![San Diego plastic surgeon Dr. Katerina Gallus and her scrub tech Bri on the episode of their podcast "All the B's" where they chat about recovery do's and don'ts [Biggest Red Flags You're About to Have a Bad Recovery]](https://restoresdplasticsurgery.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ALL047-thumbnail-1024x576.jpg)
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Nobody’s going home alone after anesthesia. Nobody’s going bowling on post-op day 10. And nobody is cleaning out their closet in the first few days just because they’re bored.
La Jolla plastic surgeon Dr. Kat Gallus and Bri talk post-op logistics nobody warns you about, including why your husband needs to be at that pre-op appointment and why your dog counts as a liability.
Trending stories
US Magazine, Taylor Frankie Paul’s ‘The Bachelorette’ Season Canceled by ABC Amid Domestic Violence Scandal
TMZ, ‘SLOMW’ Jessi Draper Hubby Files For Divorce
Reddit, For those still unsure of Megan’s insane BBL
Daily Mail, The plastic surgery rumors behind Gwyneth Paltrow’s ‘unrecognizable’ Oscars look
Daily Mail, Pedro Pascal sparks concern as he debuts shocking new look at Oscars 2026
Facebook, lady’s Botox hospitalization
Instagram, Tara Lipinski’s Botox ad
Recovery-related stories:
Cosmopolitan, Why ‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Star Jessi Draper Thinks Recent Plastic Surgery Has “Ruined” Her Life
Transcript
Dr. G (00:02):
You’re listening to another episode of All the B’s with me, Dr. G, and my scrub tech, Bri. So research shows that patients who prepare for surgery ahead of time through education and planning usually report less pain and a smoother recovery. Of course.
Bri (00:19):
I feel like that should just be common sense.
Dr. G (00:21):
Right. But people spend the majority of their time researching the surgery, right? They want to know what surgery are they going to have. Think about the inordinate amount of time women spend deciding between a 295 and a 310cc implant, but spend almost no time thinking about what am I going to do after the surgery? So you wake up after surgery, you don’t have the right pillows, you don’t have a meal plan or any way of getting groceries. I mean, in today’s age, you could Instacart everything and probably be fine, but it’d be nice to know that you at least thought it through and set some stuff up. So we’re going to talk about essential recovery toolkits today. So things that we wish you knew before surgery, we do tell you.
Bri (01:06):
Yes, we do help. We give guidance.
Dr. G (01:08):
We do give suggestions. But again, usually in that first consultation and then again at the pre-op, there’s so much other stuff crowding your mind about what the surgery itself, the anesthesia, what medications you’re going to take that continues to follow to the bottom of your to- do list. So we’re going to do a deep dive into that today. What you need to recover after plastic surgery. But first, important celebrity news.
Bri (01:37):
So much celebrity news. We are devoting this podcast to the Mormon Wives.
Dr. G (01:43):
Yeah. So last week we had a patient who was doing an awake procedure and she actually forgot her headphones. So she was listening to episode one of season four of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which had come out the night before. And so we all got to hear it. And then she was also giving us a description. And she was mentioning Taylor, right? She was like, why is this girl going to pick up her cute TikTok boyfriend in a baggy t-shirt with uncombed hair and no makeup? It was kind of weird.
Bri (02:17):
That’s crazy. Her outfit is just no judgment. Baggy pants, Crocs, and a shirt the entire season. I just can’t get past it.
Dr. G (02:26):
Brush your hair. So we’ve been excited because I was like, okay, cool. Now we’re going to see her on The Bachelorette where you have to be kind of glammed up. I mean, isn’t that the whole point? And so just yesterday-
Bri (02:38):
Oh my God. This whole … Okay. Between the secret wives of Mormon or wait, Secret Lives of Mormon wives who are all about to be Mormon singles or just singles. I don’t know if they count as Mormon at this point. I can’t believe it. The video came out. I know there’s so much controversy online because they’re like, well, the fact that Dakota just finally gave this video to TMC almost three years later, they’re like, the timing. It’s crazy.
Dr. G (03:09):
Yeah.
Bri (03:09):
This whole thing between this and then the villa and there’s so much. I can’t believe they actually canceled the Bachelorette because they’re saying it’s going to cost them like a hundred million dollars.
Dr. G (03:22):
Yeah, it’s a huge loss. I mean, they’ve already wrapped up production. I actually, maybe they just push the premiere back a little bit, don’t you think? I know. I have been saying this whole time that they were going to just go with it because the video is old and they’ve invested so much money in it. And I underestimated the backlash and they’re like, we’re … I mean, think about them, remember the Duger family, they’re in the news again because yet another son is being convicted of child pornography or child something. Anyway, that show continued to go on despite scandal.
Bri (03:58):
I just feel like nowadays, everything like social media, you literally can’t do anything without getting canceled.
Dr. G (04:03):
Yeah, it’s crazy because I do feel like it had a different story. I think … So the first little bit of … The video is crazy, sure. But it’s like three years ago. And if nothing had happened since then, she could have been on this journey to improve herself. And she could have said, “Oh, this video came out, but I’ve done this and this, and I’m so much in a better place.” But they just paused filming because there was another incident.
Bri (04:31):
Something happened that was so bad that everyone had to decide to stop filming and they have to get psych evals. I just feel like I know toxic people keep toxic together, but at what point?
Dr. G (04:43):
I know. It’s not like she doesn’t have family support or anybody that’s just like her mom.
Bri (04:47):
She just dated 30 dudes. We couldn’t have gotten over him a little bit.
Dr. G (04:53):
I don’t know.
Bri (04:54):
I don’t know. This just whole thing is crazy. This is like what? Her third domestic violence. And I do like her, don’t get me wrong.
Dr. G (05:03):
Also, I feel like in season one, she was like handcuffed and dropped. This shouldn’t come up as a surprise to anybody.
Bri (05:11):
Yeah. I think it’s crappy that they put out the second part of the video, which was just her daughter screaming for mommy and they’re like just ignoring the kid. And that was pretty crappy.
Dr. G (05:23):
I don’t
Bri (05:24):
Have voice on that. She’s for that one
Dr. G (05:26):
For that.
Bri (05:27):
Yeah. I don’t know. After just watching, I binge watched season four in like two days, it was just the chaos. Also, we need to cancel dad talk.
Dr. G (05:39):
Yeah. I mean, it’s never going to happen. They need to stop.
Bri (05:43):
Yeah, that’s-
Dr. G (05:44):
So bad.
Bri (05:45):
So bad. Which just kind of segues into Jesse also, who is now also getting, I know we got to talk about her plastic surgery, but also getting a divorce now. Her husband filed, which is crazy. So I think that he saw the show where she came out and was like, “Well, our prenup’s not airtight so I could possibly lose millions.” And I bet he saw that and he’s like, “Oh shit.”
Dr. G (06:11):
Talk to a lawyer. Yeah. I mean, that’s such a mismatch anyway. Good riddance. It’s better to get rid of him now.
Bri (06:19):
He was terrible. He was awful. He caused so much drama.
