Which procedure did you find the most difficult to recover from?

I just completed my 3rd (and final round) of plastics.  Each of my rounds was spaced out approximately a year and a half from each other.  Just curious as to what everyone thinks was their most challenging recovery.  Here is what I had done:

Round 1:  Lower body lift with stomach muscle plication and butt augmentation

Round 2:  Thighplasty

Round 3:  Revised lower body lift with NO stomach muscle plication, breast lift, and arm lift

Hands down the MOST painful was the LBL with muscle plication (I jokingly say that was a 14/10 on the pain scale) and mobility was a challenge with no ability to use ab muscles.  The thighplasty just made it challenging to walk and it took a while for me to get full stride back in the legs (7/10 on the pain scale).  So that leaves round 3, which is what I am 2 weeks out from recovering from now.  The LBL without muscle plication isn't too bad...just the tightness around the midsection is annoying.  But wow, the arm lift and breast lift procedures restrict upper body mobility so much.  I think the armpit pain is the worst.  It's been incredibly humbling to have my Mom help me shower and get dressed (amazingly, she hasn't lost her touch...ha ha).  The pain level on this round has been a good 9/10.   

What has been your experience?

Thank you for sharing and congrats on the changes!!

I just booked an arm lift for December 11th. I was curious as to the pain scale and what it is like. I couldn't afford to do breast lift along with it like they suggested so its just arm lift. Did you have drains in your arms? My surgeon is putting 1 in each arm.

This might be TMI but how did you maneuver to go to the bathroom? How many days out were you able to move your arms comfortably?

No, I didn't have any drains in my arms.  My arms were wrapped in ace bandages for 2 days post-op but that was it.  No compression garments after that.  I was glad because all they do is cause swelling in the arms and hands.  I did have 4 drains for the LBL.

Ha, I kinda laughed about your bathroom question.  The first time I got up to use the hospital room bathroom I thought, "Holy hell, I cannot even turn around to reach the toilet paper."  So yes, it was very challenging.  Limited range of motion with the arms is not fun.  I am 2 weeks out not and am able to raise my arms to shoulder height but I am unable to put my own hair in a ponytail and wash my own hair.  I cannot reach above my head either.  My kitchen is a mess because my Mom moved everything I need down to counter height.  Patience is the name of the game (and I am not a patient person).  But I don't want to disrupt the healing so I am being gentle to myself.  I am glad I had my mom these last 2 weeks to help take care of me! 

I meet him again on Dec 1st (and my mom wants to meet him since I still live home and shes having a heart attack over another surgery) I will ask him again bout the drains but im 99% sure he said they are in for 2-4 days then he takes them out. Kind of concverned about taking care of that but it'll be okay.

I was sitting at home last night and was like HOLY **** how am I going to wipe myself?! I have surgery on my elbow back in HS so I had help washing my hair so I can work with that. But my body is different especially since this is both arms. My co worker who is a nurse suggested a poof on a stick. I am on mission to get some. The wiping my girly area is going to be difficult. I don't have any one I am comfortable enough to help lol. I will just have hot mess hair for a few weeks no  big deal. I am not a patient person either but after my VSG 3 months out I had gall bladder removal and a few months after that my appendix almost burst so that came out. Glad your mom was able to help you! Thank god mine can help me too!

Let me tell you what I discovered when I couldn't wash my own hair.  GREAT CLIPS!  They will wash your hair and give it some semblance of a tossed blow dry for the bargain basement price of $4.  If you want full princess treatment they will give you a wash and full blowout for $25.  Either way, it was great.  And they were so good to me and careful with me.

WOW! I will have to google to see if there is one around me! I already asked my 1 cousin if she would also come help do my hair since she will be off from college around then and she can hang out with me and keep me occupied. She is a WLS patient as of July 2014 too, so she wants to know how the process goes because she knows she will want some plastics too.

I had an arm lift almost 5 months ago. The pain was about a 4/10 at the most. With pain meds, zero. I had ace bandage wraps on 24/7 (off while showering and washing) for 6 weeks. I worn them at night and when on weekends for another 2 weeks. No drains. The most discomfort, not pain, was my under arms. My husband washed my hair in the kitchen sink every third day for about 10 days. I had the surgery on a Tuesday and returned to work on the following Thursday. Overall, it was an easy surgery to recover from.

Awesome thank you for sharing!

I'm at week six of breast lift with extended brachioplasty - boobs and arms. I never had a bathroom problem or issue with minor reaching and I could reach to wash my hair. It's a crapshoot on your flexibility. I had drains. Just a nuisance. No big deal. 

Best of luck!

I didn't have much pain but have a high pain tolerance. My surgeon did drains.. some do some don't... she usually leaves them 2 weeks but I had such little swelling and not a lot of drainage that agter a week I was able to remove them.

I had 0 issues with using the restroom... for showering I have a hand held attachment, I bought it when I had a TT.. makes it a LOT easier.

You can move your arms some, but cannot lift over your head for a while... even when cleared by the surgeon it will be tight and take time to get back the full range of motion.