Plastics

I'm entering the next phase of my journey...Plastics.

I'm scheduled for a Circumferential Lower Body Lift on Friday 11/18.

I feel just as I did pre-op with the VSG. I'm Nervous, Excited and Scared all at the same time.

Any advice is more than welcome.

I'm also going to need someone to take over the Daily Weigh-in's as I don't intend on weighing during my recovery period.
 

Woo hoo, Mike!  You will love the results!

I've had my share of plastics, some before vsg (tummy tuck and breast reduction), some after (bat-wing-ectomy and eye-bag-ectomy), not to mention a giant hole in my back sewed up by my awesome plastic surgeon after Dr. Back Doctor couldn't get it to close.  The only real severe pain was with the tummy tuck when muscles were involved, ow ow OW!  Otherwise, it was no particular biggie.  You MUST take it easy for a LOOOOONG time post-op, though, and drink gallons of water to flush the anesthesia out of your system and speed healing.  You already know that, though :-)

Do you live with someone, or do you live alone?  I'm by myself and came up with a few tricks for "life skills" that I'll share if you need them.  

Best wishes, Mike!  
--Dorothy 

Hopefully, if I'm good my wife will take care of me.

Hi Dorothy!  I live alone, well with my dog, but what help will he be?  I am having arms and tummy tuck in January.  If you have some tricks that you can share I will be very grateful.

 Ha ha, yes, my cat and my guinea pig were no help at all!    Actually I didn't have the cat then, and the guinea pig went to "camp," that is, staying with some piggie friends of mine, heh heh.  

One of the best tricks I figured out was an easy way to do laundry.  I couldn't carry a laundry basket for a month or more, so instead of putting my dirties in a basket, I put them right in the washing machine (kind of used the tub as a laundry basket).  When it was full, I ran a load in cold water and used a grabber / gopher thingie to transfer the clothes to the dryer and then to get stuff out of the dryer.  One piece at a time.  It was slow going, but it worked!  And since I wasn't wearing any good clothes anyway, who cared if the lights and darks all went in together.  I also got some of those sheets that are detergent and fabric softener all in one -- you put it in the washer and it goes in the dryer as well.  They are kind of pricey, but it kept me from having to cope with a heavy box or bottle of detergent.  

When I had my arms done, I bought a couple of cheap bolsters -- round firm pillow things -- and wrapped them in old towels to prop my arms up on while I slept.  The towels caught any oozing that might have happened in the first few days.  Also I bought a set of really cheap satin sheets to make sliding in and out of bed easier.  With a tummy tuck, it is a bear to get out of bed!  Teach yourself NOW to do the "log roll" where you roll over onto your side to get out of bed.  You will never be able to do any half sitting up to get out of bed for a couple of weeks, ow ow ow!

Before you go to the hospital, move EVERYTHING in your house that you use regularly up onto countertops and dresser tops and upper drawers, etc.  Pots and pans up on the countertops, stuff under the sinks up on countertops, dishes out on the countertops, slip-on shoes out of the closet where you can just slide into them, stuff from bottom drawers into upper drawers.  Spend about a week thinking about everything you use regularly, and put it where you don't have to bend or reach at all.  My house, which I usually keep quite tidy (a place for everything, and everything in its place, you know!) was a mess with everything out where I could get to it, but, by golly, it was a lifesaver!!

Cover your recliner or comfy chair with old towels or blankets, because you may ooze a little.  Set yourself up two or three places to lie / sit, and cover everything with old towels.

Put an armchair (like a dining room chair) beside your bed so you can use the arms to help you get out of bed.

You won't be able to shower for a while, but as I have had multiple surgeries in the past dozen years or so, I have become a whiz at sink baths!  Get yourself a nice body wash / shampoo combo and you can do a pretty good job with a washcloth and a tiny squirt of the stuff.  Also, you can wash your hair, if it is pretty short, by wetting a washcloth, wetting down your hair, putting a dab of the shampoo stuff on the washcloth, and rubbing it around on your head.  Then rinse the washcloth and keep rubbing it around on your head until the shampoo is out.  I canNOT stand the smell of stinky oily hair, so I did the above every morning.  It felt so good to be relatively fresh!  And I would suggest getting a good haircut right before your surgery :-)

Clean your house before surgery, because you won't be able to do any heavy stuff for about six weeks.  Stock up on easy-to-prepare food.  Load the freezer with microwave stuff, and have a fridge full of stuff to drink -- in smallish containers, not big jugs!  Iced tea, Crystal Light, etc., so you can drink drink drink.  The more clear liquids you can get in yourself, the quicker you will flush the anesthesia out of your system and the better you will feel.

Also make yourself walk walk walk, even if it is just around the house or up and down your driveway.  You will feel so much better and will heal quicker!

Gosh, I'm going on forever!   This is about a gazillion things more than you want to know!!!  So I'll stop now, bah hah, before you think I'm a complete control-freaky nut!  

Anyway, I wish you all the best with your surgery and just say that you may hurt like the devil right at first from the tummy tuck (cut muscles are pretty painful), but it will all be worth it.  In a couple of days, you will begin to feel much, much better, and you will be absolutely thrilled with the results!  It was soooo wonderful to get all that hangy stuff chopped off of me, and those surgeries were some of the best things I ever did for myself.  Best wishes!!!!
--Dorothy 

Thank you Dorothy!  I love guinea pigs.  I had them all the time growing up.   My dog is very jealous though.  He was a hoot when I "babysat" a friends guinea pig  for a week.  They can visit but not stay.  Damn,  I didn't know that I had to clean house before surgery.  Good idea about the drinks in smaller containers as I always make tea by the gallon.  And we can never have too much information on this site so  control-freak away.  

 
Hey Mikey,

I'm rootin for yah !!!!

Takin it to the next level !

Very Cool..... Wish you well !

Keep us posted !!!

frisco

 Yay Mikey! I'm jealous! I don't have any words of advice, just words of support and excitement! 

Good luck with your surgery on Friday, Mikey.  Hopefully all goes well and you heal quickly.  

Hey Mikey, good luck with your surgery.  Just wondering if they tighten the muscles on men like they do most women...I think that's the part that hurts the worst.  My abdominal muscles were already tight due to decades of exercising so I did not need the muscle repait and that made the LBL a breeze for me.  Only skin removed...no lipo either.  I hope yours goes as smoothly as mine did.  I had a breast lift at the same time and that wasn't bad either.  Right now I am 10 days post op arms and thighs...it also hasn't been too bad either.  I know you exercise and I think this makes a big difference as well.  Keep you protein as high as you can and you will heal up faster!

Laura