Disney World after a Tummy Tuck?

[crisvow]

Hi! I am looking for any other moms or women out there who had a Tummy Tuck then went to Disney soon after?? We have trip scheduled for Oct. which would be 7 weeks Post Op and most people say by 7-8 weeks you are back to your normal activity level. PS said as long as no complications, it would be fine. My kids look forward to this every year so want to be able to enjoy it! I could postpone the surgery until after the trip (early november) but honestly I just want to get it over with! my husband says I should just go for it before. Does anyone have any personal experience? Thanks so much!!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I would postpone the surgery until after the trip. The reason is due to riding the rides. You should not ride coasters or things that require you to strap in post surgery.

 

[NewRVLady]

Is a "Tummy Tuck" the gastro Bypass surgery?
I'd do after the trip

 

[crisvow]

thanks for the replies. According to my PS rides will not be a problem. There aren't many thrill rides in Disney, and I typically sit with my 3 yr old when my older kids go on the bigger rides like Space & Big Thunder. Swimming will also be Ok i was told.

Tummy Tuck is not gastric bypass. Its two different procedures.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I haven't had one, but as a hospital nurse I'd say the things you have to be careful about are moisture and obviously, stress on the incisions, which may not be completely healed. If you have a lot of "flesh" in that area, incisions can be slower to heal, and there can be things like infections and dehiscence. You may also still have some discomfort in the area, especially on bumps and from doing things like picking up luggage, sleeping in a different bed, picking up kids, exercising excessively, straining on rides, etc. If you have a choice, you might want to wait, but it's up to you. I just don't think you can be assured with 100% certaintly that you'll be fine, even if that was someone else's experience. Good luck with your procedure, and have a great trip when you go!

 

[dashofsunshine]

I had VSG last year, and while a tummy tuck IS a totally different procedure (and obviously nothing is done to your organs in a tummy tuck), I would HIGHLY encourage you to wait on this. My surgery was done laproscopically, meaning that I had 5 tiny holes for incisions. You will have a large horizontal incision because they are removing lots of skin. Even with my 5 tiny holes (no stitches), it was still 5 weeks MINIMUM before I even felt human again, and I didn't honestly feel normal and ready to go until 3 months after. Like I said, I know nothing is being done to your organs, but major surgical procedures in general are nooooooo joke, especially when it involves the abdomen. You literally use your stomach muscles for most of the movements you make. Unless you are super man, I would probably not try to do Disney that soon after. Just my advice!! Good luck!!

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I haven't had one, but as a hospital nurse I'd say the things you have to be careful about are moisture and obviously, stress on the incisions, which may not be completely healed. If you have a lot of "flesh" in that area, incisions can be slower to heal, and there can be things like infections and dehiscence. You may also still have some discomfort in the area, especially on bumps and from doing things like picking up luggage, sleeping in a different bed, picking up kids, exercising excessively, straining on rides, etc. If you have a choice, you might want to wait, but it's up to you. I just don't think you can be assured with 100% certaintly that you'll be fine, even if that was someone else's experience. Good luck with your procedure, and have a great trip when you go!

I agree.
Plus, speaking from a close experience(different plastic surgery with many sutures), sweating is NO fun even that far out. Healing is extremely itchy anyway, then add sweat... No thanks.
And healing is such a difficult thing to predict. You never know if you'll heal quickly, spit(not spLit) stitches etc...

 

[dashofsunshine]

I agree.
Plus, speaking from a close experience(different plastic surgery with many sutures), sweating is NO fun even that far out. Healing is extremely itchy anyway, then add sweat... No thanks.
And healing is such a difficult thing to predict. You never know if you'll heal quickly, spit(not spLit) stitches etc...

