Swelling - 10 months out - UGH

I know a lot of people on here have their surgery(ies) and move on. I thought I would post a quick follow up to my lower body lift I had done April 2nd, 2009. All is well - but I still have SWELL HELL!

The mornings my tummy is flat as can be, nice line down the middle and all is good. By the evening however, I still have "the baby bump" as is the now running joke. I STILL look about three months preggo. It swells about the same as 4 months postop.

So for those of you who wonder "how long until it stops swelling?" - I don't have the answer, I'd love to know too! 10 months and counting....

Cass

Cass -
I hear ya! The past few days, I've been having swelling and a "liquidy" feeling in the tops of my thighs, abdomen, and hips, and occaisionally, the sides of my chest where my side boobs used to hang.  I've worn compression for 3 days and feel better.  I think the swellling can be very individual, and come and go for no reason at all.  Try wearing your compression garment again for a few days to see if you will be more comfy.

Hey Cass -

It's been almost 18 months since my LBL and I still get puffy in the evenings.  That's when my nice flat belly turns into a little baby bump.  Not bad, but definitely noticeable to me.

I'm used to it.  What I notice more than that is the numbness I still have, especially around my hip bone and on my backside.  I noticed it just this morning when I smacked into the sharp side of a desk.  I felt the bump, I know there's going to be a bruise, but I didn't feel anything except the impact.  Maybe that's a good thing!

I'm still totally thrilled with everything and even the scars have faded and are almost invisible in some places.  Best decision I could have made was to have the LBL!

I guess the SWELL HELL could be worse!!  Great to hear from you!!

~  BJ

Yeah - I have several areas that I totally don't feel anymore. It's very strange really - like "black holes" . I feel the pressure on the muscle underneath the skin, but the skin itself, I might as well be running my hand across the table as opposed to my skin. Mine is my outer upper thighs, between my new "belly button" and the waist incision (a square area there), and more noticeably on my arms – nearly the whole length of my incisions and down where my bra fat was (the side incisions).

It's weird, but I am starting to get used to it - LOL.

I have those "windows" too - in much of the same places.  That's one of the things that I don't think we really realize is that we will have large areas that are numb.  I also have places along my inner thigh, and in the groin crease that are numb, and other areas that are hypersensitive to touch/pressure.  I've gotten used to it for the most part, but there are times that I'm really surprised that I cannot feel in that area - sometimes not even pressure.   Really weird, and hard to explain to someone who has never had this type of surgery.

Hey BJ, Would love to see those faded scars!!!  That is the one thing that keeps freaking me out, not knowing what the scars will look like after a year out.  Thanks, Robin

I'll get some pictures taken and posted.  I'll let you know when I do!

Hang in there Cass! 

Have you tried Bromelian?  I swear it really helped me.  I took 3 pills 3x a day (normal dose is 2 pills 3x a day).

Hope you get some relief soon.
Ruth

I wrote down Bromelian for when I have my surgery.  Did you have any trouble finding it?  Could I get it at Walgreens?

Hi!
I've not seen it at Walgreens, CVS, Walmart...etc.
You can probably find it at GNC or Vitamin Shoppe.  I buy mine from VitaMedica (on-line).  I buy it in a set with Arnica Montana pills (saves a couple bucks buying them together).

I swear by them!  Arnica helps with bruising and I some sweliing...I find the Bromalian really helps me with swelling (almost immediately).

Hope that helps...
Let me know if you have more questions.