couple of questions for post plastics...

Hello all!  Almost a week out - and things are moving along nicely.  I have a couple questions:

1) how long until you drove again?  Any issues with driving?

2) how long did you wear compression garments after TT and brachioplasty?  My surgeon said 2 weeks on my arms...but I really want to protect my scars....not sure about tummy - we haven't talked about that yet.

3) when did you start putting bio-oil or something else on your scars?

4) what about other restrictions?  Swimming?  Excersise?  Sex? 

5) How far out before you really felt that you were back to normal? No pain - could do everything you could before - that you could start to just LIVE in your new bod?

Thanks!!

1. Drove about 2 weeks (might have been 2.5?) post-op. Felt weird - drove home from the store around the corner and I felt it in my tummy the next morning so waited another day or two.

2. Wore my binder for 6 wks as per surgeon's orders. Felt odd not wearing it after that point but I try not to wear it now (I'm 8 wks on Tuesday) and am trying to gently use my abs to hold myself up more as I feel this is a slow reintroduction to my muscles before I really start using them in classes/gym/exercises. So this is just "day to day" movements and I can certainly feel if I've overdone it. Jogged last week (Wed) and I'm not ready to jog without binder yet - really sore on Thurs and Friday (with some mild swelling). Also if I know I'm going to be far more active or lifting heavier items (ie. going to an Open House party for my biz), I wear my binder for a few hours.

3. Dr. S said nothing until I'm all healed. Tummy is closed up but under my breasts are still a little "raw" - they are closed but "tenders" so I haven't done anything there yet. I see the doc on Friday and it's on my list of things to ask him.

4. Restrictions - other than lifting? Swimming/bathing was "nothing until all closed up" so I haven't yet but I could probably start this week. Sex? Um... he didn't say but said to listen to my body so when I was ready. Think we pulled the trigger about 3-4 wks out? Was still a little uncomfortable but it's been much better since.

5. I would say in the past week that I've been pretty much back to normal (starting to feel that way at 6 wks but definitely more this past week). Did a yoga class on Tuesday and couldn't do the core section - abs just aren't ready yet but could do everything else in class. Running? Not quite there but I imagine with a binder I might be ok but in another week or so, I bet I can do it without. Healing by leaps and bounds now.

That being said, I'll be cruising along and almost forget I'm only 7 wks out and then "sproing" a stitch pops through my skin and that hurts like an SOB and reminds me that I'm not 100% yet.

Thanks Jennie.  Did you go from 24 hour binder to none?  I was thinking of wearing my "sausage casing" during the day after the binder came off for some "moderate" support.  It certainly won't be as tight now...

Did you go down a size with the surgery?  What about weight?  I'm still up 4lbs but quite swollen in my arms and legs especially.  My pants are still fitting the same - except for the "poouchy" part under my belt buckle.  lol

1. Was allowed to drive once I was off pain killers. After the 1st round it was 3 weeks cuz I didn't need to. Second round was driving about  a week out.

2. Wore my compression garment on my arms for 6 weeks and binder for 6 weeks and then still at night for a few more weeks just b/c it seemed to help w/ the swelling.

3. Never put anything on my scars. I don't scar very badly and mine were always light and very thin.

4. Dr. gave me the ok to exercise fully w/o restriction at 6 weeks. I waited until 7 b/c I didn't have my last drain removed until week 6. Swimming was once everything was completely closed up. Sex, after first round didn't matter cuz there was no one. Second round which was thighs and BL/BA was at 3 weeks.

5. Both rounds it was probably about week 6 before I finally started to feel normal again.

Drains for 6 weeks!!  Ouch!!  I got mine out today - they needed to be under 30mL in a 24 hour period and they were down to under 15mL for the last two days so they came out.  My arm drain is still in because its a bit "stuck" and the nurse didn't want to pull on it.  So I need to wait until Tuesday to get it out by the surgeon.  Which sucks - I hate those things.

1) how long until you drove again?  Any issues with driving? 24 hours after being off pain meds and then only when I had to and during early hours when few people were on the road - I have DH to drive all the other times.

2) how long did you wear compression garments after TT and brachioplasty?  My surgeon said 2 weeks on my arms...but I really want to protect my scars....not sure about tummy - we haven't talked about that yet.  Arms were off after about 2 or 3 weeks.  The ab binder I wore up until my second surgery which was about a month after my first surgery.

3) when did you start putting bio-oil or something else on your scars?  When my ps told me to and I used the stuff he gave me.

4) what about other restrictions?  Swimming?  Excersise?  Sex?  I went with his recommendations for exercise, which was light walking on the treadmill at 4 weeks.  Minimal walking up until then, you know, what I could comfortably do to get around.  Sex, when I asked he said "use common sense."

5) How far out before you really felt that you were back to normal? No pain - could do everything you could before - that you could start to just LIVE in your new bod?  Well, I had the two surgeries back to back and was able to travel 4 weeks after the second surgery.  The first week of travel was a little difficult but it got better.  Clothes shopping started to get really fun about 6 weeks or so after the second surgery.

Ok you mentioned shopping (my other true love!). So at 6 weeks your swelling etc was gone and you were buying the right size? I've been avoiding pants shopping for MONTHS knowing I was doing this and really need pants for work!!

6 weeks after my second surgery - which was thighs and breasts is when I started enjoying it.

So that would be about 11 weeks from my first surgery of the lbl and arms.

Now, keep in mind I did buy some new things at 3 weeks past my second surgery, but it was mostly skirts that I didn't have to worry about thigh swelling.  Shirts I had to take how my breasts would drop/settle. 

As for swelling, I didn't have much swelling at all with my lbl.  I did not have drastic size changes in clothing.  I was a solid 10 before with some 8s, now I'm a solid 8 and an ocassional 10.

Edited to clarify - I shopped for new stuff for work only at 3 weeks past my second surgery - it was an okay experience but very trying to have to try on everything.  It was also very tiring.  Luckily DH is very good about shopping with me and being a good judge of what looks good and what doesn't.  Once I could shop on my own, which was a couple more weeks past that, then it was more enjoyable.

I hear ya on that one Erica.  I'll be 3 weeks out tomorrow and all my size 6's are falling off me and that's with the bulky compression garment on and the swelling!  I'd definitely be afraid to buy anything expensive until about 3 months out.  Oh, and I have to wear the straight jacket till 5 weeks out then switch to a spanx for another 5 or 6 weeks.  Can't wait to get out of this thing!!! 

I could probably drive now but haven't had the need yet, but I have a hair appointment on Thursday so I'll probably wait till then. 

Laura

How tall are you?  I was a size 6 (sometimes 8 sometimes 4) before surgery and I'm 5'8".  He removed 4lbs of skin from my tummy.  Most of that was skin, not fat - and I always wore a "spanx" so I'm not sure how much difference it all will make.

Right now my hips are swollen  - and my pre-plastics pants fit the same as before surgery.  Not sure how much I'll go down in size?