Back to work today post multiple PS (with PHOTOS)

On Oct 26 I had a full tummy tuck, arm lift, thigh lift, breast lift and augmentation.  Today is 19 days since then and I returned to work. Feeling super tired but pain free.  Tender and stiff still, moving a little cautiously, but generally ok.  I am a medical social worker so my job is not physically demanding.  Mostly sitting at my desk with a little walking.  Just thought I would post for those of you who might be wondering what types of recovery times folks have.

May only concern/complaint really is how GIANT my breast came out.  The doctor said before the surgery they would be a large C cup or small D cup.  I got a bra this weekend and they are a 34 DDD! Gawd. I am working on getting adjusted to them and expect to be happy in the long run.  My Guy thinks they are great. LOL

Here are some photos of the incisions and me today.

Arm incisions at 2 weeks post removal of glue and mesh sticky stuff.

Thigh incision at 2 weeks after removal of glue and mesh stuff.

Me this morning tired but heading to work.

Thanks,

~Elizabeth

I'm glad you are doing so well. Thanks for sharing. Enjoy your big boobies...lol 

Thank you!  I am getting used to them I think.  They are indeed a conversation starter. LOL My coworkers and patients have been rather...complimentary. Awkward! LOL

~E

So glad you posted. I have been thinking about you and wondering how you were doing, but I haven't been on the message boards much lately. I am going for a consult on Friday. Not sure what surgeries I will do. I'm worried about recovery time and time off work. Debating between the lower body lift or tummy tuck and breast lift and augmentation. I am currently in a DDD cup, but they are just rolled up and in there. Haha. Did you do all of that in one surgery? How many hours? The surgeon I am going to see was recommended by my RNY doctor. He doesn't like to do surgery longer than 5 hours. I'm anxious to hear what they suggest. Hope your recovery continues to go well.

Everything was done in one surgery. I was on the table out for 12 1/2 hours.  The surgeon had three residents working with him the whole time.  Basically it took four surgeons to get all of that done in one go and it still went that long. 

The worst part of recovery definitely is the thighs!  If I had to do it over again I think I would have skipped them because that area has been the source of much misery and pain.  Now that I am through the worst of it I am glad they are done.  The results are good but I wouldn't say it was 'worth' it with 20/20 hindsight. The tummy tuck has not been very uncomfortable.  It has been the least painful of the whole thing. The boobies are definitely sore and hurt but not that miserable.  I feel like if I had only had the TT and boobs I would have been ready to get back to work even sooner.

The way they did my surgery was very weird.  Most surgeons won't do all this at once.  My guy knew I had met the out of pocket for my insurance so he was really working hard to help me out and do all he could. I love him for it! Also he was very specific and said that the biggest reason he was able to do so much at once was because I have zero body fat left on me.  He explained that fat doesn't heal nearly as cleanly as skin to skin.  Since I managed to get so lean he felt like the healing of the incisions would be very efficient. If I had another 20 pounds on me he would likely not have done all of this at once.

Good luck with your consult!

~E

Thanks for all of the info. I am anxious to hear what the surgeon recommends. I can't decide if I want to do a lower body lift or just a tummy tuck. Recovery time and results will impact my decision.  Nothing will happen soon as I have too many vacations planned in the next few months. Then budget starts in February, so I may try to squeeze it in between a January cruise and the start of budget. Otherwise, I will have to wait until summer. I just want to understand if I am at the point that it is all skin (like you say) or if I should still lose a bit on my own. I feel like I am pretty much at the bottom of what is sustainable. We shall see.  Keep us posted on your recovery.  Also, I hear that the boobs will drop and not be so big once the swelling goes down.

I went in thinking I wanted one thing but got another :)  In case it's helpful, here is my immediately post-plastics post...I used to pore over the PS forum for info so perhaps it will help.  My recovery from my initial PS (lower body lift and breast lift - did my arms 6 months later) was pretty easy - I work from home in Marketing so I was back online 5 days later.  I probably would have been back to an office after 2 weeks (assuming a non-physical job).

My experience with plastics

Best of luck with your consults!  My only recommendation is to find a doctor that specializes in patients who have lost massive amounts of weight.  Surgeons with this specialty know how to do the body contouring that we require :)

Great job!  I'm curious to know how you got your body fat so low in a year?  Did you combine exercise with your RNY eating habits?  If so, what type of exercise did you do?  My surgery was in August, and I'd like to have plastics done winter/spring 2018 (if not sooner), so I'm just trying to get an idea of what I can do to be ready at that point.  Appreciate any input. :)

I just kept my calories under 800, low fat (no more than 4g per meal) and low sugar (no more 7g per meal). No drinking within 30 minutes of eating. MyFitnessPal tracking. Measuring servings. Menu gang here on OH as accountability daily.

As far as exercise I really haven't done anything formal but I have had soooo much more energy than I did before that I am constantly on the go. I am up, walking, doing, cleaning, working, or whatever steady all day. Before when I was MO I would hardly get home from work at 5, cook some sort of meal, and then I was on the couch with my aching feet up the rest of the night. 

Basically...it was lots of work but also I just got lucky.  Everyone's body does things differently. My body just decided it was going to work with me and do so quickly. 

Now...I am working hard to stop losing.  Hoping I am not one of the rare who can't hold a steady safe weight post surgery. Fingers crossed.

~Elizabeth

Awesome!  

Is there a chance that some of your boobage might be due to swelling still?