Found out last month that both @rs and I had Arm Lifts scheduled for the same week, just two days apart. @rs got the deed done yesterday, and I'm heading in for it tomorrow morning. We thought it would be fun/interesting/just-something-to-do to start a thread where we both could post to document our progress for a one-stop view of two different experiences of the same procedure.

So here we go!

@rs @ms.sss

First day back in the office since arm lift 3 weeks ago, which meant wearing work clothes and a bra (gasp!) all day. The bra was rubbing against my incisions (I had extended arm lift so incisions go down my side to the bottom of the bra line) and really bothered me. When I got home I was nervous to see if there was any visible damage to the incision areas but it doesn't look like it. Not sure what I can do differently tomorrow to minimize the chafing. I'll try adjusting my straps to see if I could reposition where the bra band is hitting my sides. Still haven't shaved under my arms. When I put deodorant on I carefully put just a little keeping it away from the incision. Thankfully it's winter so I'm not really sweating much. Next Dr appointment is this Thursday.

This thread is great. The compression garment minimized chaffing but I skipped the bra for a bit. Best to all in healing. ?????

6 hours ago, rs said:

First day back in the office since arm lift 3 weeks ago, which meant wearing work clothes and a bra (gasp!) all day. The bra was rubbing against my incisions (I had extended arm lift so incisions go down my side to the bottom of the bra line) and really bothered me. When I got home I was nervous to see if there was any visible damage to the incision areas but it doesn't look like it. Not sure what I can do differently tomorrow to minimize the chafing. I'll try adjusting my straps to see if I could reposition where the bra band is hitting my sides. Still haven't shaved under my arms. When I put deodorant on I carefully put just a little keeping it away from the incision. Thankfully it's winter so I'm not really sweating much. Next Dr appointment is this Thursday.

If you're nervous about deodorant, try using a natural one without aluminum. That was what my surgeon suggested in the very beginning, but natural deodorants just don't seem to work for me personally. Can you wear a sports bra? Some cheapo one without any real stitching or compression from Walmart or something.

5 minutes ago, mousecat88 said:

If you're nervous about deodorant, try using a natural one without aluminum. That was what my surgeon suggested in the very beginning, but natural deodorants just don't seem to work for me personally. Can you wear a sports bra? Some cheapo one without any real stitching or compression from Walmart or something.

I pretty much lived in sports bras the first two or three months. I had some issues with my incisions, so wearing a regular one - and a compression garment - was tough.

6 hours ago, rs said:

First day back in the office since arm lift 3 weeks ago, which meant wearing work clothes and a bra (gasp!) all day. The bra was rubbing against my incisions (I had extended arm lift so incisions go down my side to the bottom of the bra line) and really bothered me. When I got home I was nervous to see if there was any visible damage to the incision areas but it doesn't look like it. Not sure what I can do differently tomorrow to minimize the chafing. I'll try adjusting my straps to see if I could reposition where the bra band is hitting my sides. Still haven't shaved under my arms. When I put deodorant on I carefully put just a little keeping it away from the incision. Thankfully it's winter so I'm not really sweating much. Next Dr appointment is this Thursday.

Maybe wear a sports bra with a very wide band? Or maybe a thin t-tshirt/tank camisole UNDER your bra? (yeah this one weird, but could work, lol)

You could also try this...Mr. uses this on various body parts when he runs/rides/swims, and I used to use it to combat thigh chaffing when I was heavier:

https://www.bodyglide.com/product/body/

Did yoga today. Really helped stretch out that scar tissue. Here is a bunch of pics of what my arms look like exactly 7 weeks post op today.

On 01/07/2020 at 03:15, rs said:

First day back in the office since arm lift 3 weeks ago, which meant wearing work clothes and a bra (gasp!) all day. The bra was rubbing against my incisions (I had extended arm lift so incisions go down my side to the bottom of the bra line) and really bothered me. When I got home I was nervous to see if there was any visible damage to the incision areas but it doesn't look like it. Not sure what I can do differently tomorrow to minimize the chafing. I'll try adjusting my straps to see if I could reposition where the bra band is hitting my sides. Still haven't shaved under my arms. When I put deodorant on I carefully put just a little keeping it away from the incision. Thankfully it's winter so I'm not really sweating much. Next Dr appointment is this Thursday.

