Surgery Day! and beyond: Part 2

[mousecat88 2,281]

I am also not hunched over at all. I stand up completely straight. I am not forcing it, either. When I cough I can feel the tightness, but it's already improved. It just doesn't feel tight or painful. I'm purposely not lifting heavy and trying not to use my arms much anyways. Will have a thorough update tomorrow from the doc.

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[mousecat88 2,281]

here's where the arm drain is clipped. the garment goes down to my wrist. I had some minor bleeding on my right elbow where the drain is connected. and some minor bleeding on my right hip where the drain is connected. totally normal. the two lower drains are hooked to my pants waistband. they are pretty annoying because the tubes are so long. and my cats want to attack them. aaaaaa 

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[FluffyChix 17,418]

Do you have super high pain tolerance?

[ms.sss 15,859]

2 hours ago, FluffyChix said:

Do you have super high pain tolerance?

@mousecat88: yeah, am wondering the same thing as @FluffyChix above! Did you find recovery from WLS the same level of non-issue for pain? soreness/stiffness?

[mousecat88 2,281]

Do you have super high pain tolerance?

I don't think I have a particularly high pain tolerance. Average? lol. I am dead serious that this has been a painless endeavor. The only thing that is uncomfortable is coughing and my back is sore. I am also barely draining a thing. I am psyched to go to my followup tomorrow to see if he will take one or two out. Like if I didn't have these drains in, I would go back to work and be living normally. I have to consciously not lift stuff because I don't have any soreness to remind me to not do it.

My WLS was painless because my surgeon sucked out all of the air so I had zero gas pain. Just had that basic muscle soreness for a few days. My gallbladder surgery was pretty sore.

I can't wait to see what it all looks like tomorrow. I get to shower. I wanna know where my belly button is since he moved it. LOL.

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[mousecat88 2,281]

Got my arms drains out in a record 4 days! Everything looks great! Here is my tummy today! Before and after.  

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[2Bsmaller18 437]

On 11/21/2019 at 7:49 AM, mousecat88 said:

I am not taking any pain meds EXCEPT before bed but only because of my herniated disc. Literally nothing relating directly to this surgery hurts. At all.

I had a Tummy Tuck with muscle repair and he pulled up my hooha region a bit in the process.

I am not using the recliner. It is not a power recliner so takes my core and arms to get out of it. Just sleeping on my sofa and in my bed.

I can lift my arms all the way up and brush my teeth and hair just fine. I can reach behind my back to rub my sore back, too. lol. Trying not to because I'm not "supposed to", but truly.... this is THE most painless procedure I've ever had.

I haven't pooped yet and I am nervous about that. But peeing is fine. I did accidentally drop a drain tube in the toilet. They are hooked onto my waistband and came off. Uuughgghhhhh.

I see the plastic surgeon tomorrow for a followup.

He said once my drains are consistently under 30mls they came come out and 3 of the 4 have been under 5ml, the other is at 25. I hope to get these suckers out soon!

Honestly if it weren't for the back pain being aggravated by the muscle repair, I would feel 100% normal.

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If it's hard to pull the recliner level see if you can get a short piece of PVC pipe cut (maybe 8- 10 inches long) that will fit over it from the Home Depot. This will make the level longer and thus easier to pull it with less effort. It might be too hard still but in a few more day to a week having a longer lever might let you be able to use the recliner. Just try it when someone is there so you don't get stuck in the recliner. I read somewhere on this site about attaching your drains to a lanyard worn around your neck so that you don't have to unpin them to go to the bathroom etc.. I don't know if that would work for everyone but I guess it did for someone else.

I am so glad to hear your recovery is going so well.

[Lynda486 788]

I am so glad you are healing so nicely. When I had my TT one of my drains was filling to quickly and ended up back at the hospital one evening for emergency surgery. So glad you had success!

[sillykitty 10,789]

Glad you're doing so well!

May I ask who your surgeon was? (You can pm if you don't want to put it here)

[mousecat88 2,281]

Glad you're doing so well! [emoji4]
May I ask who your surgeon was? (You can pm if you don't want to put it here)

My surgeon was Paul Lambert in Winchester VA.

I already got my arm drains out (on Friday). Washing my binders now. Feels weird without having the abdominal binder on. Not painful, just like everything is just going to spill out. lol. I just ordered a second one. Tummy drains come out Wednesday. Hugging my Baribear for compression. Sweet, sweet compression. lol.

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[mousecat88 2,281]

here's some random pics since I have all my compression binders off. I am 4 days post-op.    

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[ms.sss 15,859]

Wow! Your arms are looking so much smaller already! Are they even swollen at all?

[mousecat88 2,281]

Wow! Your arms are looking so much smaller already! Are they even swollen at all?

I think so. They seem puffy. The outer arms seems smaller than the inner, but it could be all the stitching. I'm sure itll be a while before everything settles down. I can poke my stomach and feel some Fluid in there.

My compression garments for my arms don't fit right. It rides up my neck and is giving me a rash so I have them ghetto rigged til Wednesday for my next appt. I found really nice ones on Amazon I want instead. The steristrips are already peeling off my stomach. I don't think he chopped TOO much off my hip tattoo. lmao. I also need to find out when I can wear deodorant because I have pit-staples.

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[Dances with Carbs 168]

I'm so happy you're doing well. I'm not going to lie though. The thought of pit staples just made the hair stand up on my arms and I might have just died a little inside.

[mousecat88 2,281]

anyone considering an arm lift or had one recently should buy this BRABIC Upper Arm Shaper Post Surgical Slimmer Compression Sleeves Humpback Posture Corrector Tops Shapewear for Women (Beige, S) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K2TWL6F/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_2Wz3DbE7DE8XR

I got two separate arms that hooked in the back that were crap. This is so much better and looks like a sleek off shoulder blouse. lol. And compresses the pits.

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