Underarm pain after arm lift and BL and Implants

 I had a tummy tuck, brachioplasty, breast lift and augmentation 5/12.  There is still some pain but I do feel better each day.  However, under my arms are still very sore/tender.  I am having trouble laying my arms down flat against my sides.  Is this just due to the swelling or is there something else I should be concerned about?  It is a stinging pain and painful to the touch.  I wonder if is has to do with the lipo that was done as well?

hi kathyat...
I see that you are from texas...me too! did you have your surgery done here? if so, would you mind sharing where and with who?
thanks so much!

 Yes, I had my surgery with Dr. Wilberto Cortes in Conroe, TX.  He is really a great doc!  I talked to him today about the hardness under my arms and he told me it was the fat dying and hardening up.  It will get softer and when my swelling goes down, he expects that I will have lost about 20-30 lbs.  He took about 10 lbs in skin/fat but he said in his experience, people loose an additional 10-20 lbs just because of a combination of the surgery and the drive to continue looking better from the patient.  I would recommend him.  Although I have been wondering what the heck I did because of the pain, everyday is getting better and I suspect in a couple of weeks/months, I will be really pleased.

HI kathyat,
Congrats on the surgery!!
I am planning on having a TT, Brachio and implants at the end of the year when I move home to Uk. I am just curious about the practicalities of using the bathroom and moving yourslef up in bed when you have an incision in your tummy and both arms to contend with...whats your experience been like and do you have any tips on this??Do you mind me asking what kind of implanys you got?
 my Mum and BF will be around to help me with recovery and I will probably spend a couple of days in the hospital as that is the procedure in the UK.

Yorkie xx

Just let me say it HURTS!  I'm not going to sugar-coat it.  I was sent home the day after my surgery.  I have been working out for over a year and have strengthened my legs.  This is key.  They made me get up and go to the restroom before I could leave, probably about 6-10 hours after surgery.  Also, I would recommend that you start a stool softener before your surgery.  The pain meds make you constipated and that was a big, painful problem for me!  Remember, your tummy is sore and it is hard to really push.  I know that this all sounds graphic, but it is something that you need to know.
I did have a friend recommend a female urinal, but I was able to walk to the restroom and get up and down off of the toilet.  It wasn't a big problem for me.
Another thing was the ride home from the hospital.  I made sure I had a pillow to hold on to for the ride home.
My arms were really wrapped tight and I needed help to scratch my nose and eat for the first 2-3 days.  I was able to start bending them pretty quickly.  Horror story at the hospital... one of the nurses tried to pull me up in the bed by grabbing me under my arms!  I started yelling at her.  Then, the nurse and PCA came in to help me move up in the bed and they flattened the bed!  I thought I was going to DIE!!!  I yelled and them and told them to put my head back up.  It was horrible so hopefully that won't happen to you.  
I don't mean to scare you, but I just want you to be prepared.  I am 12 days post op now and it wasn't until today that I started to feel like I made the right decision.  Recovery is going to take some time, but I haven't talked to anyone that regrets having surgery.  I just think it is good to know what you are getting into and understand that it will get better every single day.
Good luck with your surgery!  I know it will be rough, but I think in the end, it will all be worth it!!

Thanks for being so honest, that info is a real help. Note to self - must make sure I keep going to the gym and do my leg work lol!!

Glad you are starting to feel more like yourself again - best of luck with the rest of your recovery!

Yorkie xx

I am 4 days post op from tummy tuck (anchor cut) and arm lifts.  The vertical incision is 9 inches long and horizontal is 21 inches.  I would guess each arm is 12 inches (just below elbow into arm pit).

I've had 3 open abdominal procedures - as yes the TT really hurts.  I have to keep knees flexed to not pull on tummy,  My arms were pretty useless for first couple days - can't reach, bend, extend, pull pants up.

I had a pain pump inserted and it lasted surgery day and next 3 days.  Also still taking oral pain meds every 4 hours.

Must use legs alot.  I couldn't be at home without 24 hour help.  I have 4 drains and pain pump.

4 hour drive home was awful.  Need something for my feet to be elevated (I'm short).  Nausea and pain were bad.

I'm focusing on plenty of fluids, protein and getting up and walking.  Can't put any clothes on over your head and need dresses or PJ type bottoms - larger than your regular size.

My iPod has been wonderful - helping me to relax or lay in bed at night listening to audio books, podcasts.

Each day is better than the day before.  I can't imagine having more than 2 procedures at once.  I'm wishing I would have just done TT or arms - doing both (while more cost effective) has been difficult.  I'm 61 years old and weigh 123 and am at goal weight.

With all the drains, ace bandages, binder and swelling - I'm not getting on the scales until the drains are out - I can shower and be more "normal."  I really don't expect a big change on the scales.

I kept my arms propped up all the time for at least a week.  By 10 days I was fine and ready to go back to work, but had another week off at that point.  I was never in much pain with my arms.

Laura

 I am now 16 days post op.  I attended my daughter's 8th grade graduation last night.  I was able to get dressed and go.  I had a loose dress on.  I took a pain pill about 3:30 and then needed another one by 8:00.  It was a painful time, but the meds took some of the edge off.  Of course I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

There is some good advice about finding something to relax you.  I wish I had a pain pump.  That would have been nice.  I only had a 15 minute ride home from the hospital.  I can't imagine a 4 hour trip!  I couldn't move my arms much either at first.  I can move them better now but still don't have full range of motion.  Maybe I am just babying them a little more than I should?  I am a huge pain wimp!  I think now the biggest pain for me is the sides of my boobs.  I talked to my aunt who had bi-lateral mastectomy 11 years ago and then saline implants.  She said that it does hurt and feel weird for a while.  She said that it really took about a year for her to feel like her boobs where hers and not a foreign body in her chest.  I guess this is the "new" me and I will have to get use to it.  Although I haven't reached the stage where I can say I would do this all over again, I can tell that day is just around the corner.  I am still swelling but can already tell how much better my tummy and breasts look.  I wasn't necessarily going for "sexy" but just wanted to look a little more normal without the excess skin/fat and with the boobs back where they belonged.  I think that I can already tell the difference.  I imagine with a little more time I will be totally happy that I did this.  
Good luck to all of you that have had or will have some plastic surgery done.  When they say healing takes one day at a time, it is really the truth.  I do feel better and stronger with each day.  It has gotten to the point now that if I don't get up and walk or move around, I am actually in more pain.  So moving, although slow at first, IS really a key component in healing.  

Thanks everyone for posting and letting me know that I am "normal" in this post op phase of my journey.  Loves!