 Top 7 Things You Should Know When Considering Facial Rejuvenation
By: Mallory Buxton, BSN, RN Founder & Owner Solos - Concierge Nursing Inc. Contributors: Todd C. Hobgood, MD, Andrea Sinon, BSN, RN “I just want to look on the outside, how I feel on the inside,” states a 56 year old business woman in Phoenix, AZ who has been contemplating having a laser procedure on her face to address fine lines and wrinkles for 2 years now. Women and men everywhere are in search of the fountain of youth and in most cases, the more natural looking, the better. Fortunately for patients, the plastic & cosmetic surgery industry has come a long way from the "pulled" or “wind tunnel” look of facelifts in the 1990s. There are numerous surgical and nonsurgical options available at almost every price point today. In an attempt to wade through the current options for facial rejuvenation (filler, botox, laser, facelift, oh my!...) we turned to double board certified Dr. Todd Hobgood of Hobgood Facial Plastic Surgery in Scottsdale, AZ for some insight on all things face related. Dr. Hobgood is known for his warm and witty bedside manner that compliments his extensive surgical background and expertise. You can find beautiful before and afters of his work on Instagram @hobgoodfps 1.) Solos Nurse: In what case do you advocate for a facelift as opposed to dermal fillers and neurotoxins? Dr. Todd Hobgood: It really depends on the cause of the aging issue. Neurotoxins are used to prevent the movements that contribute to permanent wrinkling of the skin. Fillers are great to restore volume. Both are so helpful because they can be done literally in minutes in the office with no downtime. In contrast, facelifting is recommended when the volume of excess skin and the descent of facial structures are key to the aging process. In these cases, the patients are taken to the operating room for a vertical lift to elevate skin and deeper tissues in a permanent way. 2.) Solos Nurse: Fat transfer to the face is becoming more common and often accompanies a facelift. Can you explain the reasoning behind this and best type of candidate? Dr. Hobgood: Fat transfer is not a new procedure but is becoming more popular. I have been performing fat transfers for over 16 years. The best candidates are those who have significant age related loss of adipose (fat) tissues particularly in the upper midface and lower eyelids. We can use fat throughout the facial regions but it tends to excel in these areas. 3.) Solos Nurse: How important is it to consider a laser treatment with a facelift? Dr. Hobgood: Facelifts do an exceptional job to remove excess skin, lifts vertically, and repositions deeper soft tissues. However, they will do very little to improve skin “textures.” If patients have fine lines especially in the cheeks, around the mouth and at the corners of the eyes, lasers will be employed to improve this problem. 4.) Solos Nurse: Can you explore the options of blepharoplasty and/or necklift done in conjunction with a facelift? Dr. Hobgood: The main keys are to limit down-time and maintain harmony of the face. We don’t want one zone to look rejuvenated while others are showing more time and aging. Because of this we often will do an eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) with a facelift. 5.) Solos Nurse: How and when is PRP best utilized? What can PRP all be used for? Dr. Hobgood: PRP is essentially fertilizer for the skin that is most successful if it is in the areas of minor injury. The PRP will increase the amount of collagen and elastic fibers in the skin. We tend to love this in combination with microneedling. Also, PRP is very helpful for increasing hair growth in thinning areas of scalp hair. I have personally used this as have many of my patients and friends. It requires 3 treatments 6 weeks apart initially and then every 6 months to maintain the results. 6.) Solos Nurse: What can patients expect post facelift and/or bleph in regards to discomfort, swelling, and bruising? Dr. Hobgood: Surprisingly these patients have virtually no pain after these surgeries. We always have medicine for them but most never use them. Swelling however is expected and can be significant. Patients usually swell for about 72 hours. Bruising and swelling are usually at their peak by one week. Most are amazed by the improvement by 2 weeks and are able to use makeup to resume normal out of house activities. 7.) Solos Nurse: When can they return to work post surgery or laser treatment? Dr. Hobgood: I love it if eyelid and facelift patients have 3 weeks before they are under pressure to look their best. However many need to get back to work a bit sooner and are good to go with some makeup at 2 weeks. So there you have it! Brilliant insight by Dr. Todd Hobgood of Hobgood Facial Plastic Surgery on all facial rejuvenation. In my professional opinion it is most important thing to keep in mind is that no matter what you change on the outside, you must truly the love the person you are on the inside. In a world where we are inundated with pictures of models and celebrities on every social media platform, it’s easy to get caught up comparing ourselves to others. Keeping this simple idea in mind from Tony Bennett can help when we feel pressure from society to look a certain way: “It sounds so simple, but if you just be yourself, you're different than anyone else.” *demographics changed to protect patient identity
