by Dr. Steven Wallach
When you’ve had cosmetic surgery, you often want to take more time off than is necessary or get up and move around faster than you should. While specifics do vary from doctor to doctor and procedure to procedure, for the most part there is a very fine line between when you should be up and moving and when you should be resting. Here’s how you can navigate that tricky time.
Follow the Doctor’s Orders
No matter your procedure, your surgeon will give you a strict run-down of what you should be doing when. For example, he might tell you to be resting in bed at this time, taking your medicine every few hours, and only lift heavy objects after a certain amount of time. This is your first go-to when you have questions about the recovery process. If you want a speedy recovery, follow the instructions to the letter.
Listen to Your Body
Almost as important as listening to your doctor is listening to your body. If you are in pain, don’t try to tough it out. Take medicine as soon as you can to avoid further problems such as high blood pressure or a wound that breaks open. If you are hungry, eat food and drink water. You need those nutrients to help your body heal. Take your cues from what your body wants.
Take It Easy
Although you can—and should!–get up and move around your house after a day or two (again, depending on the surgery), you should also be relaxing. You can move to work out the pain killers and resulting constipation from your body, but you can do that without going to the gym or putting in a lot of effort. Keep your blood pressure low, again to prevent bleeding and extra bruising.
Communicate Clearly
You will need to be in consistent contact with your doctor. Not only will she need to check up on how you are healing, but she will want to know how you’re doing, both physically and emotionally. Whether you need something from your doctor, your family, or someone else, make sure you are letting them know what is going on in your mind and with your body.