What to wear!????

I'm 17 days out from LBL....swelling is better but not great yet. This compression garment is so bulky! Going back to work in a week and have no idea what I'm going to wear! Only thing working for me right now are maxi dresses. I have a high level, very visible professional role where I work didn't tell anyone about my surgery because I work in healthcare and wanted some privacy. Seems like a silly thing to be worried about clothes in the midst of all the important discussions on this board but does anyone have any thoughts? Thx, kacey

My hat's off to you for going back so soon.    I had a hernia repair/full abdominoplasty with muscle repair and my doctor was adamant that I remain off for six weeks, four if my job was very sedentary.    I have also been thinking about what to wear back to work.   I'm not sure how long my surgeon wants me to wear my binder for - I go for my two week check-up tomorrow.  It's hard to try on many of my clothes right now, as I still have drains, but it seems that my dress pants are going to be large on me, so I figured they would suffice around my binder until I'm able to go without it.    I also have a nice long, straight, black knit skirt that will work, and I figured I'd just wear it to death with various tops.    

My Dr at first said I shouldvstay out at least 4 weeks but I've been ahead of schedule with my recovery so I may go back on aug 5. I'm going to see how this week goes and if I'm not ready I won't pu**** I have a lot of responsibility but I have a great team manning the ship. I also can stay close to my desk if need be, or leave and work from home...lots of flexibility so I'm not worried. I will listen to my body for sure. I have a couple dresses that will work and it's funny...I bought a long black skirt earlier this week and just like you said, plan to wear it o death. I have tried on some of my pants. They are big through the legs/hips and butt but they are tight around my waist because I'm pretty swollen. I guess I'm just going to have to make do for a few weeks! Kacey

A word of caution about buying new sizes too soon. I was in a size 12 up until 3-mos post op, which was down from my pre op size 14s that were tight on me. So I had purchased a number of pants, capris, and shorts because I never imaginied that I would get smaller than a 12. Then at 3-mos and 2 weeks post op I dropped to a 10 and the 12s are swimming on me. So having learned my lesson, I am now buying only dresses and skirts until I know what size I ultimately will be. I guess that I can invest in some eleastic waisted/stretch pants as the weather cools... or just buy pants and donate them to good will when I stop shrinking. But at this point I don't see how I could get smaller than a 10. I have a large bone structure... but you never know...

I was in a four pre-surgery, and i just tried some of my pre-op pants on, and they are already big in the waist.   I'm hoping they will tide me over during my "swell hell" days, as my surgeon told me yesterday that my waist and tummy are going to get much smaller in a few months.  I am two weeks out today.  The only problem I'm going to have, is that since I did not have a lower body lift, my hips and thighs are going to be the same size, which means i"ll probably still be walking around in the same size clothes - but with too big of a waist!

My thighs got bigger owing to the swelling. So even my pre-surgery size 14 cargo pants (baggy cut) were tight in the legs for a while. I did loose 4" in my hips even though I had only the TT. And my thighs are back to normal now but it took a while. The 12s would fit me in the waist but were tight in the thigh for some time. Now the size 10 pants fit me perfectly everywhere. But I am not buying them because I am getting more surgery this year and it will certainly effect the way that my clothes will fit. My surgical P.A. told me that I will probably lose another 5-6 lbs with the next surgery.

One patient told me that her arm lift made her tummy swell. Odd stuff!