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

10 hours ago, rs said:

2 full days post arm lift for me. Surprisingly no need for pain meds today at all. Compression garment is still so uncomfortable. Unhooked it for awhile yesterday evening but we had a heck of a time getting it hooked back up. Had to pull the sleeves up just a bit because they had slipped while being unhooked, which caused pain over the incisions even though we were going really slow and careful. I cried. My pain tolerance is very low. I haven't taken this garment off since then. Holding off showering until the night before my follow up appointment. I just can't bear the pain of taking this thing completely off and putting it completely back on. Drain tubes are weird but not too bothersome. My husband empties them and logs them for me about 1-2 times a day. Haven't had any issues going to the bathroom, and pulling down/up my pants and wiping which kinda surprised me. Well that's my update for today!

ouch! maybe get back on pain meds when taking garment on and off?

Are you allowed to shower with the drain tubes still in?

Hope you are feeling better today!

Yikes! I wasn't allowed to either remove my compression wear or shower with drains.

Pain meds! Ladies. Pain meds!!! ((hugs))

And conversely, I was allowed showers without restriction after 48 hrs, with my drain in, and no compression gear. Seems like plastic surgeons have as many different protocols as bariatric surgeons do

Thanks for sharing. I'd like to have your BEFORE arms, they look GREAT!

2 hours ago, sillykitty said:

Seems like plastic surgeons have as many different protocols as bariatric surgeons do

SOOOO true!!! I had no idea!!

1 hour ago, GradyCat said:

Thanks for sharing. I'd like to have your BEFORE arms, they look GREAT!

You guys are funny. Those are curtains of skin draping from my arm in those before pics! Everything below the arm bulge is skin. You don't want that.

But am glad to say all the skin is gone now! My arms are tiny. Like almost freakishly tiny. My forearms (and hands) are swollen, so right now my upper arms are smaller than my forearms. I look like I have Popeye arms!

Am typing up a blog entry about my experience so far, but its taking me forever cuz I get sleepy very quickly and I get tired from typing.

Im sleepy this very moment..post over. chat later.

27 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

My arms are tiny. Like almost freakishly tiny. My forearms (and hands) are swollen, so right now my upper arms are smaller than my forearms. I look like I have Popeye arms!

@ms.sss me too! It's so weird! Do they have you wearing a compression garment?

[mention=352077]ms.sss[/mention] me too! It's so weird! Do they have you wearing a compression garment?

My plastic surgeon said if my forearms swell to remove the compression garment because it's cutting off too much circulation and put it back on in a few hours. I'm still wearing mine at 4 weeks. I haven't at night though. But shhhhhhh. lol.

2 hours ago, rs said:

@ms.sss me too! It's so weird! Do they have you wearing a compression garment?

not one like yours...they just wrapped those ace bandages on me. TIGHTLY. im actually going to ask them to loosen my left one..i think its too tight...my hand is HUGE!

...are you home yet? or still in hospital?

2 hours ago, mousecat88 said:

My plastic surgeon said if my forearms swell to remove the compression garment because it's cutting off too much circulation and put it back on in a few hours. I'm still wearing mine at 4 weeks. I haven't at night though. But shhhhhhh. lol.

Thanks for the info. Don't you have a heck of a time putting it back on though? The fabric hurts when I bend my arm too. Seems to help if fold the bottom part up above my elbow.

Edited December 20, 20196 yr by rs

not one like yours...they just wrapped those ace bandages on me. TIGHTLY. im actually going to ask them to loosen my left one..i think its too tight...my hand is HUGE!
...are you home yet? or still in hospital?

Oh I wish I had just ace bandages! I have the full crop top style with hooks in the front and back. I think it's more made for a breast lift and arm lift combo.
I went home the same day as surgery. You didn't?
How's your pain? Mine is completely fine. Just to this awful garment bothers me, or if I move my arm in a certain way, or bump an incision area.

[mention=352077]ms.sss[/mention] have your looked at the incision areas? I'm too scared. I think it'll freak me out. Planning to wait until Sunday to take a shower then might take a peek. Do you have drains? They're weird but not as annoying as thought they'd be.

1 hour ago, mousecat88 said:

My plastic surgeon said if my forearms swell to remove the compression garment

really? i showed my swelling to mine and he said its expected!

(though i did ask nurse to loosen after she redid the dressing too tight for my taste. my hand is still pretty big).

worth mentioning that i dont have drains in my arms. @mousecat88, i know u had arm drains... @rs, do you have arm drains?

Edit: just read ur post re drains @rs, answered my question!

Edited December 20, 20196 yr by ms.sss

1 hour ago, rs said:

I went home the same day as surgery. You didn't?
How's your pain? Mine is completely fine. Just to this awful garment bothers me, or if I move my arm in a certain way, or bump an incision area.

im here for 2 nights...heading home tomorrow afternoon. am glad to be here as i've got round clock care and help. i asked my surgeon if i could stay till xmas. he laughed. i wasnt joking.

im pretty drugged up so minimal to no pain. so i was going to write a post about this to explain, but i cant seem to stay awake long enough to finish, so i'll just give a heads up now...i ended up adding a tummy tuck last minute yesterday...so that means i had a tt, an arm lift & a breast reduction revision aka breast lift yesterday. so when the drugs wear off, im in a good bit of pain from the TT, very minor pain on my left elbow from the arm lift, and no pain at all from breast lift.

i'll tell the story of the surprise tummy tuck in anothr post.

1 hour ago, rs said:

[mention=352077]ms.sss[/mention] have your looked at the incision areas? I'm too scared. I think it'll freak me out. Planning to wait until Sunday to take a shower then might take a peek. Do you have drains? They're weird but not as annoying as thought they'd be.

yeah i looked when nurse changed my dressing...not gory at all, and looked like a nice thin straigt-ish line, i think. and ya no drains in my arms, but i have 2 in my tummy incision...and they are annoying.

k tired of typing again. time for a break

Edited December 20, 20196 yr by ms.sss

@ms.sss did you have an extended arm lift where the incision goes through the arm pit area and down the side to about the bottom of the bra line? That's what I had. Maybe that's why I have drains there. Also maybe why I have the full compression garment instead of just ace bandages. Jealous, TT also? Eventually I want everything but I just can't spend that kinda money right now. Hoping to do so over the next couple years.