gsykes Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 Today is my 14th day post-op follow-up, and I believe it will be my final day of aspiration, after which I will likely be starting to wear the stockings assigned to me. My calf circumference will go from 40cm to, as Dr. Park thinks, about 34-35cm. Right now, he says it's already gone down to 38cm, and I can already tell a huge difference! So I'm really thrilled to find out what my legs will look like once the swelling goes down completely! As far as the past 14 days go, I won't sugar coat anything... The pain was like hell for me. You must stretch, though! And that's where the pain comes in the most, that and trying to lie back down. My body went into shock every time I tried to lie down after stretching, and I'd find myself in dire need of warmth even though I was sweating before I even began stretching. So take that into consideration - there is a lot of pain involved. As such, if anyone is deciding on staying for just a few or several days instead of the recommended full 2 weeks after the operation, you might want to reconsider your options. Do try to take at least 14 days off, during which you'll have plenty of time to limp that pain away. Dr. Park needs to aspirate your calves every few days during these 2 weeks to eliminate the fluid that fills the cavity once muscle fibers have been removed during surgery, and if you can't stay the entire 14 days, he will teach you how to aspirate your calves on your own. But honestly, I could never imagine myself aspirating my calves on my own; you have to stick a needle into your calves with the syringe attached, suck the fluid out of your calves, and then every time the syringe is filled with fluid, you must detach the syringe from the needle and expel the fluid into some sort of disposal bin. You must also squeeze your calf area to ensure that you are getting as much fluid as you can. And that's basically why I can't do it on my own... It's nice to have the expert Dr. Park ensuring that my calves look nice and not so swollen. Also, if anyone is thinking that they can go out and buy food and eat out, think again; the pain is really quite intense after the first 3 days, and that is because your leg muscles are beginning to realize that something major has happened, and they will try to fix what has happened; in our case, a supposedly large amount of calf muscle fibers has been removed, leaving an empty cavity in its place, and the remaining muscle fibers must fix the "wounded" area. This is where the stretching becomes essential, and naturally much more painful than before. During the first 3 days, the body is in shock and almost oblivious to what has happened, but after that, the muscle fibers in the calves begin to get very, very tight because they are trying to reattach themselves to the rest of the body. Stretching is very painful in the morning due to extended contraction overnight, but if you are consistent with the 5 minutes of stretching every 30 minutes, then you will be fine as the day progresses. But then this process is repeated the following morning - extreme pain in the morning. Do wear wedge heels to the clinic on the day of the surgery so that you can walk out of the clinic the following day in them; you'll want no other shoes for the trip back to your temporary residence. But after that, you should probably want to wear flat shoes once walking becomes tolerable. For me, I immediately started wearing flat shoes so I could continue stretching as I walked, if I needed to. But I didn't really start walking, with the exception of the usual trip to the clinic for aspiration, until about 8 days after the operation. I'd go out and have lunch with my mom somewhere, and then get patbingsu later... You can't really walk for more than 30 minutes at a time, lest you desire to accumulate a greater amount of fluid in your calves. But walking is recommended so that your calves can become accustomed to it again and to start to have a familiar shape to your walking style. This also gives Dr. Park a better image of how you are progressing. 14 days later, I am actually feeling quite well! I can walk pretty normally, and in flat shoes mind you. There is still quite a bit of bruising, and my hamstring muscles are feeling a bit sore now, and sometimes even the front of my knees as well. Also, I actually severely sprained my ankle in March; it was bad news back then and I nearly thought I couldn't get this surgery, but I went ahead and did it anyway. As a result, my ankle became quite swollen after the operation, which made it more painful to stretch... But it's back to normal now lol. If anyone has questions or concerns, I will try to answer them if you'd like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
