39F -I am 3 weeks po. Tape from surgery is still across the incision line - hoping to have that removed at my next appt Monday.

I compared my progress photos today and can see swelling has gone down.

I haven’t had true pain at any point post surgery but definitely plenty of discomfort. That Exparel was a lifesaver the first few days! I took Percocet for a week (they helped me sleep) and then switched to Motrin.

The worst part of this process has been not being able to stand straight - I have pretty significant back pain when I move around for more than a few minutes at a time. I am a pretty active person & I’m struggling with being so idle - I can only read and watch so much trash TV. My posture has improved since week 1 but I’m so ready to walk normally without that back pain.

The itchiness under this binder has been unexpected as well. Benadryl helps a lot!

I was worried about a new belly button but i think it looks nice and natural - or at least it will after it’s healed.

I started sleeping in bed again this week which has been nice. Showering isn’t as bad - I’m only showering every few days. I’ve been focusing on protein intake and starting hydrated.

I’m already very happy with my results and am looking forward to more progress!

Thanks for allowing me to share. This experience has been a wild ride!