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 Mallory Buxton, bsn, rnFounder & CEO, Solos- Concierge Nurse Patient Advocates 1.) Goals. I write them down. Every day. What you write becomes reality. Your mind and brain start to think that what you're writing is already true and pretty soon it's not just goals on paper; it's real life. Your goals should be very specific and have an end date of when you want to achieve them. I have a monthly goal every month. It should be something that is realistic to achieve so that at the end of the month you feel a sense of accomplishment and it is a win for you when you check it off. This builds confidence and momentum. Once the train is moving, it's hard to stop it. A target is something that is more of a lofty goal, it may take you a year or more to achieve it. But, once again, if you write it down, it will become reality. Along with writing my goals ad targets I write a quote, something by Steve Jobs, Sheryl Sandberg, and Sara Blakely for example. Someone I look up to, that inspires me and pushes me to continue to face my fears. Steve Jobs is one of my absolute favorite people to learn from. Here is my all time favorite YouTube video: Steve Job's Top 10 Rules for Success. I also write 10 things I am grateful for. Waking up on the grateful side of the bed helps set the tone for your whole day. 2.) Meditate. "Meditation is not about achieving something. It's about how we change our relationship with the world around us," - Headspace app. Research is showing more and more how important mindfulness is. (This TED talk by Matthieu Ricard is one of my favorites: The Habits of Happiness ) I like to use the apps Calm and Headspace for my meditation. Sometimes it's 15 minutes, sometimes it's 3. Just the fact that you put it on your to do list and cross it off is a win. It's a muscle that you must build. Meditation is hard, but that's why they call it a practice. Never do we perfect it. As Warren Buffett, says. "If you can't control your emotions, you can't control your money." Start meditating and see how it spreads positivity and calm into every area of your life. 3.) Read. "Readers are leaders." I loved reading in elementary and high school. Then college hit and I felt guilty reading anything but a text book; I know a lot of nurses can relate to this. Truth is, I think Solos would be closer to our goal of ending loneliness and helping 1B people had I continued to read books that interested me in college and the immediate interim. I only just started making it a point to read every day within the last year again. And it's funny how my business, happiness and bank account have grown since doing this. I'm currently reading "Factfullness" by Hans Rosling and listening to "Measure What Matters" by John Doerr on Audible. Bonus habit: Hot yoga. Not just yoga, hot yoga. Sweat out all the mental & physical toxins. So, in conclusion: Did I write my goals? Did I meditate? And did I read? And yoga. These are my keys to success. They don’t all 3 happen every day but when they do I am a kinder, more considerate and reflective version of myself. I am proactive rather than reactive and am able to have more empathy and relate to others. And the earlier in the day I cross them off my list, the better. Much love, Mal *For a closer look into Mal's world, follow her Instagram page @solosnurse and connect with her on LinkedIn .  Mallory Buxton, BSN, RNFounder & CEO, Solos- Concierge Nurse Patient Advocates The Power of Touch, Myths about Higher Education, and Harnessing the Talent of Nursing Students
