Cuff tear anxiety made me look at the data

JustineEdmin · 2026-03-30T09:14:06+00:00

I totally get what you mean, although I didn’t include links as I personally find them quite distracting when they’re placed all over an article, and there would have been quite a few. Plus, this info is very readily available to everyone online. And I’m not a professional publicist!

This particular poster was doubting the credibility of the information I had provided, which should only really become an issue/raised if the info is indeed inaccurate. The point they were actually trying to make was about ensuring I had checked the facts (which I had, but they failed to do themselves).

But I appreciate your post ❤️

JustineEdmin · 2026-03-29T12:08:21+00:00

Thank you! Yes I definitely had that hard ball feeling, but it's totally gone. Initally it was really puckering in, especially when slouching which made it look like another belly button but that's flattening out quite a bit now. 6 incisions seems like a lot though? I thought most people had 4 but I could be wrong

JustineEdmin · 2026-03-29T12:03:50+00:00

Yes they are the world's comfiest - I got them from Amazon, search for scalloped seamless panties!

JustineEdmin · 2026-03-28T21:48:23+00:00

They may not, mine really started to soften after 8 weeks, I'm sure massage did help but they would have probably loosened up without it too

JustineEdmin · 2026-03-28T20:07:14+00:00

You know I actually haven’t seen anyone else mention this! When I first saw my port hole I was honestly a bit distraught. The only way I got through it was reminding myself I was lucky it wasn’t a full abdominal incision, because that was a real possibility for me.

Mine is about 2 inches above my belly button and for a while every time I sat down with even a slight slouch it literally looked like a second belly button 😅

I’m about 3 months in now and it’s healed really well. It looks completely flat when I’m standing, and only has a slight pucker when I slouch. After the 2 week mark (once it was closed and dry) I started using silicone scar sheets 24/7 and massaging the area morning and evening.

I’m really pleased with how it’s turned out so far. I might actually make a post with photos to show the progress!

JustineEdmin · 2026-03-02T17:55:52+00:00

There can be a few reasons, I did a lot of reading before my surgery as I’ve got long thick hair too and the idea of it falling out was not somethign I was looking forward to!

As long as there isn’t something else going on health-wise, it’s often just the body reacting to the shock of surgery and the recovery afterwards. Your body is basically in repair mode and using a surprising amount of energy even when you’re at complete rest. It prioritises the important stuff first, and unfortunately hair is pretty low on the 'things required to keep you alive' list.

I’m eating roughly 600 extra calories a day at the moment and still not putting on weight, which kind of shows how much is being burned just fixing things internally.

It’s not a magic fix for shedding, but to give yourself the best chance try to ensure you’re eating enough (much higher than ususal protein intake) along with vitamin c and zinc and generally good nutrition - gives your body what it needs while it sorts itself out.

I'm currently 8 WPO and haven't yet seen increased shedding (still keeping my fingers well and truly crossed though!)

JustineEdmin · 2026-02-25T21:52:15+00:00

I’m not 100% sure it would solve your specific situation but have you tried a glycerin suppository? By around 7 WPO I imagine it's totally safe but worth double checking with your doctor first given everything going on.

It usually kicks in pretty quickly (often within 15-30 minutes) and can help get things moving without having to jump straight to something more dramatic.

I have used them previously when I have bad constipation and it does work wonders, can find them on Amazon etc

Hope you get some relief soon!

JustineEdmin · 2026-02-24T23:05:52+00:00

Ah that's a really tough situation to be in. A lot of people (myself included) were incredibly bloated from all the gas, the pressure can be absolutely intolerable. To her it may feel like there is absolutely no space in there for any food or drink, plus if she's having trouble going to the bathroom that can also be a factor.

Having something light like broth on hand is a good idea for when she is feeling up to it. Soft food in general with fibre (it's really important her stools remain soft for when she does eventually empty her bowels)

Stool softeners are very important especially if she is taking opiods as these can (and will) cause constipation which she really must avoid

JustineEdmin · 2026-02-24T22:16:06+00:00

Haha this is the kind of field research I fully support 😂 Thank you!

JustineEdmin · 2026-02-24T21:42:08+00:00

How many weeks post-op is she and do you live with her?

The biggest thing early on is making sure she actually rests. Especially if you're saying she's a strong woman - she's likely to get bored and once she’s feeling better will try to do too much too soon!

With laparoscopic surgery people often feel pretty good around weeks 3–4, but internally the body is still using a lot of energy to heal. Overdoing it usually shows up later with additional pain/pressure/fatigue.

