Let's revisit the "swelling" topic...

Yes, I'm freakin swollen! 

Am I concerned about it? Yes.  Should I be? No.  But I am.

So please share your anti-swelling techniques so I can be on my way to a less swollen self!

Please and thank you!

Hi!

I am going to share what I have learned as I am not a veteran to this yet as you know... and myself I have not had much in the way of swelling other than typical intial postop swelling (knock on wood - I am sure it is to come), they say it can.

1. Wear that binder all the time and if you launder one put the other one on, only have yours off to shower and replace immediately.

2. Drink a lot of fluid to the point you are going back and forth to the bathroom a lot.

3. Avoid salty foods - many foods have a lot of salt that you wouldn't even consider to read labels.  Anything processed is going to have some.  I am avoiding processed foods right now.

4. Pineapple has an natural antiswelling, healing property called b/c of a component called Bromelain.  It can be purchased at GNC.  However, after a lot of research on my own after seeing it promoted on here - I decided to just go with eating the fruit (mush be fresh, the canned version the element gets destroyed in the heating process) b/c it is a natural blood thinner also and I worry about internal bleeding etc as we get a lot done internally.  You can always ask your doctor but be sure you do before you add this to your vitamin/supplement regimen.  Get clearance.

5. Consume foods that nuturally act like a diuretic besides caffiene like asparagus, lemon in your water, etc.

6. Movement will cause more swelling so as you become more active it isn't uncommon to be more swollen especially at the end of the day vs, when you wake up in the morning.

7. Be patient.  It takes up to 3-6 months and I have ever heard up to a year from some folks before the swelling is completely gone.  We have had major surgery and the body's inflammatory system is a proetection mode and it will go into for a long time to come (RN in me speaking sorry).

8.  Oh I am also getting most of my carbohydrate sources from nonstarchy veggies, soy milk and no added sugar yogurt.  Processed carbs even whole grains will naturally attrac****er.  So I am having a healhy low carb diet that includes lots of vitamin rich nutrients in the way of veggies/soy and some nuts (also anti-swelling properties. Think antioxidants).

I think that is all I can think of right now, but I also will want to keep an eye on this post b/c if I missed anything I am wanting to know what it is! Thanks for the good post!

Awesome stuff Melissa! Thanks a bunch.

I haven't been drinking much and I'm eating a lot of processed, high salt foods.  These are my first two priorities!

Melissa provided you with some excellent answers.  I will add a few comments.

I am 4 months 1  week out from major PS (see sig line).  I take bromelaine and eat pineapple.  I also follow many of melissa's suggestions.  One caution on the water, don't overdo.  If you drink to much the body will hold it in.  It's all balance. 

Unfortunately for me, after following everything I still swell.  I have good and bad days.  I wondered if bromelaine really works.  Well for me it does.  I was swelling quite a bit, then I realized I had stopped taking the bromelaine for about a week. I started taking it again and had immediate results. But then I thought, well the temp had risen to over 90 for a few days and then cooled off again, so i thought it could be related to the heat not the lack of and re-introduction of bromelaine.  Well, I am now convinced.  I stopped taking bromelaine again bacause i am coming up on another surgery this monday.  (because of it's blood thinning properties).  I have been very swollen since.  I can't wait to take it again. 

So for me it works.

There is a PS who posts sometimes, Dr. L.  I paraprhase, but he said that he is amazed how one patient will swell very little but others it will go on and on. 

Hopefully you will be one of the lucky ones!

Great advice has been given,  YOu could try icing the swelled areas.  20 mins on, 40 mins off. Be very careful though, you don't want to get frost bite and you might already be numb in the areas you are icing, so you need to keep a close eye on things

I would ask your surgeon about icing the area.  My surgeon said absolutely not.  He was concerned that because everything is numb I wouldn't be able to tell if the skin had gotten too cold and I could actually kill the skin and end up with necrosis.

It hasn't been long enough since your surgery for the swelling to settle down.  I am almost 5 wks post op and its starting to get better but like I'm sure you've seen on here before it can take months to varying degrees.

I focused on getting in my protein and avoiding carbs and I think that helped.

I also want to give my 2 cents worth.  I agree w/ the above advice and that bromelaine is huge.  I have been 6+ weeks w/o a period(pre-menapause??)...not preg-took test yesterday...however, I always bloat from 5-10 lbs.  I think I have been able to keep a little less off since I am doing all the anti-swelling stuff. 

However, I have been measuring my waist (I am used to having one!!  ha!!) and I have seen a difference even when I would least expect it...every few days.  I also have been doing some cardio and more housework and all that (9 weeks post op tt) and noticed that is not hurting really too much. 

I was told by a doc that when trying to move fluid and toxins (even from the anesthesia) that it goes out through your lymph nodes or glands and they do not have a pump like the heart to pump things in and out so we must move mildly at least, get our circulation going and get these lymph nodes working to make them more effecient.  So, I have not been up to Biggest Loser workouts  but have been trying to move a little more everyday w/ taking a day off here and there and it seems to be working.  It is definitely a balance cuz if you do too much you will swell by the end of the day or next...so, you have to find what works for you.  I wish you success...