the front view, but from the side there has been a massive difference.  Like I mentioned, it came down a couple of days after my 5 week update.

I have some concerns that the huge amount of swelling I had after surgery may have caused my skin to stretch further and maybe there is a possibility of still being left with some loose skin once the swelling has gone down.

For now, I'm not worrying about it too much as I can't see the end result yet until the swelling has done down and only then will I know if its not exactly how I wanted.

And Frankly, after my experience with recovery just out of surgery, I still don't know quite how I would feel about getting a revision done for surgery if it was needed.

Like I said.. only time will tell and I can't make any judgement yet.

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WARNING! This post contains pictures(of myself) with partial nudity. Please open and read at your own discretion.

Hi Everyone.

I guess I'll get straight onto the first topic and apologize for my lack of blogging recently. I used to have my usual scheduled posts up during the week but that hasn't been happening.

Since having surgery, not much has happened. I haven't really been able to go anywhere, so there's not much to say there. I'm still not cleared to exercise, so there's nothing to discuss on that point either and since this is primarily a health and fitness blog.. I feel like I'm lacking things to talk about in that area whilst I can't do anything.
I'm hoping that I will be able to get back to light exercise soon, but with all the swelling still going on, it doesn't seem too likely right now. Although I wish I could!

I do have some posts planned now that I've had a brain storm so my blog should have some regular posts going up.

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With regards to recovery and post-op, things are slow. Not much progress. Reduction of swelling seems non-existent.

I've had a tickly cough for the past week, that is causing absolute havoc for me. The coughing is pretty tough on my stomach so its been quite an ordeal and I hope that it ends soon.. but so far, no such luck. It might require a trip to the docs if it doesn't go away within the next couple of days.

I've had a couple of repeated checkups this week due to a leaking on my tummy incision, it needed to be monitored. It was redressed on Thursday with a waterproof dressing, I didn't take it off until last night and all seems to be OK. There was no leaking on the bandage at all since it was last dressed and it looks to have scabbed over so all seems OK.

As I've said, swelling seems to be none-existent to me and I don't notice a change, which is very annoying but I'm being patient with it and trying not to let it get to me.

I've got pics of tummy and breasts for 5 wk post op anyway, maybe its the same with this as it is for swelling where you don't realise your own changes to your body so maybe someone else will see a difference and put my mind at ease! hah

To be honest, I don't know what came over me when I thought that I would have a flat stomach straight out of surgery. I should have expected this and I didn't so I guess that's how naive I am, hah.

I still don't regret my decision and I'd do it again, the stomach I have now, even with the swelling, is still far better than the stomach that I had before.

It will go soon enough.. :) ... I hope

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WARNING! This post contains pictures(of myself) with partial nudity. Please open and read at your own discretion.
I literally can't believe that its been a month already since I had my surgery. It really doesn't feel like that long. It also feels like a while since I last updated here on the blog about it.

I didn't have a 3 week post op appointment (that's just the way it works for THG) so that may have been the reason I didn't post. I also don't think much has really changed since then so there wasn't much point in me making a post.

I did have my 1 month post op appointment this morning. Good timing too as I started to have some issues that needed to be seen and some concerns that needed to be answered.

Over the last 2-3 days, I noticed that I was getting some oozing from my belly button and it looked a bit red and inflamed around the incision line of it. I had the same problem a few weeks go, which thankfully was nothing to worry about.

Then yesterday morning I noticed a smidge of what looked like blood on my compression garment for my tummy. It was a bit of leaking from my tummy incision, kinda looked like I may have pulled a scab by accident.

I saw my lovely clinic nurse this morning, she cleaned all the areas, said she wasn't worried about it but wants me to come back on Monday just to checkup on how things are going. The weeping point on my incision has been covered with a bit of antiseptic wipe and a dressing for the time being. My belly button isn't covered, air will be better to heal it than covering it up again, I just need to keep it clean and dry.

A concern I've had was that my swelling wasn't really going down at all. She felt all the areas of my tummy and isn't concerned with anything, she says that some people take longer for the swelling to reduce than others.. and I seem to be one of those unlucky people.

I mentioned also that one of my hips seems way higher than the other, again, it's just swelling and probably the garment that's causing the odd shape.

All in all, she thinks that its healing well and the scars look great on both my breasts and tummy except for the 2 problem areas. Nothing she is concerned about.

She says I still need to keep my Surgery Bra(Macom) on until 6 weeks, then I can swap to non-under wired bras until 3 months post op.

The compression garment needs to be on for 6-8 weeks, she is going to check with my surgeon to be sure. Not cleared for exercise until at least 6 weeks.

Hopefully it won't be too much longer before the swelling goes down.  I was hoping it would have already gone down at least a bit but I guess I'll have to wait. It's a shame! It's my birthday next week and I hoped to be able to go shopping for new clothes! :/

I hope you've all had a great week and continue to have a great weekend!

Until Next Time! 

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As a pre-warning, this post may contain graphic images from surgery post operative that some readers may not want to see.

Hi Everyone and Happy Friday!

I'm checking in with an update on post-op surgery life and how I've been getting on this week.

Pain wise, I've been absolutely fine, other than a couple of quick sharp pains(believed to be nerves re-attaching), I've been pain free. I have however, been very itchy under my garments which is driving me crazy as there is no way for me to relieve it. If you have tips for relieving itchy-ness, I'd greatly appreciate it!