3 Major problems in America's healthcare system today: 1.) Nosocomial infections 2.) Chronic nursing staff shortage 3.) New grad RN's feeling ill-prepared to take care of their patients upon graduation I have a solution for all the above. Ask any new nurse if they feel prepared to take care of 5-7 patients straight out of nursing school and I can guarantee you the answer will be a resounding, "NO!" Ask any seasoned nurse (someone with 7+ years of nursing experience) if they feel their unit is adequately and safely staffed, and I will also wager there will be a strong, "No," reply as well. Now, let's ask nurse managers, directors and hospital executives what one of the biggest problems they face on their to-do list, and you will find nosocomial infections at the very top. (Nosocomial infections are infections that patients did NOT have before being admitted and are acquired in the hospital. Medicare & Medicaid do not reimburse hospitals for the care of patients who acquire these infections, so many unit directors & managers feel the heat to prevent these.) My solution to nosocomial infections: It's easy. The power of touch. What I mean is we need to get back to bed baths, clean linens and emotional support. We do this and our nosocomial infection rates will plummet. Patients will have less anxiety, less pain and be clean therefore leading to less infections and complications ultimately leading to earlier discharges and less time in the hospital. Unfortunately though, nurses are being given more and more patients to care for on a 12 hour shift with less and less ancillary support. Support staff from nurse's aides to housekeepers to dietary aides are being cut and the simple duties such as taking out the trash or clearing the lunch tray fall on the nurse. I am incredibly happy to take out the trash, in fact there are few things that make me happier than a clean and organized room, but doing all these tasks for 5 patients severely limits the nurse's ability to: be a nurse. Basic hygiene, emotional support, and the pure joy of "getting to know your patient" go to the wayside. It's all nurses can do to pass their meds on time without getting "dinged" (you get in trouble if you do not scan medications and administer them within their schedule time frame) and hastily listen to breath sounds before copying & pasting an assessment. This is less than ideal, and I know many, MANY nurses are not fulfilled with this type of practice. Sadly, this is the case in every city and hospital I have worked in and with every nurse I have talked to across the country. Now for the chronic nursing staffing shortage and the correlation to higher education: Units all across the U.S. are utilizing registry and travel nurses to meet their bare minimum staffing requirements. This is in part due to nursing burn out, budget cuts, rising insurance costs, stricter payout schedules from Medicare & Medicaid and also the idea that has been planted, watered and fertilized in in the nursing culture: Go back to school. Get your masters, PhD, NP (Nurse Practitioner), CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) degree. Just go on and keep getting more degrees and you will be happy. This will make you more money, give you more letters behind your name and help you feel more satisfied at the end or your 14 hour shift. I know that this is controversial, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and tell you all that whoever "they" are (society, your friends, family, fellow nurses, doctors) they lied to you. From my experience, friends, acquaintances and family who received advanced degrees beyond their BSN, none of them are any happier. And this is not that they are bad people or have poor attitudes. It can be attributed to the way our healthcare system is set up in America and the direction it is heading. Budget cuts will continue to happen and the providers and bedside nurses are the ones who feel the burn and sting of these cuts the most. The very place where we should be amping up our care to prevent nosocomial infections and spread love & compassion is the place that suffers the greatest: The bedside. Unfortunately the cutting of bedside care is the current solution in many hospitals and is very short sighted. It only exacerbates our healthcare problems. So here's my radical advice: If you're a nurse, don't go on to receive more degrees. You won't be happy. I'm just saying. You heard it hear first. Instead, search for your true passion and go after that. And here is my solution for new grad RN's feeling unprepared after graduating nursing school AND the lack of ancillary support at the bedside: Let us have the nursing students perform more hands on care during clinicals! From bed baths to helping patients get up to the bathroom and ambulate after surgery to vital signs and critical thinking: Let's harness the immense work force of the nursing & medical students. Medical students would also greatly benefit from more hands on patient care. I know what a lot of you are thinking: Nursing students already do this. But not really. They are in constant fear of "doing too much" and being told to "Wait for your instructor or preceptor to get here." In the meantime patients are suffering. There is no substitute for human to human contact and