A Tale of Two Arm Lifts (rs & ms.sss)

[rs 1,473]

How many days post op we’re all of you able to drive? Go to the grocery store by yourself etc?

I drove a couple days ago to get my nails done. About 2 weeks post arm lift. No issues.

[rs 1,473]

I still have swelling around my elbows, and now I noticed I can't fully straighten my arms without it hurting just below my elbows. Guessing I've been mostly keeping my arms a little bent these past two weeks since surgery, and now the muscles have conformed to that position. I've been trying to keep them elevated but I now realize that I tend to keep them bent when I do. I've been switching up between the God-awful compression garment, the ace bandages, and having nothing on. I'm trying to slowly stretch them but it hurts. I wonder if heat or ice will help. I'll call the Dr on Thursday, after the holiday, but until then does anyone have any thoughts?

[okayestmom 232]

I didn’t have my arms done, but Moving seems to help with all my parts. Initially I don’t automatically stretch everything straight. Just keep moving in a comfortable range of motion and more will come.

Also, I got brave and stepped on the scale today even though I am still swollen. 142.4. Which is down .2 since the last time I stepped on the scale pre-surgery. My weight fluctuates between 140-145. I feel relieved that I don’t have to try and lose weight again. I literally had to track every calorie to get down to goal and I don’t think it was good for my mental health. I still weigh things to get correct serving sizes, but no longer log all calories in app and no more daily weigh ins. I try and weigh once a week on Sunday, but sometimes I forget. I am excited about re-doing my Dexa scan in April, I am hoping I will have more muscle and less fat by then. 🏃‍♀️🏋️‍♀️🧘‍♀️

I am going to try a harder workout on the treadmill today, nothing else to do today anyhow, so if I need a nap after then nap time it is.

Side note- I went to a mall yesterday and saw some really cute things. I really like some of the Spanx, but $100.00?! Nope, it was fun to get out, but I am clearly more of a Ross/Target/Walmart girl. I just don’t want to pay that much. I spent $11.00 for my workout yoga type pants at Sam’s club, but I can get a similar item at Dillard’s or Macy’s for $85.00. Makes no sense to me...do those expensive yoga pants massage your butt while your sweating?

[ms.sss 15,835]

5 hours ago, rs said:

I still have swelling around my elbows, and now I noticed I can't fully straighten my arms without it hurting just below my elbows. Guessing I've been mostly keeping my arms a little bent these past two weeks since surgery, and now the muscles have conformed to that position. I've been trying to keep them elevated but I now realize that I tend to keep them bent when I do. I've been switching up between the God-awful compression garment, the ace bandages, and having nothing on. I'm trying to slowly stretch them but it hurts. I wonder if heat or ice will help. I'll call the Dr on Thursday, after the holiday, but until then does anyone have any thoughts?

I think you have sort of alluded to it in your post: you need to move or change your positions often.

I have been walking more and more the past 3 days and this morning I was able to stand up straight. I sat down afterwards and watched a 1 hr TV show and when I got up I was hunched over again.

In terms of my arms, I am also making a point of moving them more (specifically raising them higher) and again, I notice the more i move them the less stiff they are.

So while I liked being waited on by Mr. and the Kid for the past couple weeks, it is better for me if I do more stuff for myself as it makes me move around and loosen up....even if it is less efficient.

...In terms of the pain & swelling near your elbows, do you know if your surgeon did any Lipo there?

Edited January 1, 2020 by ms.sss

[ms.sss 15,835]

3 hours ago, okayestmom said:

I didn’t have my arms done, but Moving seems to help with all my parts. Initially I don’t automatically stretch everything straight. Just keep moving in a comfortable range of motion and more will come.

Also, I got brave and stepped on the scale today even though I am still swollen. 142.4. Which is down .2 since the last time I stepped on the scale pre-surgery. My weight fluctuates between 140-145. I feel relieved that I don’t have to try and lose weight again. I literally had to track every calorie to get down to goal and I don’t think it was good for my mental health. I still weigh things to get correct serving sizes, but no longer log all calories in app and no more daily weigh ins. I try and weigh once a week on Sunday, but sometimes I forget. I am excited about re-doing my Dexa scan in April, I am hoping I will have more muscle and less fat by then. 🏃‍♀️🏋️‍♀️🧘‍♀️

I am going to try a harder workout on the treadmill today, nothing else to do today anyhow, so if I need a nap after then nap time it is.

Side note- I went to a mall yesterday and saw some really cute things. I really like some of the Spanx, but $100.00?! Nope, it was fun to get out, but I am clearly more of a Ross/Target/Walmart girl. I just don’t want to pay that much. I spent $11.00 for my workout yoga type pants at Sam’s club, but I can get a similar item at Dillard’s or Macy’s for $85.00. Makes no sense to me...do those expensive yoga pants massage your butt while your sweating?

I didn't read your post until after I wrote mine just now, but yeah, what you said! LOL, we all need to MOVE.

I went for a 3km walk this morning, and while it took FOREVER, it felt really good to get moving. My mini-goal today is to go on several mini-walks every couple of hours and get 10km total under my belt. For some reason I'm not nearly as tired as I have been lately so am gonna take advantage of the energy I've got today (may have been all the calories I consumed last night, LOL).

