Need some Encouragement!

Hey Everyone!

I am 4 weeks post-op from my LBL and medial thigh lift and while I am doing great, I still feel "stitched" and sore. I can bend but not too far and God help me if I go too long without my pain pill, muscle relaxant, and motrin. I still wake up early in the morning and need to take my pain meds before I can get out of bed. I am so jealous of Susan who is doing squats after her thigh lift. My idea of a squat is using the toilet without the raised seat!LOL

How long was everyone on the serious meds and when do you feel more normal? I know it will take a year to totally recover, I am just tired of feeling "tired" and sewn together. I'm going back to work on Monday and maybe that will help distract me.

Thanks!

Regina

Just try to hang in there.  It will get a little better every day.

Red

I am going to give you a suggestion.  Stop taking the pain pills!!  Feeling sore and stitched is ok.  I am 5 weeks out from a total body lift (LBL, lipo to the thigh, thigh lift, breast lift and back lift-incision from breast all the way to back).   I know everyones pain tolerance is different.  The first two weeks I felt little pain and then it kicked in.  They say the nerve endings can be the most painful.  

However, I felt like crap for the last few weeks until I stopped taking the pain pill.  The pain is there but nothing I can't handle.   I have read and heard many people say they feel pain pills hinder the healing process.   I just started being able to almost reach the floor if I squat a bit and I just started sitting on the toilet without the seat riser, however, that is uncomfortable so I will stick with the seat riser a bit longer.  I still use my freshette so it isn't so bad. 

Good Luck!! 

you will feel better once you stop taking pain pills. I realize everyones pain tolerance is different.i only took the pain meds the first 24hrs after that maybe tylenol when I go to the Dr. I find the pain meds make you more tired and I didn't feel like myself. I think you are tired from the pain medication.
I had thighs & butt & back done 13 days ago and yes the thighs hurt more then the TT, but I knew that going into it and I was very nervous anout the pain sometimes if I am walking to much my legs bother me then I just sit/laydown
wishing u luck
Susan

 Darlin - 4 weeks is still early - and I was not doing squats after an LBL/Thigh lift combo!!!!!!  I did my procedures in chunks - and recovery from combined procedures is much more difficult. While the others suggested going without pain meds - only you know how much you can handle...I stopped pain meds at 2 weeks post LBL only to go back on them when I got a seroma and had to have it opened etc.....think I may have gone on for at least a few more weeks - I just stopped the pain meds for my thigh lift this week - 4 weeks post - because those incisions are long.....and my new boobs were happy to have the help (I wouldn't have bothered with pain meds for the boobs for very long).   I will say that the more you can move - and stretch - the better.  The tightness etc. is normal......keep the suture lines very moist (I went from the gloppy pertoleum based stuff to cocoa butter but I still glop up everything everyday.  That helps with the tightness and promotes healing.   I went back to yoga and my range of motion and ability to stretch was greatly reduced - but week by week it came back.     It will come - I promise.  My big worry post LBL was that the man I was dating was coming to see me for the holidays and I wanted to be able to 'do everything' once he was here - without splitting open.   I made it just under the wire! ; )       Going back to work will help.     I go stir crazy and would become completely absorbed with every sensation I was having.  Now go squat on that toilet seat - 3 sets of 10 reps!    : )         Susan

Alright since you broke out the boyfriend statement I'm gonna ask...after your LBL, do you find you're still slightly numb in that area - like all over.  I am not enjoying things as much as I used to and maybe just an adjustment with the 'lift' of all things, but really hope its just numbing.

Any thoughts?

By the time I had to 'perform' I was fully recovered iin terms of sensation - but everything looked pretty different......and the biggest adjustment for me was that I had be fully shaved and was growing in  - itchy - (and not to give you way more info than you asked for but Georgia Boy was really excited about my being a redhead and I'm afraid I wasn't fully carpeted if you know what I mean - can't believe I said that!)......there is so much edema associated with these procedures I think it does take months to fully recover and if your mons was lipoed or there was signicant change in contouring - I suppose it's possible that there is some nerve involvement.  I've not read much in that regard nor did my surgeon warn me that it might be an issue - and let me tell you - all he heard about was "georgia boy is coming to see me - am I'm going to be alright??!"    (isn't it ironic that you guys all live in Atlanta/Georgia!!!!! - drives me crazy as I miss him).....Susan

lol, I hear you on the carpeted part - I've been doing laser removal and it makes such a huge difference, but now deciding with the new location how much is too much or too little!  You can come stay anytime you need to visit with him, though I am sure you'd stay with him!  Its hard to do long distance, I know that from just a relationship that was only 2 hours drive, but it was enough to kill it.

I think I'm going to write and ask my PS.  After all he's seen me naked, but its still a wierd question - no lipo, no adjustment, just the normal moving up after a TT/Lift, but if the rest is still swollen and the water running down the butt feels wierd at not even 6 weeks out, I can probably just assume its still healing.  Oh well, I'm sure it will be fine!

Thanks everyone! I didn't take the darvocet today per everyone's advice. I'm taking just the muscle relaxant and motrin. So far so good. I decided that I'm going to keep the raised toilet seat forever since it is my new best friend! LOL.

I see my doctor this Friday and will discuss the whole tightness issue. I almost feel like I'm too skinny and that there isn't enough skin. I know that this is ridiculous, I'm just in a weird place right now.

I had a VSG and I was under the impression that Motrin was okay after one year. I know that it's very different for RNY. Does anyone know something different?

Regina

I too had the VSG and my dr said only to do ibprofin sporadically and with a stomach protector.  I do it occassionally and I did do midol about 10 days out from my surgery when I was trying to ween off the pain pills.  I think by 2 weeks I was only taking them at night (the heavy stuff), to get some relief - I'd have a drink or something at night instead or just stick to advil and/or an ambien.  I still have sore days, but overall its not bad.  My PS wouldn't prescribe muscle relaxers at all.  I got some good advice here saying it would relax the back but not the stomach so really puts more stress on the back in the end. 
I had the intense stomach cramps - like the muscle would tense up like a charlie horse and not relent.

Hope you're doing better!  I'm behind on the posts so catching up!