Reviews you can trust, from real people like you.
How it works
- Our highly-trained Review Moderation team evaluates all reviews before they're published to ensure they're written by people like you and not a member of a doctor's office.
- This multi-step process takes up to 24 hours from review submission to publication.
- Doctors can't pay to have reviews removed or hidden.
- Reviews are only removed at the reviewer's request or if they violate our Terms of Service.
If you have questions or believe we should re-evaluate a published review, let us know.
Sort by:
*Treatment results may vary
Post-Surgery Diet and Healing Process
I wanted to share a bit about my diet after surgery, in case it's useful for anyone. I think I've had pretty good results so far.
~Starting the night before surgery, I began fasting at 9pm.
I continued liquid fasting for 96 hours, consuming green tea in the morning (caffeinated and high in antioxidants), rooibos tea in the evening (very soothing and high in antioxidants), and copious amounts of lemon water throughout the day. During his time, I took B12 and Vitamin C supplements. I also took the prescribed Oxycodone for pain on the day of surgery and the next day, alternating with ibuprofen. I continued with ibuprofen only on day 3 but discontinued all pain/anti-inflammation medications by the end of the day. I started ambling carefully around the house beginning on the evening after my surgery.
My surgeon placed one Jackson-Pratt drain in the surgical site to eliminate excess fluids from the surgery. I was told to empty the drain bag regularly and measure the fluid it contained at specific intervals. The day of surgery, I collected about 5 ml on fluid in the drain, which was way less than the <20 ml I was told to expect. After that first day, I didn’t get more than 1 or 2 drops of blood (really, a pinprick’s worth) each day. By the third day, I wasn’t draining any fluid. I don’t know if this has something to do with the way the drain was inserted, the surgery performed, or my general constitution, but clearly I had no significant fluid retention. I’d like to think my liquid fasting, low sodium healing protocol had something to do with it.
On Day 3 post-op, I introduced new liquids to my diet, drinking cold-pressed vegetable juices throughout the day. The juices included different combinations of kale, cucumber, celery, beet, parsley, spinach, ginger, young coconut water, and green apple. On Day 4, I added wheatgrass shots (superfood with mega-protein, chlorophyll), alternating a shot with my green juice and lemon water, and being careful to space my consumption of each liquid to ensure maximum nutrient absorption. I also went for my first acupuncture treatment to support blood circulation to the trunk of my body and breasts. This day also happened to be New Year’s Eve, so I must admit, I did indulge in some cheese, raw walnuts and olives that night, followed by two glasses of Champagne. But, as noted, I had stopped my pain meds on day two so I wasn’t really concerned about the consequences. On the evening of Day 4, I consumed beef bone broth for its amino acids, protein and anti-inflammatory effects.
On Day 5, I had vegetable juice in the day plus broth, and I had homemade black bean soup with avocado slices, cilantro and sour cream for dinner. It was an unusually warm day for January in Baltimore, so I spent about 3 hours on my rooftop deck soaking in vitamin D from the sun (non-surgical areas only) and it was paradise. I took a wonderful walk in the park late afternoon and felt no pain or discomfort whatsoever. I hadn’t had a bowel movement because of all the liquid nutrition so the fiber in the beans was an utmost necessity!
On Day 6, I continued juicing and had a late afternoon snack of raw walnuts (for fiber) and organic sauerkraut (a lot of it!), which I should have started eating sooner since it’s a powerful raw pro-biotic. I wanted to make sure to balance out my gut after taking the antibiotics prescribed by my doctor. Tonight, it’s green salad and senna tea (gentle natural laxative). I should mention that throughout my entire first week, I never really felt swollen in my torso area, though I had lots of swelling around my breast implants. The incisions below my breasts hurt but the swelling did not.
Tomorrow, Day 7, I will resume my acupuncture for three consecutive days. I would have gone daily but they were closed for the New Year holidays. I am hoping that the acupuncture will accelerate healing by counteracting the sluggish energy and blood flow induced by the trauma of surgery and the 24/7 binding of my torso and breasts.
Let me explain why I decided to focus on juice fasting. It was important to me to develop a treatment plan for myself that would optimize and accelerate my healing as much as possible. I wanted to wean myself off pain meds quickly while also detoxifying my system and lightening the pharmaceutical load on my liver. To give my immune system and other vital systems their best fighting chance, I knew fasting was the answer, with lemon juice (and its white blood cell producing power) as my number one ally. But healing requires lots of nutrition, too. So, I also decided that juice fasting would offer the most superior nutrient delivery system, supporting every cell in my body, since consuming a vegetable in juice form increases (by leaps and bounds!) the bioavailability of the minerals and vitamins contained within. In addition to the juices, the beans, bone broth and avocado were important because I wanted to do my best to support collagen production, which would help my severed muscles to repair themselves as well as feed my connective tissues. As every woman knows, collagen is also great for skin health, which we all need after major cosmetic surgery!
Although my Week 1 healing journey wasn’t totally without pain and discomfort, I’m glad I took care of my body as I did. I feel great and am getting better every day. I will begin Week 2 of healing tomorrow, and after acupuncture I’ll be heading to the gym for a long, slow walk on the treadmill. I have no doubt that my final results will be fantastic, thanks to a great surgical team, my own positive attitude, the support of loved ones in my life, and adherence to a nutrient-dense raw juice healing method. I hope this post-op food diary is helpful to someone.
