How did you look 4 days post op?

I'm on day four - and I have all kinds of bruising around my PM. The incision itself looks okay, but the PM site, my shoulder, and my armpit are all bruised up and my breast and armpit are pretty sore. My boyfriend says "Its normal, because you just had surgery" but I just want to see if others had this too.

I posted a pic if you care to see it. You cant see the armpit to well but its bruised in that area too.

8 Comments

"3 days"

by ReneeV2.0 - 2012-04-21 01:04:27

Also, my boyfriend insists that I say "3 days post op) because surgery was Wednesday morning..so this is only my 3rd day out of the hospital.

DETAILS!

Listen To Your Own Body ~

by Carolyn65 - 2012-04-21 01:04:46

I am a firm believer of listening to your own body. It tells you when you are hungry, thirsty & IF you 'listen', it will let you know when you are ready to make any 'moves' ~ do not rush your healing/cosmetic appearances ~

Everyone is different, Dr's. are different ~ just 'slow' down and let the natural healing process work ~ I think 6 wks, maybe 8 wks, was what it took for my new PM bruising, itching, all, etc. to all stop back in 11/09 ~ Everyone is different ~ I only bruised/hurt right around the PM incision area, right below my collar bone ~

After that, I have 'forgotten' I have my lil' energizer bunny', UNless I happen to bump it in the shower or something like that ~ Have you named your PM? ~

Hang in there, Renee ~
Carolyn G. in TEXAS ~ Stop To Smell The Roses ~

Looks OK

by TickTock-UK - 2012-04-21 04:04:49

Hi Renee,

As everyone has said, everyone is different, yours is quite normal. Unlike some people on here reporting that they were left black and blue after the op.
The Surgeon told me I might have some bad brusing after the op, but nothing all went OK, not a mark just a nice scar.. It will get better for you real soon.

WNL

by donr - 2012-04-21 10:04:52

Short for "Within Normal Limits."

You didn't say whether it was planted below the muscle or not. May make a difference.

When they cut you open, there is a fair amount of bleeding, that varies from person to person. I had little bleeding, little bruising.

Now that being said, I had shoulder surgery & had bruising pretty far down my arm. BUT... it wasn't REALY bruising. A bruise is something we associate w/ a trauma of some sort - you get clobbered & capillaries are broken, bood oozes out & fills up the space between muscle fibers & other tissues & it turns black & blue & we call it a bruise. It is usually pretty darned sore.

I have had 4 instances where I I BADLY bruised either a thigh or buttocks. Man, did it HURT!!!!! Did it ever turn black & blue! So much so that on two of the occasions, I could not walk was reduced to crutches for a week or so. In all four instances, GRAVITY took over & moved a lot of the excess blood out of the bruised area DOWN my leg, oozing & flowing between muscle fibers, fascia, skin & whatever, forming a humongous, ugly but totally unpainful "Bruise" all the way down to the top of my foot!

Took several weeks for all the black & blue to resolve itself.

I suspect that you are having some of that happen to you. Gravity is moving excess blood left in the pocket DOWN into your breast area.

Don

Oh, right.. gravity!

by ReneeV2.0 - 2012-04-22 01:04:32

I guess I never really considered gravity. LOL.

I just want to fast forward 6 weeks and get back to "normal".


I'm still trying to determine what is temporary pain, and permanent annoyance.

Good Old Gravity...

by donr - 2012-04-22 02:04:17

Renee, we will not go into what gravity will do to you when you hit about 50 - this is a family site.

But - it does cause a lot of wierd things to happen when you have a lot of loose blood in your body. It has to go somewhere, & DOWN is where it goes, following all the little nooks & crannies of the body. Realize that DOWN is relative. It's toward your feet if you are standing & toward your back if you are lying down. Does that explain some of where your bruising is?

BTW: 3/4 days post-op is really a bit soon to try to figure out the difference between temporary pain & permanent annoyance. You have to let your body sort things out a bit before that will resolve itself. Be a bit patient, please. Just look at how your heart is working today, not how you feel after losing a major knife fight w/ an expert when you went in unarmed!

Asecond BTW: The only way to get to 6 weeks from now is to face each day as it comes - there is no "Fast Forward" on life!

Cheers.

Don

As Always... THANK YOU!

by ReneeV2.0 - 2012-04-27 04:04:04

Thanks everyone for all your feedback! I really appreciated. I am looking a little better. Not bikini ready just yet... but maybe by july :)


Don - you are hilarious... Thanks for all your advise AGAIN!

Eased my mind

by aljam - 2014-03-14 10:03:16

I'm 3 days post and just noticed the bruising starting. I see it must be normal so I won't worry about it. Thanks folks!

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