7 Months Post-op — The Messy Middle (Still…)

Quick recap: I had a 10 cm DR and an umbilical hernia. In November, both were repaired laparoscopically and robotically using mesh. I did not have any cosmetic work done by a plastic surgeon, just the functional repair by the general surgeon.

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I feel so lost and lonely during this healing journey. I have no map or anything to look to for how things could possibly go or what’s typical or abnormal. My surgeon follows patients like me for six months, and from a functional and surgical standpoint, I’m still doing great! But my body is so different and I’m still trying to adjust.

I’m still very happy with how strong my core is now. I’ve been successfully improving my lordosis and hip hike. Although both postural issues existed long before I had kids, they worsened after my DR. Before surgery, all exercises and PT were ineffective because of the nature of my DR. I’m able to complete exercises properly and navigate everyday life with much greater ease.

I want to share here that last month, I mentioned that my lymphatic system was rebuilding itself after my surgery. But after some more research, I learned that there was likely very little to no disruption to my lymphatic system with a laparoscopic surgery. I’ve edited the post to reflect this.

I still take full body photos and measurements each month as additional ways to track how my body is changing in the months after surgery. And although I can see improvement in my posture, I don’t see much else happening. Maybe that’s all there is to see. Again, I’ve got no map for reference. 🤷🏽‍♀️

I haven’t seen many things online about post-op recovery for functional AWR, and it’s largely the reason why I share. My previous posts are on my profile if you’d like to read more about my experience. And I’m pretty much an open book regarding my experience if you have any questions.