Absolutely. It really just depends on a case to case basis...I had friends who were out shopping 3 days after VSG, feeling great - I could barely shower. It just depends on how your body handles the trauma of surgery and how it heals. But I wouldn't take the chance of being miserable or in pain on my expensive vacation

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Dashofsunshine makes a great point. What you're having done is major abdominal surgery. With any major surgery, there is generally a surprisingly long recovery time where you're very tired for a good, long time. You almost feel like something is wrong, but it's just that the surgery takes a lot out of you. I was faced with having this surgery when I was undergoing treatment for breast cancer. (The idea would have been to do breast reconstruction with tissue from my abdomen, so a "free" tummy tuck was part of the deal.) I didn't do it because I knew I was already having major chest surgery and to add major abdominal surgery while undergoing chemo, working, and having six year old twins, I knew it was just too much and that there would likely be some sort of complications, which there were, of course, with both my chest and my axillary node dissection sites. I wouldn't have wanted to add abdominal complications to that. But all this is just to say that you should prepare for complications, but hope there won't be any. If there are, you may need to postpone and all that. But I understand that a November surgery would also bring you into the holidays, so that could be difficult, too. You have some choices to make. You could always wait until January, right?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I agree.
Plus, speaking from a close experience(different plastic surgery with many sutures), sweating is NO fun even that far out. Healing is extremely itchy anyway, then add sweat... No thanks.
And healing is such a difficult thing to predict. You never know if you'll heal quickly, spit(not spLit) stitches etc...

Yes, and that was one of the things I meant when I said moisture.

 

[dashofsunshine]

Dashofsunshine makes a great point. What you're having done is major abdominal surgery. With any major surgery, there is generally a surprisingly long recovery time where you're very tired for a good, long time. You almost feel like something is wrong, but it's just that the surgery takes a lot out of you. I was faced with having this surgery when I was undergoing treatment for breast cancer. (The idea would have been to do breast reconstruction with tissue from my abdomen, so a "free" tummy tuck was part of the deal.) I didn't do it because I knew I was already having major chest surgery and to add major abdominal surgery while undergoing chemo, working, and having six year old twins, I knew it was just too much and that there would likely be some sort of complications, which there were, of course, with both my chest and my axillary node dissection sites. I wouldn't have wanted to add abdominal complications to that. But all this is just to say that you should prepare for complications, but hope there won't be any. If there are, you may need to postpone and all that. But I understand that a November surgery would also bring you into the holidays, so that could be difficult, too. You have some choices to make. You could always wait until January, right?

The tiredness is what got me! I felt like I had been hit by a truck for a looooong time after surgery. I called my doctor (thinking something was wrong, like you said) and he basically just said that it takes a lot of energy for your body to heal from major surgery like that. It was honestly a lot more difficult than I had ever expected it to be. But no regrets!

I hope that you are doing better now

 

[Kellydelly]

As a nurse who worked on a surgical unit where many patients had skin removal surgeries done (whole body lifts, tummy tucks, breast lifts) post bariatric surgery, I would suggest that you wait another month to do your surgery and just enjoy your vacation with a flabby middle but no worries . I have a friend that did a tummy tuck and breast augmentation at the same time and was back to work within a week, but I don't think that is normal. Your surgery recovery could go picture perfect, or it could have issues. It's really a crap shoot how you will feel 7 weeks out. I think it is worth waiting a couple more weeks to get done, just to ensure that you feel good during your trip and don't have any restrictions on your movement.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Yes, and that was one of the things I meant when I said moisture.

I was just elaborating. Plus I'm only 1/2 way through my first cup of coffee

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I hope that you are doing better now

Oh, I am, thank you. (And there are days I wish now I had the tummy tuck, for sure! What was I thinking! j/k no regrets about decisions.)

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I was just elaborating. Plus I'm only 1/2 way through my first cup of coffee

Haha I need my second cup, too!

 

[crisvow]

I really appreciate your responses. It's a hard decision. I honestly just want to get it over with. Waiting will kill me that's the reason I wanted to get it done in August. I understand people heal differently. But from what my PS has told me and I have a friend who had it done, by 7-8 weeks you are back to full activity again, exercise, even ab workouts. I am in relatively decent shape close to my ideal weight as well so I think that will help aid in my recovery. I will have to decide soon. thanks again for all the responses.

 

[cherylnj]

I would definitely wait until after your trip. I had a tummy tuck 4 years ago and although I was back to work after 4 weeks, there is no way I would have survived a wdw vacation. I was still in a binder at 7 weeks and your incision will still be healing. If your ps is also tightening your stomach muscles you can add extreme soreness into the mix.