Day 12 post-op update - thigh lift, leg lift, totally inconsequential LBL revision

You had your thigh lift the day after I had mine :)

I don't try to pee through the garment hole. I find that it's easy enough to undo the top 5 hooks, unzip, and pull the garment down like I would if I were wearing pants. I also pack the seam when the garment hole meets my incisions with ABD pads to prevent chaffing. Those pads get changed every time I toilet, but easier to do that than completely change the garment!

I'm thankful, though, that garmenting me is something the guys handle. :P I shower in the evening and they get me dressed afterward. At this point, I don't have the mobility/flexibility to get it on myself as my garment goes all the way to the ankle and has separating zippers all the way down. (I only have one in my current size - XL - and I want to order a second one for cleaning purposes, but I don't want to spend the money when I know I won't be in it for long due to the swelling reducing! So I'm just doing it on the hand wash cycle [30 mins] and then high heat drying [10-15 minutes] because I'm not super concerned with taking care of it so it'll last forever!)

I can't imagine doing arms at the same time as thighs. I have had to use my arms for so much due to not being able to use my legs.

I had two drains. The first was removed 8 days post-op since output was reliably under 30cc/day. The second is still in and still giving me about 50-70cc/day. It's very light, which is a sign that the end is approaching, but I need to be under 30cc for two days before I can remove it. Annoying for sure. I clip it to the band of my bra so it's not dangling. When I shower, I clip it to a lanyard around my neck.

Hi Gwen,

Thanks for this update and for the level of detail. It's great that you're being so honest and open. Many of the recovery posts I've read here about various surgeries lean towards the "Everything was great, I took pain meds for one day, life is marvy and I'm running a marathon next week". Which then makes one feel like the weakest person out there because recovery is very challenging. I experienced the same thing in my post-WLS support group - it was all sunshine and flowers and no one was experiencing the fatigue, weakness, constipation, or unhappies that I was having. It was OH that helped so much. So, thank you.

I hope things are continuing to improve for you and the swelling is starting to dissipate and the compression garments make life easier. Please continue to take it easy, be good to yourself and, yes, call for help when you need it even at 3 AM. (I had the same 'discussion' with my hubby during my UBL/Brachioplasty recovery because I didn't want to bug him in the middle of the night for help anymore so many days post-surgery. I felt I should be better/stronger/more capable. He nipped that really quick. Also said better to ask for help than risk doing something myself, overdoing it and possibly causing a setback. That stuck with me). Glad the guys are so good to you.

Continued great recovery. Hope all the minor issues are healing and your energy is returning. I admire the hell out of you for actually leaving the house to sit in a theater chair for a few hours so soon after surgery. Way to go!

Yeah, that's been my experience with recovery posts too. And I feel like it's even harder for those of us who love our surgeons to write about bad experiences with recovery because we don't want them to reflect on our surgeon. That's definitely the case with me. My surgeon is amazing. But these are major surgeries and minor complications CAN happen to anyone with any surgery and any surgeon.

I'm about to make a new post for the last 6 days. It'll be a lot shorter, I think :)

It's definitely hard to ask for help :/

How are you today?

For some reason the arms have been pretty easy and after the first few days when OMG in burned almost painless. I didn't need drains and the external incision is mostly glued.

The legs are rough. My drains are still putting out 100-140 cc a day. I am hoping to get them out at the next visit, though I don think it a realistic hope. I have a pressure sore in my butt crack from sitting on my bony tail bone, which is a hugh deal. Loks like I must have fractured it at some point the surgeon will smooth it out when I have my LBL... I guess it's not a big set back as far as everything that could happen. I got antiseptic foam and my husband is out getting me one of those doughnut things. We have a recliner sofa which has become my nest though I plan on trying to sleep in our bed tonight.

We went to a show last night. The place let me sit and even put my chair in a nice close to the stage area but it was hard to rock... I really needed to get out of the house.

Ill try to post photos tomorrow. Hope you're journey is a good one!ð?'--

Out of curiosity - are you AggieMae with a new name?

WOW! Seriously WOW, Gwen, you are a major trooper!! Kudos for your awesome documentation of your recovery. It's great to read a no sh**, down and dirty, factual account of what goes on during the early recovery after the procedure in particular. Again, you are amazing........and you went to the movies!!! WOW!!

I hope each day keeps getting better, and will look forward to your next chapter.

Take care!!

Pat

Thank you.

Gwen, thanks for sharing your experience. It sounds like things are improving albeit slowly. Take great care and keep doing what you're doing.

Thanks!

I was engrossed in your journal. Thanks for sharing it with us. By the way, Which wipes did you use?