What can I do to help the swelling go away???
Laura
Laura in Texas
53 years old; 5'7" tall; HW: 339 (BMI=53); GW: 140 CW: 170 (BMI=27)
RNY: 09-17-08 Dr. Garth Davis
brachioplasty: 12-18-09 Dr. Wainwright; lbl/bl: 06-28-11 Dr. LoMonaco
"May your choices reflect your hopes and not your fears."
It WILL go away. But you're kind of stuck, because you really can't elevate your hips like you can feet or arms, so you really just have to wait it out.
Keep the compression, keep hydrated, and keep smiling.
Circumferential LBL, anchor TT, BL/BR, brachioplasty 12-16-10 Drs. Howard and Gutowski
Thigh lift 3-24-11, Drs. Howard and Gutowski again!
Height 5' 5". Start point 254. DH's goal: 154. My guess: 144. Insurance goal: 134. Currently bouncing around 130-135. Laura
Laura in Texas
53 years old; 5'7" tall; HW: 339 (BMI=53); GW: 140 CW: 170 (BMI=27)
RNY: 09-17-08 Dr. Garth Davis
brachioplasty: 12-18-09 Dr. Wainwright; lbl/bl: 06-28-11 Dr. LoMonaco
"May your choices reflect your hopes and not your fears."
that worked for me.....and I love a tight compression garment...I found two good brands at J.C. Penny......flexees and a brand called I am Yummy.
HW/293....SW/276....PSW/168....CW/148...GW/150
Laura
Laura in Texas
53 years old; 5'7" tall; HW: 339 (BMI=53); GW: 140 CW: 170 (BMI=27)
RNY: 09-17-08 Dr. Garth Davis
brachioplasty: 12-18-09 Dr. Wainwright; lbl/bl: 06-28-11 Dr. LoMonaco
"May your choices reflect your hopes and not your fears."
Laura
Laura in Texas
53 years old; 5'7" tall; HW: 339 (BMI=53); GW: 140 CW: 170 (BMI=27)
RNY: 09-17-08 Dr. Garth Davis
brachioplasty: 12-18-09 Dr. Wainwright; lbl/bl: 06-28-11 Dr. LoMonaco
"May your choices reflect your hopes and not your fears."
Things I have been doing to get the swelling to go down faster:
--Drink Extra water--the more you drink the more you can flush out your system and the less you body wants to hold on to it
---Avoid Sodium and salt like the plague!
--Sit with your feet up as much as you can. Elevating extremities helps with swelling
--WALK, at least 10 minutes every hour, exercise will help get the blood flowing and the muscles contract helping push the fluid back where it belongs
--Ice your tummy for 20 minutes every hour. Ice helps stop inflamation and swelling
--WHEN you have your compression garment off, use a gentle circular motion and rub the swelling up your trunk. this does not work if your compression garment is on.
Biggest thing patience!
Anna
RNY 10/14/08 LBL 6/14/11 135 pounds lost, after bounceback regain. And I am OK with that. It enabled me to have double hip double knee replacements in the 9 month periond between Oct 2011 and June 2012.
Laura
Laura in Texas
53 years old; 5'7" tall; HW: 339 (BMI=53); GW: 140 CW: 170 (BMI=27)
RNY: 09-17-08 Dr. Garth Davis
brachioplasty: 12-18-09 Dr. Wainwright; lbl/bl: 06-28-11 Dr. LoMonaco
"May your choices reflect your hopes and not your fears."
I still work on my patience every day! For example, yesterday morning I weighed 194 and was SO EXCITED because that meant I only had 2 more pounds of swelling until I was at my "real weight" (the weight I should be based on weighing 207 on day of surgery and his taking 15 pounds of skin off.) This morning it was 197! I wanted to cry,
until I remembered that my arthritis in my right knee is acting up. It is swollen to the size of a basketball! Then I figured the arthritis swelling was messing with my numbers, and I just need to follow my own advice and "Be patient" 
I can see how flat my tummy is now,, since the swelling is so minimual at this point. It is not totally falt and will not be. He told me he was going to be conservative and only remove 80% of my extra skin since I have the arthritis in my hips, spine, and knees. He wanted to make sure it was not TOO tight if the arthritis made a fuss since I have been off my meds for the last 6 weeks (they interfear with healing and make infections more probable). I should get to start my arthitis meds again this week!
Oh sorry for the mini rant! but I promise it gets better!
Anna
RNY 10/14/08 LBL 6/14/11 135 pounds lost, after bounceback regain. And I am OK with that. It enabled me to have double hip double knee replacements in the 9 month periond between Oct 2011 and June 2012.