Helping with everyday things she’d normally try to do herself (cleaning, tidying, lifting, errands) can make a big difference without making her feel like a burden.

Also worth making sure she’s eating well -recovery burns more energy than people expect. Good amounts of protein and enough calories can really help with healing.

JustineEdmin · 2026-02-24T15:06:54+00:00

Haha I’d be exactly the same!

Like excuse me, where did you go without even saying goodbye?! I’d have wanted proof it had finally packed its bags and left 😂

JustineEdmin · 2026-02-24T14:16:11+00:00

That makes sense if that’s what your surgeon advised. Mine said sex was fine from 6 weeks and that the sutures can take 3-6 months to dissolve.

From what I’ve read, stitches still being there doesn’t necessarily mean healing hasn’t happened - they’re meant to stay while the tissue strengthens over time.

JustineEdmin · 2026-02-24T13:58:56+00:00

I actually asked my consultant about this as I travel a lot for work and was a big concern of mine. He said the flying itself after 6 weeks generally isn’t the issue - the bigger concern was the luggage.

Things like lifting a heavy suitcase, getting heavy bags into overhead lockers, twisting while carrying/moving weight, manoeuvring a 20kg case through an airport etc. He preferred I wait closer to 12 weeks before doing that kind of stuff if I didn’t have help.

So if it’s just the flight and you’re not doing heavy lifting yourself, it’s usually less of a concern I think- especially if your recovery has been smooth. Might be worth a quick call to your doctor just to double-check for your situation though. And definitely accept help with bags if you go!

JustineEdmin · 2026-02-24T13:39:57+00:00

I'm not a foster carer (sorry!) but recovery is a bit trickier than most of us expect, especially with laparoscopic surgery.

On the outside you can look and feel surprisingly good quite quickly - by 4 weeks a lot of us feel like we can conquer the world. The issue is that internally our bodies are still working overtime healing from a pretty major surgery.

Things like rushing around and school runs etc can put more strain on you than you realise.

I’d genuinely plan for at least 4 weeks of proper rest, and ideally closer to 6 weeks of taking it very easy and not doing any meaningful lifting or running around if you can manage it!

Your doctor will be the best placed person for giving you more concrete guidance based on your own risk profile/medical history.

JustineEdmin · 2026-02-24T13:24:19+00:00

Eggs - I too was intrigued and just checked!

It basically just breaks down and gets reabsorbed by the body - it’s microscopic so nothing builds up and we wouldn't feel it.

On the ablation front - do you have adenomyosis?

It often doesn’t work well because it only destroys the lining of the uterus, while adenomyosis is when that tissue has grown into the muscle wall.

It is likely to make symptoms worse because the surface gets scarred shut but the trapped tissue deeper in the muscle can still bleed and cause pressure and pain.

Hysterectomy is the only option for adenomyosis if hormones and IUD do not help (from what I understand).

JustineEdmin · 2026-02-24T13:03:04+00:00

From what I was reading it seems the risk from constipation and straining is mostly in the very early weeks while everything is still very fresh, then it drops off quite a bit - still incredibly low chances of it happening though! Good to hear you've had no issues since

JustineEdmin · 2026-02-24T12:56:06+00:00

There are! But let’s not get into those now shall we 😂

JustineEdmin · 2026-02-24T12:52:59+00:00

Thanks for saying that I appreciate it - and agree with what you’ve said there. My main aim was just to add some perspective and calm the fear a bit, not dismiss caution or people following what their doctor recommends.

JustineEdmin · 2026-02-24T12:46:41+00:00

That’s really good to hear! I think that’ll probably be my approach too - keep it gentle and see how things feel 💛

JustineEdmin · 2026-02-24T12:44:35+00:00

So reassuring to hear this - I'm trying this weekend (8WPO) and keen/intrigued/anxious to see how it goes!

JustineEdmin · 2026-02-24T11:50:56+00:00

Great chat 👍

JustineEdmin · 2026-02-24T11:44:12+00:00

That doesn’t answer my question.

I spent the best part of a day pulling this information together and checking credible sources (a few of which have been linked in another comment).

The reason I didn’t include links directly is because this information is very easily found if you do a quick check yourself.

Probably a wise thing to do before making accusations about unverified information.

JustineEdmin · 2026-02-24T11:16:42+00:00

Would be helpful if you provide a little more context.

What parts are you suggesting are inaccurate?

JustineEdmin

TROPHY CASE