Gimme hints for my LBL plastic surgery!

 I learned all of my tricks on Dr. Saucedas group here on OH and also through trial and error.  We all need to pass things down to make it easier for each other.

 If you wear compression garments, they mess with your blood pressure. When you get ready to shower, take off your garment at least 30 minutes before. Sit on the edge of the bed for awhile. Sip on a protein shake, even if you don't want it, or eat part of a protein bar.  A shower chair really helps for the first week.  Make sure your partner is there to help and hold you.  Many people pass out. Two days post op the nurse put me in the shower. The room was spinning and she had to take me right back to bed. After that I made sure to eat first and take off the garments.  That made all the difference.

Have extension cords for chargers. Have a small basket where you will be sitting. Remote, chargers, big water glass, baggie of vitamins(I made up a few weeks of baggies), kleenex, phone, book, laptop/iPad etc. you won't be lifting so keep it all where you can easily reach it.  Put protein powder jugs at counter level.

Miralax or something similar. No straining advised after stomach muscles are tightened. Take those pain meds.  Tell your partner how many protein shakes you need daily and ask for help monitoring your food the first week. You will likely lose your appetite. Use a timer if you need to. I regret not being able to get in enough protein for optimal healing.

I started taking Arnica a week prior to surgery and when I got to recovery. I think it's a homeopathic wonder drug for swelling and bruising.


Take your before pictures!!  I'm so excited for you. Visualize the best! I was out to lunch and at the movies less than a week after all of my ody work.  You're going to do great. You're so strong and healthy going into this!

Good Luck Ruggie,
I'm following this journey of yours pretty closely because I am thinking of PS in the future.
I am a chicken though.
All this talk of taking pain meds scares me.
I didn't take any after the VSG, lol.

Make sure your laptop or IPad are close at hand for updates.

cheers,
donna

 My iPad will be nearby ;)

I am a chicken too, but that's what the pain meds are for.  

Although when I woke up from my VSG, I asked my partner for my iPad so I could by stock in the company that was producing the morphine I was on .... ho boy....

I was sooooo drugged............

The nurses wheeled me into my room, and said "There you go Mr. Ruggie, here's your room" and I was so out of it, I threatrically said "It's actually Dr. Ruggie, but I would appreciate if you just call me Ruggs!"  Ugh.  So embarassing.

 I got an iPad the week before plastics so I wouldn't have to lift my MacBook.  It's my all time favorite purchase! 

I just LOVE me a Mensa man on drugs!

Sounds like my husband when he had his bike accident and broke 9 ribs, LOL

I told him he should watch who he calls and talks to because the drugs were making him kinda stupid. He said "I've NEVER been stupid!"
righ up until he tried to talk to his boss...not good. LOL

He stopped taking the pain meds that second and lived with the pain after that. Too funny cuz I would have been listening to Led Zep on the BOSE really loud wondering why everyone wasn't having fun with me...and watching the clock for my next dose.

Good Luck Doc, hope the whole thing is a breeze and a LOT less painful and stressful than it sounds.

donna

Pffft - Mensa is full of riff-raff; they'll let anyone in.

Nine ribs!  That's some bike accident!  Moterbike or cycling bike?  And what did he say to his boss?

Thanks, appreciate your wishes Donna.  I'll see if I can post all drugged up for you ;)

Motorcycle...we both ride Harleys..no idea why he went down...hate not knowing.

*****PLEASE DO NOT REPEAT THE MENSA COMMENT IF HE MEETS YOU IN REAL LIFE!****

He would be really offended. I think he has been a Mensa member since God made the world or sometime around then. LOL I think he was like 9 or something like that. Just meet him and do some really hard math problems. That would be better. Remember,...I love him.

I have no idea what he said to his boss but the sound of the phone slamming down and the loud yelling about "this drug ****" pretty much clued me in to the fact that my Mensa man just got a taste of Timothy Learys real world LOL

Hmmm, he never did say I was right. Men!

LOL

But really, I hope everything goes well with the surgery and the recovery.
I'm gonna be thinking about you and hoping it's a lot less than what we all thought.

all the best,
donna

Alright Donna, since we're such good friends and you're hot and I love you dearly, I'll forgo my normal rant about Mensa and why it's a big waste of money and energy and is just as shallow as something like the Miss America pageant but in a different way.

And really, they do take just anyone in the top 2%. 

I will try to remember not to send out work emails while high the first week.  I hope my partner will be watching me closely!

Thanks - I have a pretty great surgeon, and I deal well with anesthesia, and my partner is super supportive and watch out for me, so the cards are stacked in my favor.

Good luck to you!

You got some great suggestions...

The two biggies for me were get miralax for constipation.  Those meds are tough on your bowels and you need something good to help.  Miralax is the best.

Have some protein shakes at home.  I wasn't hungry at all for the first week..so having that around was a hugh help.  And a friend made me some chicken soup and that helped alot too.  You need protein. 

The rest of the suggestions are great!

best of luck
Patty