Arm Lift: Stories

Thanks - no, i dont think the TT can be worse than the arms - and if it is, well I wont know untill it's too late : ) I am just excited to get it done - I hate waiting! I am a little nervous about the pain waking up - that just hit by a bus , what did I do feeling. But I am looking forward to having my abs tightened even though it will be painfull.

Thank you! I jinxed myself - arms were very swollen today - and the spots that popped open are small and very minor they are both smaller than a pencil eraser - they just scare me - seen too many images of healing gone wrong lol I am worried about the t junction of the tummy tuck - that has a higher rate of complications healing and i am paranoid that I could have issues especially since my pto days are dwindling down quickly lol.

I didn't even bring up lipo at the visit I decided I don't need it and I don't need the added pain. I am getting very excited for my next step. I am ready to roll out the lumps.

Maybe he's going to do the lipo as part of your TT.

Thanks for listening to my craziness. I wish i could take advill but because i had a gastric bypass, i am not supposed to take anything but Tylenol based painkillers. Did you have pain in your lower arms too? my elbows and lower arms are swollen and hurt like crazy. I was just wondering how long the swelling in your arms lasted? I am icing them down but i swear it helps for an hour then the pain comes right back. Did you have this crazy pulling? How long does it last? I guess the unknown is really making me crazy.

I honestly can't remember when the swelling went down. It wasn't that long after surgery. I tool a picture of my hand (my left was way worse). What helped me was resting it a little raised. As for the pulling, it was on and off. I'm almost 5 months out and it has been good for a long time. I am wondering if you are swelling so much in your elbows and lower because of work? If you are able to move around, walk and drink lots of fluids I think it would help.

Hello mythreeboys....... I did have quite a bit of swelling in my hands and forearms. I'll tell you something funny that I thought back then. My forearms were so swollen that I had thought the skin on my upper arms were pulled too tight and that the fat was squeezed down. I learned quickly that it was a stupid thought. I think that it took at least 2 weeks to go away. The best way that I could describe the pain in my arms is that it was like wearing blood pressure cuffs set on as high as it would go, but never releasing. Elevation I was told was important, as well as using your hands. It's like there is a fine line with recovery as to what you should and should not be doing. Not doing enough, or too much of a good thing. I think for me the craziest part of recovery was figuring out what was good for me. I waited so long, spent the money, and went through the pain as have all of us. 1LoLo1 mentioned about the sensations while your arms touch your sides, I still have a little of that. There again at first I had another stupid thought thinking that under my arms were still fat, or maybe just still swollen, and I would look in the mirror and check, "nope, OK it isn't whew!!" After a 9 months out, I still feel little twinges, or sometimes feeling of bugs crawling on my arms. Tell me, do you feel better at all today than a week ago? If not, maybe one more week it should start letting up. Bye Bye

Hahaha just reminded me of something. Since my arm surgery when I get that BP cuff can still not tolerate that feeling. Those twinges where like lightening bolts inside my arms. Actually they were healing. Still uber sensitive to the BP cuffs after 5 years. Ive had my eyes done, a TT, breast reduction but nothing compared to the misery I personally experienced with the arms.

Thanks - honestly i was starting to think that because my elbows are so tight that maybe it's trapping the fluids in my lower arms -silly i know but i think your brain tries to rationalize what is going on. I used my norco last night and it helps so much better - didnt help that i had some pizza and it made me swell like crazy -even my toes were swollen. i have not done much today but sleep. hopefully this will get better soon.

My three boys- I wont answer that question. Partly because I don't remember exactly and partly because I do remember.

Thanks, trying to do the same by telling myself this will pass and that people have it done every day. I was growing out my hair but i cut it super short about a month ago in prep for surgery. so glad i did - trying to wash the top of my head is a challenge right now lol so the plan is to do arms, then tummy, then breasts and possibly thighs. Now... i know i will do the tummy but i am not sure about the lift and aug? or thighs. but then i take a pain pill and an hour after it takes effect, i am still doing them all. argh - i am just over arm pain. i hope i am able to use them more before march 20th when i am supposed to do tummy.

thanks for understanding - i do see a improvement but my after will probably still look like most peoples before. it's just way more pain than i had expected. Now i dont know if i want lipo with the upcoming tummy tuck. whats weird is the original pain i had in the arms from the lipo is better, its mostly the swelling of the lower part of my arm that didnt even have anything touched and the swelling at my elbows that is whats killing me.

Had a TT about 20 yrs ago and last week went to another PS for him to review my case. The TT is far less painful than the arms and I had lipo there. For some reason I just couldnt tolerate that numbness, tightness, burning and nerve pain in my lower arms too. My elbows were especially painful for way too long. I did show him my arms are he agreed that the lipo was bad and my front surface of my arms were lumpy, wavy and pitted. He asked did I ever go back for a revision with the PS that did this work. I told him I didn't and never wanted to "go there" again no matter that my arms looked like sh*t. In retrospect I think once again it was nerve pain and brutal swelling. Eventually went for lymphatic drain massage. Know that this will pass but in my case it was a long haul. Ask if you can use ice away from the incision. It did help me. Wrapping them tightly at the elbow/raise them on pillows also helped to compress the fluid. Know you are not alone and if you want to talk please call me 516 626 5360. I feel for you babe I REALLY do. Can you possibly take some time off? One week off when you did such a major procedure doesn't seem long enough at all. Keep in close contact w the PS. Please ring me when you need to vent. Take a valium when you feel overly agitated. My elbows couldn't stand to be touched by anything either. Ill say again that the TT w lipo was far easier than the arms. Five years later I still vividly recall the arms, like it was yesterday. This is why I never chose to revise and stuck with the mess. WAY TOO TRAMATIC to go there again. If you send me your email address I will send you the result pictures from arms so you can see what happened to me. Still wearing 3/4 sleeves. The TT doctor said he would put some fat into those bad areas when I do the TT. I will let him do this to try and smooth them out. Let me know if you need to talk.... Vicki

That's great that you can be there for her MissV. We really do have to stick together because this is definitely one area in life that someone would not fully understand unless they have been through it. Really, not even your surgeon.

Thank you for all of your support! I will say that i am pretty sure i will be able to wear short sleeves after all of this - my arms probably look big compared to most people, but for me they are a major improvement. I can see small improvements each day but it's hard to wrap my head around how painfull it is. I cant really take anymore time off until i have tt - i will have 2 weeks off then. I can normally take pain pretty well but this gets overwhelming when the painkillers wear off.

I think you are the first one to say thier arms were worse than the TT - I hope that's the case with me too -- Holy cow this has been tougher than I thought. I would still do it again but it's been a blur of a week. I am trying to only take Tylenol today - we'll see how that goes. I am looking forward to having the TT done so I must be feeling better.