christy2 Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 hi are you still planning to have the op - have you booked as yet - are you going to dr jong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcc1 Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Hi ladies I am 2 weeks post op tomorrow, I returned home on Day 11 post-op, I managed a 12 hour flight home and walked through both airports, I was really pleased I managed to do this, the only thing I noticed was my ankles did feel wobbly with the fluid retention when I got home. I can walk pretty normally in wedges now but walking on flats I'm still limping and walking at a snails pace. From lying to standing I am stiff and sore mainly at the back of the knees, this is normal though, until you have done your first stretch then you start to get more movement in your calves and flexibility. I can spend about 45 mins on my feet then I feel exhausted and have to elevate my legs. One thing I have realised about this surgery is everyones recovery is different, for instance my right leg recovered faster than normal and my left leg has recovered slower than normal, and Dr. Park has said I don't need another aspiration! This is music to my ears! For me at this stage spending too long on my feet takes alot out of me physically so I am feeling quite drained right now but this could be something to do with the jetlag too. Another thing to be aware of is everyones pain threshold is different, there is a pain barrier to get through initially and then every time you stretch it is pretty uncomfortable BUT it becomes more and more bearable as your muscles start to heal but you have to persevere and push through the pain. I had not anticipated the pain I would be in, this was a big shock for me but again this depends on how your body reacts to the surgery, for the first 3 days my left leg was on fire and I couldn't even touch it it was so painful, you may find that you are fine and both legs heal equally and you spring back, it can't be predicted. My original circumference was 35.5 and last I measured I'd reduced about 1.5cms, but there is still swelling and hardness in my left leg and so I am not getting too hung up on the measurements at the moment. The shape of my legs have def. already changed they look alot straighter and slimmer which is great! I will measure again 1 month post op and this will give me a more realistic idea. I def. recommend going with someone either who is having the surgery too and coordinating your visit or taking a friend for support mentally and physically helping you to get dressed, get food etc and for you to feel more secure about just venturing out in Korea. I would def. recommend Dr. Park him and his team were fantastic, hes accomplished at this surgery! I would check with Dr. Park about the snowboarding, I am sure you could get back to it at some point but you may have to take a long time out from your sport; your muscles will be fragile for some time and snowboarding requires quite a bit of use of your calves and balance, you wouldn't want to risk injury by overdoing it too early. I'd get a realistic idea from Dr. Park. If snowboarding is your job/career this may not be the best type of surgery to undergo, check with Dr. P, hes really helpful. Hope this helps ladies x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcc1 Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 The main thing I'd say is weigh up how your calves affect your lives, I was stopping myself from doing normal activities, I used to dread the summers and would never go on a summer break with friends, I was constantly trying to find clothes and footwear to cover them up, they were causing me problems in my relationships as I would never even let my partner walk behind me for fear that he might notice them and be shocked! Mad I know! They were inhibiting my life experiences to such a degree, that I had reached the end of my tether with them! I sold virtually my entire wardrobe of clothes on eBay and didn't go out for almost a year to raise the money for the surgery and I have no regrets as I am now going to hopefully be able to live a more normal life! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilpieceofheave Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Dear pcc1 You are so brave!! feel so excited for you. pls post more on your recovery! how much did u spend in total? (inc food, accomodation) For me im going to do this end of July.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcc1 Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Hi there, Thank you and are you going to Dr. Park in July? Where are you travelling from? I am Day 15 post op now and managed to walk 40 mins around the block today,very slowly and I've been trying to walk normally without limping or dragging my left leg. I still have quite a bit of bruising and fluid retention around my ankles but this isn't as bad as it was, it just means I have to wear Ugg boots rather than trainers at this stage. The Young Dong Hotel (Dr. Park's recommendation) worked out to be £54 a night with Dr. P's discounted rate, then there was the cost of the proceedure then the taxi to and from the airport which was 90,000 South Korean Won, (each way) there are cheaper options, you can get a coach for cheaper. The room service food delivery was between 6,000 and 12,000 South Korean Won (depending on what you choose) and then I also spent a little at the supermarket on fruit and milk but not alot. There is a kettle, fridge and hairdryer in the hotel room. There is a power shower and I dragged a stool into the shower cubicle as standing for long is not easy. The beds are so comfortable, ask for extra pillows from reception so you can elevate your legs. The porters will help you with your bags, everyone in Korea I found to be very efficient and helpful. I didn't venture around South Korea because I was on my own and too nervous to go out in a foreign country by myself so I didn't take any extra cash for transport or shopping. I hope that helps. x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onetrackmind Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 