Dr. G (06:26):
Which is, you never even saw him in the first couple seasons. So I think these guys are like, “Well, I want to be part of it. ” And you’re like, “Really? Because none of the guys got played out well in any episode in any season.” Yeah. This is a couple that she gets to go to the hotel, right? When they fight.
Bri (06:43):
Yep. She goes to the hotel when they fight. And then he also decided to have all the men go on the villa.
Dr. G (06:50):
Yes. He was the ringleader.
Bri (06:52):
Which is crazy.
Dr. G (06:53):
The villa.
Bri (06:53):
The villa. I can’t wait for that to come out because I just want to see what happens.
Dr. G (06:57):
That will air soon too, actually.
Bri (07:00):
April, I think.
Dr. G (07:00):
Mid-April. All right. We’re here for it.
Bri (07:03):
But Jessi and her plastic surgery. I know. She’s coming with a bunch of things.
Dr. G (07:10):
She needs to just wait. And it’s kind of crazy because they’re all so desperate for attention that she’s talking about her plastic surgery. Taylor had the bachelorette. Whitney’s doing her Broadway. Yeah. I mean, now we’re back to thinking Jen Aflac’s the most normal. It’s just crazy.
Bri (07:29):
Well, kind of.
Dr. G (07:30):
Layla is a mess.
Bri (07:32):
Towards the end of the season, you don’t kind of like Jen very much.
Dr. G (07:36):
Yes. And then Layla, who’s just so desperate to be seen, she doesn’t add anything to the show in my opinion. I know that’s mean, but she really doesn’t. And then I just thought she was just one of those girls who’s naturally skinny, but now she’s coming out admitting that she’s been abusing GLP-1s.
Bri (07:55):
She was so skinny. Yeah. And she’s like, “I can’t stop. I’m sore. I can’t even have my legs touched together because they bruise because I don’t eat and I have no fat between my knees.” I just feel there was probably just, I don’t know.
Dr. G (08:13):
So that’s not like, “Okay, we’ll just stop having you take GLP-1.” So that’s somebody who requires at least intense outpatient therapy.
Bri (08:22):
Yeah, that’s a whole other level of some eating disorder. But also back to Jessi really quickly. Sorry. Her plastic surgery, it’s not like she’s botched. She is beautiful. Yeah, she looks very different, but I think if everyone online was like, “Why you look so good?” She would’ve been like, “Wow, I look so good. I look great.” But I think just because she’s gorgeous. I think just because she got so much hate, she all of a sudden was like, “Oh my God, I look terrible.” You look different, of course. You changed stuff on your face, but you’re still gorgeous. And I think she would’ve liked it otherwise.
Dr. G (08:59):
Botched is like one eye is like scarred or … I don’t know. She looks good.
Bri (09:03):
She still looks good. Yeah. I’m not
Dr. G (09:06):
Really sure. Her face is a little fatter because of the fat transfer, but that doesn’t last anyway. So I just don’t … Yeah, you’re right. I think she wasn’t met with a round of applause like, “You look so amazing. Who’s your surgeon?” And so she immediately decided she didn’t like it either, which I think there remains to be seen. I think she just needs to give it some time too. These people do not have the surgery and then wait. They show you their immediate results, which most things, face surgery takes a while to settle in.
Bri (09:35):
Right.
Dr. G (09:37):
Yeah.
Bri (09:37):
So I could talk about them this whole podcast probably.
Dr. G (09:42):
Well, I was so deep into this situation that I did not know about Megan Fox’s BBL or potentially BBL.
Bri (09:51):
I saw her photos and I was like, hmm. I wasn’t sure if they were Photoshopped. I know her boobs got a lot bigger, got much bigger implants. I don’t know. I think that pose also just makes anything look bigger.
Dr. G (10:06):
Everything look bigger. So people are trying to decide whether she did it, but not based on that photo. I mean-
Bri (10:17):
She’s also in that post machine gun, Kelly, post baby.
Dr. G (10:22):
Yeah.
Bri (10:23):
It looks really good if she did. I just feel like she really just worked the angles on this one.
Dr. G (10:30):
Right. Yeah.
Bri (10:32):
Definitely went up in breast size, but-
Dr. G (10:35):
I mean, if she just … Or you could Photoshop it or
Bri (10:38):
Just … Yeah.
Dr. G (10:39):
Yeah. We need a actual before and after, so this does not helpful.
Bri (10:44):
Yeah. I need to just see her just standing straight up. Either way, Megan Fox.
Dr. G (10:52):
Okay.
Bri (10:53):
We love her.
Dr. G (10:54):
And then there was this other message in our doc for Gwyneth Paltrow, whether she had plastic surgery. I was like, I mean, I’m sure she did, but she looked great at the Oscars minus … I hated her dressed, but …
Bri (11:10):
I didn’t see her.
Dr. G (11:11):
Did you not watch the Oscars? She looked good. She just … If you want clickbait, people always say unrecognizable. And you’re like, scroll down and you’re like, “That’s Gwyneth Paltrow.”
Bri (11:22):
Is that her at the Oscars?
Dr. G (11:23):
Yeah.
Bri (11:24):
She looks exactly the same, just Botoxed.
Dr. G (11:27):
Can you put unrecognizable in quotes when person looks exactly the same?
Bri (11:31):
Exactly the same.
Dr. G (11:34):
I hated the dress though. The dress is fine on that view, but then when she turns to the side, there’s a side, not slit, but it’s like a cutout that goes all the way down the side. So it’s naked on the side. I don’t think it’s in this article. It’s really dumb. And so, oh great, you’re not wearing any underwear. Thanks for sharing. So that’s what I was most annoyed about was her dumb dress. And then her face looks fine. She’s got Botox. She’s got some fillers. People are like, “Maybe she had a facelift.” I’m like, “She probably did a couple years ago.”
Bri (12:06):
Her smile is kind of giving. It’s pulled out a little bit. She could have had a facelift, but that were to have been my first guess.
Dr. G (12:14):
Oh see there’s the dress. What is happening?
Bri (12:15):
That’s really high.
Dr. G (12:16):
No, it’s not high. It just goes all the way up. It’s like two pieces of material.
Bri (12:19):
Oh, front and back.
Dr. G (12:21):
And then no connection between the two.
Bri (12:23):
That’s an interesting choice. I don’t want to say for a woman of her age, but-
Dr. G (12:27):
It is. It’s thirsty.
Bri (12:29):
Yeah. I don’t-
Dr. G (12:30):
Leave it to the 20 year olds. I’m sorry. It’s just weird. I get it. You have great legs, but it’s just weird.
Bri (12:36):
Yeah. I’m not a fan.
Dr. G (12:37):
I did not like it.
Bri (12:39):
She could do so much better.
Dr. G (12:41):
Yeah. I feel like that’s just attention seeking in the worst way. So yeah, all I saw was that dress and I didn’t notice her face because she looks exactly the same.
Bri (12:51):
She just looks like she has big bruise on her hip.
