Surgery yesterday - body lift, thigh lift, arm lift, flankplasty, breast lift

Update
My right arm wound has gotten larger. It is disgusting. There is a pic in my album.

Dr. Capella said there is no infection according to my WBC. Other things I noticed in my lab report had levels that were off. That combined with the hacking cough that I developed in the care center , the redness around some of my incisions, and this right arm opening up have me concerned. I have been on antibiotics since oct 8. WTF can be wrong? I am going to see my PCP on Friday, also waiting on a call from Dr. Capella tomorrow. Oh, and my face is very pale. I am wondering if I have anemia on top of everything else.

I have been anemic after every one of my plastic surgeries- no matter how high my levels were heading into surgery. During my first surgery (LBL) I did open up, in several places. It took awhile for them all to heal but I did not have an infection initially although I did get a superficial infection later on. I had redness around several incisions that did eventually open up.

I did not open up with my brachioplasty but I did get an infection from my breast surgery.

I tried to check out your pictures but they are blocked even though we are friends.

Thanks for replying!

Please try using the password "capella."

Some of the lab results seem to indicate anemia. Of course I am a lay person trying to interpret them. How long did it take to resolve your anemia and was it iron deficiency or some other type of anemia? 

I just cringe now when I see the right arm. I cannot wait to speak with my surgeon tomorrow. 

Mine was iron deficiency. I think after the iron infusion it came it very quickly. I would pursue that infusion sooner rather than later if its indicated. I had not had problems before...

Thank you. I had a rough bout with iron deficiency anemia last year and it took a long time to remedy. No one offered me the infusion, only supplements.

Okay, I checked out your pics. You had a lot done. When my back opened it looked like it was going to open. Yours does not look like mine did. I would still take it easy on that incision line. Opening in the groin area and the armpits are common. If they remain shallow they usually close pretty quickly. As for your right arm, it does look like its going to open to me (whatever that is worth). Has Capella seen a pic? The swelling and peeling looks like cellulitis. I bet you may end up packing that from wet to dry with gauze. Otherwise, given the amount of work you had done I'd say it looks pretty good.

Get on top of the anemia and protein. Your body is furiously trying to heal and needs it!

Thanks Ann! Yes I have been sending dr. Capella photos. Just this morning he said he saw granulation and thwt I was beginning to heal, and that overall things were moving inches right direction. Then the arm got thwt big opening that I noticed just before 5pm. I called his office but they were already gone. So I sent the pic via email and asked him to call me tomorrow.

he said it was not cellulitis because I would have a fever. He also said there is no infection base do n my WBC.

I stayed in NJ for two weeks so he could take care of me and during that time I got a small op ending in the left arm, which he told me to keep dry. Wouldn't you know that as soon as I got home this right arm began opening? The groin opened but it healed the next day. Whereas the right arm is getting progressively worse. It has taken a turn that is very disconcerting for me. 

Before all this, my incisions looked absolutely wonderful. I did not even have scabs or any redness, it was all flesh colored. Dr. C was as surprised as I was when this suddenly changed. I wished I had taken photos back then for comparison.

i will speak with him tomorrow and see my PCP on Friday. In the meantime I will up my protein. I just are a chicken sausage!

I spoke with Dr. Capella this morning and he said I know it looks pretty bad but it isn't. So three are two things going on. First in the armpit is the wound opening. That is small. That line down my arm and the circular area is not a wound. It is dead skin sloughing off because they pulled me so tight. He said the layers underneath are fine and intact. I told him it is starting to bleed and he replied that is the next phase. He sees granulation there and I have begun the healing process. He said I am three weeks today and the area is stabilized and will not get any larger. He said the scar will be thicker but they can revise that for me at no cost in the office. Anyway he said to just keep the gauze on it to keep it dry in the arm pit. I do not like the gauze on the dead skin on the arm because it sticks but that is what I am using for now. I have some special gauze arriving today that has an ointment in it.  

I have some odd values in my CBC and asked him if I was anemic. He said my hemoglobin is lower than what I came in to surgery with but that it is in normal range. The other values that are off he told me to ask my PCP, whom I will see tomorrow.   My core is very swollen and my waist is 4" larger than when I went into surgery. I look likea tree trunk. Dr. Capella told me that I am very swollen. He said I may have 10 lbs of swelling and told me to go weight myself. I told him I did and I weigh 10lbs less than when I came into surgery. I am 166 this morning. Yeah me!

I have been using the Xeroform on my arms. Two days ago Dr. Capella told me that the wounds were stable and would begin to heal. but today they look worse than ever. I will have to post updated pix when I get a chance. the right arm with the skin necrosis is the worst.

I cannot wait to see pictures!!