touch. You can study all the textbooks in the world but caring for a living, breathing patient is a true art and something that is developed and refined over the years. This is an absolute win/win for everyone involved. Here's why: Nursing & medical students get more hands on care experience, patients feel loved, nurtured and cared for thereby experiencing less pain, decreased healing times, lower blood pressure, increased serotonin & dopamine production, the list goes on... AND the hospital gets all this hands on help for FREE!!!!! Can I get an Amen? Nursing school did not prepare us in the least for real world nursing mainly because we did not get enough hands on experience. Let's have nursing students take patients assignments and relieve some of the strain off of the nurses working. Nursing students will feel so much better prepared for the "real world" of nursing and patients will benefit from the increased human interaction. I'm anxious to hear what y'all think of these propositions. I hope they spur your thought process and help you to think & look differently at healthcare today. I'm also very interested on how artificial intelligence (AI) will disrupt our healthcare system and the nursing industry. AI is coming. It's not if, it's when it will be here and you're either being disrupted or disrupting when it comes to business. I intend for Solos - Concierge Nurse Patient Advocates to be on disrupting end of the spectrum. I'm not sure how we will do it, but with our main focus on the patient and a mission to end loneliness and ensure that no one ever feels afraid or alone I know that we are on the right path. Our target of helping 1B people will be incredibly more doable with the help of AI. Let us not be afraid of it, but embrace it and move humanity forward with the help of it.  Mallory Buxton, BSN, RNFounder, CEO of Solos- Concierge Nurse Patient Advocates I was talking to a fellow nurse entrepreneur in the D.C. area today and I told her about the events leading up to my decision to start Solos. I got done and she said "Wow. I thought this was going to just be a Meet & Greet phone call, but I need to process all this. I have so many questions. You just dropped some bombs." It was the first time that I felt I had eloquently articulated my "story" of how Solos came to be and how it is still evolving today. I wish I would have recorded that phone call. I'll do my best to recount the story here:
How I Chose Nursing as My Profession: In high school I decided I wanted to be a Physician Assistant, PA. I chose biology as my undergrad at South Dakota State University. Sometime between my high school graduation and the start of my freshmen year of college a seed of doubt was planted, "What if I don't get into PA school?" I decided to change my major to nursing/pre-PA so that if I didn't get into PA school I would still have a nursing career to fall back on. While in nursing school I discovered what a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, CRNA, was. I thought this sounded pretty rad, so I decided that was going to be my goal. Before applying for CRNA graduate school, you need at least 1-2 years of ICU nursing experience. I worked in the cardiac ICU in Sioux Falls, SD for 3 years and continued in the medical surgical ICU in Phoenix for another year after moving to Arizona in 2014. As a nurse, I got bored easily and was never 100% fulfilled or happy with any area of nursing I pursued. Besides working in the ICU, I also got my chemotherapy certification and worked at 2 different outpatient chemotherapy centers, I taught nursing clinicals for my alma mater, and did float pool for one of Phoenix's largest hospital. My plan after moving to Arizona was to apply to CRNA school after getting settled in. In August 2015 I read Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. After reading that book I knew I wouldn't be fulfilled no matter what area of nursing I went into or how many advanced degrees I accumulated. I had an innate drive to do something bigger than myself and I knew that to be truly happy I had to pursue it. The Straw that Broke the Camel's Back: While working in the medical surgical ICU in Phoenix in September of 2015 I received an admission from the ER of a patient with incredibly low blood pressure. He needed life saving vassopressor medication via an IV infusion. This is a basic standard of care and something ICU nurses do often. I was ready to administer the life saving medication when I realized I did not have an IV pump to give it. This is like asking a chef to make an omelette without a frying pan. You can't do it. I had the drug but did not have the necessary equipment to give it. This infuriated me, how can we give exceptional patient care if we don't even have