UGHHHH i hate this!!!! when will i feel normal?!!??!

[ChangedMyName]

i don't want to sound like a whiner because i'm only 12 days out... not even 2 weeks yet... but seriously, i'm getting SO FED UP with how i feel!!! i just want to be back to normal. i hardly sleep at all anymore (i've always been a stomach sleeper), and my PS just said i could start sleeping on my side but even THAT is extremely uncomfortable because of the pressure on my arm. my chest and armpit / upper arms are still really sore, so i cant move my arms in certain ways, i can't reach far for things, i can't reach for things if they're up high.... i have to move slowly, i have to get help for so many things, i hate it!!! i feel helpless. i want to be self-sufficient and normal again. is this normal? it seemed like everyone went back to normal so fast. I'M GETTING SO FED UP. i saw someone dancing on TV and got mad because i don't feel like i will be able to move my arms or body like that for a long time! when will i just feel NORMAL again??!

[Bry6207]

are you taking your pain meds still? for some reason a lot of girls dont like to be on them and would rather suffer through, but i used mine for 2 weeks. and i felt just like you, i wasnt supposed to lift my baby for a month cause she was over 10 pounds but after 2 weeks i got tired of having to have someone help me with EVERYTHING and i said screw it and started doing things myself. only because i felt like i could, when things hurt me though i wouldnt do them.

everyones healing time is different. but maybe tell your PS that your still havin a lot of pain, because he could maybe put you on some different pain medicine, but when i was still feelin pain and bein exhausted and sick like a week and a half out of surgery, i called my PS and she said it was totally normal to feel really crappy for up to a month or so, cause everyone is different.

[peggy09]

I'm sorry you're having a slower recovery than some of the others. Recovery is so different for everyone...some bounce back really quickly and others are much slower. I've seen other posts from ladies who had a very slow recovery so I think it's normal for some people.

Have you tried taking something to help you sleep? If you could rest, that might would help a lot with everything else.

I'm sorry....I know that is soo frustrating for you!!!!

[avbjessup]

I know - it stinks feeling this way! Try Tylenol PM - it will help you sleep and help with the pain as well. You will feel better soon - it will happen all of a sudden too. Hang in there girl - you aren't alone!!!

[*starkarros*]

yes hang in there ~ I was feeling GREAT the first 2 days....not I'm feeling really crappy...not pain...but I feel extremely exhausted all day...my head hurts...I'm not hungry....I have a throw up feeling but no throw up...just that queasy feeling...I'm guessing it's all apart of the recovery process...just think of when recovery is over you'll have a lifetime to have fun with your boobies ~ that's what I keep telling myself...

[avbjessup]

Originally Posted by *starkarros*

yes hang in there ~ I was feeling GREAT the first 2 days....not I'm feeling really crappy...not pain...but I feel extremely exhausted all day...my head hurts...I'm not hungry....I have a throw up feeling but no throw up...just that queasy feeling...I'm guessing it's all apart of the recovery process...just think of when recovery is over you'll have a lifetime to have fun with your boobies ~ that's what I keep telling myself...

And emotionally I've been all over the map!!!

[Littlewitch X]

Sorry to hear that you are going through a painful recovery.
Your body is still in a state of shock from the surgery & in a recovery mode while adjusting to accommodate a foreign object(i.e. implants) in your body.
Progress of recovery, whether fast or slow - varies, compare the numbers of pre BA boobie sisters at this forum vs. those who came right back & continuously posting the progress post OP.

I understand that you'd get an impression that everybody here may appeared to be recovered fast but that is not true.
Every body is different. You may be seeing "yaay, I'm xx days post and I am blah blah blah" post a lot but it does not mean that every BA patients recovers fast as you'd think.

Now, regarding post OP discomforts, certain discomforts such as soreness, pressures, hard/painful to stretch or raise arms etc are quite normal post OP. Even if you are recovered & OK to move around, you may still feel some discomfort on certain parts of your body especially around chest and arms on your early post OP. Range of motions would still be limited because of that. It took me almost a month 'til I can comfortably move my arms or reach out to something higher up post OP.
Although I don't think you are having anything abnormal, you should contact your PS if you believe there's abnormalities or have pains rather than discomforts.

Sweetie, you'd definitely need a plenty of rest, relax, and stop worrying too much or getting stressed. Drink lots of water, REST, REST, REST and REST!
Oh, and if you are still on the prescribed med, I too suggest that you'd better switching it to otc pain med like avbjessup suggested.
Prolonged use of those prescribed pain med cause side effects, difficulty falling into sleep(well, besides the fact that you are stomach sleeper) may be one of them. Also these meds are habit-forming, in another words addictive, and usually states as such on the information comes with the med. That's why often ladies discontinued taking it within a day or 2 post OP.

I understand it seems longer for you. Believe me, we were all there post OP. It may take a while but you'll surely be back to normal.
Hang in there, girl. The pain & all the discomforts are worth all the fun & your happiness coming to you when and once you are completely recovered with your beautiful babies.