Dr. G (12:54):
I think it’s just a weird shadow. The whole thing is bad. But her face looks good in my opinion. Yeah, her face looks great. If she’s got plastic surgery, i.e. A facelift, hard to tell because she wears big enough earrings, you can’t see what’s going on behind the ears, a telltale and she wears her hair down, all good things. You know who also looked good is Nicole Kidman look good. Good she. Demi Moore looks like she’s on a GLP one in the worst kind of way. But yeah, I think overall I would just say I would not call this unrecognizable.
Bri (13:27):
No.
Dr. G (13:27):
And then not having anything to do with plastic surgery was Timothee Chalamet just being maligned for his dumb comments.
Bri (13:36):
What did he say? I actually really like Demi Moore in her dress.
Dr. G (13:40):
Her dress looked good. She just needs to have a cheeseburger.
Bri (13:43):
Yeah, agreed.
Dr. G (13:44):
He just didn’t win his Oscar. And right before he was on some podcasts where he said opera and ballet were dead. And so people were like-
Bri (13:52):
But ping pong is alive?
Dr. G (13:54):
I know. You’re starring in a ping pong movie. I just think he’s dumb. I have no words. And so they made fun of him a lot at the Oscars for that. As they should. I love that. Which sucks because I really didn’t have an opinion about him and now I kind of like him less and less. Not help by dating Kylie or Kendall or which one ever he’s dating. Kylie, right? Kylie. Yeah.
Bri (14:18):
I liked him when he was quiet and nobody knew if he was like … What was that rapper? Oh. FD Kid.
Dr. G (14:26):
Yes. That I’m there for.
Bri (14:28):
I still think he is. I think he just did the music video just like a side by side.
Dr. G (14:34):
That would be amazing. Yes. That’s a Timothy Chalamet I like. Not this one. This one’s a punk. And then another sparks concerns about a new look is Pedro Pascal.
Bri (14:46):
Oh.
Dr. G (14:47):
Girl, he shaved his mustache.
Bri (14:49):
Yeah.
Dr. G (14:51):
Let’s hear it for the men. If you wear a mustache or beard, all you have to do is shave it off and people are like, whoa.
Bri (14:58):
I just want to say men better never say that women catfish you with makeup and filters because men catfish you even harder with beard and mustaches.
Dr. G (15:07):
Yeah. I look like a totally different person.
Bri (15:09):
That’s the biggest catfish scam ever.
Dr. G (15:14):
Wait, is there a jawline or isn’t there a jawline? What’s your upper lip look like?
Bri (15:18):
All of a sudden. Yeah. I’ve told Eric that if he ever … He can’t ever shave his beard because A, he’d be unrecognizable. B, I feel like I’m dating somebody else. And C, I’ve seen pictures of him without a beard.
Dr. G (15:33):
And you’re not going there.
Bri (15:34):
We’re not going there. Sorry if you’re listening, but …
Dr. G (15:37):
Yeah. I mean, I think he looks good. I don’t know that I would recognize him, but-
Bri (15:42):
He looks very dapper.
Dr. G (15:44):
He looks dapper, but I don’t think instantly like, oh, he had work done. He just doesn’t have his mustache and beard. It’s so bizarre.
Bri (15:50):
He does need to grow it back.
Dr. G (15:53):
I kind of liked it better with, but I feel like he might look younger without it? I don’t know. Surely.
Bri (15:59):
I feel like everyone looks younger without it, but …
Dr. G (16:01):
Yeah.
Bri (16:03):
I don’t know. I’ve only seen him with it.
Dr. G (16:05):
There’s a picture of him with it if you scroll down a little.
Bri (16:10):
Yeah. Bring it back.
Dr. G (16:12):
Yeah. I mean, I feel like he looks older and his face looks fuller, but it’s a different … He looks a little skinnier on the left and not as tan. And he’s wearing a shirt, not a T-shirt. Glasses are different. All the things are different. He looks a little bit older and thinner without the mustache and beard, probably because he is thinner and that will make you look older. But other than that, there’s no … I don’t know. I just need to stop. The headlines crack me up, man. Oh, speaking of headlines.
Bri (16:42):
It reminds me, wait, of the celebrities when they say they’re just like us and it’s like them putting gas in their car and going to the grocery store.
Dr. G (16:48):
Yes.
Bri (16:50):
I’m like, of course they do. They’re human beings.
Dr. G (16:52):
I mean, maybe they could get somebody to do it. I did want to … Okay. I’m going to look this up while we talk about the next unhinged thing. I got Botox and then I tried to die, which I feel like circles around.
Bri (17:06):
Wait, wait, what?
Dr. G (17:07):
That’s the next thing in our doc. Hannah put this in there for us.
Bri (17:14):
Oh, she actually almost died from Botox?
Dr. G (17:17):
Some lady’s Facebook post about Botox circuling around the internet. And it’s this lady three days ago telling her story about what’s been going on. She’s been getting Botox for years and then she got 45 units of Botox on March 3rd and then her whole face went numb. And then her neck, chest, arms, and legs. She’s like paralyzed. She’s trying to die. And she went to multiple hospitals and they did all these tests, didn’t listen to her that she had had Botox. And I’m like, “They didn’t listen to you because it’s not relevant, sweetie.” Unless you got some weird off-market black market shit and they’re not sure what you got injected with, you had Botox in your forehead and crow’s feet does not paralyze you permanently.
Bri (18:22):
I don’t even know what to say. How could that happen with Botox? Is there any way-
Dr. G (18:28):
You would need hundreds of units. You would need to somehow get the vagus nerve, I guess, if it’s going to affect your breathing. It just doesn’t make any sense. You would need actual botulinum toxin, which this is not. And even if you had, let’s say because it’s an acetylcholine inhibitor, even if you got tagged with that, this would not be the effect. So yes, they all probably recommended that she go to a psych ward, but then that’s just medicine not listening to what you’re telling them. And she just talks about all these studies. Well, yeah, because you could have some viral illnesses that would present like this, so they’re doing their best to rule this out. So she went to a local ER and then a Jackson ER, then a Nashville ER, and each time they’re like, Here’s some gabapentin, get out.
Bri (19:24):
And she had no other underlying health issues?
Dr. G (19:28):
Not according to this. Only after the fifth day after my family were up in arms about the awful treatment I was given. I’m like, “You’ve had multiple scans and studies and tests.” I don’t know.
Bri (19:40):
Did she regain her ability to walk after she left the first ER?
Dr. G (19:44):
She’s slowly struggling. She still cannot walk without assistance. I can’t get off my back for longer than 10 minutes because my neck and head are killing me. Okay. Botox is used for migraine treatment, just as an FYI. I’m still experiencing disassociating episodes where I wake up and I’m not breathing. My vision is still off. My speech is still slurred at times. Girl.
Bri (20:13):
I am going to use this though next time I don’t want to clean the house or want to get out of something.
Dr. G (20:20):
And then they’re like, no, she started a website, iatrogenicbotulism.com, Botox side effects, Botox truths.
Bri (20:28):
She started a website? Okay. People in this situation just don’t automatically resort to, “I’m going to go start a website.” They don’t say all of a sudden, “What can I do? I’m going to blog. I’m going to start a website. I’m going to get famous off this. ” If you’re truly battling something like that, I mean, awareness is great, sure. Absolutely. But don’t you want to work on your health and then when you’re done and you’re going through it, I just feel like if you’re immediately like, “I’m going to start a website, I’m going to start this, ” then it’s just like-
Dr. G (21:00):
Yeah. This is so clearly, it’s so clearly fishing and a scam and the dramatic photos of her in a hospital bed. It’s giving Scamanda.
