Phantom Itching

Hey Everyone I'm four days out from my tummy tuck and arm lift and recovering nicely. Today is the first day that I feel more like myself. I'm having a problem with phantom itching and was wondering if this is normal. I feel like I need to lift my panni up and scratch underneath, but there is no panni any more and when I try to gently rub where I think the itch is coming from it doesn't seem to be coming from there. Anyone else experience this? My swelling is horrible today. I've been taking it easy and keeping all of my binders on, but my arms feel so tight. I just want to take the binders off so bad, but I know the swelling would just get worse. I'm drinking my water and trying to keep my arms propped up. I have some burning along my incision line in my bikini area, but it's better today and my doctor told me that was normal. I'm at my parents house recovering, but when I get home I will post my pictures of my arms and tummy. I can't wait to show everyone the difference. It's night and day and I'm very pleased. Lily

I can't help you with phantom itching from a TT, but I can tell you that I am still having phantom itching after a hysterectomy in 2002! By the way, it is under my panni, too. Unfortunately I still have one. I am looking into PS now for an abdominoplasty and inner thigh lift. I had my first consult yesterday, and was told that I did not need to do anything with breasts or butt. WOW! I am 55 and wear a 34G. I got some big ol' boobies, but they are holding up just fine. Eventually I will need an arm lift as the bat wings are horrible. Best of luck to you on your continued success. Judy

I have phantom itching too but it is so funny! Mine is my bellybutton and I don't have one any more!haha. My hubby laughs at me cause I'll even raise my shirt to scratch and can't even find where it should be. Good luck! Pam

over 1 1/2 years after my belt lipectomy and I still have funny itches that I cant feel the scratching when I scratch, abd scratchiung doesnt make the itch better in any way. There are also areas when I touch them that I "feel" the touch several inches away. I have also several very large areas of total numbnees, around my BB and on both sides are about 8" in diameter areas of numbness. O f course my dr did tell me in advance that this might happen and even had it in the informed consent.

I didn't have the tummy done, but had arms and breasts 9 days ago. i feel your pain on the arms and the arm binder! My swelling set in a couple of days ago and they have been driving me nuts since. I can feel like a burning sensation running down the incision line, but it is beginning to close up in patches. I noticed today that the bruising shows up now. I really didn't see much of any bruising before now. Now, it's kind of scarey lookin. I also noticed when I was putting the neosporin on that parts of my arm have no sensation...they are numb in places. I understand that is normal though. how did your doctor tell you to care for your arms? I can shower, then put neosporin on the incisions and then put the binder back on. I only have one binder for the arms, so I'm allowed to have it off long enough to wash the one I have. Hope you are all healed up soon! Pam

Cala, You might want to use ice I did and it helped alot with the swelling. I had my surgery on the April 3,2006. I also was to drink gateraide for the first 5 days minding you I had to water it down abit due to it being to sweet. It does get better. I still have swelling but it isn't as bad as it was the first two weeks. Good Luck, Robin

Hi Lily, Congrats on your surgery! I bet you are feeling so happy to get rid of that skin... I had an inner thigh lift, LBL, TT with MR and BA and BL 3 weeks ago and it's funny I will touch my ab on the left side and get a sensation on the right. I think it's the nerve endings healing.... Good luck to you! Take care, Kathy PS Pics on picturetrail.com ksitter, skinny

I had/have the same thing happen to me. In the beginning, I would pat at the area that was itching. It helped some. Now that I have only very little tenderness. I put my hand over the area that is itching and give it a' deep' rub. I find that this helps more.

I have real itching and am a year out from lbl, lipo & breast lift. I find rubbing with fabric over the itchy area to be quite satisfying. If I rub directly on the skin it is not satisfying. If I get the itchys really bad I take some tylenol.

Congrats and happy healing! I'm almost 2 yearsout from my hernia/TT repair and I also have this itch thingy. annoying sometimes. I try to find it or it'll drive me crazy. Test other body areas! Phyllis