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First and Second Stages
of Recovery Room
Discharge, Overnight
Stays, and Recovery Facility
Private Duty Nurses,
and Going Home
Post Operative Instructions
and Avoiding Complications
Warning Signs
General Recovery Rule of Three's
General Rule Of 3's
Recovery stages can be broken down into 3's: three hours,
three days, three weeks, three months. As discussed
above, the first three hours you will be recovering
from anesthesia.
The following three days (not including the day of
surgery) are the most difficult due to increasing bruising,
swelling, discomfort, and moodiness. During this period
you may doubt your decision to have surgery, question
your surgeon's skills, or be too uncomfortable or medicated
to care.
It is very common during this time to feel sad, cry
easily, or sleep a lot. Try to resist the temptation
to scrutinize yourself in the mirror. It will likely
be weeks or months before you start to see the results
you were hoping for.
Now is the time to follow instructions and have faith
that all of your careful research and planning has led
you to a competent surgeon who has done his or her part
to make the results as perfect as humanly possible.
By three weeks, you're feeling pretty good, starting
to return to normal daily activities, and are really
starting to see the results that you were hoping for.
Friends, co-workers or even total strangers may compliment
you on your appearance.
Even though you're feeling good at three months, you
still need to take it easy, get enough rest, and follow
your doctor's instructions. Doing too much, too soon
or being careless with your nutrition can create unnecessary
problems such as swelling, bleeding, implant shifting,
or infection.
By three months, you should be nearly completely healed
and back to life as usual, but with the new look that
you had anticipated and dreamed of for so long.
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General Info Topics
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