an IV PUMP in the ICU of all places. Like, what the hell?! The supervisor on that day seemed to think that eating yogurt was more important than calling around and trying to help me find an IV pump for my patient. I was able to convince my comrades to help me find one and the patient was stable when I finished my shift that night. I was so pissed off though. Since when does snack time come before patient care? Not okay in Mal's book. The supervisor continued to think this wasn't a big deal after the patient was stabilized. So, I did what any irritated nurse would do: I went straight to the Chief Nursing Officer, CNO, to voice my opinion and recount the afternoon's events. The CNO was very understanding and seemed genuinely concerned and grateful that I brought the situation to her attention. I felt better that this major issue was brought to light with someone who had the power to do something about it. The next week the head supervisor from the ICU (she was not working the day the incident happened) called me at home to revisit the situation and find out more about what happened. I dove into the details and gave a passionate recount. She was very polite and empathetic but it was clear that she had a separate agenda for the phone call. After I had told her what had happened with the patient, she gently reminded me that next time I had an issue I should follow the proper chain of command. It was inappropriate to jump directly to calling the Chief Nursing Officer that day; I should have spoken to the supervisor. I explained that the supervisor was well aware of the situation, but continued to eat her snack at the nurses station while I was scrambling to find an IV pump. And after we had found one, she did not make any attempt to notify the manager or director. That was why I took it upon myself to alert the CNO who had distinctly told us at the last unit meeting to call her "with anything." I thought this more than qualified as anything. The head supervisor continued to stress that it was inappropriate for me to make that call and that only a manager should report to the CNO. They have these chains of command set up for a reason and I was to follow them. I think I had steam coming out of my ears after she said. I was surprised that I was being reprimanded for trying to improve patient care. I started crying and raising my voice, "Since when does the chain of command matter when a patient's life is in danger? That was the last thing on my mind. And further more the supervisor on call was not taking any proactive steps to make sure this situation wouldn't happen again." I was so angry I was having trouble forming sentences. It just blew me away that we were even discussing this. After I got off the phone I decided that I could not work at this hospital anymore because our values did not align. I had a new job within a month, October 2015, and I was fully committed to "starting something." My new job was a significant pay cut and it negatively affected the interest rate and terms on my home mortgage at time. I didn't care though, I just had to get out of that toxic environment. I didn't know what I was going to start, I just knew I had to do something more. I continued to listen to podcasts and read personal development material and in April of 2016 I got my idea to start a concierge nursing service from a podcast on my way to work. I said "YEP! That's what I'm going to do." I launched Solos in September of 2016. Almost 2 years later, the universe has connected me with an amazing group of nurses and our goal is to end loneliness and help 1B people. We believe that no one should ever feel alone or afraid when having a medical procedure. I am so grateful for where this journey has taken me and I cannot wait to see what the future holds. In the words of Steve Jobs, "You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart even when it leads you off the well worn path; and that will make all the difference.”  Mallory Buxton, BSN, RNEntrepreneur & Concierge Nurse With the advent of procedures like the Mommy Makeover, Facial Rejuvenation, and Fleur de Lis abdominalplasty (aka Fleur de Lis Tummy Tuck) it's easy to become confused by all the terminology surrounding cosmetic and reconstructive surgery these days. And with the new vocabulary comes new guidelines for pre-op instructions and aftercare. One procedure that is gaining popularity in particular is the Fleur de Lis (flur-dl-eez) Tummy Tuck. This surgical procedure gets is named from it's resemblance to the Fleur de Lis symbol because of it's horizontal and vertical incision pattern. Besides having a name that is a little tricky to pronounce (unless you were a French major), there is also less information and education published on this topic.