On Wednesday, I noticed a weird smell coming from somewhere, I couldn't pin exactly where it was coming from until I had Phillip check. The smell was coming from my Belly Button and I for sure thought that it was infected.

I called my Aftercare clinic(who were closed) and then Dolan Park for advice. I had no other Infection symptoms except for a bad smell so they told me to hold off on removing any dressings and see a GP or my aftercare clinic nurse ASAP. I had an appointment at the GP the next day, so I phoned to ask for another appointment to be done after my first.

I had my blood test (to check my hemoglobin levels after the transfusions at the hospital) and then went to get my BB checked. Fortunately, the nurse said she didn't think it was infected, just smelly from dried blood, so she cleaned the area (much to my disgust and screwed up faces ;) ).

I had my post op appointment early this morning, the nurse re-checked my belly button, she too said that she didn't think it was infected, cleaned the area again and re-dressed it for now.

All other dressings on my incisions were removed and cleaned, the dressings are now off permanently and I'll share pictures at the end.

I had a shower after I got back home. It was eventful to say the least. First off, I needed help to wash myself as I didn't get one of those long handle loofas. Phillip is heavy handed, so there was no way he was helping. I ended up having Phillips Mum help me get washed in the shower.

I managed to get clean, but just as I was about to wash my hair, I went TOTALLY dizzy and faint, thought I was gonna pass out and had to scramble out of the shower to sit down somewhere. Absolutely horrible feeling. Not quite sure why it happened, maybe too much exertion, got too hot? no idea but not pleasant.

I didn't get back in the shower to do my hair but it is still fairly clean so it will be OK till I try to shower again.

So that's how this week has been for me. Not much done other than sitting around recovering  and going to some appointments.

I'll leave you with some pictures for week 2.

The swelling is very much getting on my nerves, currently. I'm still extremely pleased with the results and would take this any day over the loose skin that I had to deal with before but the swelling definitely plays with the mind. It can take months for the swelling to go down and to see proper results so I just have to be patient.

Maybe its the angle or maybe not, but the picture on the right makes me look pregnant. :/

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As a pre-warning, any posts from here labeled surgery may contain graphic images from surgery or post operative photos that some readers may not want to see.

The last week has been rough. Reaaaal rough but I'll get into that when I've gone over everything else. This is just gonna be a quick (or quick as) post about whats been going on over the last couple of days.

So, I had surgery scheduled for the 10th April last week. Me and Phillip stayed in a hotel the night before. I wasn't nervous at all about the surgery until the night before when we were in the hotel and I ended up completely freaking out and crying.

The day of Surgery, we were awake at 6 am and had to be admitted to the hospital at 7 am. I wish I'd woken earlier, water restrictions were from 5 am.

I arrived at the hospital at 7 am, was taken to my room by 7:20 am and then had to wait. I had a gown and stockings to change into, I was visited by an anesthetist and a doctor for bloods.

I was supposed to be going into surgery at 10:30 am but surgeons change their schedules and I ended up being marked up at 2:30 pm and in surgery for 3 pm. It was tough waiting for surgery, not only because I had been fasting from the night before, but also because it gave me pretty much all day to be freaking out, which wasn't great.
I don't remember much after getting out of surgery or that night. After that it got rough, I ended up loosing a lot of blood and my body was not building back up its hemoglobin levels quickly enough.

I was very weak and didn't have the energy to even get myself out of bed. I fainted the first two times I tried to get out of bed to use the toilet. I had a catheter (that ended up not working as it should have done) and when they tried to redo, it was too painful so I ended up going without.

I was in hospital for a total of 5 days instead of the usual 2 night stay. I had 3 blood transfusions during my stay for the lost blood and I'm now on iron tablets and need routine checkups for my hemoglobin levels at my GP.
I think to say that I had a bit of a rough time after surgery would be an understatement of the century, however, I cannot thank the doctors, nurses and my surgeon enough for the support that they gave me during the rough time. Everyone was brilliant (bar one nurse as she was horrid, but I wont delve into that any further).

I'm day 7 post op currently, I would have updated about everything sooner if it weren't for the problems that I had. I hardly used any internet whilst I was in hospital. I had my first post op appointment this afternoon and was able to get a proper first glimpse of everything.

I've provided some photos that also include before's of my body so you can see the differences. I'm also still very swollen, so I wont see the full affects of the work until the swelling has gone down.

So, as you can see, everything seems to be well. The nurse is impressed and says that the scars are healing nicely.  I had my drains pulled, that was a weird experience, felt SO odd and uncomfortable, but over within a couple of seconds.

Before and After picture of Stomach

Dressings were taken off and replaced with fresh ones. I was able to get photos of everything in between the change. The nurse was fantastic at the Cambridge clinic. Very professional and patient when she knew I was in discomfort.

All in all, my experience so far with The Hospital Group has been fab and I'd recommend the company to anyone.

I think that's all for my update. I'm sure I'm missing something, but also sure this post is long enough!

But before I end the post, I want to say a massive thank you to Phillip, who has been so supportive and caring of the journey that I've taken and has been there to help me when I've needed it over the past week.

My surgery posts will probably only be every week unless there's something major to discuss. I know that this topic isn't to everyone's interests.

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