Further Thoughts


Having said all that I have above, and even throwing in a touch of the post-surgery blues and wishing someone had told me about the temporary loss of appetite, I would still vote for having the surgery again. Not having to worry about those horrible gastric attacks, complete with writhing pain and projectile vomiting, is huge, as is the smell reduction. Also, my PS's work is really, really good. When I had my first surgery, I really had a hard time looking at the incision areas without feeling sick to my stomach. Maybe I've just toughened up a bit, but these look so good, even at 2.5 weeks out, it's amazing, even though they are really extensive - from hip to hip and nearly up to my breastbone. The size loss is noticeable, nice, but a secondary consideration for me right now. I'll probably feel differently about that at some point.

Timing is everything. Job situation aside, I chose not to have my surgery in the summer, mostly as I didn't want to be sweaty and have even more skin issues if I had to wear a binder all the time. Actually, I run so cold now that this wouldn't really have been an issue. But I am an enthusiastic supporter of those cheap fruit of the loom men's XXL wife beater style singlets. You want them a lot longer than you'd think. I wear one all the time under the binder and haven't had any discomfort from the binder itself due to chafing, etc. Often, I'm quite sensitive to this, so it's a big plus! The binder itself, despite being large and requiring two people to get tight enough to do its job, is comfortable and comforting - except where it presses on the drain points.

Loose clothing, including a non-binding nightgown, long enough to keep my calves warm, and hospital or granny-type underwear have been great, if seriously unattractive except to the most fetischistic. I've had no restrictions from my surgeons on showers, which is apparently not the case for all docs, and that has been a major plus, in terms of keeping clean, sane and somewhat presentable. I have no problem wearing a bra, which I wasn't sure about when I had the surgery. I have heard that some women pin their drains to their bras under their arms when wearing more formal or tight-fitting clothing. Um, not so sure how that would work. My drains are the size of smallish goose-eggs - I'd look like I was going the springer spaniel look if I stuck them up near the bust. Most of the time I keep them pinned to the front of the binder - hence the need for loose shirts.