Re: the Spanx/compression garments, I picked up a few well made and inexpensive garments (a body suit, vest & shorts) from Amazon you may want to check out....

Edited January 1, 2020 by ms.sss

[rs 1,473]

I think you have sort of alluded to it in your post: you need to move or change your positions often.
I have been walking more and more the past 3 days and this morning I was able to stand up straight. I sat down afterwards and watched a 1 hr TV show and when I got up I was hunched over again.
In terms of my arms, I am also making a point of moving them more (specifically raising them higher) and again, I notice the more i move them the less stiff they are.
So while I liked being waited on by Mr. and the Kid for the past couple weeks, it is better for me if I do more stuff for myself as it makes me move around and loosen up....even if it is less efficient.
...In terms of the pain & swelling near your elbows, do you know if your surgeon did any Lipo there?

Thx, I'll focus on more movement. Nope, no lipo.

[ms.sss 15,835]

2 week update blog entry:

[rs 1,473]

Update: Swelling and pain around elbows and forearms are much better. Yeah! I think there are a couple things that contributed to the improvement. I returned to sleeping more traditionally, lying horizontally with a regular pillow under my head. For the past two weeks since the arm lift I was sleeping at an angle using a pillow wedge thing, mostly because it seemed best when I had the drains. But the angle made it harder to get my arms lifted higher than my heart. Now lying horizontally it's easier to get my arms up higher. I've also been making more of an effort to move my arms more, slowly of course, and I think that's helped stretch out the stiffness and pain I was having. I haven't worn the compression garment or ace bandages in a day or two which may also be helping. I noticed I pretty much don't have any pain on my incision lines. In fact I can even lie comfortably on my side which is how I prefer to sleep. So thankfully it seems that I've turned a corner. Just in time to return to work in the morning! (Although I'm just going to work from home these next two days instead of going into the office).

[ms.sss 15,835]

4 hours ago, rs said:

So thankfully it seems that I've turned a corner.

Yay!

[ms.sss 15,835]

4 hours ago, rs said:

I returned to sleeping more traditionally, lying horizontally with a regular pillow under my head. For the past two weeks since the arm lift I was sleeping at an angle using a pillow wedge thing, mostly because it seemed best when I had the drains.

Funny, I too slept for the first time with a regular pillow under my head (i.e., no incline) last night! I couldn't comfortably lay flat due to the TT though, so I kept my knees bent over the wedge pillow (which I've been doing all this time anyway). What a difference this made this morning when I woke up: my midsection was significantly less stiff and it was almost effortless to get up out of bed #yay.

@rs : does your surgeon not require you to wear compression garments/ace bandages anymore?

[rs 1,473]

47 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

does your surgeon not require you to wear compression garments/ace bandages anymore?

@ms.sss At my one week check up last week when I was whining about the garment he put on the ace bandages instead. Said ideally he'd like compression for 4 weeks. So I probably still need to be doing something. I actually ordered one of those other styles that someone here on BP (sillykitty? or mousecat?) recommended. It should arrive tomorrow. It'll be interesting to see how today goes working for 8 hours on the computer. Since my arms will be bent all that time I'll need to make sure to take breaks to stretch and elevate them periodically. It'll be a challenge. I get pretty laser focused at work and often times won't even leave my desk to go to the restroom for hours. Yes, hours. I know, that's not good.

[mousecat88 2,281]

On 12/31/2019 at 12:33 PM, 2Bsmaller18 said:

How many days post op we’re all of you able to drive? Go to the grocery store by yourself etc?

I drove 3 days after surgery. I was told I could drive as soon as I wasn't taking narcotics and I only took like 2 pills. I was pretty much self-sufficient 2 days post-op. And dancing at a rave for hours 2 weeks post-op. lol. I started spin class and light weight lifting 4 weeks post-op.

Edited January 2, 2020 by mousecat88

[mousecat88 2,281]

For those that had a TT.... this is weird but have you stuck your finger all the way into your belly button? LOL. I put calendula cream in there still and decided to see how deep he made mine and it is pretty deep! It also felt really weird. O_O

[ms.sss 15,835]

4 minutes ago, mousecat88 said:

For those that had a TT.... this is weird but have you stuck your finger all the way into your belly button? LOL. I put calendula cream in there still and decided to see how deep he made mine and it is pretty deep! It also felt really weird. O_O

Bwha-hahhahhaa 😂

No I haven't tried, but now I think I have to 😂😂😂

Though i find that if I touch anywhere on my lower abdomen I feel it behind my belly button?!? #yikes

[ms.sss 15,835]

12 minutes ago, mousecat88 said:

I drove 3 days after surgery. I was told I could drive as soon as I wasn't taking narcotics and I only took like 2 pills. I was pretty much self-sufficient 2 days post-op. And dancing at a rave for hours 2 weeks post-op. lol. I started spin class and light weight lifting 4 weeks post-op.

Yep, its official. You have like Wolverine-level healing abilities.