Bri (21:10):
Yeah.
Dr. G (21:11):
Sorry.
Bri (21:11):
Yeah. I would.
Dr. G (21:13):
It’s unhinged.
Bri (21:13):
I have never been super sick and then just immediately started to social media. You take care of yourself.
Dr. G (21:21):
Yeah.
Bri (21:21):
I don’t know. I don’t ever want to doubt anyone’s pain or struggle, but I need more info where she got the Botox from.
Dr. G (21:32):
People ask her in that, in her comments, but I literally, I can’t give her any more airtime than that because it’s unhinged.
Bri (21:37):
Probably the same Trop House that I was going to sell drugs or Girl Scout cookies in. Remember or get a illegal … What was it? Remember that one we’re talking about? And you’re like, “You wouldn’t even go there to buy drugs.” I was like, “Not buy drugs.”
Dr. G (21:50):
Yes. The brick house where somebody was like a crime scene.
Bri (21:54):
Probably where she went. Okay.
Dr. G (21:58):
So this is so stupid section, I finally understand. I only heard about this Tara Limpinski Botox commercial. I’m just going to read you the copy for this ad and then I’ve already hinted at what it’s about. Okay. The one and only you is a human forged by the path that only you are on, facing the not knowing, putting one foot in front of the other. She’s not your trophies because our trophies sit on the shelf. It’s the bonds we forge with one another that can guide us to what we’re here to do and to be who we are, the one and only you. Botox.
Bri (22:42):
That’s fucking wild. Sorry. I really thought that was going to segue into some sort of mental health or something. Botox, one foot in front of what wait.
Dr. G (22:54):
The journey featuring Botox.
Bri (22:57):
That’s insane.
Dr. G (22:59):
It’s so bad. It just doesn’t make any sense. It’s not even bad. It’s just stupid. She looks cute.
Bri (23:08):
Yeah. But the words coming out of her mouth-
Dr. G (23:12):
Don’t make any sense.
Bri (23:14):
The journey.
Dr. G (23:15):
The trophies.
Bri (23:17):
Trophies just sit on the mantle.
Dr. G (23:20):
Who approved this?
Bri (23:21):
None of that makes any sense.
Dr. G (23:23):
Yeah. She could have done … Whoever wrote the copy, either it was late to work and they just ChatGPT it. 100%. And then she didn’t push back. Poor Tara, I would have been like, “I’m not reading this. “
Bri (23:36):
That’s crazy.
Dr. G (23:38):
I have notes. Come on.
Bri (23:39):
That’s so irrelevant to Botox.
Dr. G (23:40):
It sounds like you’re in a cult. It’s crazy.
Bri (23:43):
Botox cult.
Dr. G (23:44):
I don’t know. Anyway, okay.
Bri (23:46):
That’s great.
Dr. G (23:47):
Now let’s talk about the healing process. And we could use Jessi’s story as a launching pad, but I mean, we sort of unpack that. She revealed her early results too soon to everybody and then wasn’t prepared for not a positive response. And then that negative feedback loop can ruin everything. I have done bluffs, upper eyelid lifts on people who had no intention of telling their spouse, which is wild.
Bri (24:17):
I’ve seen a facelift down on somebody who had no intention of telling their spouse and their spouse was picking them up and they’re like, “Oh, it’s fine.” This was way before I started working for you and she was wrapped head to toe like, oh my God. And she’s like, “I just told him that I was like … ” It was something really small, not even related to her face or like, I don’t know.
Dr. G (24:38):
I have another patient who went to go pick up her cousin from a doctor’s office with no heads up and she went to go pick her up and she’s like, “Wait, did you have a facelift?”
Bri (24:46):
That’s crazy.
Dr. G (24:47):
“I can’t pick you up and then just drop you off at your house. I have to stay with you.
Bri (24:51):
Yeah.
Dr. G (24:53):
Okay. So it’s not number one, but it is a close number one to have the people around you prepared for you to have surgery and also prepared to have some designated caregiver.
Bri (25:05):
Yeah.
Dr. G (25:06):
If you don’t have anyone, that’s fine. We have lovely nurses that will stay with you for the first day or two or however long you want them to and can provide you kind of round the clock care. They’re really good at it. They’ll bring you to your appointments. The one we use is super nice, goes above and beyond. She just recently took care of a patient and then the patient’s sister flew into town after a couple of days to take over and the nurse stayed a little later just to be like, “Okay, well now she can finally take a shower, so I’m going to show you how to best do that. ” Just really helpful.
Bri (25:43):
Yeah. No, you absolutely need somebody to help you the first couple days. I mean, honestly, the first week, depending on what it is. But you do need someone to stay with you the first night, at least at bare minimum.
Dr. G (25:55):
So I know doctors are the worst patients, but nurses are a hot close second. And so there was a nurse I’ve operated on before and one time she had surgery and just went home by herself and didn’t tell us. I didn’t realize it until after. And then she had a second surgery later. And so I gave her a really hard time about it and made sure that she knew that she needed to have people with her. And so I used to call, now I just text, but anyway, I called to see how she was doing that first evening right after surgery. And all the other ICU nurses that I had worked with when I was a general surgery resident were over at her place because she made them all come over and they were all on speakerphone. We’re all here. I love that. And I was like, “You guys are crazy.” And then now you’re supposed to be looking after her and not having to party.
(26:47):
They cannot. But anyway, she did have somebody. You cannot go home after anesthesia. You’re just not quite lucid and you want to be careful. You don’t want to get up too fast. If you’re disoriented in the middle of the night and you got to get up to pee, you don’t want to fall and not have anyone there. I don’t know. It’s important to know who’s your designated caregiver and to let them know in advance. And then remember Stephanie was like a designated caregiver for somebody and they didn’t prep anything on the back end like, “Where’s the food? Ugh, it’s fine. I’ll just DoorDash.”
Bri (27:24):
Yeah. The caregiver should also be informed on what their expected role is to be. Obviously some surgeries are a lot smaller than others, but I feel like it’s always the people that are like, “I’m going to be fine. I don’t need help. Don’t get childcare. I’m just going to go pick up my kid after or do whatever.” Everybody should be informed on what their role is as a caregiver.
Dr. G (27:44):
Yeah. And what the expectations are, what you can and cannot do. And I like it when the husband shows up for the pre-op. Most of our patients are women so that they understand she not doing the dishes and-
Bri (27:57):
She’s not cooking dinner.
Dr. G (27:58):
Not doing the laundry, not vacuuming, not doing anything, lifting anything heavy for however long they want me to tell you.
Bri (28:09):
One month.
Dr. G (28:10):
Six months. For the next three years, I will not be able to unload the dishwasher. I just want to be clear.
