When can I stop worrying?

[cdnmom2girls]

Hi Dr. Pelletiere,

I'm almost 9 weeks postop (breast augmentation, under the muscle, crease incision), and since day 1, I've been cautious in everything I do to ensure I don't mess up my surgery. I didn't vacuum, grocery shop, do laundry, pick up the kids until after the 6-wk mark (my husband did everything) and even since then, I've been careful.

How long does it take for everything to heal enough that I can stop worrying and start living a "normal" life? I was playing hide-and-seek with my daughters tonight, and dove behind a bed to hide. Right away, I felt some pulling and I've been worried ever since that I messed something up. I'm afraid I've ripped some sutures and I'll wake up tomorrow morning lopsided. I'm always so careful...

Honestly, the last time I was this worried for so long was during my last pregnancy, after having suffered 2 miscarriages beforehand.

[Dr. Pelletiere]

You are definetely far enough out now that you should be doing all your normal activities without any hesitation. I give my patients the green light at the one month mark. You are still going to feel some strange feelings (pulling, nerve irritation, etc.) for a month or two, but these are normal. At this point you should be treating yourself like you never had the surgery.