When do you start to feel normal after plastic surgery?

When were you able to sleep in bed like you did before surgery?
When were you able to drive on the highway or other stressful driving situation?
When were you able to go, go and go some more without finding yourself all of a sudden exhausted?
When were you able to walk briskly, move quickly etc?
When did you start to feel normal after your plastic surgery?

I'm 3.5 weeks post LBL/hernia repair and arm lift and I'm doing really well, but I'm frustrated. I'm still sleeping mostly in that darn lounge position because it hurts to sleep on my side.

Today I drove for the first time locally but I can see that I need to be careful and avoid driving in heavy traffic or on the highway because I don't know if I could switch lanes quickly or make some other physically aggressive maneouvers.

I'm back to walking 3 miles - but I go so slowly, like a snail. Is it the swelling that keeps me moving slowly? And then sometimes I just find I crash from exhaustion - I guess that takes time to get over too.

It takes a long time....much longer than I anticipated pre-surgery.

I was not able to sleep in my normal position for MONTHS post op. Actually, I am almost 8 months post op and while I can FINALLY sleep on my stomach, I can't stay there for long. I still can't exercise without swelling. My breasts are still sore (breast lift) and FORGET about anyone touching my nipples! I have hypertropic scars (basically, big fat sensitive scars) and while I'm still under treatment for them and they are getting better they are still sensitve.

Plastic surgery has taken much more out of me than my bypass or my two surgeries to correct complications from it!

Hope you feel better soon.

Thanks for your response Marilyn. Yikes you had two surgeries to correct complications from your RNY - OMG, you poor thing, that must have been so scary.

8 month to sleep normally - LOL I have a way to go then.

I'm lucky that I heal well and don't form hypertropic scars - I feel sorry that you have to deal with that because I know it's painful and frustrating. I hope that your sensitivity about your nipples goes away - reading this is making me rethink if I want a breast lift.

I had a lower body lift where they took off 7 lbs of skin.

Slept on my back with pillows under my knees on the first night home.

Sleep normal now just have to think about it before I flip over or change positions.  I sleep on my stomach and side the most.

Drove to my 1 week appt to have drains out.

I can go like crazy with no issues.  My biggest issue is when I sit at the desk all day...that makesme tired and swell

I work out every morning and did 4.5 miles on the elliptical in 45 minutes.  I can walk 3 miles in 45 minutes which is pretty brisk for me at a 2% incline.  I didn't start walking as in a workout  until starting week 3.

I don't feel "normal" yet.  I'm ready for the day where I don't remember for a bit that I had surgery.  Right now I still feel so different, tight, and without being able to really bend over that I don't forget for long that I had the surgery.  I'm ready to go an entire day and not think about it ...you know?

Week 4 was my latest big turning point.   I'm almost 5 weeks out now.

Debtfree, I know you're just a little ahead of me so it's good to read your experience, thanks for posting it. I can't believe you only slept on your back one night. Reading that you are sleeping normally gives me hope LOL

I can't imagine you drove to your first week appt. - you're brave. I'm also impressed with how active you are - I know I couldn't do that yet but seeing what your doing gives me hope for my own improvement.

I'm 4 weeks out from an extended TT and can sleep on my side and stomach but have to turn over slowly. I drove after about 10 days and it took so much out of me. I found that it was really sore on my abdominal muscles. It's much better now at 4 weeks but not my normal.

I was also exhausted for the first 3 weeks but seem to be getting some energy back. I was also late in giving myself my B12 shot so that may have had something to do with energy levels.

I can walk, shop do most things including housework but no weights until 6 weeks. I had a bit of buyers remorse for the first 10 days or so but now I feel so much better, the swelling is subsiding and I'm out of my binder. The best thing is that there is no belly fat hanging out over my jeans!

Ooohhh good idea on the B-12 shot!!  I can't wait to wear my skinny jeans without a compression garmet and enjoy the way it feels and looks!  Woo-hoo!!

Hi Linda - you're also slightly ahead of me at 4 weeks - yes I'm turning over slowly in bed too although I don't know why because mobility isn't a problem, I guess it's more to do with everything on my body feeling weird and being careful. I'm finding that I have almost no pain or problems with my abdominal muscles even with coughing.

Good reminder about the B12, thanks.

I'm doing most everything too, but at a slow pace. I too am thrilled to have no muffin, isn't that wonderful? - but I suspect I'll be in the binder longer than you. Glad to hear your swelling is subsiding,  I do see a little less swelling myself but my surgeon warned me that it won't completely subside till the 6 month mark.

Thanks

At only two weeks out you are giving me hope that at week 4 I may be able to fit in my jeans again!?!?!?!?!?

Hi Meg - I fit into the pants that I wore just before surgery about a week post-op and that includes the binder, a t shirt and a darn stupid drain. When I lose the drain I'll fit into a size smaller but right now I need some extra pouch room. I'm extremely careful about my sodium intake - not only the sodium that is in prepared food but also the sodium that naturally occurs in food. I lost 5 pounds within a few days of surgery and my surgeon is amazed at how little I'm swelling - yes I still swell and it's part of the healing so I can't eliminate it completely but I kept it to the minimum. I'm very sensitive to sodium - maybe you are too?