[brit529]

This whole BA thing is definitely a patience game, and I'm sure everyone here knows exactly what you are talking about! I think sometimes it is better to take things slow and be extra careful rather than force yourself to be 100% recovered and active. This surgery caused me to have to rely on others more than I am comfortable with, but in the end, protecting yourself from injury is the most important thing! I feel like one day I was frustrated like you and the next day I woke up and I felt normal again. It will come, I PROMISE!

[amberj.]

well I was feeling the same as you, but I found if I stretch my arms, im assuming you had trans ax?? I did and I know how the arms are so stiff and tight the more I use them and stretch the better I feel I obviously dont over do it but not using your arms will only lead to more stiffness, this is true with your whole body stretching is the best thing you can do to loosen up. this is my opinion some might say take more meds or rest. good luck with your recovery chica..

[*starkarros*]

If you ARE still on pain meds that could be the culprit behind your yucky-ness feeling ~ I talked to a friend of mine who is like 5-6 months out and she told me she got off her meds almost immediately ~ I remember she was out shopping/driving like on the 2nd or 3rd day post BA ~ she's like me and hates being bored and stuck in the house but he told me last night it definitely could be the meds that are making me feel this way...and I thought about it...and I believe she is RIGHT ~

I am not taking my meds anymore as of today because I was feeling really crappy the past 2 days ~ I'm done with my antibiotics so that's a plus (i would definitely take those until you're done with them) but as far as the Vicadin goes....I've never been in THAT much pain to really need to take them...(my wisdom teeth being pulled and going through recovery with that was like a million times worse...weird I know...) ~ I only took the Vicadin for this because it was prescribed for me and then I started taking it when I couldn't get comfortable sleeping and it would knock me out...so I guess I Was using it to sleep...so I'm tired of feeling yucky and am ready to feel like day one again...

so that's my long story of advice...I HTH ~ GOOD LUCK girl

[peggy09]

I felt yucky from the pain meds too. Not sick but just out of it. I took them for 24 hrs and then went to extra strength tylenol. That might help.

[*starkarros*]

Originally Posted by peggy09

I felt yucky from the pain meds too. Not sick but just out of it. I took them for 24 hrs and then went to extra strength tylenol. That might help.

just in case i needed it ~ and that way you want feel groggy...dizzy...stuff like that because thats what the meds will do to ya

[ChangedMyName]

hi everyone... just wanted to update. i'm still really upset!!! i tried driving last night for the first time since my surgery, and i really should not have been driving!! it hurt to turn the wheel, to use the emergency brake, to open and close the door, to shift from park to drive, etcc... everything!!! i am almost 2 weeks out, i thought that surely i could at least freakin drive but i guess i can't do that either!!

then i was at in&out with my friend (that's a fast food place for anyone who doesn't have those), and tried to pump some ketchup out of the ketchup dispenser... and couldn't!! i had to call to my friend to help me. everyone was looking at me and probably thinking "what the hell? how can this poor girl be so weak that she can't even get ketchup?!" it was really hilarious because everyone was staring and we laughed for a long time after, but it still is just another thing to add to the list... ughhh

to answer everyone's questions, i am not taking my pills anymore. the other night i tried taking a valium and percocet before bed, and that did not even help me with all of the discomfort and pain during the night and in the morning. not to mention, i STILL could barely sleep.

i only had crease incision (under the boobs / inframammary i think its called?) so i really didn't think that i would have so much trouble with using my arms. i think it's worse than the pain in my boob area

[peggy09]

Originally Posted by ChangedMyName

hi everyone... just wanted to update. i'm still really upset!!! i tried driving last night for the first time since my surgery, and i really should not have been driving!! it hurt to turn the wheel, to use the emergency brake, to open and close the door, to shift from park to drive, etcc... everything!!! i am almost 2 weeks out, i thought that surely i could at least freakin drive but i guess i can't do that either!!

then i was at in&out with my friend (that's a fast food place for anyone who doesn't have those), and tried to pump some ketchup out of the ketchup dispenser... and couldn't!! i had to call to my friend to help me. everyone was looking at me and probably thinking "what the hell? how can this poor girl be so weak that she can't even get ketchup?!" it was really hilarious because everyone was staring and we laughed for a long time after, but it still is just another thing to add to the list... ughhh

to answer everyone's questions, i am not taking my pills anymore. the other night i tried taking a valium and percocet before bed, and that did not even help me with all of the discomfort and pain during the night and in the morning. not to mention, i STILL could barely sleep.

i only had crease incision (under the boobs / inframammary i think its called?) so i really didn't think that i would have so much trouble with using my arms. i think it's worse than the pain in my boob area

I'm sorry you're still feeling bad!! ((HUGS))

[SassynSilly]

I feel that I could have wrote EXACTLY what you are feeling ! I'm not going to say that I'm happy you feel this way, but in a way it makes me feel better that I'm not the only one! I'm 13 days post op and feel that I can't move very well. It's so frustrating - AHHH!
I do however feel that I'm getting better everyday, so that makes me feel better.

Try to compare where you are today to where you were 1 week ago. You must be a little better
We need to keep our spirts up - healing will be better that way!