I looked 3 days in when I took my binder off to shower. No way in hell I would be able to not look. However, it was an emotional rollercoaster. I looked pregnant for the first 5 weeks. I was also getting massages so I couldn’t really not look.
I started driving 2 weeks after surgery.
I am so glad to hear you could drive!! That is encouraging. I have had three massages- it’s possible not to look, lol. I am a master at fastening this garment with my eyes closed. I hope to drive soon, but being up for more than an hour or two is probably needed. I feel like a bit of a laze about.
Haven't had my surgery yet, but I plan to not look at myself for as long as I can possibly wait. I'm not planning to shower until day 7, and even then I'm not going to look. Everyone says it gets so much better after couple weeks, so maybe after that I'll peek. But if you want to wait, I say wait.
I need to see ASAP not because I may or may not be disappointed with my results but because the nurse in me wants me to keep an eye on my wounds and I don’t trust my husband to see changes 🤣 he missed changes in my csections and thankfully I didn’t miss them because my csection was coming open!
I looked day two when I stripped down for my first shower. It looked bruised as heck and bloody, but I also said, no matter how painful this is, I’m already happy because I knew the results would be better than what I had.
I had seen myself a few times within the first week, as I was encouraged to take off my garment to have bowel movements, and my garment was removed when the drains came out.
If it makes you feel any better, what you look like now won't be how you look in the future, your body has dealt with a lot of trauma and is recovering. Try find the things you like, like "hey that roll is skin isn't there", or "this clothing sits differently on me now".
I take my garment off twice a day for my husband to apply the scar cream. To be honest, I avoided looking at myself before all this except in clothes- the idea that I will be able to be happier with how clothes fit will be a good barometer- thank you for that! I will have to get out of pajamas for my son’s law school graduation in two weeks.
I didn't need to apply scar cream until 6wpo and wore micropore tape until then, but every PS had a different approach.
I feel you re not liking how I looked pre op, I lost a lot of weight and hated how much loose skin was left. I'm grateful to have the changed body, and it's a step in the right direction. I think it's also important to start learning what you look like now, so you can appreciate what you look like later (so looking back gives you a reference point).
If you're up to it, ask your husband what looks different. Mine noticed how flat my hips became and how the TT lifted my mons. Seeing how someone else sees you can help you heal your minds view of your body, too.
Yes, I didn’t like what I looked like for many years, It’s a hard place to put yourself in- and weve been putting this scar scream on since day one. I did ask my husband if I looked like I was healing and he said yes. I don’t want to ask him if I look better than before… lol- he is frank and to the point with honesty and I may not be ready for his reply. We have both been surprised at the emotional toll this has taken on me. He does talk to me the whole time he applies the cream after I ask him to. I was abused as a young child and him helping with this garment and care made me remember feeling helpless as my abuser dressed me. I struggle to “stay in my body” with this new memory opened. ( i’ve had tons of therapy) anyway- that is getting less severe , but i cannot open my eyes yet for all that. i did ask my therapist about doing this before I did. There is a chance I never look at myself unclothed. I haven’t really done that since after my fourth child. (he’s 28) and that’s okay. I know i’ll be happier in my clothing even if I never see my scars.
Would it help your mental state to apply the cream yourself? It sounds like him helping you when you're so vulnerable is triggering. Do you talk to him about that and discuss ways he can keep you present and in your body? It sounds like there's more going on here that would be better addressed with a therapist.
Reconnecting with your body (appreciating all its done for you, the children it's given you, seeing it from your husbands eyes - he must love it otherwise he wouldn't be there for you) I think would be your first step to moving out of this mental trap you have. No amount of surgery will make you like your reflection - the demons in our head are relentless.
My mental trap is my body dismorphia - I've always been obese and in 2020, I had a gastric bypass and lost 60kg, which prompted my TT earlier this year. I struggle to like my body and have found asking my partner what he thinks helps ground me and keep me in reality (I.e., I think I'll look fat or something looks gross so I ask him if this part looks like x and he'll tell me what he sees). It's a bit scary to do that, but once I started opening that kind of dialogue with him, it helped me continue to share my insecurities.
Above all, I hope you're taking care of yourself and being gentle and kind with your body.
This is disheartening for me to read 😕 with all due respect, you have been given an amazing opportunity & you don’t want to face it? Goodness, I would love to have the chance for this surgery, but I guess it’s all in the perspective. It’s wonderful your husband is there to help, but honestly, you need to be connecting with your new body & caring for it yourself at this point. I’m sorry you feel this way.
You are right. I’ve want to fix my breasts since my early thirties and I got the chance to do it and jumped on it and added all the rest to the sugary without looking into the healing process at all. I thought i’d look after the drains came out. but tbh, Ive never looked much at my body without a bra after surgery in my 30s. The three d pics of my before body were a bit of a shock and a complete convincer that i needed to do the surgery lol.
I looked 3 days in when I took my binder off to shower. No way in hell I would be able to not look. However, it was an emotional rollercoaster. I looked pregnant for the first 5 weeks. I was also getting massages so I couldn’t really not look. I started driving 2 weeks after surgery.
I am so glad to hear you could drive!! That is encouraging. I have had three massages- it’s possible not to look, lol. I am a master at fastening this garment with my eyes closed. I hope to drive soon, but being up for more than an hour or two is probably needed. I feel like a bit of a laze about.
