The worst part of plastic surgery is the initial stage of recovery; the excitement of gaining a new body is a little tempered with the anxiety of how well the operation went and the pain and swelling that are part of the recuperative process. Although plastic surgery is done mostly for cosmetic reasons, it is still surgery and your body is being cut open and subject to various procedures. So you need to take all the precautions that you would with a regular surgery and also be prepared for the following:
• Pain and swelling: Plastic surgery is not a magic wand that when waved gives you a beautifully sculpted body in one stroke. You have to endure the pain that is a part of this process. Some procedures are less painful than others, so talk to your doctor beforehand about methods to cope. You will probably need at least one to three weeks of rest depending on the complexity of your surgery. There may be a considerable amount of swelling too, so you need to be prepared with ice packs and cold compresses.
• Inability to return to work: You’re not going to be able to return to work or make your presence on the social scene immediately because of the bandages and the pain. You need to prepare accordingly by informing your employers or by undergoing the surgery during vacation. When you do return to work, you could find yourself stiffer and more uncomfortable than usual, but this feeling should subside in a few days.
• Inability to lead a normal life: Your pain and bandages are going to restrict your ability to do normal, everyday stuff like driving a car, doing housework and having sex. If you live alone or have small children who depend on you, get someone to stay with you and help out during the recovery period with meals and stuff.
• Mixed emotional feelings: Although you’re going to be looking forward to a new you, you may feel depressed and anxious hoping that everything went ok and that there are no unforeseen complications. It’s ok to find yourself emotional, but make sure that you don’t end up popping pills or hitting the bottle to solve your perceived problems.
• Slow signs of change: Your body does not change overnight after a surgery and you may have to do a little physiotherapy to recover from the operation. So don’t be disappointed if you don’t see immediate signs of change. It takes between two weeks and two months for all the results of the surgery to show. So be patient, and follow your doctor’s instructions to the letter for a speedy and successful recovery after a cosmetic surgery.