Bri (28:16):
So when you take your first shower and you take off your garments, and I remember going through this, I’ve had a couple surgeries. You feel lightheaded. You don’t feel good. You want somebody there with you. You want somebody to, if you’re sleeping to wake you up and take your meds so that you don’t sleep through it. And now you’re two hours late on your pain meds and now you’re SOL. Somebody to go to you dinner and help you to the bathroom. And shout out to Eric again who just up and left me after surgery. And I had my kids helping me to the bathroom. I thought I’d be a lot more mobile than I was, but I wasn’t stupid. And I was like, “I’m going to be out of it. ” So I made my whole recovery area. I made it pretty easy. I laid out my meds in a bucket, but then I had no one to help with anything. So I needed help to get everything down and to pull it back up. I was so much more sore than I thought I was going to be.
Dr. G (29:08):
Yeah. You can’t underestimate it.
Bri (29:09):
Yeah. Just be prepared to be laid out for a couple days.
Dr. G (29:13):
Right.
Bri (29:14):
Have your medications all in order, Pick them up.
Dr. G (29:18):
Yes. Okay. So yeah, so things to do in advance, assuming that your spouse isn’t going to be able to think ahead, right?
Bri (29:26):
Side note. This week on Wednesday was an outside surgeon patient that was here and we asked her when she came in, because we don’t see them, we don’t pre-op them. It’s not Dr. Gallus’s patient. And we’re like, “Did you get all your meds?” She’s like, “No, I don’t need any of them.” She only had Tylenol. She didn’t pick up her antibiotics. She didn’t pick up her pain meds, her muscle relaxers, her arnica, her stool soft, whatever, that’s fine. All she was like, “I’m just going to take Tylenol, whatever.” I’m like, “Okay, well, whatever.”
Dr. G (29:56):
I know. I mean, you are paying for our expertise, not just the surgery. But you do you, boo. So yeah, that’s what I would say. Get your meds before surgery. It makes zero sense to wait to see. What are you going to do at two o’clock in the morning when you’re like, shit, I really needed those pain meds. You’re going to send your husband who’s already irritated at this point to go get them for you at CVS. If it’s open, I just don’t understand why you wouldn’t just have it ready. And then if you don’t need it, you can- Flush it. Flush it or take it to a pharmacy where you can dump it.
Bri (30:32):
To a friend. Just kidding.
Dr. G (30:34):
Bring it to your next mixer. Help a sister out.
Bri (30:36):
Yeah.
Dr. G (30:37):
The pill jar. No, don’t do that.
Bri (30:41):
That was not medical advice.
Dr. G (30:44):
That is the worst thing you can do. But if you can find one, CVS I think has these drop boxes that you can drop meds into. Remember when we had all that expired stuff and I couldn’t unload it? And every time I went to one of those, it wasn’t open.
Bri (30:59):
Or it was full.
Dr. G (31:00):
And I was walking around with all these expired Percocets. I was like, God damn it. They don’t make it super easy to get rid of narcotic meds that you don’t need, which is wild since it’s such a problem. But if there’s stuff you don’t need, don’t leave it lying around your house.
Bri (31:16):
You can take them to a police department.
Dr. G (31:18):
Yep. You can dump them. You can call them back to us, honestly. Not to us, but you can bring them back to your surgeon’s office and be like, I don’t need … So two things. Have them because if you need them, you need them. And then don’t leave them lying around your house afterwards because it’s just a risk for somebody else to find it. So that’s pretty standard. We go over pre-op, we give you your prescriptions, go fill them, go figure that stuff out in advance. And then figure out your space. If you have a second floor, maybe move your bedroom to the first floor temporarily. People have recliners or beds that sit them up or get some pillows off at Amazon that are going to prop you up or wedge up your legs if you had a tummy tuck. The right pillows can make a difference too.
Bri (32:09):
Yeah. Pillows is a game changer. When I got the BBL the first time, so I’ll just tell you about my recovery really quickly. So initially I was suggested like this avocado pool floaty by somebody, which I sat in and I ended up having to prop it up with so many pillows and angle it. And then we have a cal king bed. It was literally bigger than a twin size mattress.
Dr. G (32:33):
Wait, I think we had that floaty at my house. Does a pit come out so there’s a big hole in it?
Bri (32:38):
Yes. I used it for my first BBL. And then I ended up buying an actual BBL canoe, which was massive. It was with just a hole where you put your butt. And I propped myself up with like five pillows, a pillow underneath the pillow on the side. And then every time I wanted to get down, Eric took all the pillows out. He pulled the little canoe down. I just kind of stumbled out. But he slept in this teeny, tiny corner of the bed just right next to the canoe. But it helped so much. It was so much better than just trying to like …
Dr. G (33:09):
Sleep in the pool floaty?
Bri (33:10):
Sleep in the pool floaty.
Dr. G (33:12):
Which you can do.
Bri (33:12):
That wasn’t the greatest idea.
Dr. G (33:14):
It is a good idea. I mean, if you layer …
Bri (33:17):
The depth wasn’t enough because my butt kept going down.
Dr. G (33:19):
Oh, blankets and stuff.
Bri (33:21):
But yeah, get all the pillows, get all the wedges. Get comfy. Get a blanket. Get a cute outfit.
Dr. G (33:28):
Yeah.
Bri (33:29):
We’ve had so many patients come in recently and they find these amazing. It’s like just a gown. You just zip it up and it’s like a floor length gown. Yeah,
Dr. G (33:37):
It’s like a giant sweatshirt.
Bri (33:39):
Like a mumu.
Dr. G (33:39):
Yeah. Or a hoodie sweatshirt that’s like a dress basically that’s a zip up.
Bri (33:43):
Yeah. And then sit in that for, wash it obviously, but sit in that for a couple weeks. That when you come home from surgery, you’re not staining some really nice PJs or something.
Dr. G (33:54):
True, true.
Bri (33:55):
Even invest in maybe some crappy sheets you don’t like.
Dr. G (33:57):
Yeah. Or put some pee pads or what we call checks pads down or towels that you don’t like. Because if you have any kind of liposuction, it usually drains for the first day or so and then looks like a crime scene.
Bri (34:12):
Right. Yeah. Do that. Get comfy. Pick out a show. Plan what you’re going to watch.
Dr. G (34:18):
Binge watch something.
Bri (34:19):
Order some meals depending on your lifestyle. Precook some things, order some things, do a food service.
Dr. G (34:26):
Some people do prep, kitchen prep in advance. So they have meals already prepackaged and ready to go. You can do a meal delivery service or you can Instacart every day, but then you’re … Take the thought process out of it if you can, I say. And then with regards to that, you want to have good nutrition. So both pre and post-op. Make sure you’re getting some protein at every meal, that you’re drinking plenty of water and eating a balanced diet, so that’s going to help you get all your vitamins. Which we do provide HealFast. That’s the current vitamin du jour that we not prescribe, but we give you, that you start taking a couple weeks in advance and it has all the additional vitamins-
Bri (35:13):
Four days in advance. Five days.
Dr. G (35:15):
Five days in advance. We give it to you two weeks in advance and you take it five days in advance.
Bri (35:19):
She’s just a doctor. It’s fine.
