Your Plastic Surgery Procedures Requires a Support System

 Having a plastic surgery procedure requires physical and emotional support. A support
system built of understanding and able friends and family is a must following surgery.

Ninety-eight percent of plastic surgery procedures are done in a “outpatient” setting,
which means that you don’t spend any time admitted into a hospital after your
procedure. Once your pain is well controlled in the recovery room, and you are fully
awake from the anesthesia, you will be “discharged” from the place where you had
surgery. Your caretaker will be your family member or friend who has volunteered to
take care of you. To most, it makes sense to have help after surgery. However, some
people mistakenly believe they’ll be fine on their own. “I’m tough,” “I heal fast,” and “I
don’t need help” are a few comments I hear that I know can lead to a disaster. Let me
give you a few reasons why you need help for at least two to three days after any
surgical procedure.

• Anemia and Dehydration. After having anesthesia, as well as some blood loss and swelling, you will suffer some degree of dehydration (lack of water in your bloodstream) or anemia (a decreased number of red blood cells in your bloodstream). This combination of decreased blood count, decreased fluid volume, and residual anesthesia can lead to a high incidence of fainting. Many people can faint on stairs and tumble down, or faint in the bathroom and hit their head on the tub or sink. All of these situations can result in disastrous complications. During the first three days after your surgery you want to make sure that every time you go to the bathroom or take a shower, someone is there in case something similar occurs.
• “Brain Fog”. This is a phenomenon that occurs with many surgical procedures. You feel as though you can’t think straight and you are easily forgetful. It truly helps to have someone else manage your medications and even help you keep time in perspective. You’re going to be sleeping a lot. You might wake up and not know if you took a pill five minutes earlier or six hours earlier. These situations can lead to underdosing or overdosing. You definitely want someone around to help with medication administration during these first few days while your brain stabilizes itself.

In addition to someone helping you recover, you will need someone to temporarily take
over whatever personal responsibilities you have, both at work and around the house. You’ll be stuck mostly in bed, which means you will need help for basic things such as meals, driving to the doctor, and chores around the house.

If you want to recover properly and safely, you’ll need to secure help and be comfortable with letting things go for a while. Learn more about what to expect from your surgery by getting your copy of, “Making the Cut” available for purchase on Amazon.

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