surgery done by Dr.Lista

[braveboy]

i've been walking on a treadmill since the 5th day post op and just recently started a light jog.Pete it must feel great to get rid of that pain in the ass vest,can't wait myself to get there myself 1 week monday.How are your results so far seen any difference lately.are you happy

[PeterBateman]

ya getting rid of the vest is nice, although it kinda acted like a security blanket eh?  i don't know what to think of results...i still have a lot of scar tissue, and my chest goes hard between rubs in a lot of places.  still am numb to touch or have very little sensativity overall, and i still have 'cords' down across my stomach.  but the 'jowel' on my left side is a bit better, but then again my nips tend to stay mildly indented.  the gyne is gone i guess, but not flat yet, so not happy right now.  the rubbing is a pain in the a$$ 3 times a day.  i have HARD cords in upper right chest too that are tiring to rub too....should i go on???  sorry to rant...

[braveboy]

hey man,i hope in 6 months from now we can both talk about how great our results are and don't regreat doing this at all saying that all this crap we are going through was all worth it.

[PeterBateman]

...yep...i am a pessimist? though, so we'll see...

[marx]

Hi guys had my 2 month visit with Lista.  Next appointment in 6 months.  He thinks I am on track, keep massaging 3 x 5 min per day.  Still internal scarring and swelling to break down.  I stopped massaging for about 4 days this week and I can tell you things got hard and sore.  The massaging has broken things down again and I feeling better.

I have harder area on lower right side that he says was due to a place that had more tissue that he had to work into that caused more scarring/swelling.  This is breaking down over time though.

Lista says you need 1 yr before full affect and all swelling is 100% gone.  At this stage, major swelling and scarring is gone but it's still there.  Says to keep rubbing arnica gel. 

On the incisions, to continue using silicon bandages this year as it promotes healing.  Something about the silicon they've found really works well and still allows scar to breathe.  On the colour, eventually scar will blend into skin colour, but there will always be a scar mark there.  I hope it blends in eventually, because they are red on me now.  They have healed well.  Makes me think maybe Fileding/standard nipple incision method would have been better?
 

[PeterBateman]

hey marx.  he never mentioned silicone bandaids to me...was that your idea to him?  i stopped using arnica after a month i think, as lista said to stop since that might be what was causing my rash, although i still have the rash on my right side...the thing is though, directly underneath this rash is an area of what i think is completely HARD scar tissue, with what feels like a drinking straw type tube that is hard as a rock running vertically.  just today i swelled up with hard scar tissue in numerous places on either side.  i go to see lista next week. 

are u using your knuckles to massage too?  i do fingers, knuckles, palms..i even press in as hard as i can with my finger pointed into the scar area....everything.  i think in the long run the lista method is less likely to show any alterations to a guys chest, but either way its barely noticeable to anyone that has no clue what gyne surgery is. 

i want to mention using an electric massager to lista next week - i have a 'thumper', and want to know if i can use that instead of ruining my hands and a certain muscle/area in my shoulders that aches after every massage. 

[braveboy]

I also saw lista today and i asked him what i can put on the scars and he told me to buy silicone bandaids,Marx where do you buy them i tried shoppers and they told me they do not sell them.

[PeterBateman]

i was at shoppers today, and they DO have silicone SHEETS, in the bandaid aisle.  a box is like $45.  i bought instead a tube of LIFEBRAND scar gel, made to rub in on scars after surgery etc.  $15.00.  i dont want any more shxt on my chest if you know what i mean...a bandaid or a 'sheet' would just annoy me. 

got some arnica there too..half the cost of listas price.

[fishy]

great to hear from you fishy,was one of your chest bigger than the other at any point?

my one side was always bigger, and still is, but I dont think it i very noticable now.

[fishy]

Yes braveboy I am about 6 weeks now and I notice that sometimes when I message hard, then it gets sore, bruises, etc. but it feels good to break down swelling, scar tissue.  Fishy is right - we must be patient.  

I am only worried about Fishy's comment about the visibility of his scars.  Is it very obvious Fishy?  Are you prone to scar markings?  Do you have dark skin?  Would you still take shirt off in public, or are scars that obvious?  

