Swelling after Inner Thighs

Oh..we had thigh lift on the same day...so sounds like we are in the same boat!!

Hope you are healing well!!!
It's fun to compare with surgery sisters...
I can't wait to hear what my surgeon will say tomorrow about my calfs/ankles.  I'm pretty sure I already know but still want to discuss with him.

I am going in tomorrow as well.   Sitting in the recliner and caved to the pain pill tonight.  The swelling is too much.  I am hoping to wake up and have it magically gone.  I do think I am on my feet too much but the pain is not horrible during the day..and I am busy!  LOL!  Now if sleep would just be easier.

Hey!
I haven't had my thighs done yet - that's coming this fall.
BUT when I saw my surgeon for my TT and Brachio Dr S and I discussed the swelling related to the thigh lift.  While I was SMO, I really struggled with dependent edema and this made Dr S remind me that severe calf and ankle swelling is a big problem with thigh lifts.  He warned me that I would probably have more swelling than most because of my issues with dependent edema at my heaviest.  After we have any plastic surgery our bodies have to seek collateral circulation to move that fluid - our bodies relied on all of that skin in our thighs or tummies or arms and now that that skin is gone it has to find other pathways.  This is very normal and some of us have more swelling than others.  My hands were massively swollen after my brachioplasty.  I had to elevated my hands and eventually it improved.

It will pass -- Just keep those feet higher than your heart.

I've had little to no swelling in my calves or ankles since that initial week really plus I had no drains. Go figure! I haven't worn my leg garments the last 2 days because my garment is too big now and I've ordered a smaller one. I figured why wear it if it isn't compressing? I was on my feet all day yesterday doing the easter egg thing plus cooking breakfast and then easter dinner and I didn't notice any extra swelling either. My stomach is another story. I am wearing my arms garment and my regular shapeware around my belly to help with the swelling in that area. This just goes to show how different each surgery is and how we all react differently to them. Just keep those legs up and keep drinking the water. It will go down eventually!

Take care,
Melissa

So glad you are doing so well.  I hope I can say the same by the weekend...  :-)

You are not kidding about each procedure being different.  I have a theory that with each added procedure the body has a harder time bouncing back...  So glad I'm done except for some minor, very minor incision revisions (dog ears), and a little tweaking to the buttocks.

I think  you're right. I came down with some bug last week and lost my voice for 2 days.  I was really more exhaused than my usual tired all week.  I was telling my friend over lunch how I never get sick and no one else in my family is sick and that I must have picked it up from somewhere.  She then told me that she thought my immune system my be a little low since I am still recovering from this surgergy.  Then she said, "Shoot, your body is probably STILL recovering from the last one!"  Never really thought about it but she's probably right.   So yes I think you're right about the bouncing back part!

No more sitting on the couch with your legs hanging down! I'm sorry you are having to deal with this swelling. I never had any swelling in my claves or ankles but I admittedly sat in the recliner most of the time except when I was showering. I know it's hard and you feel like you should be doing more but try to keep those legs elevated as much as possible. I hope it gets better soon. I'm interested in what he says about it and the skin stretching issue.

Hi Renee,
He said the skin is not stretched for a long enough time to undue any of the results.  I thought that was the answer but felt good hearing it from him.

FYI - there were 2 spots in the groin when they took out the stitches that made me see stars!!!!  Other than that it went pretty well.  Took forever to get all the steri-strips and stitches out.  I've got a lot of massaging to do.....

TTFN

I did Ruth.  I actually had to see a lymphedema PT specialist and had to have custom made hose to control the lymph that was collecting in my feet/ankles/lower legs.  My surgery was 1/31/09 and I finally had some regression and could begin going without the stockings by mid September.  It just took some time for the lymph vessels to reform and for my body to handle things.  I kept my legs elevated  for the better part of 4 months and had to use lymphedema wrappings and have lymph massage for a couple of months every week.  Having a garment down to the ankles won't help all that much, you have to compress from the toes up, and it can take a good amout of time to control this.  Now, I rarely have swelling but it drove me crazy for several months.