? For Arm Lift Veterans

 The doctor removed the bandages & I'm now wearing my compression sleeves. Now that my arm pits are exposed I'm finding them very sore & uncomfortable. Any suggestions on how to make this more comfortable? I'm wearing Marena sleeves, just in case that matters.
Thanks!

My arms and arm pits were sensitive and painful for a long time.
I was miserable.

Once the ace wraps came off and the comp sleeves went on...it got worse.
It seemed like the sleeves bit into me and rubbed my incisions.
I had an extended brachioplasty so I had big time cuts under my pits and running down the side to meet the mastopexy incision.

The only thing that helped me was stuffing maxi pads between me and the compression. I went to Target, bought the least expensive maxi- not liners- I wanted the cushion.

It saved me from madness I tell ya!!

How did your recovery and pain management compare between your brachioplasty and TT?

I am considering doing a brachioplasty in December

Thanks

Michelle

 I'm not a veteran (10 days out) but I think I have heard of some of the girls using ankle socks or men's hankies to stuff in the soar spots. They liked those because you could just throw it in the washer when finished. I brought some with me in case but I haven't noticed anything rubbing yet. I have a long sleeved from marena too but the armpits are not exposed so it must be different than yours. 

Jennifer

if you had breast work at the same time, your garment will be different - the arm pits won't be exposed.

The designveronique garments are better initially because they don't have the armpits exposed.  I used the marena garment as my second stage garment.

Has Dr S changed suppliers?  He's always used designveronique in the past.

 He must have changed because I have the marena. It's in two pieces. From my thighs to under my breast line with suspenders. Then long sleeved top down to under my breast line. I was having a hard time at first dressing but now that the arm drains are gone much much easier. 

 Wow Jennifer! That is a huge change! He has used designveronique for years! I bought marena when I returned home for an extra garment and for my second stage garments. Thanks for that information!

For me it was about keeping skin from touching skin.  I used old (soft) mens hankerchiefs in the armpit area and cotton tee shirts under things and kept pushing the armpit of the tee shirt into my own arm pit to keep skin from touching skin.

I had to wear ace bandages with silicone gel strips for a couple months and then just the gel strips on the incisions on my arm (they won't stick in the pit area for obvious reasons).  I used toddler leggings and cut the legs off at the crotch area and cut the foot off and then slid those over my gel strips.  I had to keep pulling them up at my upper arm and pit area but they did help to keep my scars from "rubbing" on my clothes.

I also kept myself cool, so there was no moisture in the pit area.

I showered and let tepid - cool water in the armpit area.  My pits were sore, red and irritated for a couple months.  I had a couple stitches "pop open" and they took some time to close from the inside out.

I also used antibacterial ointment on them.  Best wishes.  I'm 10 months out from brachioplasty.  My incisions from a couple inches above my elbow to right below my elbow are still tight and "touchy" and red.  The incisions in my pits are barely visible.

Thanks for all the info! I'm 13 days out from surgery and my my incision will run under my arm pits and running down the side to meet the mastopexy incision since I'm doing a AL and BL. The doc said not to use a compression garment be case of the arm pit incision irritation and to use ace bandages.
The maxi pad idea is really good. Thanks again!!

 Thank you all for the suggestions. Hankies have helped with other areas so I'll give that a try. I do think that the cushioning from a sock would be comfortable too. I definitely think one of the two will help. I've been wearing tanks under my binder so I have skin to skin contact & that has to be what is making me so uncomfortable.