(Warning: somewhat gory photos follow, but I feel it’s important for others who may be considering this or a similar procedure to know what the early aftermath of surgery can look like, even though we’re all different and thus, heal differently, as well.)
You rang?
In my normal life, I’m no Lurch, but thanks to my extended DIEP flap, the description now seems somewhat fitting. As luck would have it, after my last update celebrating getting three of my drains out, I developed a “small” complication around the site where my right ab drain was removed. In addition to the allergic reaction to the surgical glue making my flank to flank wide scar (non-extended DIEP flaps are usually hip bone to hip bone so mine is a good bit wider as you can see on the side shots below) super puffy, red and itchy, I now had a baseball sized swelling on my right side. Lovely.
As you can imagine, that ski slope coming off my right hip coupled with my gory ab scar that was already oh so flattering, has had me feeling a little less cute of late. Not quite feeling the advantages of my glorified “tummy tuck” yet since I couldn’t even get into the larger size pants I purchased specifically for after the surgery, it’s been maxi dresses to the rescue.
(R) We also included a photo of my remaining left drain to confirm the extra special pinching skin and healing incision both looked normal.
Thankfully it appears the solution was a simple one. Play along with me, won’t you? Was it:
a) the unsexiest corset ever
b) a 50’s housewife girdle
c) a compression garment
d) all of the above
If you chose D, you win! What, I don’t know. I haven’t had time recently to refill my prize chest.
Thankfully, because we’re staying only a few minutes away from the surgical hospital, Bill was able to pick one up from the PA on call so I’m now the proud owner of ta-duh, an Abdominal Binder! (Sorry. It really doesn’t deserve that kind of build up.) I was actually surprised when I left the hospital without one because it seemed like pretty standard protocol after abdominal surgery, but I chalked it up to not having much extra flesh left to bind. Not sure if that was indeed the case, but the nurse & subsequent PA we chatted with about the recent swelling, both seemed surprised that I hadn’t been given one. A good reminder for you. A good reminder for me. Make sure to speak up if you end up experiencing something different than what you had been led to believe or if something just doesn’t feel right.
My incredibly deft surgeon was able to place the scar super low, allowing me the option of wearing a bikini if on some day, in some upside down bizarro world, I would choose to do so. What I’m saying is, that ship has sailed. My completely made up, award winning bikini competition days are over. Maybe. Once the swelling subsides and the scars fade in a year or so, I may just get crazy and pull my favorite bikini out from the back of the drawer where it’s been hiding for the past decade, perhaps not coincidentally, when I entered my 40’s. It’ll totally still be in style, right?
After adding some extra padding on top of the swelling and tightening the binder, I’m feeling snug as a bug in a rug. And for some reason, I have the desire to put on my best apron, clean from top to bottom, and then whip up a gourmet dinner for the man of the house. How retro! I think I’ll skip all that though and just enjoy the fact that the swelling appears to be a seroma (basically excess fluid buildup) and not indicative of something more serious, like a hematoma (blood clot) or an infection around the wound.
Just another reason I was happy that we are still in town for my recovery. Being just seven minutes away from the hospital has been really nice too, since apparently the tourism dollars Mardi Gras brings in are clearly are not going toward road maintenance. Super thankful we were able to end up driving down in our own car and aren’t having to navigate the rough roads in a compact with \questionable shock absorbers. Omph. (In all actuality though, the road conditions very likely have more to do with New Orleans being built on top of a swamp instead of terra firma.)
The unexpected afternoon foray also made for a good excuse to stop for a snoball (yes, spelled without the “w”) on the way back to the house. I don’t think I’m alone when I say if you’ve experienced NOLA without trying one of the many snoball stands around town, than you definitely haven’t experienced NOLA. The shaved ice treats have achieved cult status down here with lots of people having a favorite “stand”, but Hansen’s Sno Bliz seems to win the most votes and for good reason.
Started by a husband and wife team back in 1939 and now run by their granddaughter, Hansen’s has the typical Blue Raspberry & Cherry flavors, but also branch out with some more gourmet ones like Lavender Honey, Mardi Gras King Cake, Bananas Foster and Ginger Cayenne. Feel free to get fancy and get it drizzled with condensed milk, too. Trust me. Tastes way better than it sounds.
A purely homegrown tradition in these parts, snoballs consist of light and fluffy shaved ice and thus are vastly superior to snow cones because the light ice flakes absorb the flavored syrup whereas in the latter, the syrup just sinks to the bottom of the chunkier crushed ice.
The chilly treats are such a part of NOLA’s history, custom snoball confectionry replace mardi gras wreaths on doors and snoball garden flags pop up around town, both usually accompanied with the ever present fleur de lis, as the heat of Spring turns into the heat of Summer. Just do yourself a favor and don’t call them snow cones here if you want to survive long enough to slurp one down.
So today, I hope you learned a little more about abdominal binders and snoballs. Two things that go great together. According to me apparently. Class dismissed.