swelly belly

Been just about 3 weeks trying my pants on so far so good hope it lasts

Hi Ladies
You are still relatively early in the recovery department.
My surgery was last year Oct 4 and it was Christmas before I could wear a pair of dress pants for the whole day and well into March before I could wear my jeans for the whole day. Not that I couldn't fit into them...just that by noon, they were feeling too tight to be comfortable, just because of the swelling.
Tight clothes makes it worse.
Drink lots of fluids, go for a lymphatic drainage massage
Go for walks, eat well.
As the internal tissue is healing, it reduces in size (think of the trauma it just went through.) As you go about your day, you are irritating the tissue again. This is what causes the swelly belly and, as we all heal at different rates, some have it longer than others.

Wishing you an uneventful recovery,
Autumn

Autumn Moon what is a lymphatic drainage massage?
Also are you back to a normal tummy now that it has been a year

Yes I wanna know what that is too!

HI
Google search Lymphatic Drainage Massage. It will give you the information about how it works.
It's really important that you see someone who is experienced AND CERTIFIED in this particular massage type. The cost varies.
I have no idea if it helped or not. I went in February, after my car accident.
Talk to your doctor about this before you do it. Always seek the advise of YOUR medical professional!
Take it easy. Don't be in too much of a hurry to get back to your pre-op shape and size.

As far as how I am feeling...
I find that the new lifestyle is much better than how I look. I learned to stand up straight and I have better posture now that I am not in pain almost 24/7.
I have a much improved intimate relationship with DH and we have a stronger marital relationship since he has truly seen me at my worst!
I am back into my old clothes and a lot of new ones. I have learned the value of elastic and drawstring waisted pants/skirts. I have found out that bikini thongs are not always the best because they sit right on my incision, which still gets itchy from time to time. Granny panties, in the right size, help with supporting my new found belly and they aren't nearly as expensive as my regular ones.
I learned that Ivory Snow, even though it's really expensive, is well worth it weight in gold for washing underwear and jammies.
There is a difference between swelly belly and not enough exercise belly. Learn to tell the difference.

Take your time. I didn't rush anything with my recovery. I stayed off work for 8 weeks then was able to work from home for another 4. By Christmas, even though I was still suffering from a few bouts of late afternoon/evening swelling, I was able to cook a sit down dinner on Christmas eve for 12 and Christmas dinner for 8.

Then, this summer, I packed all our belongings and moved across the country.
Just remember, it takes time to heal. You only get one chance to do it properly so make sure you do it right the first time!

Feel free to PM me anytime if you want to chat further,
Autumn