Activity vs rest to minimize swelling?????

It's day 9 for me post TT.  I'm having a hard time finding the balance between activity and rest so that I have the least swelling.  I had the drains taken out day 6 and since then I seem to be swelling a bit more, which I understand. 

Yesterday we went out and got I my hair trimmed and went to the store.  We were probably out for 3 hours.  When we got home I still felt great.  I put away the groceries and then rested for a couple of hours and then went back to the kitchen and served dinner (someone else prepared and brought in - my awesome boss).  After dinner I went back to the bed and began to notice that I was really swollen.  I know some of you have said the swelling is worse at night so I put on ice packs and eventually went to sleep.  This morning the swelling is still just as much.  I have that "football" shape in the middle of my verticle incision.
 
For the most part, I am off the pain meds, just one a day, if needed.  I am drinking tons of water and watching my sodium intake.  What I'm wondering is how you found the right balance between activity and rest to minimize the swelling.  Any tips??? 

I have the same issue.  For me, it really doesn't seem to matter if I rest or move about.  Some days when I sit around and do basically nothing I still swell like crazy and some of my more active days it happens.  I can't really find a pattern.  Ice doesn't seem to help my swelling at all.  I just tighten my binders and keep telling myself it will eventually go away. :)  I'm about 3.5 weeks out from an anchor cut tummy tuck and brachioplasty!

Hey, I'm there, too!!  3.5 weeks out from extended abdominoplasty.  At my 3-week appointment last Wednesday I asked about this because I go from barely swollen to looking like I swallowed a soccer ball in just hours - whether I'm completely resting and not moving around or back at work running around for hours.  He said it's normal - your muscles are sore pretty deeply and they will fluctuate off and on all day for the first few months at least.  He said to just keep getting lots of liquids, low sodium, and high protein (good for healing). 

He said that I should be sure to get rest and try to elevate my legs while laying down, but make sure I get some walking in throughout the day.  At least one hour spread over the day - more if I can. 

My hubby ratted me out and told him that I was cleaning and vacuuming last Saturday night and ended up really sore and then throwing up (which led to muscle cramps in the tummy muscles all night long!).  The doc said that was NOT one of the recommended methods of getting movement in - nothing that pushes and pulls on the tummy muscles for at least 6 weeks.

He told me since my tummy's still numb not to use ice packs because I might not feel when they're freezing my tummy skin and that can be bad for your skin.  I hadn't thought of that.

My next appointment is January 6 and I'm really hoping that by then this swelling stuff is over with!

I think it depends upon the cause for your swelling/fluid.  If the fluid is lymph fluid as a general swelling from tissue displacement then the activity might help because muscle contraction helps to move lymphatic fluid into lymph vessels and to the heart.  Compression from the tips of the limb or area upward will also help to push the fluid into the vessels.  If the swelling is in fluid pockets also known as a seroma, it needs to be aspirated and them compressed and limiting activity can help.  The compression helps to limit the size of the pocket and limited activity means less inflammation and less fluid building up in the pocket.
Realizing that there are different reasons for the fluid and trying to determine which type of fluid it is makes a big difference to the treatment. 

Hope that helps,

I've read that lymphatic massage really helps. I plan to do this.