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

[pssk 225]

Hey ladies. Thanks for sharing your stories. Very informative and eye opening.

I hope you all continue to heal and are happy with the outcome. ❤️

[ms.sss 14,636]

4 hours ago, rs said:

@ms.sss are we supposed to be massaging our incisions? Is that what helps flatten them out? My Dr never said anything about that but I've read from you and others that you are doing it. My left arm is pretty flat but my right arm is still pretty raised along the entire incision line. Plus there are also a few spots where it's almost cyst like and I want to pop them but they won't pop. I took my silicone tape off tonight to check everything out and noticed all this stuff. I think I'm better off keeping that tape on if for no other reason than to keep me from messing with the incisions. I'm not taking pictures until they're flatter. Or maybe I'll just take a pic of my left arm because I think it looks pretty good. I really am happy with how both arms are noticeably slimmer overall, with all that flabby skin gone.

From what DOC told me (and what I've read online), the massaging is to help break up scar tissue...so yeah, I think it to help flatten it out and not be so hard.

I dunno if its working much on me as I am being very "light touch" about it. Doc gave me a demonstration of how much pressure to apply and it HURT!, I haven't even come close to massaging myself at that level! But I do what I can, my incisions do feel a little better afterwards, and the seem looser (could just be all in my head though).

My scars on my tummy and boobs are pretty much flat, but sections along my arms are still raised. HOWEVER, they are still pretty red-ish in colour. I tend towards Keloids, so this was expected. I'm ok with it, historically my scars fade, but it takes longer than regular people. Though Doc is giving me steroid shots next month to help them along.

I'm really happy with the end result size of my arms a well (despite the fact that my muscles have gotten noticeable smaller the past 2 months...well at least to me). Even though the recovery was/is not ideal, I'm still glad I got it done. But this experience has soured me for FUTURE PS though, lol.

Can't wait to see some after pics!

❤️

P.S. I put the tape back on just on my arms yesterday and feel "safe" again. LOL

[ms.sss 14,636]

2 month post op Arm Lift Progress Pic added:

[rs 1,473]

Gosh you look great!

[2Bsmaller18 435]

I am a few days post brachio and am having a little pity party. I’m off all meds except an extra strength Tylenol every 3-4 hours. The pain meds may me itch like crazy. I can almost raise my arms horizontally with slight discomfort but trying not to push it. I’m getting frustrated that everything is so hard. I have to lean my head Duden to brush my teeth and sleep is limited. A recliner is ok but only fir a few hours. I’m hoping that suddenly day 5or 6 will be a turning point.
When were you able to lie relatively flat in a bed?

[Kris77 1,506]

On 02/23/2020 at 17:21, ms.sss said:

2 month post op arm lift Progress Pic added:

https://www.bariatricpal.com/gallery/image/96205-21-feb-2020_al_month_2/

Wow arms came out great!

[ms.sss 14,636]

On 2/28/2020 at 1:51 PM, 2Bsmaller18 said:

I am a few days post brachio and am having a little pity party. I’m off all meds except an extra strength Tylenol every 3-4 hours. The pain meds may me itch like crazy. I can almost raise my arms horizontally with slight discomfort but trying not to push it. I’m getting frustrated that everything is so hard. I have to lean my head Duden to brush my teeth and sleep is limited. A recliner is ok but only fir a few hours. I’m hoping that suddenly day 5or 6 will be a turning point.
When were you able to lie relatively flat in a bed?

Oh no! I was at that party a couple weeks ago. It's not so much fun...LEAVE!

That's pretty good that you can hit the horizontal level so soon! But I hear ya on the fact that alot of things are difficult without the full use of our arms. I know you already know this, but it does get better.

I couldn't lie flat in bed for along time (maybe 6-7 weeks post op), but that was because of my Tummy Tuck, not my because of the arm lift. What is preventing you from laying flat?

[2Bsmaller18 435]

56 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

Oh no! I was at that party a couple weeks ago. It's not so much fun...LEAVE!