girliciousgirl Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 To gsykes: Thank you so so much for all the information on your progress! I'm happy that you are doing well! Just a couple of questions: 1) How long do you think it would take for all the bruising to disappear? 2) I dance hip hop pretty intensely. Do you think I could resume this activity 5 weeks after the surgery? 3) Was your mother supportive of you doing the surgery right from the beginning? I am currently trying to convince my own mother to allow me to have this surgery done. Her biggest concern is safety. 4) How does that empty space (where the muscle was removed) disappear? Thank you in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ooh_la Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 Hi gsykes, Thank you for updating us on your progress! As someone who's in a similar situation (my circumference is 40 cm and Dr. Park says ideally, it should be 35-36 cm), I'm glad to hear that your calves have gone down by so much already! I was wondering how you are dealing with recovery in this hot weather. There seems to be a stigma in Korea regarding operating in the summer as it increases the likelihood of infections and scarring. On the other hand, I have plenty of Korean friends who've gotten procedures done over the summer with zero problems. Did Dr. Park mention anything about this or take special precautions? I imagine one difficult aspect would be wearing the stockings and keeping your legs covered up in the heat. How bad is the bruising? Did you take anything like Sinecch or Bromelain to aid the recovery process? The pain sounds excruciating! I was originally hoping to combine calf reduction with another procedure during the recovery process but that doesn't sound likely now. By the way, did Dr. Park recommend lipo for the knee / ankle area? My circumference is due to a combination of muscle and fat and I think I'll definitely need it. Thanks again for your honest and informative update Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsykes Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 1) I'm not sure how long it will take for the bruising to disappear; I believe the initial amount of bruising is different according to how well each individual's body takes the "damage" done by the operation. After 14 days, the bruising is going away pretty nicely, and it's mostly on my left leg, even though my right leg hurt more lol. I would imagine it'd be gone by next week, so I guess about 21 days at the most. I'll let you know how that works out, though. 2) As for being able to exercise again, Dr. Park recommends you wait until 6 weeks after the operation to resume your normal routine. It's difficult to walk as is, so I can't really imagine exercising so soon, but if your body heals quickly and your scar is holding out well, then I think you could start dancing at 5 weeks post-op. But make sure that you are not trying to overwork your body, and if you feel pain, do sit out. 3) At first, my mom was like..., "What??" I've had eating disorders due to the stress I get from my legs. I used to run 7 miles a night for almost a year at one point, and that led to an injured knee and hip which still aren't quite right. That's also the side that I sprained my ankle on; I guess my right leg is pretty weak. But secretly, my mom was actually planning a trip to Korea, and then in the middle of this past spring semester at college, she told me that if I really want to do it, I could, and that we'd leave during the summer. So in a way, she's always been supportive of me. She was mostly just worried for my health. 4) The empty space becomes closed over time by the removal of fluid via aspiration as well as through continued wrapping of the legs. I believe for the first 2 weeks, they want you to wrap your legs in ace bandage wraps, which are provided by the clinic, and they try to make it tight enough to where you feel that there is a lot of compression on your calves. Basically, the space is manually closed over time, and the continued wrapping and aspiration is also to reduce swelling in the legs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsykes Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 Actually, my legs have only gone down by about a centimeter in each leg, but even with this little gone, I can already see a difference, and you've no idea how much of a difference such a small amount can make! I'm absolutely thrilled!! And I feel comfortable looking in the mirror now haha. I just stay inside all day and stretch and rest/elevate my legs. I rest for 20 minutes, then get up and stretch/walk around the room for about 10 minutes, then rest for 20 minutes, etc... And I repeat this all day until around the 8th or 9th day, and then I start taking about 30 minute walks outside and stopping by restaurants with my mom for lunch or snacks, but then I come back "home" and continue resting and stretching. It's not that hot right now to be honest, but I'm from Texas so I can't really promise much; it's always hot there lol. So it's nice to be inside with A/C and all. Whenever I do go out, I wear long dresses so that my legs are covered up pretty nicely. Long dresses are nice to wear anyway, with the breeze and all~ I feel like I'm not wearing anything at all lol. I did take Sinnech because that's what Dr. Park says you do need; it supposedly aids in the reduction of pain, swelling, and bruising. So do purchase that before you even leave the States or wherever you're from, because it is more expensive to buy in Korea. You will need it. I'm sure you can combine it with another operation. Depending on what other type you'd like to get, I'd imagine that the calf surgery will be the worst of the two lol. But at 14 days now, I look back and am glad it's over. The