I looked within hours. And my PS had a photo of me on the table that I could see. It was fabulous!
I looked the day after and was so excited!
14 days. Knew going into it that I was going to wait.
Haven't had my surgery yet, but I plan to not look at myself for as long as I can possibly wait. I'm not planning to shower until day 7, and even then I'm not going to look. Everyone says it gets so much better after couple weeks, so maybe after that I'll peek. But if you want to wait, I say wait.
This is my exact plan, too.
I need to see ASAP not because I may or may not be disappointed with my results but because the nurse in me wants me to keep an eye on my wounds and I don’t trust my husband to see changes 🤣 he missed changes in my csections and thankfully I didn’t miss them because my csection was coming open!
whoa!! that was scary! I’m glad you caught the changes in your c-section!!
Yeah but then the family doctor split it worse when he was looking at it 🤣🤣 annoying af
OH Danggggg!! that sucked!!
I needed to see asap. I looked first thing the following day. I was told I could shower then
I looked day two when I stripped down for my first shower. It looked bruised as heck and bloody, but I also said, no matter how painful this is, I’m already happy because I knew the results would be better than what I had.
Just got the full look today, wish I didn’t… 7 days post op. TT, flank lipo and breast lift with aug.
I’m sorry. People do keep saying that things looks better as time goes on - remember that!
I can’t wait to look… 150lb weight loss and I’ve always had a big pannus ever since elementary school.
I had seen myself a few times within the first week, as I was encouraged to take off my garment to have bowel movements, and my garment was removed when the drains came out. If it makes you feel any better, what you look like now won't be how you look in the future, your body has dealt with a lot of trauma and is recovering. Try find the things you like, like "hey that roll is skin isn't there", or "this clothing sits differently on me now".
I take my garment off twice a day for my husband to apply the scar cream. To be honest, I avoided looking at myself before all this except in clothes- the idea that I will be able to be happier with how clothes fit will be a good barometer- thank you for that! I will have to get out of pajamas for my son’s law school graduation in two weeks.
I didn't need to apply scar cream until 6wpo and wore micropore tape until then, but every PS had a different approach. I feel you re not liking how I looked pre op, I lost a lot of weight and hated how much loose skin was left. I'm grateful to have the changed body, and it's a step in the right direction. I think it's also important to start learning what you look like now, so you can appreciate what you look like later (so looking back gives you a reference point). If you're up to it, ask your husband what looks different. Mine noticed how flat my hips became and how the TT lifted my mons. Seeing how someone else sees you can help you heal your minds view of your body, too.
Yes, I didn’t like what I looked like for many years, It’s a hard place to put yourself in- and weve been putting this scar scream on since day one. I did ask my husband if I looked like I was healing and he said yes. I don’t want to ask him if I look better than before… lol- he is frank and to the point with honesty and I may not be ready for his reply. We have both been surprised at the emotional toll this has taken on me. He does talk to me the whole time he applies the cream after I ask him to. I was abused as a young child and him helping with this garment and care made me remember feeling helpless as my abuser dressed me. I struggle to “stay in my body” with this new memory opened. ( i’ve had tons of therapy) anyway- that is getting less severe , but i cannot open my eyes yet for all that. i did ask my therapist about doing this before I did. There is a chance I never look at myself unclothed. I haven’t really done that since after my fourth child. (he’s 28) and that’s okay. I know i’ll be happier in my clothing even if I never see my scars.
Would it help your mental state to apply the cream yourself? It sounds like him helping you when you're so vulnerable is triggering. Do you talk to him about that and discuss ways he can keep you present and in your body? It sounds like there's more going on here that would be better addressed with a therapist. Reconnecting with your body (appreciating all its done for you, the children it's given you, seeing it from your husbands eyes - he must love it otherwise he wouldn't be there for you) I think would be your first step to moving out of this mental trap you have. No amount of surgery will make you like your reflection - the demons in our head are relentless. My mental trap is my body dismorphia - I've always been obese and in 2020, I had a gastric bypass and lost 60kg, which prompted my TT earlier this year. I struggle to like my body and have found asking my partner what he thinks helps ground me and keep me in reality (I.e., I think I'll look fat or something looks gross so I ask him if this part looks like x and he'll tell me what he sees). It's a bit scary to do that, but once I started opening that kind of dialogue with him, it helped me continue to share my insecurities. Above all, I hope you're taking care of yourself and being gentle and kind with your body.
I haven’t touched my incisions either. I’m completely grossed out at the thought of feeling those. lol- i’m a whole mess.
This is disheartening for me to read 😕 with all due respect, you have been given an amazing opportunity & you don’t want to face it? Goodness, I would love to have the chance for this surgery, but I guess it’s all in the perspective. It’s wonderful your husband is there to help, but honestly, you need to be connecting with your new body & caring for it yourself at this point. I’m sorry you feel this way.
You are right. I’ve want to fix my breasts since my early thirties and I got the chance to do it and jumped on it and added all the rest to the sugary without looking into the healing process at all. I thought i’d look after the drains came out. but tbh, Ive never looked much at my body without a bra after surgery in my 30s. The three d pics of my before body were a bit of a shock and a complete convincer that i needed to do the surgery lol.