Please help me with LBL/ muscle repair healing questions...

 Ok, everyone.  I am scheduled for a LBL with muscle repair on Feb 28th.  I wanted to ask those of you who have had this surgery to chime in on healing timelines.

How long was it before you felt like you wouldn't die after surgery from the pain?  When were you able to step down off of the narcotics and onto tylenol etc?  When were you able to shower?  When were you able to stand up straight again?  How long did you have to sleep in a recliened position and not flat?  How long before you could sleep on your side, if you do sleep on your side?  How long was it before you were able to drive again/ go shopping/ go out to lunch etc?  How long did it take for your incisions to fully heal? Any other info that may help me on healing times?

Thanks for any input you can offer on healing timelines and on anything else I can expect with this surgery!!

 I'm 4 weeks out from LBL with muscle tightening but I had a lot of other work done.

Surgery Friday, shower Sunday.

I was in surgery 13 hours on Friday.  Got out of recovery two hours later and watched movies all night and read email. The next day I walked around my room and finally went to sleep at 7 Saturday night.  On Sunday I was walking the halls and felt good.  I would have been out of the clinic sooner if I didn't have my facelift on Monday.  The LBL has been the easiest part of my recovery.

Clinic bed until the following Wednesday, then a flat hotel bed.  First few days were rough getting from flat to sitting but I had prepared with a year of Pilates classes and lots of crunches several times a week.  I had thighs and arms at the same time so I couldn't use either and had to rely on my stomach to get me up and down.  I slept on my side at around 10 days.

One week after LBL I went out to lunch and to the movies. I did it again the next day as well.  I thought I stood up straight, but probably not. :)

Im still not driving, but I could if I needed to.  I'm babying my arms etc.

At 4 weeks I still have scabs on my LBL incision line.

That is a lot of work.  You must be really strong.  I need an LBL and face lift, but I cannot imagine having them at the same time.  You have had a remarkable recovery.  It is good to hear your positive post.

 Thanks!  I didn't want multiple surgeries.  I like that Dr. Sauceda doesn't use general, but conscious sedation.  My body had shorter recovery based on that.

Why do you think the PS in the U.S. don't use conscious sedation?

 Hi Gail,

I really have no idea.  

 How long was it before you felt like you wouldn't die after surgery from the pain?
I never felt like I would die from the pain. I had a pain pump and my pain level never got above a 3 on a scale of 1-10.  I experienced discomfort and annoyance at the tightness and swelling but this is not pain.

When were you able to step down off of the narcotics and onto tylenol etc?
I was on Vicodin pain pills every 4 hours for the first 2 weeks. I then had a 20+hour travel time to get home so I was on them for an additional week. By 3 weeks I was off of everything and never did a step down to tylenol.

 When were you able to shower?
My surgeon used surgical glue on the incision line - no steri strips. I showered on day 4 post op.

 When were you able to stand up straight again?
6-8 weeks. I was certainly much straighter by week 4 but I didnt get all the way up, shoulders bac****il recently.  It is weird. Sometimes you get up from a chair and are bent, other times you will be straight.

How long did you have to sleep in a recliened position and not flat? How long before you could sleep on your side, if you do sleep on your side?  
I moved to the bed at the end of week 4, start of week 5. That reclining chair really saved my life. It was only a few days in bed before I slept on my side. The key is to lift with your feet and turn with all your weight on your shoulders or use your arms grabbing the side of the mattress. Avoid using the stomach muscles and avoid having your lower body being pulled while under pressure. You don't want to rip an incision.

How long was it before you were able to drive again/ go shopping/ go out to lunch etc?  
You can drive as soon as you stop taking the pain meds. At least I did. I went out for short periods by day 12.  When you are still newly healing, you really don't want to be sitting in a standard chair with your garment on. At least I didn't enjoy that position.

How long did it take for your incisions to fully heal?
Within 2 weeks my incisions were healed. Unfortunately, my body rejected the dissolvable sutures and I began spitting stitches in the 3rd week which led to incision openings.   The areas that haven't spit the sutures are completely sealed and scabfree. The scars are going thru their color changes and I guess will continue to do that for the next year.

Any other info that may help me on healing times?
Everybody is completely different when it comes to healing. Most seem to report that they feel really great by the start of week 3 or 4.  I'm a super slow healer with some complications and I am 8 weeks out.  By week 6 I could be up and about for most of the day, but it hasnt really been until the last few days that I would say I am starting to feel like myself again.

I'm 7 and 1/2 weeks out from my LBL.

How long was it before you felt like you wouldn't die after surgery from the pain?

I think the first day was the roughest. They gave me percoset in the hospital. There was one point were my pain threshold hit a 5 but that was two hours after taking a dose of the percoset so they gave me morphine. After that the percoset controlled my pain.

When were you able to step down off of the narcotics and onto tylenol etc?

I believe it was two weeks. Probably could have come off a couple of days earlier. 

When were you able to shower?

My doctor wouldn't let me shower until after the drains were removed. I had four drains two were removed after 7 days the last two after 15 days.

When were you able to stand up straight again?  

I was able to stand up straight right after surgery.

How long did you have to sleep in a reclined position and not flat?

I slept in a recliner for ten days. Then went to my bed.

How long before you could sleep on your side, if you do sleep on your side?

Still don't sleep on my side. Don't find it comfortable yet. Prior to surgery I always slept on my side. 

How long was it before you were able to drive again/ go shopping/ go out to lunch etc?

Didn't start driving again until two weeks.

How long did it take for your incisions to fully heal?

The last to heal was the the locations were the last two drains came out. I would say about three weeks.

any other info that may help me on healing times?

I went back to work after 2 an1/2 weeks. I think I pushed it a bit and should have went back after three weeks. My skin still gets tight at times due to swelling especially if I push physical activities. My doctor gave me the green light to start exercising after 6 weeks. 

Make sure you keep on top of your pain meds. Don't let the pain get ahead of you. Get alot of rest, keep up on your protein and water. And for god sakes don't forget the stool softener.

 

 Thanks for the responses, everyone!!!