hope4change2012
So Glad I Did It! Post Op 51 days
Jan 11, 2013
We'll see if I can do a quick update. I seem to ramble on in the past.
I'm happy to say what I loved seeing when I was doing my research: So glad I did it! I'd do it again in a heartbeat!
I got the OK from Dr. S to start exercise. He actually congratulated me on my healing. I have been so very careful about not doing too much, eating right, proper supplement, exercise at a minimum, etc. When I visualize that I have 5 layers of stitches inside of me (I don't recall where I say that or even if it's true, but it stuck in my head for some reason.), I really care for my body. I wonder what jogging is like on the internal stitches...pound pound pound is how it feels. Having said that, I'm starting to fire up a good harder workout and get back to sports I love. I've been doing the 20 minute 1 mile "brisk walk" prescribed after surgery. I didn't start that even until week 4. I've added some jogging and today will be my first day with weights and squats and stretching. I look forward to it, but still am a little afraid.
Body updates: pics at 41 days are posted and I look about the same today. I have had some blue stitches surfacing in different areas. A few showed up on my face by my ear from my neck lift. You can't see a scar or anything, but they popped out and I just gently pulled them out. I had a few behind my ear and sometimes I'd have them cut or cut them and sometimes I ignore them and they go away. I have a few poking and annoying me under my breast from the breast lift. I have let them be but I don't like them. They don't appear to be enough to pull and so I leave them. I may have a possible opening forming by my nipple. It looks like a small version of what I've seen other Surgery Sisters post where there is a gap. I put tape on it and haven't looked at it in a few days. LBL scars are healing nicely with occasional crazy itching session that passes in time and changing my focus.
Scar treatment: I have a variety of things I'm using to moisturize. I use Cetaphil and Aquaphor as well as an oil my massage therapist gave me and I toss in some 100% aloe gel. I mix things up on what I use. I have started to use Kelo-cote on my breast scars. The tapes just dry me crazy. On my breast lift, the paper tape itches and the super expensive silicone tape that I was using and washing and reusing just seems gross to me now. Maybe if I bought a new box and tried it again, that'd be good, but I have healed enough to use the Kelo-cote. It helps seal it and heal it. The paper tape on my LBL is awesome. I'm so grateful for that tip. On day 1 though, I do secure it with paper surgical tape to keep it in place. Then it seals almost to my skin. It stays on great, literally for days. At first I worried, but it seems to be really helping. Some leave it on until it peels off which it seems like it won't, ever, but I guess it will. I've left on 5 days before. Now I'm at 7 and seeing how long that lasts. I wash it, pat it dry, massage with garment over it, etc. The scar under my chin is invisible. I do massage, like kneading bread, under my chin (Saw that on a surgeon's site). I do it when I think of it. The lumps and bumps on my face continue to resolve. I massage my face and behind my ears gently at least 1x a day or more if I think of it. Sometimes I put kelo-cote on the scars behind my ears, but mainly I massage.
Numbess: still numb on my face by my ear, but it continues to improve. Same with my upper thighs (which feels the weirdest) and numb on incision line and outer thighs. I had 1 liter of fat taken out of each side with a lot of bruising which is gone now.
Garments: Call me crazy, but I love my garment. I'm still wearing it 24/7. I wash and change each day. I'm single (darn it) so I think that's why I get around it. I just feel more put together with it on. I want those previously mentioned 5 layers of stitches to have all the help it can get. It has stretched out some is not as tight. I was having some lumps appear behind my ear. It happened after I had tried to put paper tape on them and then peeled it off. It's like it injured it. I was concerned about seromas and hematomas, but whatever started to appear did dissipate with massage. One full day I used a hot compress (warm wash cloth) on and off all day with massage and it seemed to help the face. Any way, this is the garment section. While having the issues with bumps on my face and researching it, I found a doc who said to elevate while sleeping. Most say to just let time and massage resolve it, but it wasn't working. When I combined elevation at night with massage, things started to settle down. I don't know if it was just time or the elevation, but I'm still sticking with elevation at night. I will be glad when I don't wear that face garment though. Glad I sleep alone. It's pretty freaky looking.
So, happy to report I'm happy. Is it perfect? No. I believe that I got excellent results for what Dr. Sauceda had to work with. If there was anything I wish I could impart to a younger person is to not get obese in the first place. My Dear God the price I've paid for that is very expensive. I do believe food was a coping mechanism and an addiction for me.