Dr. G (35:21):
Yeah, that’s fine. Okay. Anyway, so yes, five days in advance and Arnica, right? But yeah, it’s just to support. You’re going to have the stress of surgery, so it’s going to support that. And then healing, support wound healing and recovery. And people always ask like, “Well, I didn’t finish it. Should I keep taking it? ” Yes. Because it’s essentially the same. They make a heal fast for a post-op, but it’s essentially the same thing. So yeah, keep taking those vitamins. It’s going to support everything. We love Arnica.
Bri (35:53):
Inflammation, bruising.
Dr. G (35:55):
We like bromeline as well, or pineapple juice. Helps with swelling. And then good nutrition. Make sure you’re not eating garbage before surgery.
Bri (36:05):
Don’t start your GLP-1s right after surgery for the love of God. I know. Just wait.
Dr. G (36:11):
Yeah. So there’s more and more studies coming out now because there just wasn’t a lot of literature to support it, but we know at least two weeks of no GLPs before surgery because we’re trying to support wound healing and have your body ready for the stress of surgery. So you being in a semi-starvation mode, even if you’re on maintenance dose, does not track with that. Also, from an anesthesia standpoint, it delays gastric emptying. So we don’t want you having that onboard when we’re going to put you under for general anesthesia. So very important. And I think we were all very good about educating people about GLP-1 pre-surgery. And then we’re like, “Yeah, and then you can start a couple weeks afterwards.” But the couple weeks afterwards varies for patient to patient. So some people, it’s a couple weeks, some people, it’s a couple months. It depends on how fast you heal, how much surgery you had.
Bri (37:02):
You’re getting a tummy cuck. Don’t restart it.
Dr. G (37:05):
Yeah. You have to wait until you’re healed.
Bri (37:07):
Big incision.
Dr. G (37:08):
Yeah. I’ve learned that the hard way now.
Bri (37:11):
Yeah. I feel like we had a patient not too long ago. We’ve
Dr. G (37:14):
Had a couple.
Bri (37:14):
Restarted GLPs after two weeks and then it was like all of a sudden stopped healing.
Dr. G (37:19):
Yeah. Just slow it down. Wait, what happened? And I’m like, “Ugh.” And you can’t take it back once you’ve had the shot. You have to ride it out. And you can pound protein all you want, but it’s not enough.
Bri (37:30):
I do have to say, I have had a patient ask me, they’re like, “I can just eat whatever after surgery.” They’re like, “I just had a Snickers.” And it’s like, that is not what your body needs. You cannot just eat whatever after surgery.
Dr. G (37:45):
No.
Bri (37:46):
Yeah.
Dr. G (37:46):
No.
Bri (37:47):
Don’t do it.
Dr. G (37:48):
Well, think about it. If you’re going to have a high sugar diet right after, we know higher levels of glucose in your system also negatively impact wound healing and increase inflammation. So don’t do that.
Bri (38:01):
Yeah.
Dr. G (38:02):
Please don’t eat Snickers and peanut M&Ms.
Bri (38:06):
Yeah. You see it also on social media a lot actually. I don’t know why. And it’s like these people are eating McDonald’s and Taco Bell right after surgery and they’re just sitting in bed all wrapped up eating this crap garbage food, obviously because DoorDash easy, but you can make better choices.
Dr. G (38:21):
Make better choices. You’ve already invested in the surgery, so make better choices in supporting your nutrition.
Bri (38:27):
Post-op is just as important as having surgery itself.
Dr. G (38:32):
Yeah. And if you’re not seeing us and your surgeon isn’t prescribing some preoperative vitamin regimen, you can look some up on the … HealFast, for example, you can get it from Amazon. There’s a couple of different companies that make some. You just have to find something. I feel like with us, we just found something that’s relatively easy to take. Sometimes they’re like, “Take these 10 pills or this two.”
Bri (38:56):
We did all try that as an office when we got samples and it was like six pills and they were like horse pills and it was like twice a day. I couldn’t even make it through the first day. I was done.
Dr. G (39:06):
Yeah. I mean, I guess it’s harder if you’re not prepping for surgery. And then there was another company that has this … I know people use this whole pre-op thing and you have to drink this stuff and then there’s these powders and Jesus Christ. I just want-
Bri (39:20):
I do really like that … What was the name of the doctor? We did the podcast that she sent you the-
Dr. G (39:25):
The Clara’s.
Bri (39:26):
Super easy. Just a little packet that comes in a box.
Dr. G (39:29):
That’s Clara Recovery. Yeah. That’s good too. But again, those pills were big.
Bri (39:34):
Oh, were they?
Dr. G (39:35):
Yeah.
(39:36):
I just liked the packaging. The package was great. Yeah, because you just take a little pouch and that has your pills for the day. I think I tried to take all of them at once and I was choking them down and then I would have to take one at a time throughout the day and then it takes me all day.
Bri (39:50):
I almost said something super inappropriate. I’m not going to say it.
Dr. G (39:53):
But I suck at taking pills in general and don’t say anything.
Bri (39:58):
Okay. I don’t.
Dr. G (39:59):
Zip it.
Bri (40:01):
Also, another underrated thing is if you have a big dog and you have no help, get help with your dog.
Dr. G (40:07):
Yeah. I usually ask about that honestly at this point, because that’s where the people with no kids mislead you. Nope, got no kids. Work from home.
Bri (40:14):
I got three Great danes though.
Dr. G (40:16):
I know. I’m like, fuck. Yeah. No kids, work from home, couldn’t be easier. And then you’re like, oh, but you also breed horses or something on the side. You’re like, oh, no, no, no. So we have people who own horses too, so they have to get somebody to help with the horses.
Bri (40:35):
Yeah. It’s nice. That way you’re not feeling like you’re constantly bending over or picking up poop or having to go to the dog park or going on a walk where he could pull you or something could happen and you’re maybe not in a great space to try and get your dog back or something. I don’t know.
Dr. G (40:49):
I had a patient who one week post-op, got up in the middle of the night to let her dog out, tripped over her dog, broke her ankle, called me from the hospital. She’s like, “I’m fine. My incisions are okay.” I was like, “Ugh.” Yeah. Yeah. It’s nice to have to maximize the help. We all think we’re strong, independent women, but this is a time to get the support you need.
Bri (41:12):
Yeah. We’re not independent if it’s an oil change or …
Dr. G (41:19):
That’s for sure. Car trouble. Yeah. Okay. Do you recommend heat, ice, or neither after most procedures? This is a question on our little doc. I usually recommend heat because it’s pretty safe and I’m always cold, but I do know people like ice. We’re okay with ice as long as it’s not an area where we’ve done a fat transfer. That is bad. So if ice makes you feel better, that’s cool. I will say, I’ve been doing this long enough where I’ve had people give themselves frostbite on the skin by putting an ice pack. Remember the area that’s been operated on is a little bit numb and a little bit more sensitive to heat or cold. So you can give yourself frostbite and you can also create a burn if you put a heating pad.
Bri (42:06):
I was going to say, what about a burn on heat on a tummy tuck?
Dr. G (42:12):
10 minutes on, 15 minutes on and then take it off because it might feel good, but you don’t have the same sensation and you can burn yourself.
