I remember when I was 10 weeks away from my abdominoplasty thinking it seemed so far away. Now I can’t believe it has already been 10 weeks since my surgery It seems like so long ago when I was trying to imagine what it would be like to have my hanging skin gone, smooshing and folding it while standing in front of the mirror. These past 10 weeks I’ve had to relearn my body. I still am caught off guard when I catch a glimpse of myself in a picture or a mirror as I walk by. Other times I feel like this is how my body has been forever. Mostly I feel like I am finally able to see the body I have earned. It’s weird because people who meet me now have no idea where I’ve come from. I truly have had to earn this body. In the gym, in the kitchen, and even in surgery and recovery. I have earned it.
I feel mostly back to normal now. I owe you a few more workout recaps. At CrossFit I’m almost back to where I was before. I still don’t have 100% core strength back so sit ups and push ups are harder than they were before. I am able to move moderately heavy weight again. Mostly I’m able to do all the workouts without having to modify because of my surgery. Things like running and jump rope are 1 million percent easier without my skin bouncing around. In just the 4 weeks I’ve been back to working out I’ve seen awesome changes. I do believe I see a baby ab poking through!
The most common questions I get are about weight changes and clothing size changes. I know this may be disappointing, but I actually weigh within a pound or two of what I did on surgery day! Stupid scale. I stick around 194ish and I was 196 on day of surgery. As far as clothes go, I wear the same clothes I wore before they just look better! I’m a size 14 in most jeans and can go between a Medium-Large in shirts. All my workout clothes fit a bit different, but they still fit. Speaking of workout clothes, I was able to try out Knixwear Athletic Underwear. I’m wearing them in this picture, but you can’t tell! No panty lines, stays in place, and is moisture wicking.
As far as swelling goes, it isn’t as regular of an occurance as it used to be. I still swell in my lower abdomen especially after workouts, but not always. My whole trunk used to swell and it has gotten better each week.
The scar has healed beautifully. I once it healed I started putting a belly balm on it and just a few weeks ago the awesome folks at GelZone sent me one of their wraps and silicone strips to try out for scar therapy. The wrap is also great for compression and it stays in place wonderfully. The silicone strips are reusable and washable and are easy to wear when I’m not wearing the wrap. The scar is still pink, but it isn’t bumpy or raised. With continued use of the scar therapy I’m certain it will eventually be barely noticeable.
Overall, I’m still estatic about the procedure as a whole. I don’t regret it for a second. The recovery has been far easier than I imagined. It wasn’t easy, but it was easier than I thought it would be. There is a lot on the mental side I want to talk about, but I’m saving that for its own post.
Do you have any questions about the procedure and recovery process?
Any scar care tips?
imperfectly courtney 