~Starting the night before surgery, I began fasting at 9pm.
I continued liquid fasting for 96 hours, consuming green tea in the morning (caffeinated and high in antioxidants), rooibos tea in the evening (very soothing and high in antioxidants), and copious amounts of lemon water throughout the day. During his time, I took B12 and Vitamin C supplements. I also took the prescribed Oxycodone for pain on the day of surgery and the next day, alternating with ibuprofen. I continued with ibuprofen only on day 3 but discontinued all pain/anti-inflammation medications by the end of the day. I started ambling carefully around the house beginning on the evening after my surgery.
My surgeon placed one Jackson-Pratt drain in the surgical site to eliminate excess fluids from the surgery. I was told to empty the drain bag regularly and measure the fluid it contained at specific intervals. The day of surgery, I collected about 5 ml on fluid in the drain, which was way less than the <20 ml I was told to expect. After that first day, I didn’t get more than 1 or 2 drops of blood (really, a pinprick’s worth) each day. By the third day, I wasn’t draining any fluid. I don’t know if this has something to do with the way the drain was inserted, the surgery performed, or my general constitution, but clearly I had no significant fluid retention. I’d like to think my liquid fasting, low sodium healing protocol had something to do with it.
On Day 3 post-op, I introduced new liquids to my diet, drinking cold-pressed vegetable juices throughout the day. The juices included different combinations of kale, cucumber, celery, beet, parsley, spinach, ginger, young coconut water, and green apple. On Day 4, I added wheatgrass shots (superfood with mega-protein, chlorophyll), alternating a shot with my green juice and lemon water, and being careful to space my consumption of each liquid to ensure maximum nutrient absorption. I also went for my first acupuncture treatment to support blood circulation to the trunk of my body and breasts. This day also happened to be New Year’s Eve, so I must admit, I did indulge in some cheese, raw walnuts and olives that night, followed by two glasses of Champagne. But, as noted, I had stopped my pain meds on day two so I wasn’t really concerned about the consequences. On the evening of Day 4, I consumed beef bone broth for its amino acids, protein and anti-inflammatory effects.
On Day 5, I had vegetable juice in the day plus broth, and I had homemade black bean soup with avocado slices, cilantro and sour cream for dinner. It was an unusually warm day for January in Baltimore, so I spent about 3 hours on my rooftop deck soaking in vitamin D from the sun (non-surgical areas only) and it was paradise. I took a wonderful walk in the park late afternoon and felt no pain or discomfort whatsoever. I hadn’t had a bowel movement because of all the liquid nutrition so the fiber in the beans was an utmost necessity!
On Day 6, I continued juicing and had a late afternoon snack of raw walnuts (for fiber) and organic sauerkraut (a lot of it!), which I should have started eating sooner since it’s a powerful raw pro-biotic. I wanted to make sure to balance out my gut after taking the antibiotics prescribed by my doctor. Tonight, it’s green salad and senna tea (gentle natural laxative). I should mention that throughout my entire first week, I never really felt swollen in my torso area, though I had lots of swelling around my breast implants. The incisions below my breasts hurt but the swelling did not.
Tomorrow, Day 7, I will resume my acupuncture for three consecutive days. I would have gone daily but they were closed for the New Year holidays. I am hoping that the acupuncture will accelerate healing by counteracting the sluggish energy and blood flow induced by the trauma of surgery and the 24/7 binding of my torso and breasts.
Let me explain why I decided to focus on juice fasting. It was important to me to develop a treatment plan for myself that would optimize and accelerate my healing as much as possible. I wanted to wean myself off pain meds quickly while also detoxifying my system and lightening the pharmaceutical load on my liver. To give my immune system and other vital systems their best fighting chance, I knew fasting was the answer, with lemon juice (and its white blood cell producing power) as my number one ally. But healing requires lots of nutrition, too. So, I also decided that juice fasting would offer the most superior nutrient delivery system, supporting every cell in my body, since consuming a vegetable in juice form increases (by leaps and bounds!) the bioavailability of the minerals and vitamins contained within. In addition to the juices, the beans, bone broth and avocado were important because I wanted to do my best to support collagen production, which would help my severed muscles to repair themselves as well as feed my connective tissues. As every woman knows, collagen is also great for skin health, which we all need after major cosmetic surgery!
Although my Week 1 healing journey wasn’t totally without pain and discomfort, I’m glad I took care of my body as I did. I feel great and am getting better every day. I will begin Week 2 of healing tomorrow, and after acupuncture I’ll be heading to the gym for a long, slow walk on the treadmill. I have no doubt that my final results will be fantastic, thanks to a great surgical team, my own positive attitude, the support of loved ones in my life, and adherence to a nutrient-dense raw juice healing method. I hope this post-op food diary is helpful to someone.
Post-Surgery Diet and Results
Dr. Vela is great. I highly recommend him! On 12/28, I had a mini-tummy tuck and breast implant exchange to increase my bust size. Belcara is a wonderful facility and Dr. Vela has a caring and professional demeanor. I have had no complications at all and my recovery has been smooth all the way.
Provider Review
