LBL stomach swelling....when does it go down?

I had a LBL on December 9th with muscle tightening as well as arm lift and breast lift.  Well, my stomach is flat, but when I sit wearing jeans, I have a roll that hangs over my jeans and the doctor said that it will take a minimum of 3 months to one year for the stomach swelling to go down.  Even before I had the LBL, I could see and feel my ribs and now I can't even find them.  I wore a 36 C prior to surgery and weighed 161, now I weigh 145 and wear a 38B.  I am bigger then before surgery.  When did everyone start noticing the swelling going down and did your stomach start taking a shape so to speak.  It seems like I am straight up and down like a board.  I need my figure back again!

Alice

Well you know I'm even less further out then you ... but I have also heard the up to one year thing.   The only place I still notice any swelling is the central abdominal area.    

My waist is smaller overall though ... but I still weigh what I did before plastics.   I only lost about 5lbs of skin so I'm guessing I've gained a little plus the fluids from the swelling. 

Another thing to remember is .... they fixed us to look good standing up :)    So sitting down might not always be as pretty!

 I feel my stomach getting really tight toward the end of the day.  I still wear compression most of the time to try and reduce the swelling.  I think I will be one of those 6 month to 1 year folks that it takes to go away. I'm happy to have that big apron gone but the swelling is a bummer.  I was 168 the day of surgery and still am now so I'm not any smaller just missing the big apron. 

Hmmm... mine seems to be pretty much gone, but I had the anchor cut as well as LBL and lift/reduction, so I'm not sure we're comparable. (eep - I HOPE it's gone - if I lose any more in the breast area, I'll be a 30, and even VS doesn't really have those!)

I wonder if it's related to swelling from your breast lift and not the LBL?

I had LBL/hernia repair and arm lift 3 months ago. I'm also extremely careful to limit my salt to less than 1500 mg so I have minimal swelling. I don't have any roll that hangs over which is why I'm thinking maybe swelling from your breast area has migrated downward due to gravity? I can also feel and see my ribs just as before, except around my umbilicus where my hernia repair is located. My worst swelling was post op and for about 4 -6 days afterwards until my body eliminated the excess salt from the lactated ringers solution - even my fingers were swollen. I looked likea blimp. During this time I had to bump up in pant size to stretchy yoga pants. Then I went back to wearing the same pants I wore pre-surgery - so I still had generalized swelling and an abdominal binder. Around 8 weeks the swelling has gone down even more and I've dropped down a pant size and I don't wear any compression garments anymore. Now I notice that my swelling is much less overall, but more swelling in the areas where more intensive surgery was performed - my hernia repair and the auto-augmentation in the rear. I also feel really tight/uncomfortable in those areas when I walk briskly but my pants are non-stretchy and I've noticed that their fit doesn't change - so while I feel that swelling it's not really bulging out. Other posters who were further out have also posted the same thing - that they feel the swelling but no one else notices anything different. I now can see I have a curvy body on the sides and my skin doesn't have that stretched out puffy look.

My Dr. also told me it would take 6 months to a year so I'm waiting as patiently as I can to see what the final Me looks like.

I had my LBL the day after you -- girl, I have just really noticed a huge difference in the last week, no joke...all of a sudden CURVE appeared!

I don't get tight in the evenings anymore and I'm running again (6 miles on Saturday)....surgeon said it could take up to 6 months...

wow, that gives me hope.  I had a ham and cheese sandwich last night and blew up like a balloon.  I now know I must stay away from that.  I can't wait to find my figure someday.

Thanks,
Alice

Hi - I had a TT w/MR & Lipo plus arm lift on Dec 2.  I also have no shape and still look puffy.  My Pants don't want to stay up and I am constantly pulling them back up.  They tend to shift down to the scar area and often I don't notice because I am numb. 

Is anyone bothered by how numb the whole area is?  Between that and my pants not staying up, those are my 2 biggest complaints.  That said, I pulled out my before pics tonight and reminded myself that I look so much better even if I stay like this forever.

I hope to see a shape emerge at some point!

Yep, that is me.  My pants will not stay up.  I am constantly pulling them up.  I am also puffy and I am numb.  It feels very strange when my husband touches me.  Right before my period I am also gaining a pound or two (which I have always done) and that makes it even worse.  Can't wait to see a shape under all of this.

Alice

I am so glad you posted that.  I had LBL 3 weeks ago and my whole middle part is still puffed out.It looks bigger than before, minus the skin roll.I also weigh 6 pds more than when I went in.I notice nobody else weighs more though so that kind of bums me out.I know I have not been overeating so it must be fluid.I still have 1 of my drains in also.Then I had my arms done last week.They dont look to swollen though.Although at night they feel like they are a little.I am glad to hear it does go down,I was getting nervous !! I havent tried my regular pants yet because of the drain been wearing sweats.,but it seems like they might be tight.I sure hope this resolves.