Can you take an old tshirt and cut a piece of fabric to pad the area?

Did yoga today. Really helped stretch out that scar tissue. Here is a bunch of pics of what my arms look like exactly 7 weeks post op today.

Wow! Just wow!

Much better today at work. I wore a different bra, one that is sorta more like a sports bra, like @ms.sss suggested, with a wider band and softer material. I don't like my profile in a shirt with this bra but at least I wasn't uncomfortable from chafing.

On a different note, I woke up with swelling again around my elbows. Surprisingly hasn't decreased very much even though I moved around throughout the day. I'll just have to make a more concerted effort tonight to elevate.

10 hours ago, rs said:

Wow! Just wow!

You look amazing! Not just the scars healing well you look so strong and confident!

Do you feel like you are 100% back to normal? Do you feel tight or have any movement restrictions? Able to lift do everyday things without feeling tightness?

10 hours ago, rs said:

Much better today at work. I wore a different bra, one that is sorta more like a sports bra, like @ms.sss suggested, with a wider band and softer material. I don't like my profile in a shirt with this bra but at least I wasn't uncomfortable from chafing.

On a different note, I woke up with swelling again around my elbows. Surprisingly hasn't decreased very much even though I moved around throughout the day. I'll just have to make a more concerted effort tonight to elevate.

Do you have a stress ball you can squeeze randomly through out the day? That will help your lower arm muscles pump fluid out of your arm without stressing or overusing your upper arm and shoulder muscles. Even squeezing a washcloth rolled up (use string or a rubber band to keep it rolled up) would help.

@rs Yay to the no chafing Are you swelling on both elbows? Or just one?

@mousecat88 Man, you are looking FIT. Your work at the gym is totally showing. I love the 3rd picture of you and ARM. I won't even call it your arm. It needs recognition all on its own, LOL.

I have my 3 week follow up with my surgeon later today. I'm hoping to be cleared for the gym.

However.

Even if he does clear me, I can tell my arms won't be able to do all I want to anyway. And while I've been doing regular straight up crunches in bed (shhhhhh!!!!), I also can tell that I wouldn't be able to comfortably do any lateral ab exercises either. On another note, I also tried to pick up the pace to a slow jog during one of my walks yesterday (again, shhhhhh!!!) but the bounciness of it felt weird in my stomach...so that didn't last long.

Who would have thought that I would be disappointed to NOT be able to workout/exercise?!?! My, my, my, how times have changed.

32 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

And while I've been doing regular straight up crunches in bed (shhhhhh!!!!),

Be super careful! I am in a literal world of hurt since Saturday night from what my surgeon and I both believe is simply overdoing it. I did no real excercise, but I did, carry heavy grocery bags, pick up heavy pots of water from the ground, pick up my mom's pup, and more I can't recall I'm sure.

It is general pain in my abdominal muscles. But it has focused these last day or two on one area below my rib on the right, the pain is sharper there. I sneezed last night and it almost made me cry. So I believe I may have pulled, stressed that stitch.

This is actually more pain then I have been in since my first week post op, So I don't recommend working your abdomen, from my experience. It's not worth it

15 minutes ago, sillykitty said:

Be super careful! I am in a literal world of hurt since Saturday night from what my surgeon and I both believe is simply overdoing it. I did no real excercise, but I did, carry heavy grocery bags, pick up heavy pots of Water from the ground, pick up my mom's pup, and more I can't recall I'm sure.

It is general pain in my abdominal muscles. But it has focused these last day or two on one area below my rib on the right, the pain is sharper there. I sneezed last night and it almost made me cry. So I believe I may have pulled, stressed that stitch.

This is actually more pain then I have been in since my first week post op, So I don't recommend working your abdomen, from my experience. It's not worth it

Yikes. This sucks. Are you taking any pain meds?? Do you have to do anything specific to address it??

P.S. Point taken. No more crunches in bed.

4 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

Yikes. This sucks. Are you taking any pain meds?? Do you have to do anything specific to address it??

P.S. Point taken. No more crunches in bed.

I took my leftover Percoset on Sunday & Monday night, the pain was keeping me awake. During the day I am taking Advil (I know this is generally forbidden after WLS, but it's what works for me). The abdominal pain along w the swelling is causing me to hunch over a bit, so that leads to a sore back as well, which the Advil helps with.