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Post by KikiPea on Mar 15, 2023 15:45:42 GMT
Surgery is in 9 days! 😁
Questions for those who’ve done it…
What are your best tips for recovery?
1. Stay on top of pain meds
2. Follow recovery guidelines explicitly
3. Eat lots of protein
4. Get lots of rest
5. Drink lots of water
As of right now, DH will be home with me at least the whole first week, and will be the med giver. We are boarding our crazy pup (we have two, but only the younger one will be an issue.) for at least the first 4 days. I have tons of high protein foods/shakes on hand, and a long list of shows to watch. We are borrowing a recliner from a friend.
This will be out patient since ins is not covering it. What other tips do you have?
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sharlag
Drama Llama
I like my artsy with a little bit of fartsy.
Posts: 6,574
Location: Kansas
Jun 26, 2014 12:57:48 GMT
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Post by sharlag on Mar 15, 2023 16:00:26 GMT
Those are all good ideas to follow.
I want to reassure you that you're sturdier than you know... nothing is gonna be catastrophic or be unmanageable. It's surprising/amazing how God made us to heal ourselves. Seriously.
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Post by redfraggle18 on Mar 15, 2023 16:05:19 GMT
My 16 year old just had one in November - she went from a DDD to (right now with still some swelling) a c-ish
Honestly - i was shocked at how well she did. We alternated Tylenol and Motrin every 3 hours for the first 3 days around the clock (per her surgeon's instructions)
she never used anything stronger than that. Lots of rest and listening to her body (her surgeon told her that her full time job for the week was to rest .. . as a teenager you can imagine she enjoyed this!)
we iced where she was sore (she found her sides (under her arms) and in between her breasts were the most sore - we found out after the fact that she had internal sutures there and that was likely why that was the most sore.
She went back to school the next week and obviously we followed our surgeon's instructions around lifting restrictions etc but i swear it has been the most amazing thing ever for her
I hope yours is the same!
**Amanda**
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Post by deannainoregon on Mar 15, 2023 16:34:31 GMT
I wanted to add that I had very little pain. My reduction was the silver lining of breast cancer. So I had to have one done at a time. I was lopsided for awhile lol. You have a great set up. You will do great. Best wishes !!
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Post by quinlove on Mar 15, 2023 17:51:42 GMT
Those are all good ideas to follow. I want to reassure you that you're sturdier than you know... nothing is gonna be catastrophic or be unmanageable. It's surprising/amazing how God made us to heal ourselves. Seriously. Well said. You are going to be so proud of yourself. ❤️ |
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joelise
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,649 
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Post by joelise on Mar 15, 2023 19:00:15 GMT
I hope it all goes as easily for you as it did for me. I was living alone, had no one come and cook for me or look after me. I managed OK. The relief of getting rid of the excess weight far outweighed any discomfort. I didn’t have much pain. I think I’ve mentioned before that the only problem I had was constipation brought on by taking iron tablets and codeine at the same time! This was way worse than any pain from the operation. I was in hospital for one night after the operation.
I did get driven home from the hospital and family popped in now and then so I wasn’t totally abandoned, and I was given lots of chocolate! It lasted me months!
Hope all goes well for you.
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jayfab
Drama Llama
procastinating
Posts: 5,521
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Post by jayfab on Mar 15, 2023 20:17:21 GMT
Your tips are good. Make sure to limit lifting, like milk jugs. I even had my sis poor my coffee for a bit since I have a pretty big pot.
I also used ice for swelling and pain. And agree with who said it's your full time job to relax and heal. I had a mild pain reliever, but only for a few days then used tylenol after that (I personally can't take advil).
One tip for after is wait as long as you can before you buy new bras. I bought some at around 8ish weeks and I now realize I was still a little swelled even tho I didn't look it, a few are a little big now. I was just so anxious to have cute bras.
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teddyw
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,843
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Post by teddyw on Mar 15, 2023 21:46:17 GMT
Make sure you get plenty of fiber if you do end up needing narcotics.
Listen to your body. If you have questions after the fact call your dr. That’s what you’re paying for.
If an issue arises with your incision or just changes in the area take pictures so you can monitor changes
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Post by christine58 on Mar 16, 2023 11:49:52 GMT
www.breasthealthonline.org/Best place for great info. My suggestions are the same as everyone else’s but NO STRETCHING or reaching. Move some plates etc onto a counter. Lots of pillows to sleep on also. You’ll possibly get constipated from the narcotics so have some colace on hand.
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Post by workingclassdog on Mar 16, 2023 13:11:19 GMT
Good luck! No advice other than here I am thinking.. I'm big, but not super big.. just around D cup.... so I don't think I would really need the surgery, but here I am thinking.. oh could I have a reduction and they would they perk up instead of looking down? LOL
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Post by happymom on Mar 17, 2023 13:56:33 GMT
I had mine done on Dec 1. Besides the sleeping in a recliner for 3-4 weeks it wasn’t bad I had lift and reduction
They told me no ice- no compression. Nipples have to have blood flow
I used one of those travel pillows to sleep in the recliner. It helped keep my head From sagging
Drains are a pain but the final result is worth it. Pin them to an oversize topper
T- Rex arms. With as little reaching and grabbing as possible. DH travels for work and pulled down coffee mugs and anything I might need and put it on counter don’t bend over to do chores or pick something up. practice your squat position.
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Post by lesserknownpea on Mar 17, 2023 14:23:35 GMT
I’m glad people mentioned not to ice. While it’s nice for swelling, it inhibits blood flow, which you need. In addition to protein and lots of water, you want dark leafy greens, they are important in your healing.
The website Christine linked above is so helpful. If you sign up, you can see examples of other people’s healing processes, which I found very very helpful. Doctors tend to show examples of certain body types, or ages, or more straightforward healers. Seeing the healing process of many different women of all different types helped me feel confident.
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Post by christine58 on Mar 17, 2023 14:29:17 GMT
My surgeon also said no ice but a friend’s doctor let her.
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dlb
Shy Member
Posts: 13
Oct 2, 2018 14:54:25 GMT
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Post by dlb on Mar 17, 2023 14:59:25 GMT
my surgeon sent me home in a medical grade support bra, but when I needed to change that out and wash it, I bought some zipper up sports bras. I had no drains. and really no restrictions, just don't do things that are uncomfortable - you will know. No lifting, no reaching overhead - go slow. I think I took 2 of the pain pills that were prescribed - otherwise it was Tylenol or Advil. I did not sleep in the recliner - for me that would have been torquer, but laying down on my back was not comfortable at first either - as I am a side sleeper. First night home was the worst, but then got better each day. After a few days, I could use a pillow or two and prop my self on my side to be able to sleep a bit.
i did have a reaction to the purple glue they used - and at the 1.5-2 week mark had to remove what adhesive was left with fingernail polish remover and then shower - per my Dr's advice. The area was SO itchy and red with a slight rash.
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Post by danor98 on Mar 17, 2023 15:08:38 GMT
Good luck with your procedure. I had mine done 18 years ago and it was the best thing! I was very lucky and had no drains and a very easy recovery. I followed all the no stretching, no reaching rules. One thing I was happy I did, was to purchase a large wedge pillow for my bed. It made the no side sleeping so much easier. I piled pillows at each side and was able to kind of 1/4 side turn and it was really helpful. Wishing you the best of outcomes.☺️
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