Tips for Traveling with Your Post-Op Body
- Flying After Cosmetic Surgery
- Eating Healthfully on the Go
- Getting Enough Rest During Vacation
You did it! You put in all the effort to transform your body and now you’re ready to hit the road with your new shape. If this summer has you heading out of Madison, Wisconsin, read on for some tips on how to travel with your post-op body.
Flying After Cosmetic Surgery
Air travel might present some difficulties to your post-op body. Here are a few recommendations to keep in mind before you fly.
First, ask a travel companion to–pretty please!–carry your bag. There will be plenty of times when you’ll need to put your bag into the overhead compartment, pull it through the airport, and heft it into taxis or shuttles. These actions, especially if your bag is quite heavy, can injure your post-op body.
This is because cosmetic surgeries, especially breast augmentation, often have lifting restrictions. If you’ve had breast augmentation, you should not be lifting heavy objects until at least twenty days after your procedure, after you’ve received your doctor’s permission. Straining in this way could result in shifted implants, injured muscles, or other harm.
Second, be sure to stretch and get up for a little walk during your flight if you’re able to. Little actions such as these can help maintain proper circulation, which is essential to the healing of your post-op body. See if that same loving travel companion would be willing to let you have the seat with the most leg room to help facilitate on-board stretching.
Third, do your best to avoid germs. Staying healthy will also help speed along your recovery process. Fortunately, airlines and other public places are currently ramping up their efforts at minimizing germs. For additional ideas on how to stay healthy while traveling, visit the CDC website.
If you are traveling from out of state for surgery with Dr. Bartell, read To Travel Or Not To Travel, That Is The Question (Did you know that Dr. Bartell is also a pilot?)
Eating Healthfully While Traveling
Vacation food can be oh-so-tempting, but if you’re still recovering from a cosmetic surgery procedure, it’s important to try to eat as healthfully as possible. Foods rich in vitamins and minerals, such as fruits, vegetables, and meats, are vital to the healing process. Avoid overindulging in alcohol, which can inhibit wound healing. Excess sugar also triggers inflammation in the body and should be avoided.
Try focusing on your destination’s local cuisine that is plant-based with enough healthy protein. Be sure to drink enough water to stay hydrated and to maintain healthy skin.
Getting Enough Rest During Vacation
The weeks immediately following surgery aren’t the best to discover the joys of mountain climbing, surfing, or sprinting up picturesque hills!
Your body is still healing, so you probably won’t feel quite as energetic as you usually do. Take the opportunity to enjoy your new surroundings at your post-op body’s pace. Rest frequently. Have the courage to pass on any extra adventures your travel companions are doing that you think might be too much for you.
Your body’s been through a lot. Make sure it gets the rest it needs for optimum healing and results.
Dr. Bartell and his staff wish you a very happy and safe vacation!
Consultation
If you would like to schedule a consultation with Dr. Bartell, click here. Dr. Bartell is a board-certified plastic surgeon who focuses exclusively on below-the-neck procedures. Among other procedures, Dr. Bartell performs scarless breast augmentation in Madison, Wisconsin.
Dr. Bartell Aesthetic & Reconstructive Surgery
6418 Normandy Lane, Suite 210
Madison, WI 53719
Phone: (608) 271-0500
Fax: (608) 271-0502
Tips for Traveling with Your Post-Op Body brought to you by Dr. Thomas Bartell