Survival Tips...

With so many post oppers on board, we need some of your post-op survival tips!

I'll start: Before your op, make sure you put everything up high (like tea bags, snacks, deoderant etc) to a more waist-level hight, as you wont be able to move your arms after!

Drink LOTS of water before and after to flush out GA and ease constipation and swelling

V pillow is great for sleeping propped up to reduce swelling

i have 3 main tips that got me through the first week after having my ba..

1. i went to my doc before my op and asked for a weeks worth of sleeping tablets. sleeping sitting up is quite litrally a big pain in the bum. with my sleeping tablets i slept like a baby and don't you always feel better after a good nights sleep....

2. again before my op i got my self a box of senna tablets, i'd read so much about the post op swell and bloating due to being bunged because of the painkillers and not moving around as much. i took 2 senna tablets everynight with my pain killers and i also drank bucket loads of water and i didn't bloat at all, prevention better thn a cure and all that....

3. keep active! even if its just going out for a short walk a couple of times a day. if you compleatly stop you'll get stiff and thats just even more uncomfortable....

hope this helps someone

kelly
xxxx

One of the best pieces of advice I had was to take painkillers regularly for the first few days, whether I felt that I needed them or not. Nads got me thinking, so I spoke to my sister (who works for the NHS) and she wrote me out a little schedule! lol I took paracetamol and ibruprofen in 3 hour intervals all day (not together, but alternately) and I think it really helped. I tried to save codeine for bedtime as I was worried about what it would do to my stomach (as in constipation) and I didn't bother taking that last night.

I have a great V pillow which I bought when breastfeeding my youngest - it has beads in it, so can be a bit rustly (lol) but is sooo supportive and has been a godsend at night.

I also did a huge Tesco online shop a few days before so that we had lots of the basics.

And I couldn't have done this atall without my fantastic family, who have moved in and basically done EVERYTHING for me. Sorting the kids, cooking, washing....feel so guilty but I've barely lifted a finger!

Will add more if I think of it! x

_Carrie_ wrote:I also did a huge Tesco online shop a few days before so that we had lots of the basics

Very Good Idea!!!!

Dont do too much for the first 2 weeks.. rest up as much as possible even if you feel ok x

Some great tips ... esp the one about being constipated! I never knew that a GA can cause you to be bunged up.

I know my boyfriend was after he had all his wisdom teeth removed but we thought that was all down to him taking co-codamol every 4 hours!

Some fab tips for the pre-op girls, we can be totally prepared now!

Thanks

Good advice ladies!!!! Has anyone tried any of the natural sleeping remedies such as kalms sleep etc, just I think sleeping pills will be a good idea and I dont think i'll be able to get in at docs before my op to get some prescribed??? Or would the nurse at the hospital be able to prescribe them????xxxxxxx

Kamls didnt work for me hun, but thats because I have some major sleeping issues..

My survival tip would is although you may feel well, and that you are fully recovered, dont over, do things.. Have plenty of rest...Dont be like me, and go shopping a few hours after having your op

Oh my gosh fina....did you really???? hahaha, i hope that I feel as good as you after mine on friday, i really am scared, to the point ive thought of backing out!! I was only going to take one week off but i decided what the heck and not to rush things so have took 2 now, giving me plenty of time to take it easy,xxx

I was so tired anyway i didnt need any sleeping tablets! x

em_stevo wrote:Oh my gosh fina....did you really???? hahaha, i hope that I feel as good as you after mine on friday, i really am scared, to the point ive thought of backing out!! I was only going to take one week off but i decided what the heck and not to rush things so have took 2 now, giving me plenty of time to take it easy,xxx

Lol yeah, I felt fine just after having it.. I was walking round like I had a stiff neck though lol..
I only took 3days off work as I felt so good, but I only have an office job.. I really should have stayed off longer, but just didnt want people at work getting suspicious about me having it done.. (I havent told noone there)

Ohhh well fingers crossed for me!! Hope mine goes smoothly!!! I would love to only take a few days off, that way I could save my holidays to actually show off my new assets on a beach somewhere, lol

I was so tired aswell, didnt need sleeping tabs x

Fina thats mad! haha most people say the only time you cant sleep is the night after your op, i think all the pain meds will make you shattered so you probs wont need anything hun.

if you do need something though i find nytol does the trick!

x

Another survival tip is micropore tape from a dispenser!! (If you're told to use it, that is, which I was for 3 BLOOMIN MONTHS!!!!!) I change it every day after my shower as I don't like the thought of wet tape on my scars.

And the nifty little dispenser has been a life-saver - saves me faffing with scissors! Plus I got a much thinner tape which has been more comfy.

Another tip is to wear button-up shirts (nick them off your men!) and vest tops that you can step into and pull up. I lived in them for the first fortnight.

C x

Good tips carrie, where do you get that micropore tape from????xxx

Any more tips?

xx

Make sure your washing and ironing is up to date and that there is plenty of chocolate in the house

Get some bra expanders (£5 at la Senza). THey have been a godsend as my boobs swell for parts of the day and I can just make my sports bra a little more comfortable! Also meant I only had to buy band size 34 in 2 or 3 diff cup sizes instead of a 36 band also!

I found I got a bad back from having to sleep propped up and probably my posture (holding myself differently), so a nice hot water bottle on it eased the pain. But dont put it on your new boobs. And try and work on your posture, dont walked round hunched up. And when you lie down try to relax your muscles. I didn't realise how tensely I was holding my back muscles even when lying down.

Arnica is amazing. Took it for 2 weeks prior and only ages after. The cream is great too if you have any bruising although don't put it onto the scars. I got mine from [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I also take pro biotics in a capsule form which are great for stopping constipation and generally getting flushing out the ga. Product called multi bio flora from [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Also, I know this won't be for everyone but I swear by colonic hydrotherapy and was told by the lady who does mine that its a really good idea to have one before and after surgery. She said that some of the top clinics actually do them as a matter of course as it really helps cleanse your system pre and post ga.

Lots of books, mags and dvd's for the first few days when you get home.

A friend of mine told me she always had a wooden spoon to hand in the kitchen to stop her reaching up and opening cupboards!!!

Great idea for a thread Roxy Im going to start making a list!...just to ask how exactly do you use the v pillow?, I had one when i was b feeding and i never got the hang of it then, but how are you supposed to sleep with it exactly?

However you feel comfy really!

I slept like this /oo\