Lucky for us we were able to snag a few minutes of one of Scottsdale's leading plastic surgeon's time, Dr. Remus Repta of Dr. Repta Plastic Surgery to get some valuable insight on Fleur de Lis Tummy Tucks (FDL TT). Voted Phoenix Magazine Top Doctor 2018 for facial and body plastic surgery, Dr. Repta is an expert on FDL TT. Below you’ll find some of the most commonly asked questions of patients considering this procedure: What is a Fleur de Lis Tummy Tuck? Dr. Repta: A fleur de lis tummy tuck is a tummy tuck designed to remove and tighten skin in both a vertical and horizontal dimension. To accomplish this a regular tummy tuck incision is made horizontally at the level of the pubic bone as well as a vertical incision above and below the belly button. Who is a good candidate for a Fleur de Lis tummy tuck? Dr. Repta: Good candidates for a FDL TT have significant skin laxity in both horizontal as well a vertical dimension and are ok with having an incision above and below the belly button. Will I have a drain after surgery? If so, why and how long will it be in? Dr. Repta: Yes, a drain is common and helpful after a FDL TT. The length that it will remain in place is in part dependent on your body and how much liposuction was also done. What are my activity guidelines? Dr. Repta: No exercise for at least 6 weeks. The first few weeks it is highly recommended to just invest in your recovery and not do anything that is not necessary such as running errands, doing chores, etc. When can I shower? Dr. Repta: Technically anytime. It is recommended often to just sponge bath for the first week or so. When can I drive? Dr. Repta: When you feel comfortable and are no longer taking pain medication. When can I go back to work? Dr. Repta: Depending on the type of work, it may be 2-3 weeks. Bonus question: What is a "plus sized" tummy tuck? Who is a good candidate for this? Dr. Repta: A plus size TT is a tummy tuck that requires extensive liposuction at the same time as the actual TT. Patients with incomplete weight loss can be candidates for a plus size TT. This blog post was made possible with help from Dr. Repta Plastic Surgery. For more information on tummy tuck and other body contouring procedures please visit: www.scottsdaletummytuck.com and www.drrepta.com.  Author: Mallory Buxton, BSN, RN You just spent this chunk of change on surgery, you want to get the most bang for your buck right? Well, what if someone told you that your results will greatly be determined by how closely you follow discharge instructions and aftercare?
Many patients do not want to bother friends and family after surgery to help them. Particularly, plastic surgery because it's often elective and there is a stigma around it in America that it's unnecessary. This leads patients to seek privacy and not ask friends and family for help. Case in point from a Solos patient in 2017: "My son lives in Phoenix, but I didn't want to ask him for help after my tummy tuck. I wanted to maintain my modesty and also didn't want him to have to take off work for me. I was embarrassed to tell the surgeon and staff this and was so thankful that the Solos brochure was inside my pre-op packet. The patient coordinator had nothing but positive things to say about Mallory and her team. I felt totally comfortable calling and inquiring about their services. I'm so glad I did. It was a total relief having Mallory and Lisa help me after surgery." After surgery there are activity & weight lifting restrictions. The general anesthesia you received makes you groggy and puts you in a "haze" for sometimes 48 hours after receiving it. There are medications such as narcotics, muscle relaxants, antibiotics, antivirals and anti-anxiety pills to keep track of. As one former client very candidly pointed in a text after Mommy Makeover surgery, "And there are like 4 different medications that I have here. When do I take them? And how much and how often should I take them? Should I eat with them? What should I eat? And oh crap, I haven't crapped in 5 days." Yikes! A Concierge Nurse Patient Advocate can help you understand your medications and make sure you're taking them correctly. They'll make sure you're not lifting more than you should be after surgery (Solos Nurses will carry your grocery bags and do your laundry for you) and think of things you would not have thought of to ask the doctor. And if you get constipated? No worries, they have a few tricks up their sleeve to help even the most stubborn colons. Certain surgical procedures, like an abdominalplasty (aka tummy tuck) require patients to wear abdominal binder afterwards. This can be very difficult to reposition by yourself and friend & family often don’t feel like they are putting them on correctly. Correct application and positioning of surgical binders, bras and garments is another thing Concierge Nurse Patient Advocates can help with. In my experience, many patients forget that even though it's an elective surgery, it's still SURGERY. And it's scary. A Concierge Nurse Patient Advocate is someone you can call or text just to ask a quick question. Patients feel totally supported both physically and emotionally knowing they have that option. It's important to have that teammate to help cheer you on after surgery (and all areas of life) and provide affirmation that what you're experiencing is normal, others have felt this way, and you are doing amazing. Keep going! This support is critical to phenomenal patient results. If you do not feel emotionally, mentally and physically supported, you will have increased