Bri (42:19):
Yeah.
Dr. G (42:20):
No bueno. They used to give women these packs for their lower back, like heating packs on the OB floor, but they burned somebody at one … It’s probably happened at every hospital, but there is a burn because you can’t feel anything from the epidural.
Bri (42:36):
That’s a shame.
Dr. G (42:37):
Yeah. Like you need a burn while you’re …
Bri (42:40):
I burn myself every morning in the shower and it’s scolding hot. I come out bright red.
Dr. G (42:46):
My weakness when it comes to underestimating heat is in the kitchen and I continually reach into the oven and grab stuff without the proper protection and burn my arm or my hand. My husband’s like, “The gloves are right there.” And I’m like, “I know, but just instead of-
Bri (43:01):
You’re doing it wrong. I just don’t go in the kitchen.
Dr. G (43:03):
Instead of just taking the two seconds to put the oven mit on, I’m like, I just grab a towel and figure it’ll be fine. And then I knock my hand on the upper rack or …
Bri (43:12):
I went in the kitchen one time and I touched a pot where the handle got hot too and I sat in bed for a whole day with ice packs. I was immobile. It was right on the tip of my finger. I was like, “I’m going to die.” I felt like that girl who got Botox.
Dr. G (43:27):
I was going to say you need to start a website.
Bri (43:29):
I just might actually.
Dr. G (43:33):
No hot stoves or kitchens ever.
Bri (43:35):
I was in the same boat as she was. Okay. It kept me up at night. It burnt so bad. You couldn’t see it, but I felt it. Okay.
Dr. G (43:47):
I’ve done that so many times where I’m like, huh, I bet I don’t even have a fingerprint anymore.
Bri (43:55):
Now I just don’t cook.
Dr. G (43:58):
Amazing. Yeah. I mean, that’s a good idea. Yeah. I do like to cook though. I just am just not patient enough to put on those gloves and then I hate it.
Bri (44:09):
I always forget I’m cooking. That’s my thing is like one time I think-
Dr. G (44:13):
You’re sleep cooking? What are you waiting you forget?
Bri (44:15):
So I put up water on the stove one time and I came back. There’s no water left.
Dr. G (44:21):
Oh, yeah. I set a timer.
Bri (44:22):
I’ve also left chicken wings in the air fryer for like two days.
Dr. G (44:25):
Yeah. Got to set a timer. I know that. We’re busy. I
Bri (44:28):
Forget.
Dr. G (44:28):
We’re busy women. I’ve done that with tea kettles where you’re like, “What’s that noise?” And I’m like, “Oh shit, that’s the tea I put on. “That’s the kettle I put on and now it’s making this high pitch noise legit. So I always set a timer. So many things to unpack there, but I get it. All right. So let’s talk about, what are things do you think people buy that are unnecessary that they end up not needing? I mean, is there any shopping that’s unnecessary?
Bri (44:54):
No, I think it’s better to be overly prepared, honestly.
Dr. G (44:59):
I do think some people go crazy on the garments and buy like 50 versions trying to find which one they want.
Bri (45:04):
It’s comfortable. And then, I mean, I guess you’re going to be in it for a hot minute, so I guess that’s fine. I feel like when I … I think it’s also surgery specific. When I did my BBL, I did tons of research on this and I got the pillows, I got the canoe, I got specific garments, I got a sitting thing for my car, I got all the arnica and the swelling and the … What else did I get?
Dr. G (45:32):
I feel like those are … I’ve seen people come in and they’re like, “Which one do you think? ” And they have like five garments they want me to look at.
Bri (45:39):
Oh yeah.
Dr. G (45:39):
I’m like, whichever one is comfortable and provide some compression and you can get on and off. The best compression garment is the one you’re going to wear. And we do give you one. So to get you out of the gate, we give you two. We give you, you wake up in one and then we make sure you get fitted for a second one, make sure that first one fits before you give you two. And then if you hate them after a couple weeks, you can switch to something else. And as long as it’s something you’re going to wear, I don’t really care.
Bri (46:09):
How long do you suggest that someone stays in compression for?
Dr. G (46:12):
Two to three years. I’m just kidding.
Bri (46:15):
I wasn’t expecting that.
Dr. G (46:18):
I would prefer six weeks. I tell them two weeks minimum and then most people like it for six weeks and then three months is ideal.
Bri (46:26):
Yeah. I was in mine for six months.
Dr. G (46:28):
Yeah, because you’re a star.
Bri (46:29):
Yeah. Gold star for me. I was committed, but it does really help so much because you are realistically swollen for more than two weeks. It takes months sometimes for the swollen to go down. Yeah.
Dr. G (46:42):
Especially if you have a job where you’re standing all day or you go back to working out, it’s going to be, you will have up and down days where you’re swollen or not swollen. Yeah. And so having the compression garment to kind of whip it back into shape is nice to take out some … It’ll just help. Sort of like lymphatic massage does. Not a requirement, but it’s a nice add-on.
Bri (47:03):
I feel like it really does help. I did it with both my surgeries and I feel like it really is actually kind of a game changer. Yeah. So highly recommend that. Big fan. I feel like I always get a lot of questions about the garments. They’re like, “Well, I have one event. Can I take it off for a couple hours?”
Dr. G (47:20):
Sure.
Bri (47:20):
Yeah. You might be a little more swollen when you get back, but you’re not married to your garment.
Dr. G (47:25):
Yeah. You don’t absolutely need it for …
Bri (47:28):
Yeah.
Dr. G (47:29):
I mean, it’s ideal, but yes, if you have one, if you have something and you need to not be wearing our ugly garments, then for sure.
Bri (47:37):
I can’t think of what else would be helpful in recovery. If you’re getting a tummy tuck, I really do love that some patients order or rent recliners.
Dr. G (47:46):
Oh yeah.
Bri (47:46):
They say it’s so helpful. I feel like that one’s a good one. I don’t know. Any other supplements that you would recommend taking? Because the Heal Fast only goes to about three days post-op or so.
Dr. G (47:58):
Yeah. I mean, I think it, again, has to be something that you can drink or take consistently. So a protein shake’s a great idea, but if you can’t stand the way they taste, then don’t do that. Cottage cheese is great. There’s some protein enhanced yogurts that are great, but if you’re like, “I can’t do yogurt or cottage cheese,” then find something else that’s protein heavy that works for you. And then try to eat lean meats, not too much cheese.
Bri (48:27):
I had cottage cheese the other morning and my daughter came downstairs and she’s like, “Ew, can you put that away?” She’s like, “I cannot watch you eat that. “
Dr. G (48:34):
Cheese?
Bri (48:34):
Cottage cheese.
Dr. G (48:35):
Oh, cottage cheese.
Bri (48:37):
The visual of the texture was so off putting for her.
Dr. G (48:42):
I go through phases where I can eat it and then I can’t take it. I don’t know. It’s only a
Bri (48:48):
Phase thing.
Dr. G (48:49):
It’s a struggle. There’s only like 10 foods that are good for protein, I feel like. And then you’re like, grilled chicken again.
