Finally, a post-op update (LBL + Arm Lift with Dr. Michaels)

I admit I think I'm more fearful about my medial thigh lift now than I was before the LBL!! But at least there won't be much (if any) upper body stuff to go along with it. I mean, I imagine there might be some minor revisions if necessary but those couldn't possibly be as bad as the initial surgery, right?

My arms look awesome. My tummy is all lumpy but I'm assuming that's just normal swelling that will pass with time. So no worries at all.

It's funny to hurt this much yet be so freaking happy. :)

And on a pain scale, I'd put this at close to kidney stone but not as bad. Probably because a kidney stone just sucks for no good reason whereas this surgery sucks for an awesome reason :)

Welcome back! I've missed you!

I'm glad things are getting better and that the guys are taking good care of you...

I wouldn't stress coming off the pain meds to quickly unless you have a reason to... you had a **** ton of work done and you will heal and feel better if you manage your pain - in my opinion...

Happy healing!

Thanks!! This is definitely one of those times when a non-traditional family can be a boon. :)

So I totally agree with you about pain management. However, Art is one of those super paranoid "omg opiate addiction" people and I like pooping. ;) But mainly I've got my first course for my BS (online thank goodness) starting on Monday so I need my brain to be functional. I'm definitely not a hero when it comes to pain - there is nothing noble about suffering - but I don't want to take pain meds for longer than I actually need to just becaus I can. If you know what I mean.

As things turned out, it's good that I was mostly weaned off the Valium and Oxy since yesterday was a Very Bad Night and I could not stop coughing. I felt safe taking Tylenol with Codeine though since I had pretty much stopped the Valium and Oxy. So it turned out to be a good thing unexpectedly!

On the topic of pain management, I've suffered from kidney stones for the last 28 years and I remember being told once that avoiding pain killers actually made it worse because pain keeps your body all tense and tight which makes it harder to pass the stone. That made a huge impression on me since I'd imagine it's hard to heal from anything when your body is all tense and tight from pain!

Gwen...

So glad to hear your news and progress. We've been looking for a report for days and we're just at the point of getting a bit nervous! Sounds like this is going to be another success for your PS. Here's to a speedy recovery.

Thank you! It definitely took my brain longer to engage after this surgery than the VSG. I was not expecting that!

Yay Gwen! I'm glad that things are going well for you. My surgery is on Tuesday and I'm getting nervous and excited. I tried all of my garments on last night. I have compression socks that come all the way to my crotch, it's nuts.

Weird that you have garments before the surgery since, in theory, they'll be too big Post-op!

crotch high compression socks are nutty :) My compression gear is awesome since it's hook and eye the entire outside length and then a zipper on top, that way I don't need to pull anything up. (I forget what procedures you're having?)

A few things that I was really grateful for, and that I should make a post about a some point were:

pillows. Chairs are all too low. Make sure to stack pillows in them to raise them higher or you will die from pain. I started with two pillows (like regular firm bed pillows) and I'm down to one or none now. But in the beginning? Holy crap. Must have pillows.

Wifi thermostat. This is such a dumb little thing but I basically change the temp every hour and being able to do it from my phone is a huge boon. :P

Toilet seat riser. People seem 50/50 about them here but I'm really grateful I had one. I've got old style toilets that are low and I'm 5'4". Sitting all the way down would have been challenging. I got a riser that's about 4-6" and it made a huge difference. I just popped off the toilet seat and put the riser on. I didn't need to use the arms it came with since the toilet is close to the sink counter. Really good investment for me though.

I also recommend practicing getting in and out of your chair prior to surgery. At Cynthia's advice I got an antigravity lawn chair and it's been awesome. But hard to get in and out of without abs or arms. You don't want someone to grab you and pull you up because that's a good way to damage your caregiver - something you want to avoid!

What worked for us was a strap. I'd initially figured on a yoga strap but mine was in my gym locker. Instead I had this really weird physical therapy band of my dad's. It's about 1/4" thick, 1" wide, and a loop that's probably 5' circumference. It's super strong which is important. Don't try this with some wimpy theraband that will snap.

So I sat in my chair and the guy would slide it around my back - above my LBL incision and below my bra line. Then he'd stand with a staggered stance and pull. This worked SUPER well. Lance said he felt like he didn't need to exert more than 30 pounds of pull. I'm glad we practiced because they could be overzealous initially and send me flying. :D

Once I was home, we found it was useful for helping me to sit too. Guy would put strap around me as described and provide tension so I could SLOWLY lower into the chair. Sitting too quickly felt like dying. :P

This worked like a charm and I'd never seen it described here so I'm hoping it'll be useful to someone!

(I hope this post makes sense. OH on my phone is annoying.)