Thank you so much pcc1 for sharing your experience with us!! Your posts are much muuuchhh appreciated! I am definitely doing resection of gastro this August. I have decided on this for more than a year already. It's time to realize this. I am less lucky than you. My circumference is 38-39cm. My calves are almost as big as my thighs. They cause me so much disruptions in life as I am very self-conscious of them. I wear jeans even in the summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babyangel11 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Hi All Im planning to go to Dr Park sometime this year although im still very nervous about the surgery whether there are any complications as its legs we are talking about Originally i prefer Dr Jong as his rates seem much lower but im concerned about the partial removal of the Sol muscles which Dr jong does n which Dr Park is strongly against of. Im from Asia n wonder if anyone is keen to travel together after May this year but before Oct? Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creativeflower Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Hey babyangel11, I plan on going in the beginning of this June, if that works out with your schedule, it'd be awesome to go with someone! pcc1 - thank you so much for your update!! How are you feeling/walking now? I hope to buy my plane tickets this week, but am struggling to decide how many days post opt I should stay. Dr. Park said he recommends foreigners to stay 14 days total in korea, but I just can't take too many days off of work. You flew on your post-opt 11th day. Did you go back to work right away after that? Do you wish you stayed longer in Korea? Thanks so much for your insight!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creativeflower Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 pcc1 - What do you mean by "dragging your leg"? How noticeable is your limp? would you suggest not going back to work on day 14? I would be sitting at a desk the whole time. Thank you so much for your help!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcc1 Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Hi all, I am now 3.5 weeks post op, I am no longer dragging my legs and actually walking normally now The changes you go through are very subtle but I am making progress day by day. This is a major operation so the recovery takes a long time for everything to slot back into place. I'd say if you have a desk job you could return to work by at 2.5 weeks but its unlikely you will be walking normally by then so you will have to tell people you've hurt your ankle or make an excuse. The main thing you will find is your stiff on rising and you will need to take time out to do your stretches which at 3 weeks is 5 times a day which is not too bad. I travelled back on Day 11 no problem but the journey took alot of energy and the jetlag set my recovery back a bit, but I certainly managed it no problem and would say as long as Dr. Park says your ok to come home at that stage you will be fine, just stretch on the plane. So an update on my current progress, the swelling has gone down alot and the hardness in my left leg is easing off, I'm walking normally and about 30 mins a day at a very slow pace. I'm still stiff first thing in the morning and can't walk initially but only takes a stretch and a couple of mins before I get going. I have bruising up the back of my thighs and along the sides of my feet which is uncomfy when I sit but very bearable. There is a bit of loose skin which does apparently shrink back in time. I spent nearly the whole day on my feet today and I am OK tonight, not too swollen. I can't wait to get my bandages off now and actually see my legs properly! I am however getting nerve pain in my heels, its tingling, crunchy heels and then occasionally a sharp burning shooting pain which comes out of the blue, its intermittent but is upsetting me a bit, has anyone else had this at 3.5 weeks post op? I'm hoping its just my nerves resettling but its making stretching very difficult so I'm taking it a bit more steady. I certainly hope this won't be forever. Thanks all and speak soon with another update. x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lil_tiga Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Hi im planning on going in may or june? and really do not want to go alone!! Originally i was planning on going to dr jong because of price but maybe if we went as a group to dr park we could get a discount on hotel room etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashmi99 Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Hi everyone. I apologize, as I am not on this forum much anymore. I know some of you have sent me PM's asking me about the calf surgery. I have a brand new blog and have posted my experience on there, along with pictures. I will also be posting about my experience with my eyelid surgery...I have had the procedure done twice and am going to get it revised once more. Link is in my signature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creativeflower Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Hey lil_tiga, I found out from my boss that I can't take time off in June unfortunately, so i'll probably go in July or August. It would be nice to go with someone else. Let me know if you decide to go later in the summer. ashmi99 -- thanks for sharing your experience! It's greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashmi99 Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Ladies, I moved my info to a separate blog. It can be seen here: http://calfreduction.wordpress.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creativeflower Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Hey pcc1 - I hope your recovery is going very smoothly! Thank you so much for your updates. They're very helpful. I'm trying to plan my trip to Korea and a vacation with my family. Would you think it's a bad idea to go on vacation (beaches) one month post opt? Did you still have bruising and swelling at that point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
)
Recommended Posts