That's pretty good that you can hit the horizontal level so soon! But I hear ya on the fact that alot of things are difficult without the full use of our arms. I know you already know this, but it does get better.

I couldn't lie flat in bed for along time (maybe 6-7 weeks post op), but that was because of my Tummy Tuck, not my because of the arm lift. What is preventing you from laying flat?

I also had a TT without the muscle tightened but the skin is so tight.

I am now at day 6 and moving in general is better. I get maybe 5-6 hours of sleep with waking up for a few minutes ever hour or 2 but it's not comfortable being stuck in one position in a recliner.

I am taking Tylenol every 4-5 hours but still get dull aches occasionally and quick twinges if I am reaching my arms too far or pulling a blanket or pillow that is stuck so there is some resistance to picking it up. I folded some socks and can pour a glass of milk from a half empty gallon that wasn't too bad but nothing else.

The binder is driving me crazy. it doesn't fully cover the TT incision so the elastic at the bottom of it feels too tight and I swell above and below it. I rigged up a pair of tighter leggings to wear under the bottom few inches of the binder and that helps keep it smoother. It's almost like years ago if you work jeans 2 sizes too small. It digs in right there like a swollen muffin top.

When will i be able to physically cook for myself and take a shower without help? I am so impatient.

[ms.sss 14,636]

Ah, I didn't realize you had a TT too! Ok, so yeah, laying flat will be difficult

I took my first shower 1 week post op (gross!) with the help of Mr., only because he was afraid I would pass out. After that I showered by myself, but he hung around in the bathroom to keep an eye on me "just in case" for a few times.

I got really tired in there really quickly, so i brought in a little stool that I would sit on while I showered. It helped alot.

I probably would have been able to cook for myself by end of first week, I just chose not too, LOL. I milked the "take care of me" attitude the fam had for me as much as I could. I took me while to be able to reach up though. At around 6-8 weeks, I was still asking them sometimes to get stuff up top for me, or I would use a stool to get up and reach high stuff.

I would say I am maybe 75% normal now. I can reach everything with no help nor pain (but I can still feel tightness in my arms. I can stand totally straight up and get up from a seated position without stiffness, but I still feel tightness below my incision, specifically on my pubis. I feel like skin there is so pulled tight!

In terms of the "muffin top" I too started wearing the binder over clothes. I wear a compression tank top (spanx like), then my abdominal binder, then my underwear, then whatever pants are the menu that day. Oh, and then I put on my arm compression garment. The arm garment is too big for me now to offer any real compression, but I wear it anyway.

Maybe the other TT folks can weight in on their recovery. I think mine was/is on the slow side.

P.S. Listen to your doc and dont push yourself to do more. I did and totally regret it.

[2Bsmaller18 435]

Post brachio question. So I am 7 days post and I know I have swelling but from what I can see my arm is a round cylindrical appendage that comes off my body. It’s very strange since the past 8 months I have had an actual arm pit that was surrounded by muscles like a ceiling with walls. I feel like now my arm is a round pool noodle attached directly to my body. I don’t know if that description makes sense and I am hoping the swelling goes down since it looks so weird now.

[catwoman7 10,845]

49 minutes ago, 2Bsmaller18 said:

Post brachio question. So I am 7 days post and I know I have swelling but from what I can see my arm is a round cylindrical appendage that comes off my body. It’s very strange since the past 8 months I have had an actual arm pit that was surrounded by muscles like a ceiling with walls. I feel like now my arm is a round pool noodle attached directly to my body. I don’t know if that description makes sense and I am hoping the swelling goes down since it looks so weird now.

I had pretty significant swelling for awhile. It'll eventually go down and look like a real arm again!

[2Bsmaller18 435]

Another post brachio question. Did anyone else have tightness in their forearm. If I straighten my elbow and try to bend my wrist back so that the muscles on the underside of my forarm are stretching I can see a 2-3 inch long thin indentation along my forearm about 2 inches long. I am not sure if it is a tight tendon or vein. It is one both sides, but worse on one side. I don't have any swelling that i can see in my forearm and maybe a little in my upper arm but not a lot.