pain is tolerable. For me, my circumference was due largely to muscle; I didn't have much fat at all, so he didn't recommend liposuction as well. He says a layer of fat is nice, because if you have no fat, then your legs will look too muscular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackkki Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 does anyone who have had the surgery have a bulge on the INNER LOWER side of the calf? I'm post op 3 weeks and still have the bulge. therefore the inner part of my legs is not straight. makes my legs look lopsided because the upper is caved in (which is the empty where the muscle was removed) and the lower is bulging. I'm not sure if the bulge is the gastro muscle or the swollen tendon. I forgot to ask dr park what it is. WILL it get smaller? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackkki Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 does anyone who have had the surgery have a bulge on the INNER LOWER side of the calf? I'm post op 3 weeks and still have the bulge. therefore the inner part of my legs is not straight. makes my legs look lopsided because the upper is caved in (which is the empty where the muscle was removed) and the lower is bulging. I'm not sure if the bulge is the gastro muscle or the swollen tendon. I forgot to ask dr park what it is. WILL it get smaller? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsykes Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Yea I do at 14 days. I just saw Dr. Park today, but he didn't say anything about my bulge. Also, when they removed the fluid on my right calf, there was like a huge gap in my calf, almost as if someone punched my leg and left their imprint on my leg. Definitely something is missing from my leg lol. But I believe it is normal, and it will take a few months until you see the full results. If you are having doubts about your bulge, e-mail him through his website and send pictures as well if it is really disconcerting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsykes Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 FYI, at 14 days, Dr. Park says I can walk 2 hours at a time now. My legs get tired very fast though, and oftentimes it hurts to sit in any hard chair, as my hamstrings are now sore as well. But it's so nice to walk around again finally, and know that my legs aren't as heavy and bulky as they used to be! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ooh_la Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Thanks for your reply, gsykes. I'm so jealous of you! I wish I could fast forward through the entire process to where you are now. How much longer are you planning to stay in Korea? I'll be in Seoul in July. It'll be cool if we could meet up then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsykes Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 That would be great! However, unfortunately, I'll be leaving on June 25... At least I'm here for Wonder Girls' comeback Not sure if anyone knows them or even cares lol I will hope for the best outcome in your situation! There may be pain, but once it's over, you'll probably feel like you could do it all over again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ooh_la Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 Thanks gsykes! I hope you're recovering nicely Please keep us updated on your progress. I can't wait until I go to Korea this summer and go through it myself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
girliciousgirl Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 gsykes: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions! I wish you a speedy recovery! Please keep us updated. ^.^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
girliciousgirl Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 ooh_la: How did you convince your parents?! I am still trying to convince my own. :'( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackkki Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 i'm 26th day post op and my recovery has been so slow since dr park removed a lot of muscle,7-8cm (pre op 40cm; post 32-33.5cm). However, the swelling on my feet has went down and no longer looks like a ballon. From post op day 18-22, my feet were so swollen that none of my sneakers fit. NOt even the loose ones. The only shoes that would fit me were my uggs and even uggs felt snug. Nevertheless, my ankles are still swollen especially after walking. They look like cankles. To give you an idea, pre op my ankles were 21 cm. now they are 25 cm from the swelling. Today was my first day at work. I took an extra week off more because I wasn't walking well. The back of my knees do not feel faint anymore when walking but I do still have a noticeable limp. My job consist of standing on my feet for 8 hrs and boy was hard today. And everyone kept asking me why I was limping. The thing that is painful are my heels. I guess so much weight on it. I am wearing a thick gel insert for my heels but after 2 hrs, they stop working. I use to be a toe walker and runner and now I can't even tip toe. I really walk heel to toe now. I hope by walking more, it will accelerate my recovery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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