7 days post curcumfrential body lift

Hey Everyone,

  Today marks my 7 days since they did my CBL... they removed 23 lbs of loose skin around me!  the first 2 nights I was in a healing facility- and then the first 4-5 days at home I just haven't been able to get comfortable at all.  The recliner is just hard to sleep in... I got a nice leather/lifter one... but, its still a little on the small side... im a side sleeper- so that has been challenging as well.

I am lucky my partner is a nurse- and took time off to help me recover.

I have 4 drains- but, they are all spitting out a low amount of liquid- well below whats needed to pull them- so, at my next post op appt- i believe they will be gone... which I believe means I get to shower... which sounds nuts.

My question to those who have had this:  When did you feel confident about being a human again?  When were you able to do stuff fairly normal?  I am thinking at my 2 week mark- I will feel even better...  I have been getting up only 2 times a day- as my surgeon is a big stickler on NOT moving after surgery unless its to use the bathroom.

I stopped using the percocets on day 3- since they give me very bad nightmares... so, that has been fun too.

I had my CBL (or LBL as I call it) on 7-8-15.  I couldn't sleep in the recliner either.  I ended up sleeping on my back in bed with a wedge pillow.  More comfortable but I wouldn't say I got anything like decent sleep for at least 2-3 weeks after surgery.  I went off all pain meds post-op Day 3 because of an allergic reaction and didn't use anything stronger than Tylenol after that. 

You'll feel a LOT better after the drains get pulled - mine were gone on Day 9 and I had 6 of them to deal with.  I did a lot more getting up and moving around than you are doing but I didn't go crazy :-)  

Every week was better but it was probably a good 3 weeks before I felt human again but still not doing anything "normal".  I still have some issues rolling over in bed at night and have to be careful not to engage my core when doing anything or I'll feel it.  I noticed myself slowly getting a little better every week...emphasis on the "slowly" part.  

Congratulations on getting the surgery - 23 lbs. of skin is a LOT! 

Wow. I am shocked your surgeon only wants you up twice a day. Is he not afraid of blood clots??? Are you on blood thinner? Or wearing compression socks??

I went to a big fancy sweet 16 party 2 weeks after my lbl/bl. I did not want to go, but  promised the birthday girl. I was able to last 2 hours. I guess I was feeling somewhat human by then. I did not go back to wor****il 7 weeks post-op.

I get daily shots of Lovonox which is a powerful blood thinner... I wore booties the first week 24/7.  

I am mostly curious when I'll be able to sit in a regular chair and possibly sleep in bed vs recliner 

My doctor let me sleep in a bed as soon as I wanted to....as long as I slept on my back with no turning over.  Once the drains were pulled he said I could sleep on my side.  

I was sitting in a regular chair at post-op Day 5 because that's when I started working from home.  I worked one hour at the computer and 1 hour off.  Did that 5 days a week for two weeks.  It actually felt good to sit in a regular chair, I didn't have any issues sitting up.  

I had LBL 4/14. 

I was encouraged to be as active as possible after surgery. I had no problems sleeping in bed, but I used about 3 pillows. I am a side sleeper and didn't have any problems sleeping on my side after three days.

i did have a problem getting the recommended 1 1/2 gal of fluid in every day. I felt like it was either eat protein or drink, so I ate the protein. Since I wasn't getting the fluid, my blood pressure was a little low. 

It took about three weeks to get used to the new me! I had a hard time wrapping my head around what I saw in the mirror. I ultimately had 3 procedures and had about 45 pounds total of skin removed.

i don't regret one second of the pain & discomfort. I was a size 32 - 34 before VGB surgery now, after continuing to lose weight and plastic surgery, I am a size 10, and down over 200 pounds.

good luck. 

Toni.

I had thigh lift, 1 week later a full-face lift.  I was off for 6 weeks.  The pain was minimal, but tightness from the thigh skin tightening does having you walking like an old hunched back old person for a few weeks. I had been weight stable for 2 yrs before PS.  I did go back 2 yrs later for an upper body lift to get rid of the loose skin around the bra line. After full recovery, I got satisfaction with the result.

So...You have done plastic surgery on your body! Firstly, I had MS; RRMS is my demon with this ****ty condition. I have loosened little extra lbs and I have chosen to have BL with fat transfer. Yes, my stress levels went up and down in the days leading up to the surgery, but for me the positive outweighed it and kept me balanced.

Thought I would update... I had my surgery on 9/9/15... and I had a circumfrential body lift. The surgery was 10.5 hours and my surgeon removed a clean piece of skin weighing in @ 23 lbs! Recovery was uncomfortable (not painful)... but, about 4 weeks out I started to feel human again... and, now- I feel great! Just very very tight... I am wearing a silicone belt @ the moment and I don't see my surgreon for another couple weeks. I went from a size XXL shirt- to a size L/XL depending on brand. I am super pleased with the results. I have a waist! I listened careful and paid attention to my post-op instructions... which were simple & clear- DON'T DO ANYTHING FOR 2 WEEKS... i highly recommend that. Have a helper... and, don't expect to bounce back fast... I didn't have any complications (knock on wood) other than needing a little fluid drained from one of my sides from leaning too much on it @ night). As an active person- it was hard to be a lump and sit in a recliner for weeks... but, I did- and now I am bounced back and very pleased.