[rs 1,473]

@ms.sss ok finally was able to get in to see my Dr for a long overdue follow up appointment. I'm 5 most post arm lift now. The issue we talked about was the raised parts of my scars (more on one arm than the other). At my other appointments he would say how well everything was healing etc. This time he just kinda sat there contemplating whether to give me a steroid injection to help with it. He asked if I had been using the silicone tape (which I have, most of the time) and if I'd been massaging it. I said no, I didn't know I was supposed to be massaging (although I had read stuff here on BP but he had never given me those instructions). So now I'm a little mad that I never got that instruction - I expect he would have told me if I'd been able to have my original appointment day, instead of it being cancelled because of the covid crap.

So he said to massage it now and see him back in a month, then he'll decide about the injection. Said that the injections have a possible side effect that small blood vessels may appear at the injection site. The way he hesitated about the injections in general kinda makes me not want to have them. Plus, from what I read online it sounds like you have to go back frequently to have follow up injections. His office isn't that close so that part really doesn't make me happy.

Anyway I walked away from the appointment disappointed. I am wearing short sleeve shirts for the first time in years, but I'm pretty self conscious about my scars when the tape is off. Btw I've been cutting them in half width wise like you suggested and it works perfectly - the smaller width makes it less noticeable and I'm not going through the product as quickly.

Edited May 16, 2020 by rs

[catwoman7 10,845]

6 hours ago, rs said:

@ms.sss ok finally was able to get in to see my Dr for a long overdue follow up appointment. I'm 5 most post arm lift now. The issue we talked about was the raised parts of my scars (more on one arm than the other). At my other appointments he would say how well everything was healing etc. This time he just kinda sat there contemplating whether to give me a steroid injection to help with it. He asked if I had been using the silicone tape (which I have, most of the time) and if I'd been massaging it. I said no, I didn't know I was supposed to be massaging (although I had read stuff here on BP but he had never given me those instructions). So now I'm a little mad that I never got that instruction - I expect he would have told me if I'd been able to have my original appointment day, instead of it being cancelled because of the covid crap.

So he said to massage it now and see him back in a month, then he'll decide about the injection. Said that the injections have a possible side effect that small blood vessels may appear at the injection site. The way he hesitated about the injections in general kinda makes me not want to have them. Plus, from what I read online it sounds like you have to go back frequently to have follow up injections. His office isn't that close so that part really doesn't make me happy.

Anyway I walked away from the appointment disappointed. I am wearing short sleeve shirts for the first time in years, but I'm pretty self conscious about my scars when the tape is off. Btw I've been cutting them in half width wise like you suggested and it works perfectly - the smaller width makes it less noticeable and I'm not going through the product as quickly.

watch out with the short-sleeved shirts. I've read in many places to try to avoid exposing the scars to the sun for the first year.

also, scars can continue to flatten and fade for about a year (and I've read possibly up to two years) - albeit not as quickly as they do the first six months. But you may still see some improvement - so don't give up hope yet!

[ms.sss 14,636]

@rs yeah, cutting those strips in half are def a money saver. And the cica silicone tape is way better than others i have tried (thanks for the tip, btw)...they last much longer!

i didnt know that about the steroid shots...i was supposed to get it in march but then covid happened. I’ll ask my surgeon whenever i get re-scheduled. As for massaging, i’ve been doing it daily but don't really see much Improvement. My arms especially have sections that are still pretty raised and reddish, and wide. My boob and tummy scars are faring much better, but while my boob scars are flat, thin and close to skin colour, my tummy scars are still reddish and wide (but flat, so there’s that). Oh and there are still days that I look 3 mnths pregnant! Le Sigh.

Minor annoyances, really, but i am super pleased with the results so far, regardless. I wish quarantine was over AND that it would effing warm up already so that I can go out and wear cute tops to display my fabulous arm, lol!

Do you think you might want to share a pic of YOUR fabulous arms??