anxiety and pain which releases stress hormones that in turn hamper the healing process in the body. (Reference to scientific study done to support this statement coming soon.) Many patients fly in from out of state or out of country to have plastic surgery in sunny Scottsdale, AZ. Some bring family to stay with them and some come alone. Both groups benefit greatly from having a Concierge Nurse Patient Advocate. It can be mentally and physically exhausting for family members to care for patients after surgery. The bigger your tribe of support, the better and having a Concierge Nurse Patient Advocate there can bring relief to the patient AND family member. The family member needs to remember to take time for themselves and can take a nap or catch a movie when the Concierge Nurse Patient Advocate is there to help. Having a nurse's insight, someone who has worked with postoperative facelift, tummy tuck, breast augmentation, and rhinoplasty patients before is comforting for everyone involved. And if you're coming alone to Scottsdale to have surgery? All the more reason to have a Concierge Nurse Patient Advocate assist you. They will bring immense peace of mind to you before surgery and during your recovery period. It's important to remember the Concierge Nurse Patient Advocate does not replace a doctor & his ancillary staff. They are an addition to the team. Your Concierge Nurse Patient Advocate can ask all the questions you have flying through your head and write down all the little details that doctors are famous for adding in at the last minute. And the best part about this teammate is that they can come home with you! A Concierge Nurse Patient Advocate will make sure you’re following the doctor’s orders exactly as prescribed and know what warning signs to watch for, such as infections or allergic reactions, after surgery. No more anxiety or wondering if you’re going to “mess anything up,” your Concierge Nurse Patient Advocate will dismiss that worry in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. Sounds kind of nice, right? And not only for patients, but doctors as well. Having a Concierge Nurse Patient Advocate at consults and follow-ups, helps the appointment run more smoothly and saves time for doctors and staff. Concierge Nurse Patient Advocates can advocate for patients from inpatient hospital stays to follow up appointments and everything in between. So, let’s say you have surgery coming up and you have some friends lined up to help you. But now you just read this article and you’re starting to think, “Maybe I should have more help. My neighbor said she’d come check on me, but she always was a little flaky. I don’t want to go through this surgery and then not get optimal results because I tried to lift something too heavy or wasn’t sleeping in the correct position.” Call us!! It’s that simple. Find out your options. Or just go for it and book us for a half day drop in on the SolosNurse app. We’re here for you and we’re happy to help. Because as our mission statement says, “No one should would wake up from surgery and feel scared. No one should go home from the hospital and feel alone. Everyone deserves to feel beautiful.” Don’t go solo, think Solos.  Author; Mallory Buxton, BSN, RN 1. Pillows
Lots and lots of pillows. Whether you're having a facelift, tummy tuck or brachioplasty (arm lift) odds are that the surgeon is going to want you to sleep ELEVATED and propped up on pillows. So start hoarding the pillows, because you'll want to sleep with them behind you, under your bent knees to take the strain off of your back and under yours arms for comfort depending on the type of surgery you had. 2. Stool Softener I don't care how regular you are, 99.9% of post surgical patients become constipated from anesthesia and/or narcotic pain medications. Until you have had your first post operative bowel movement, please, please, PLEASE take a stool softener every day starting the day of surgery. Narcotics are very effective for relieving pain but also very constipating. Combined with a decrease in activity and appetite and the odds are stacked against your colon. 3. Straws Hydration is key after plastic surgery (Well, let's be honest it's always important!) In order to make it easier to drinks fluids, have straws on hand. Even better, have a tumbler with a lid and plastic straw so that if it tips whilst you're trying to drink lying in bed, you have less of a chance of spilling. 4. Plastic Snack Baggies If you're having any type of facial surgery (rhytidectomy, blepharoplasty, brow lift) many surgeons will want you to ice with frozen peas after surgery. If so, the small little rectangular bags meant for snack baggies (I always picture pretzel sticks in these when thinking of them) are ideal for icing any part of your face. *BONUS* The #5 thing you may want after plastic surgery 5.) A Concierge Nurse Patient Advocate 100% of the clients we've helped have given us 5 star reviews on Facebook. From giving you a ride home after surgery to staying overnight and bringing you to your follow up appointment, Solos Nurses provide peace of mind and convenience to your and your family. Although you may have friends or family that are available to you, there is no substitute for the comfort and privacy a Concierge Nurse Patient Advocate can bring, especially in the first 48 hours after surgery. Thanks for stopping by. Like what you read? Leave a comment! And check us out on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn too!! |
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