I've coughed a few times since the surgery and when I knew it was coming and couldn't stop it I would hold my stomach and make it as shallow as possible. The other day my husband was making me laugh and I would get a chuckle out before I had to clutch my sides and stop. I've *felt* like I could literally bust a gut but I never thought it could really happen.
Well guess what? You can! Last night I coughed. It snuck up on me, I didn't have time to brace myself. I coughed and I felt something pop, almost like something was being unzipped underneath my skin. I freaked the F out. It didn't hurt. It burned a little but there wasn't any pain. I called the surgeon right away and the doctor on duty called me back within 10 minutes. He wasn't alarmed, he said if my drain suddenly started getting dark fluid or the output increased significantly to call back but otherwise even if I popped a few stitches it's not like they would go back in and fix them. As long as the outside was holding together that was the important thing.
It was a stressful night. I was terrified I was A) bleeding to death and B) had screwed up my surgery. Thankfully, I had friends to calm me down.
The drain was fine, it was the exact same amount of fluid all night as it had been the day before. The color is the same. My outer incisions are fine. I seem to be holding together. I have another follow-up on Monday and we'll talk about this, of course, but I have to believe in the history anyone -- man or woman -- who has had a tummy tuck no one ever popped a stitch or 2 sneezing, coughing, farting, or whatever. I was 8 days out at that point and the stitches under my skin are dissolvable so maybe they were on their way out anyway? Who knows. I look actually like I'm making some healing progress on the outside so I would think I'm healing internally too. This whole process has been and will remain a mystery to me.
I got a package today from my dear friend Chris (who also helped me calm down last night). She was the one who asked me what my goal was and I told her to wear jeans with a belt. Guess what she sent? I love it!!
Right now I can't imagine getting out of sweatpants or sleep shorts but when the swelling does subside and I attempt regular clothes for the first time, I cannot wait to wear it. "Don't dream it, be it." I don't know if she knows this but that's a line from my favorite song from Rocky Horror. I put it on my playlist during my NYC training and I always loved that part. Don't dream it, be it. Awesome.
In other exciting news, I got an email today -- Blog Fairy is ready to start working on my new layout! Decisions! Decisions! Also, I sold my 7th auction on eBay so operation Louis V Phase I is complete. Now I start working on funding a matching wallet. Why not? Apparently I have good crap to sell!
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