having inner and outer thigh lift, butt lift and tummy tuck Tuesday, help!

I just found this forum and started reading it...it looks like I am going to be in some pain!  I had a tummy tuck 5 years ago when I weighed 265 lbs and went to the mall on day 3.  So now that I am 120 lbs lighter, it sounds like It is going to be even more painful..do the thigh lifts really hurt?
I am staying in the recovery center one extra night..sounds like I am going to need it.  Was it worth it?  Guess a river trip in mid October is out of the question?
Please let me know if you would do it again and what position you sleep in.

I had all that done 3.5 months ago.  I went back to work in 2 weeks (desk job).  You'll probably be fine to go on a river trip as long as your not doing much.  I was probably at a good 2 months out before I really felt like I had my energy back.  Waited a month and just went thru second phase of surgery............so here I go again!  It will be painful, but bearable.  The thighs were the worst to overcome, but doable & worth it!  Take care & good luck!

Wht is your second phase?   I feel so much better after getting your response.  I have 5 kids at home and lots of running around.  So I was getting worried,

 I've only had my boobs done, and am having a tummy tuck in 3 weeks, but I dunno about your river trip. Are you going to be on rafts? The thighs are notoriously painful and difficult, plus you'll have the tummy and butt. You'll need to be able to keep all of the incisions clean and dry, and not jostle them around that much. Sitting at a desk is one thing, floating down a river in the wild is a different story. Maybe you'll feel up to it, but I'm guessing you might not. and if you're still going to need any pain medication at that time, it would be dangerous to be taking it while out on the water. I think the extra night in the recovery center is a great idea. 

My doc said that for tummy tuck, sleeping in a recliner is best. That's what I've been doing for my boobs too and it's nice because I can't accidentally roll onto my side (which hurts the incisions). If you don't have a recliner, get wedge pillows so you can prop yourself up and box yourself in on the sides. 

It'll be worth it. The pain is fleeting, just remember. It will be so worth it. good luck!

My second phase was the BA/BL w/implants, arms w/side incision for back skin to be removed.  Then had to go back again for hematoma to be repaired night of surgery.

5 kids is alot to keep up with.  I'll be honest, you just have to be real careful!  Wear your compression 24/7, and rest!!  I pushed myself and probably could've easily taken another week off & been better, but it would've been w/o pay & I just beared thru it.  Literally, came home in the evenings & went to sleep, did nothing else.

With the river trip, you won't be able to get wet yet probably, so you'll have to be very careful with that.  Are you just in the raft floating easily down the river?  You'll have to be VERY careful getting in & out of the raft.  You have to be very careful not opening your thighs very wide.

You'll also have to be very careful with your kids, I don't know how old they are.but no lifting them and let them help you.  It's going to be hard getting up and down, you need to keep your feet up as much as possible to help w/swelling, will be hard to do on a raft trip. 

Just take it slow, it i hard....but doable as I said.  For once, we have to learn to put ourselves first & take the appropriate time to heal.  It IS worth it.  Hubby went & got me a walker and it was a godsend for the first couple of days, very hard to stand up straight and the walker made it easier having something to lean on, even tho I only needed for about 4 days.  I was off all pain meds by day 10, just took ibuprofen after that. 

Hi darlin! I really cant help you with advice except the advice i've gotten from others!
 

Protein! Gas X strips! AntiNasusea meds! recliner! HELP! lol


My surgery is Friday. I am having a circumferal (sp) TT, Thigh lift, breast aug, lipo, and very possibly butt injections! Surgeon said that by having the circumferal TT that it would act as an LBL. I told him that I better not wake up with a small or flat butt.. LOL, he said that def shouldnt be an issue but I told him if its not a bubble butt to go ahead and inject my fat from the lipo under my glutes and that I would pay him as soon as I woke up. I was also advised to get a shower chair/bench/seat whatever you call it, a raised toilet seat, and a walker to make walking around easier.

I cant thnk of the other ideas i was given but if I remember Ill come back and tell you! Good luck! PLEASE post before friday so I can see how it went for you and kinna know what to expect other than just pain, LOL.

 Hi dutchgirl~ I am 48 and 6 weeks out this Thursday of having a spiral thigh lift and outer thigh lift and tummy tuck ~ which I know is more then what you are doing~ however there is NO way i could do a river trip 4 weeks out~ sorry to be so blunt but you have to be realistic! I have 3 kids and it has not been easy~ I ended up with 3 incision openings~ there is a lot of stress on this part of your legs~ now I am packing these opening 2x aday for another 6 weeks~ and I went to a very well known DR. here in California~ so it's not the Dr. it just a hard place to heal from~ I am SO not tiring  to scare you just tiring  to prepare you! I am SO happy you are going to a recovery center your first night so smart~ keep in a Cather as long as you can so you don't have to get up to pee, it's so hard to walk and pee the first 48 hours~ and make sure to have a recliner at home so much easier getting up and down trust me I I know first hand ~ Biggest thing I learned  is to get a Freshette goggle it~ it's worth it's wt. in gold~ it helps you pee so you don't have to squat in pee~ you will be forever grateful~ trust me it's worth the 23.00~ make sure to have a high rise toilet handle on your toilet at home it will be so helpful for those first few weeks at home~ and make sure you have stool softeners as well~ bulk up on protein before and after surgery this will help in the healing process 100% you should get 70 -100 grams aday.  3 weeks before and 6 weeks afterward.  It won't hurt that bad just keep ahead on your pain meds~ take them every 3 hours instead of 4 just my 2 cents~ yes it hurts but keep ahead of the pain~ make sure to get a muscle relaxer to help you sleep ~ it just helps~ And YES I would do it all again~ whewwww was that a good answer???  And I had to sleep on my back only because I had my tt and could not sleep on my sides at first now I sleep on my sides~ yea!!!  Any other question feel free to ask~ 

 I am two weeks out of my thigh lift and it did NOT live up to all the hype. Piece of cake compared to my TT pain-wise. Now, in terms of mobility, it is a bit more limiting, and the recovery is slower. Walking = swelling, and swelling =sore. Also, you want to keep that area as dry and exposed to air as possible, so walking is rough. the incisions rubbing against eachother hurts so once you can stand it, get some spanx that are knee length, the compression helps with swelling and it alleviates the rubbing. its a slow recovery, but i dont think its as painful as everybody made it out to be... i was very worried about that too.

sleep on your back with your legs spread like a frog and each knee supported by a pillow... this was the only position i could be comfortable, or at first a few pillows under the knees. just bulster yourself with pillows and youll be fine. I would also invest in some large scale gel ice packs, the ones that stay soft even when they are frozen, i found these very helpful, i sat on one and had one on each thigh at first. a portable fan also helps keep that area dry. And remember, rule of thumb, wash with antibacterial soap after every trip to the bathroom. Its a pain in the butt (no pun intended) but its the only way to stay infection free... i feel like i am living in the shower these days, but better safe than sorry :)

good luck, im sure youll do great!! Anyone who has been through other plastics, or childbirth, any major surgery has a better recovery usually than a first timer because you have a frame of reference, and i think in the larger scheme of what you've experienced, this will be a piece of cake!!! :)