Back to Normal at Ten Weeks

It was surprisingly difficult to give up the binder or Spanx during the day. I wore the Spanx for my whole first week back to work (enjoying a Spandex-enhanced figure). That weekend, I realized I'd have to go cold turkey.

Without support, it felt as though my middle wasn't strong enough to hold me upright. This feeling lasted for three days. Now I'm Spandex-free! And I'm no more hunched over than I was before the surgery. I even wore my shirt tucked in one day. I haven't done that since I was pregnant with my first child. No one noticed this 'milestone', but there was a parade, with confetti, going on in my head that day.

My next big task is to get back to being as active as I used to be. I really have to work on stamina. I dusted off my old Omicron pedometer and spent a week walking 10,000 steps a day. Oy. By Thursday, I was too exhausted after work to go to yoga class. My hubby didn't think I was awake enough to drive there. I also started swimming again. My city has a free water aerobics class. Nothing makes you feel better in a swimsuit than being 30-40 years younger than everyone else in the pool. After the class, I do a few laps, each lap followed by some brief gasping. The swimming has really helped me stretch out the abs.

Life is pretty much back to normal. I don't have another doctor's appointment for a month. My plastic surgeon will then take the 'after' photos. It's nice being an 'after', and not a 'before' for a change!

I hope I have given you lots of useful information for your journey. It's amazing how fast you can heal, but it won't seem that way for a few months. Pick yourself a fantastic surgeon, and take off as much time as you can. I wish you much success and love!

Good luck, Girl!
-Amy

7 Weeks and Counting

At 7-and-a-half weeks post surgery I can:

• fit into pre-surgery pants. Whoopie!
• wear Spanx instead of the binder. The joy of leaving off the binder is replaced within a few hours with an intense hatred of Spandex. I still use the binder far more than the Spanx.
• pick up my 28-pound daughter. Oh how I missed her snuggled into my neck while I held her! My son, at 38 pounds, is still too heavy for me.
• walk up and down hills for at least 30 minutes.
  
• shop mindlessly for several hours. The Macy's clerk said skeptically, "You tried on all those things and you only found one blouse?"
• lay on the bed, on my back or my tummy. This turned out to be a big deal. I had to work at straightening out every night.
• walk without hunching over. I still hunch a little after a big meal.

I have half a week more before I return to work. That day will be exactly eight weeks since the surgery. I'm sure I'll be utterly exhausted, being 'on' for so many hours. But I know I'm well enough to do my thing. I have come so far, so fast. I wish a speedy recovery for you, too.

I'll post again on returning to work. Keep on truckin'!