Surgery Story & How I Am 2 Months Post Op

On February 11th, 2020, My life got a restart… a restart that for the longest time was just a wish. On the 2nd “Pale Ginger Pear” day, I started my Lipedema Reduction Surgery Journey with Dr. Jaime Schwartz of Total Lipedema Care.

Why I Chose Dr. Jaime:

I met Dr. Jaime back in October of 2019 for the best doctor consult I’ve ever had in my life. A few sentences into my consult with him, Dr. Jaime had asked me to remove my compression stockings so he could see my legs. I had only managed to get one stocking off when Dr. Jaime dropped to his knees and grabbed my leg to examine the way my ankles cuffed. He then turned to his office girl and started rattling off a game plan to ease my pain and improve my mobility. I just remember sitting there trying not to cry thinking a doctor that doesn’t think I’m crazy, a doctor that believes this is a real condition and wants to improve my life. I can not remember ever talking to a doctor and feeling like they felt I was worthy of help.

Prepping for Surgery:

There wasn’t much required in terms of pre-surgery prep on my part. It was mostly counting down and stressing out over if my PCP would clear me for surgery. Thirty days pre-op, I had to get some lab work done that Dr. Jaime’s office had sent over. My PCP required an EKG as well before he would give me the okay to have the surgery. The only other thing I had to do was pick up the prescriptions from my local pharmacy to bring with me for post-surgery. It was way easier than I needed to be stressed out about.

The day before surgery, almost the moment I got off the plane, I headed to the Total Lipedema Care (TLC) office for my pre-op appointment. In this appointment, Courtney took some before photos for my file before Dr. Jaime explained his game plan for the next day and answered any questions I had.

Surgery Day:

I woke up to the amazing TLC Office Girls who assisted me with anything I needed as I waited for Brooke to take me back to the recovery apartment. I was surprised at how little walking hurt and how lighter my legs felt already. The first night of recovery I took it easy and just elevated my legs while being amazed at how I could already see such a size difference. I had expected thick post-op wrapping almost like Lymphedema wrapping that I didn’t think I’d be able to see the difference already.

Post Op:

– First Week –

I woke up the morning after with more energy than I ever remember having. As I got ready to head over to my post-op appointment, I was amazed at how I wasn’t feeling any pain. I just wanted to go do things. The post-op appointment was brief. They checked my drains, how my legs were looking, changed my compression and asked if I had any questions. After my appt. Brooke and I took the convertible for a drive to Mel’s Drive-In for breakfast before we hit up the Drybar. I could have stayed out longer but felt I should go back to the apartment and elevate my legs. The rest of my time in LA, I visited with friends and went to Frank’s Coffee Shop for my Childish Gambino moment. 

I flew home the Saturday after surgery and had returned to work Tuesday, one week after surgery. Dr. Jaime called me super early Tuesday morning a bit concerned with a photo he saw the post of my legs on IG. He gave some recommendations and kept checking in on me over the next week.

– First Month –

The first month was spent focusing on combating the extra level of healing difficulty that Lymphedema adds. My tools for reducing the post-op swelling and the Lymphedema swelling were elevation and Lymphedema wrapping sessions twice weekly. As much as Lymphedema wrapping makes day to day things a bit of a struggle, the results are so worth it. I still felt amazing and was way more active than before but I made sure not to overdo it as I was focusing on healing the open wounds and swelling.

 

– Second Month –

Month two brought a new job, the fear of almost losing my house in a fire, and the COVID-19 pandemic. I was thrilled to have the Lymphedema wrapping completed and new compression stockings ordered so that I didn’t lose all the progress we made over the last few weeks. My new tools to combat the swelling and get Lymph fluid moving were my vibration plate and an old Flexitouch pump. The scabbing has healed 97% of the way. I have 2 small line type scabs and then one spot that is a bit of a bigger wound open still. That spot is now smaller than a dime. Regarding my Lymphedema, I’ve noticed that both legs do not swell anywhere near as bad as before. The original injury spot on my left leg still swells up the worst.

Post Op Realizations:

• Sensitivity to touch in lower legs drastically reduced
• The feeling of over swelling to the point my feet felt like they could explode hasn’t happened since 2/11/2020
• Brain fog is gone
• Ability to remember new things and focus is so much stronger
• Sinus issues not as severe
• The skin has more color/ a glow
• The energy level is greater

I fully believe some of those things improved or stopped due to all that extra Lymph build-up, and in turn the toxins it carries, being removed from my body. If this one surgery has changed my life so much I can’t imagine how I’ll feel once we are all done.

 

 

Dr. Jaime Schwartz's IG @DrJaimeSchwartz

Total Lipedema Care IG: @TotalLipedemaCare
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