Bri (48:55):
Yeah. Not massages, but people want to do that. It’s like wood therapy right after. That’s become super popular on the social media. It’s like wood therapy, it’s like-
Dr. G (49:06):
Oh, you roll.
Bri (49:07):
Yeah. But I feel like you have to wait months to do that. People have asked if they can do it that week. I’m like, why would you want to traumatize your body like that? Definitely not something you should do. That’s very gimmicky.
Dr. G (49:22):
Yes.
Bri (49:23):
Yeah. Don’t follow that trend.
Dr. G (49:26):
And then hydration is important. So if you hate drinking water, then maybe consider-
Bri (49:32):
Wine.
Dr. G (49:35):
No. Consider Gatorade or add liquid IV to your stuff. Whatever makes you drink fluids, that’s going to be important to help.
Bri (49:45):
And you have a lot of sugar-free versions too.
Dr. G (49:47):
I think it’s all good.
Bri (49:49):
Walking. What are your thoughts on getting up and walking?
Dr. G (49:52):
I think it’s important. Yeah. Walking is good. It increases circulation. It helps you take deep breaths. When you’re reclining all the time and after anesthesia, the back of your lungs and your lower lungs collapse a little bit because you’re not taking huge deep breaths and that can give you a fever or just make you feel crappy. So walking around kind of forces you to take a deep breath. It boosts the circulation in your lower extremities. It helps decrease swelling. Just don’t go for 10 miles. Just start slow and make sure you’re … I would say more frequent short walks is probably best and then you kind of stretch them out and do less frequent walks. I think that’s important.
Bri (50:36):
So walk.
Dr. G (50:38):
Yeah.
Bri (50:38):
Take your antibiotics, get your pain meds.
Dr. G (50:42):
Pick out some books or TV shows to watch.
Bri (50:46):
Yeah. Get your area set up.
Dr. G (50:48):
Or if you like to do puzzles, something that’s going to keep you busy, just because people-
Bri (50:53):
Sounds not fun.
Dr. G (50:54):
Find themselves at home and then you start trying to clean out your closet or you end up doing something strenuous. So don’t do that. So you need something that you know is going to engage you. If you’re a knit or knit, if you have been dying to
Bri (51:08):
My oldest knitting.
Dr. G (51:09):
I don’t know.
Bri (51:10):
This is what she came up with.
Dr. G (51:11):
I’m just saying, if you already have a hobby that you like to do and you don’t have time for-
Bri (51:16):
Online shopping.
Dr. G (51:17):
Online shopping. Yes.
Bri (51:18):
I stayed up all night and ordered nine pairs of sneakers.
Dr. G (51:20):
Yes. Yo came in with endless scrub hats that you also ordered.
Bri (51:23):
Yeah.
Dr. G (51:24):
I bet I could do that for a while.
Bri (51:26):
Yeah,
Dr. G (51:27):
Absolutely. Pick the best Pinterest board ever for spring fashion or something. Whatever it is.
Bri (51:32):
Blame it on the pain meds.
Dr. G (51:33):
Go down the rabbit hole of some dumb topic. Whatever it is to keep your mind busy and then get up and walk around. But literally don’t start reorganizing your house because you’re just sitting at home.
Bri (51:45):
And also know that having surgery and the healing is a process. I feel like people expect to just feel so great so quickly.
Dr. G (51:53):
Everybody does. Everyone thinks I’ll be different.
Bri (51:55):
Yes. Just have the mindset that you really need to embrace the process.
Dr. G (52:00):
Yeah.
Bri (52:01):
So sometimes you feel great. We had a patient come in this morning and she’s like, “I’m about to do jumping jacks.” Don’t do that. But she just felt great, which is awesome. But then you have some people who come in and mainly, usually the larger surgeries, like tummy tucks and so forth. And like, “I just didn’t know it would be this difficult.”
Dr. G (52:15):
Right.
Bri (52:15):
And it’s like, yes, you are going to be immobile. Don’t plan things.
Dr. G (52:19):
Right. And if the alternative happens and you feel great, great.
Bri (52:23):
Yeah. If not, just keep in mind that it is a process.
Dr. G (52:27):
Yes. So give yourself the grace to heal slowly if you don’t feel like you’re healing fast enough. And then if you do feel great, you still got to take it easy. Yes. Those are sometimes not the worst patients, but the harder patients to deal with because they be texting us, “Can I go bowling?” It’s a small bowling ball. No.
Bri (52:44):
Don’t do it.
Dr. G (52:45):
I feel great. No, you’re 10 days out. I just added that to my list of, can I do this?
Bri (52:52):
We can have a whole podcast and the wild questions of what you can and can’t do after surgery.
Dr. G (52:57):
People become so adventurous after surgery. Yeah.
Bri (52:59):
All of a sudden surgery, it’s like, I’m a vacation, I’m a skydive, I’m a paraglide, I’m a snowboard.
Dr. G (53:04):
I’m in a scuba dive.
Bri (53:06):
I’m a ski. Yeah.
Dr. G (53:07):
Tap dance, bowling.
Bri (53:08):
Yeah.
Dr. G (53:09):
You name it.
Bri (53:10):
It’s great.
Dr. G (53:11):
Glad people are motivated, but just take it easy for at least the first couple weeks and until your surgeon’s given you the A- okay. Yeah. So I think with that, cautionary tale, don’t expect to go bowling on post-op day 10. We will end there. And if you have questions about what you should be doing to enhance your recovery, let us know or reach out.
Bri (53:34):
And if you keep just want to talk about Mormon Wives a little bit more, Ialso please also-
Dr. G (53:37):
Please reach out.
Bri (53:40):
More importantly.
Dr. G (53:40):
We’ll see where this story takes us. Yeah. All right. We’re going to scrub in.
Bri (53:45):
And scrubbing out.
Dr. G (53:50):
If you’re listening today and have questions, need info about scheduling, financing, reviews or photos, check out the show notes for links. Restore SD Plastic Surgery is located in La Jolla, California. Learn more about us, go to restorestplasticsurgery.com or follow us on Instagram @RestoreSDPlasticSurgery. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it and subscribe to All the B’s on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen to podcasts.
About Restore SD & Dr. Katerina Gallus
As the Director of Restore SD Plastic Surgery, board certified female San Diego plastic surgeon Dr. Katerina Gallus has over 20 years of experience helping patients enjoy head to toe rejuvenation with face, breast and body procedures. After a successful career as a Navy plastic surgeon, Dr. Gallus founded her San Diego plastic surgery center, Restore SD Plastic Surgery, with the intention of creating a welcoming space for anyone seeking cosmetic enhancement.
Restore SD Plastic Surgery offers popular facial rejuvenation procedures like facial fat transfer, nanofat grafting, breast augmentation with implants, breast lifts or breast reduction; body contouring procedures such as tummy tuck, liposuction, mommy makeover, and Brazilian butt lift (BBL), as well as non-surgical aesthetician services, BOTOX, dermal fillers, laser treatments, and weight loss injections.
Dr. Gallus and her highly-experienced aesthetics team are here to help you look and feel your best! To schedule a personal consultation, please contact us online or call our office at (858) 224-2281 today. We proudly serve the San Diego and La Jolla areas.