I have a fair skin, and my chest does scar easily (all in-grown hairs leave a mark for months). considering this, imagine how a cut around my nipple my have turned out!! I think the scars are very noticable, and wouldnt take my shirt off in a hurry!

Currently my scars are still very visible, but have faded a little. Last week i went to see Lista about the scars, and i regret not going sooner! He was very caring, and will be perfoming another procedure at no cost to me to attempt to reduce the scars. He also says he has some new technics to help reduce lipo scars, and also mention the silcone bandage.

I have two reccomendations for you guys:

1) wait at least 3-4 months before you start judging your results.
2) go back to Lista if you have any concerns. He treats you like a customer, and not a OHIP patient! I am sorry i didnt go back sooner. He has put my mind at rest!

I got a really good feeling that he will do whatever he can to ensure i am happy with the results. (if only i could get me home contractor to offer such good service  )

[marx]

Peter, I use my palms mostly and really rub hard.  The rubbing may cause bruising because sometimes it has become sore after I rub hard.  I find the Arnica feels much better than using nothing.  But I have become lazy and have started to not massage which is bad as my chest has become hard and sore.  I can't believe there is this much swelling over 2 months later!   

The silicon bandages were suggested by Lista.  He highly recommended them.  I got them at Shoppers for $45.  However I cut a bandage into tiny pieces to just cover the incision, so the pack will easily last me over 6 months.

Fishy, when you say you didn't like incision scars and Lista is going to help fix them, how do they look?  My incisions look like red spots, almost like where a big pimple would be, only they are completely flat.

[braveboy]

Hi guys i went to shoppers drug mart on dec 8 and the polysporin silcon bandaids where half price $21.99.Marx becarful not o cut the bandaids to small they are supposed to be exceding the incision.Today is the last day for my compression vest ,just woundering should i wear it at night,i've read hat some guys do.What are the pro and cons to wearing the vest past the 6 week point.

[marx]

Braveboy, yeah I cut the bandages so they cover the incision area, but ar enot too big that they aren't a bother to wear.

My experience is that I still get most swelling from sleeping on my side.  If the vest doesn't bother you, I'd wear it during sleep as gravity pulls swelling to areas.  Then again, this is a question for Lista to best answer.  I don't think he'll say that it is bad to keep wearing the vest.  I did for about a week longer because I felt swelling accumulate without it.  Key now is the massaging to break down swelling.

[braveboy]

6 weeks post -op today,I'm not wearing my compressing vest as of today dr directions.I find that my chest is alot more sore today without the vest on.I also have creases ,i think i'm more swallon today would this be normal,i'm going to put the vest back on at bed time.

[PeterBateman]

8 week post op visit today.  my nips indent slightly and 'crumple' for lack of beter word, this is normal.  my nips feel squishy like a blister with water behind them, this is normal.  i can use a massager if i like (i have a thumper).  any scar tissue at this point means theres still more flatness to come on my chest.  having loss of feeling or lack of sensitivity (my case) is normal still.  he said at this point i am at the 75% level, and not to expect 80-100% until one year post op.  the 'cording' i had down across my stomach was normal (a form of scar tissue, he said what it was but i forget).  massaging with hands, tips, knuckles whatever is fine, but 5 minutes TOTAL (so 2.5 minutes each side) three times per day is ample, more is ok, but he says you run the risk of swelling it moreso (something i've been doing), so I'm gonna stick to just 5 mins each time from now on.  the 'jowel' thing on my left side is the normal shape of my chest he says, although i think more could have been removed.  the hard 'straw' like lumps in my right upper chest are scar tissue he said, and ill just have to keep rubbing.

if i dont rub my chest for like 12 hours, it looks the best...its when i rub it it turns into a swollen mess, and i have ti-t again on my left side. 

i have to see him again in 3 months.  i literally showed up today, got put in a room, and saw him within a minute.  i was done in 2 minutes, back on the highway. 

didnt even look at the tarts in the waiting room today...what was i thinking.