Hi 👋🏻 the surgery went well according to my surgeon. I think it was just over 4 hrs in duration but obviously I didn't know anything about it until I woke up (thankfully).
The recovery is hard, I cannot lie. I think for me the most difficult part was feeling generally gross, as in sweaty and uncomfortable from wearing the binder and support bra. In the first four weeks they have to be worn for a minimum of 23 hrs a day. For someone who usually sleeps with nothing on, because I get too hot, this was like torture and it made me feel quite miserable. I also got quite spotty, I couldn't/wasn't allowed to have a wax so was hairy too and felt very much not like myself. Add to that the pain from the surgery, not being able to stand up straight etc it did get me down. I felt quite itchy from the binder too, I also developed a blister on my hip from it rubbing on me but that has now healed and gone away.
I'm 8 weeks post op tomorrow, I'm pain free, I can walk a considerable distance (did four miles yesterday), I can have baths and showers, I can go back to wearing a normal bra as of tomorrow, I've been waxed, I can sleep naked, I've been able to be intimate with my husband, I can pick my kids up, the list goes on. I'm essentially pretty close to normal now. I still have strange sensations in my tummy area, it kind of feels numb and sometimes tingly, which makes me feel a bit weird.
I am swollen still, I think this is something to keep in mind as I didn't realise how long you can be swollen for post op. Apparently in some cases it can be up to a year, which can obviously feel disheartening when you don't have the results you want straight away.
It is a process and a major operation. It has taken me a long time to start feeling like I can do minor things without fear of hurting myself but I'm certainly improving all the time.
I hope your surgery goes well 