Questions

I'm having my arms done and a TT on the 30th.  What should I expect?  I'm scheduled to attend a conference 8 days later.  Barring any unforseen complications should I be able to attend?

Arms generally are not a big deal.  I had a drain in each arm but those came out the following Tuesday (I had surgery on a Friday).  I had an LBL and not a TT but you more than likely will have at least 2 drains.  Those usually stay in longer.

Depending on your role in the conference, you may or may not be able to last for the whole thing.  At 8 days out, I still was not able to drive, fully shower (my ps' protocol was no showering while the drains are in), lift anything, or walk all that much.  I was also still on pain meds - although I was weening off at that point, so to speak.

IMHO, 8 days might be pushing it for a conference - then again I had an LBL not a TT and your recovery will more than likely be different than mine as it is an individual thing.

Thanks for the info.  I don't have to do anything at the conference but show up, sit and listen.  I'm planning on attending but I can always change my mind if I'm not up to it.

One other thing to keep in mind - if you are on short term disability and the conference is work related, you cannot attend as STD prohibits you from doing anything work related while receiving payments.

If it's not work related or even if your'e not on STD, I would be careful about what your employer knows.  It generally doesn't look good if you take time of for medical reasons, yet are able to sit through a conference for personal stuff. 

ok so I am 7 days post op LBL...but I havent even left my house yet.  I am off the narcotics but showering/ fatigue/ making myself presentable/ thinking clearly...all big issues still for sure.  I would say just be able to lay down and rest when you need to would make doing a confrence so close out just not workable.  At least in my expierence.  Its pretty major stuff.

I had a full tt with muscle repair 6 1/2 weeks ago. I will tell you, the pan was much more than I expected. Not so much from the tt, but from the muscle repair. I mean it really hurt. I was on the pain meds for about 2 weeks and had to have help at home for the first 7days. I needed someone to help me up, get me in and out of bed, even changing the binder when caring for the dressing. The bathroom would have been an issue however my better half bought me a raised toilet seat ( this is the best invention you can imagine for people having tt w/mr....) I would have needed help getting on and off without it, I never realized that every single move we make involves your abs. after about 2 weeks, things were much better as far as pain goes. At 8 days, I could sit in a chair comfortably for maybe an hour at a time, and that was it.

Everyone is different, and I consider myself a fast healer, and I knew this was a painful surgery, howver, nothing could have prepared me for the pain of a full tt w/mr. I hope your procedure goes virtually painfree and I have heard of that happening, it just didn't happen for me.

Good luck, and I'll be thinking of you on the 30th

Maria

Recovery is an individual thing but 8 days out I don't think I was coherant from my LBL, don't think I was really after my arms and thighs this round.  If you have to retain the information then I'd say so home and relax it was way MORE then my WLS recovery.

Ms Shell