Caring for yourself after LBL/BL

I am starting to plan my plastics (will be with Dr. Capella in late winter) but my issue is that I really don't have anyone who can give me full time care after the surgery.  My mom can come and bring me things I need or check on me after work, but won't be able to take time off to care for me.

How bad is the recovery after? At what point could you take care of yourself? 

Thanks!!

For the LBL, I was in the recovery center for 2 nights.  One was planned.  The second was because I couldn't get up without becoming extremely dizzy.  I went home the 3rd day by myself and took care of myself for the recovery.  I was moving very slowly, and very carefully.  The only time an extra pair of hands would have been really useful was transitioning from laying in bed to sitting up/standing.  But even that, I just used lots of pillows and took it slowly.  Once on my feet, I was hunched, but able to move around.  Get a walker or something that you can hold onto as you walk.  Get a grabber.  Be prepared for everything to take four times longer than it usually does.  You can do it!

Thanks so much for your reply! I can definitely stay in the recovery center more than the one night if I feel the need to. It's $300 a night but I hear the care isn't the greatest. Even Dr. Capella told me that.. but every night I am there, he will come see me.. so that is a benefit.  

I do have a dog which is what I am most concerned about. I will probably have her stay with someone the first week.    How long before you felt not completely human but way easier to take care of yourself?

I have dogs and cats.  I had my regular petsitter come in for the first week just to feed and clean-up after everyone.  It's not that I couldn't do it, but the little pests are on a schedule and they like being fed at a certain time.  They would have bothered me to no end until I got up and took care of them.  It was a few weeks before I felt I was okay, but I was still slightly hunched over when I returned to work at the 5 week mark and had swelling from hell.  A lot of it is individual.  If you're lucky, you'll have a Julia-like recovery and be feeling pretty much back to normal in 2-3 weeks.

I had an extended abdominoplasty so didn't have to deal with the incision all the way around my body so can't probably help a whole lot. I was hunched over from being tight in front and can't imagine what it would be like to have similar tightness in back too. Just days before my surgery, my mother's knee took a huge turn for the worse, so I helped her more during my recovery than she was able to help me (my boys and I live with her...she is having knee replacement in early September). The biggest helps I found were a grabber and a rented power recliner that went nearly flat for sleeping (plus a pillow behind my back and another under my knees) and then went almost upright to help me get up. There are others here who didn't need a recliner at all, but I know me, and am very grateful I rented the thing. It was taken away today and I miss it. Santa might be bringing a permanent one later this year, lol.

I used baby wipes to wash my body and washed my hair in the kitchen sink (not sure how that would work if bending forward is an issue). My upper back HURT like heck from being bent over and that made getting around and preparing meals very difficult so I was glad that I had cooked a week's worth of meat on the grill  and then frozen ahead of time. It was dry being microwaved, but I'd planned for that with some sauces to keep on hand in the fridge. You'll find that with the tightness from surgery, the compression binder, and the swelling that you won't be able to eat as much at one sitting as you could before surgery. I am still dealing with that and find I'm not satisfied at all by some meals because I can eat only a few mouthfuls at one time, even 8 weeks post-op. Not bad for maintaining a certain weight but tough for trying to get back some energy.

If mom didn't need her walker as much, I'd probably have been using it, lol. No problems with sitting on the toilet. And taking a shower wasn't an issue until my drains were removed, at which point I really appreciated the shower bench we'd picked up for mom. I only needed that for a day or two though. I was able to care for myself completely from day one. Everything just took a whole lot longer than it normally would have.

Definitely get a couple (or a few) of the softest tank tops you can find. I recommend something without lines in it--that's what I have but at some point after surgery I ended up with hypersensitive abdominal skin and found the ribbed tanks were a bit too much.)  I put on my bra, then the tank top and pull it down over the incision (which is now covered by micropore tape according to my surgeon's instructions), then I put on the binder, THEN pull my underwear over the binder, flatten any of the tank top sticking out below, and then pants for work.

Get some thin maxi pads ahead of time too--you'll need them to cover the areas where your drains are located--both while they are in and after they are removed until the opening heals completely. There will be drainage from the sites and you'll want something to contain the leakage. I used micropore tape to hold the pads in place (my sewing scissors have been doing double-time as pad cutters) and that doesn't irritate my skin nearly as much as silk or paper tape. You can only get micropore tape at certain pharmacies so ask your surgeon or do some research. It's actually really good stuff.

Thank you so much for your detailed reply and all the suggestions. I still haven't booked my plastics yet but don't feel comfortable doing so until I have all of this worked out! Makes me feel better to know people could take care of themselves from day 1!!

Up your protein; protein drinks or foods before your surgery and after-promotes healing.
Be careful of narcotics as can cause constipation so you might consider stool softener-and don't strain; a plastic or wooden stool near the toilet to put tour feet your feet on when you sit.
Keep meds and vits and things in places easy to reach to not pull on incisions.
Drink plenty of fluids.
Soft sleeveless undershirt for under the binder to help prevent chafing.
Mikimi in Israel

Thank you for the suggestions!

I had surgery on a Thursday, stayed overnight, went home late-ish afternoon on Friday.  Saturday was kind of blur of pain meds and drain cleaning, but I was pretty mobile and able to do everything I needed to take care of myself (slowly and hunched over) on Saturday.  You will be in a pretty substantial amount of pain, so make sure you take your meds on a schedule in the early days (set a timer or something if you're not good with remembering meds).  You can get a cheap walker from Amazon, and that will be incredibly helpful getting yourself around and even out of bed.  It was difficult getting out of bed, but it was not impossible.  If you've got strong legs and a pretty good range of motion for squats, you won't need a grabber.  I just squatted down when I needed to pick up something :)  Necessity is the mother of invention, and even though I had help, I am nearly incapable of letting others help me.  PM me any time.  You will need someone to drive you to followup visits until you're off narcotics.  I didn't feel comfortable driving myself places for about 10 days.

Thanks Deena! I will definitely PM you as the time gets closer! I haven't booked yet. I need to work out some stuff first but I am thinking it will happen in end of Feb or beginning of March now instead of the fall.  I'm okay with that. Gives me some more time to get financially ready!!!  I will definitely be able to get someone to drive me to my follow ups!  SOOO scary but I know it will all be worth it!