trying to decide????

I need some advice from those of you who know first hand about the recovery stage. I am seriously trying to decide how to go about this surgery. At first I thought about having an abdominalplasty (tummy tuck) with an abdom. hyst. I have felt so bad about the way I look since my daughter was born 7 years ago. I carried her all in the front and as a result my fascia (tissue) was damaged in my stomach. I generally always look about 6 months pregnant and this also affects the way I look in jeans etc. People are always asking when I am due and I am 46 years old!!! Now that the time is getting close and I getting scared and thinking that I need to swallow my pride and stop being so vain. The post op pain from the plastic surgery is terrible and makes the hyst, seem like a walk in the part. The recovery time will be about 8 weeks. IF I decide against it and just go with the vaginal route how will my recovery time be as far as back to work etc. My work will not do well with me being gone for long periods, but I need to do what is best for ME. Sorry for such a long post, I just needed to explain it all. I do have a high pain tolerance, BUT I am still VERY scared!

Diane

I had a panniculectomy (different from a full tt, but it left me with a hip-to-hip incision), so I think I can give you a little insight on this.

I don't know where you got the info that the plastic surgery recovery was so difficult, but here's my experience:

Yes, it was hard, I didn't notice that it was that noticeably more difficult. The first few weeks were a challenge, but after that, the first few weeks were over and things started to get better. I think the recovery "bounce back" was slower, but I don't think I had any more pain because of the panniculectomy.

You do get some economic savings if you do the procedures at the same time. You pay extra for the plastic surgeon, but you only pay for one hospital stay, one stint with the A-man (or woman) and all that goes with that.

If you think you're going to have the tt at a later time anyway, also consider whether you want to have two recovery periods.

It seems that in general, the vaginal hysterectomy patients do have a shorter initial recovery period, although there are still lots of internal stitches to consider. But of course if you add a tt to a hysterectomy, you will probably be sidelined longer.

I'm glad you're taking the time to consider this carefully. It can be a very tough decision to go for cosmetic surgery, but many find it to be a life-changing experience! Good luck to you.

As far as recovery from a TVH, I had mine on 12/20, and I could've easily gone back full-time to a desk job at two weeks, or another job that didn't require too much strenuous activity. I say "could've" because I am a stay-at-home mom, so going back to a paying job isn't an issue. But I have pretty much resumed all my normal daily routine, with the exception of lifting anything very heavy. I can fit into my jeans and regular pants with no problem.

But everyone recovers and heals differently, and I know I've been a lot more fortunate in that department than some of the other ladies.

Good luck in making your decision!