Post-Op Top Surgery Tips (FTM Double Incision) That You Donβt Really Hear About:
(Tips in blue are things I thought of while healing, things in white are said by doctors but expanded on, anything in purple is when Iβm adding to the a point after I wrote it, ex, βthis happened when I did thisβ)
- When you cough/sneeze/blow your nose, hold a pillow to your chest, the counter pressure will prevent straining on the surgical site.
- They use a breathing tube so your throat WILL be hurting like a bitch. Swallowing anything hurts but it does get better, just be gentle, no big gulps of water. If you have good cough drops (I have medicated mucinex cough drops with me) that can help with the pain a bit, but sometimes you just have to wait it out. [Okay I can update now, so my throat pain was about half gone in four days and completely gone in seven days. So, yes it does take a while.]
- Also, with the sore throat, if you have some water right *before* taking a pill and then have water *with* the pill, it helps prevent your throat from hurting as much (Thank you to my mom for thinking of this). Oh and try to sit up when taking it, for some reason that also helps?
- I know it says donβt lift over two pounds in the first week and that is TRUE and you NEED TO LISTEN TO IT. Trust me it hurts if you try to do heavy lifting, again, just be gentle with yourself.
- βLet pain be your guide,β if you do something and it hurts, donβt do it. If you do something and it tingles, make note of that so you know where to stop next time.
- Anesthesia affects bowel movements, so for the first day to day and a half you might not be able to go, but peeing is still fine, also, donβt worry, you likely will still be able to go to the bathroom alone.
- Ask for help, you will need it and thatβs okay.
- Eat easy-to-digest foods (try the βBRATTYβ diet, B- banana, R- rice, A- applesauce, T- tea, T- toast, Y- yogurt).
- Recliner chairs are imo the best to sleep in, but if you have to push/pull a level to get the foot-rest up, ASK FOR HELP, since you will likely be using more than two pounds of force on it, which would strain.
- SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP. I cannot stress this enough- your body heals through sleep. If you are even on the edge of considering going to sleep just go to sleep. Trust me.
- SET ALARMS FOR YOUR MEDICINES.
- Get a haircut pre-op, it makes cleaning/staying clean so much easier.
- Pajama tops (button ups) are awesome to wear afterwards, you can clip your drains onto them.
- Speaking of drains, they come off at different times from person to person, my doctor told me they usually come out at day ten but mine are coming out at day fourteen just because of scheduling issues. I will update on how the appointment goes when my drains come out (in purple).
- Follow the pain medicine schedule, itβs easier to stay ahead of the pain than try to catch up to it.
- Keep a barf bag (or whatever theyβre called lol) near you, especially if youβre more pain sensitive, if your pain spikes you can get very queasy, so having something nearby can seriously save your carpet.
- Speaking of queasy-ness, I was given an an βAethereo Stick Essential Oil Inhaler, un-nauseaβ by a nurse after surgery. Itβs an aroma therapy stick and itβs helped me when Iβm feeling like Iβm about to throw up. You can put it in your pocket too since itβs the size of a chapstick. HOWEVER- this is not a full cure for nausea and if you are feeling like youβre gonna throw up you should still have a barf bag just in case.
- Ok so this one the doctors did talk about but for my fellow neurodivergent peeps in the crowd, when they say βno extreme arm movements,β just keep it at T-Rex arms. So, donβt lift your upper arm but you can move it from your elbow. No reaching high (no stretching π) just imagine if it moves your pec muscles you shouldnβt be doing it. Just keep your shoulders relaxed/down, try not to use your biceps.
- DONβT PICK AT YOURSELF! Hopefully you already knew this but if you see scabbing LEAVE IT ALONE. Not only will picking make it take longer to heal, itβll also make scarring worse.
- Donβt be mad at yourself for not being perfectly healed, this stuff takes time and youβll get back to your regular strength eventually.
- You can always reach out to friends, donβt worry, youβll get through this part, you are loved, and you are strong enough.
*I WILL BE EDITING THIS POST AS I THINK OF NEW THINGS TO ADD TO IT*
