D-day +2 in Bangkok with Dr. Poomee

[sws]

Hey everyone

Well it's official.  I'm now Gyne free!!!  I had the surgery two days ago and am now waiting to be cleared to go home.

My surgery was scheduled for March 19th at 9:30 am.  I had to have a blood test and final consult with Dr. Poomee the day before where I was able to ask some last minute questions.  The staff were very helpful and quick. 

In the morning as I was leaving for the hospital from my hotel room across the street, one of the nurses phoned and asked if I could come in a bit early because Dr. Poomee had finished with a previous case ahead of schedule.  I booked it over and checked in where I was ushered into a room and had my clothes and personal stuff catalogued and I changed into a big surgery gown.  Then they put me in a pre-op room with lots of beds and quite a few nurses began fussing over me while they prepped me.  Then the anesthesiologist arrived and talked me through the procedure.  They wheeled me into the O.R. and the anasthesiologist went to work inserting the IV.  Mrs. Poomee waited with me asking me various questions followed by "do you feel dizzy yet?"  I said no and thats the last thing I remember!  I woke up in a Post-op room and I don't really remember anything until being wheeled into my private room where my girlfriend was waiting for me.  I was in and out for a few hours after they gave me some more demerol for the pain :-)

Mrs. Poomee came by later in the day to see how I was and the staff were very professional and helpful.  I spent the rest of the day watching TV and relaxing.  The pain wasn't too bad but there was some discomfort and a burning sensation which made it difficult to sleep without the sleeping pill.  Mrs. Poomee came in the following morning to remove the bandages and help me into the shower.  I have to say I was quite nervous about seeing myself.  I had no doubt that they did a good job, but regardless it's tough to see your body changed without feeling apprehensive.  I was almost noxious with the process and damn near fainted in the shower! The scars looked great but my chest still had the black marker rings on it and it looked a bit bruised which at first look was a bit distressing but once I calmed down I realized it looked good. Dr. Poomee did a great job and we had difficulty even finding the Lypo holes to put bandaids on!  Once out of the shower I felt a million times better.  Dr. Poomee came by to tell me we could go.  They ran out of post-surgical vests and it was a good thing I brought my own from Underworks.  They refunded me the cash for their vest and I left the hospital.

Day two is much better.  The pain is almost non-existent as long as I don't lift my arms too high or exert myself.  Popped a pain pill to help me sleep last night but am doing much better today.  The scars are looking quite good and there is a bit of swelling on my right breast but overall it's coming along great.  I took some pics today but my card reader isn't up to the job with these new SD cards so I'll wait till I get home to post them.

I'll keep you all posted on my progress over the next few days.  Yeeehaaa I'm so glad I had the courage to do this! 

Thanks to all those who cheered me on!

[sws]

Hi everyone

Well I'm at D-Day +6 now and doing great.  The swelling and bruising are apparent but slowly getting better.  The lypo marks under my armpits are virtually undetectable and the scars around my nipples are healing.  Dr. Poomee gave me the thumbs up to start the silicone scar sheet treatments later this week which I bought at a pharmacy in Bangkok for around $35 USD. 

The pain has subsided but can sometimes be sore if I exert myself.  Lots of rest and little movement is in order for the first week.  I'm definitely liking the way this is turning out and I have absolutely no regrets with getting the procedure done.

Here's some pics from day 2

http://picasaweb.google.com/scavoukian/UntitledAlbum#

Enjoy...

[april24th2007]

Thanks for  putting pictures.  Your results seem fantastic.  Best of luck.

[sws]

D-Day +16

Hi everyone

I'm now at Day 16 and I feel great.  The bruising has all but cleared up and the swelling is noticeably less than it has been.  It's still sore to lift my arms up and stretch too far, but that pain is likely due to my muscles being scraped around during the lypo, not due to the excisions.  My scars are healing fine.  The right side is all but gone!  The left side still has the excision mark and there is a clear gap between the nipple and chest.  I'm hoping that once the scab finally falls off it will be unnoticable.  Also I've started the scar treatments that Dr. Poomee recommended so hopefully that will blend in the mark some.  But I'm just being picky because to the untrained eye, there is literally nothing there.

The swelling is down a bit but still apparent. I'm hoping that it will come down more but that may be wishful thinking. Dr. Poomee said that the swelling should be all gone by week 2-3 and it's now over week 2 so I'm hoping for the best.  But all in all everything is going great and I'm super excited by the results. 

I followed K_Ken's advice and bought some tight shirts from Underworks. They are like spandex and are very tight across the chest.  I love them! So comfortable. I would totally recommend them.  They are made from the same stuff as surfing rashguards. 

If anyone has any questions, fire away. I'd be happy to help out!

Cheers!

[sws]

Hey everyone

Well it's day 27 now and all is well.  The scars are healing very nicely and the swelling has gone down.  I started the scar sheet treatments and am into my 2nd week.  It's a little annoying having to put those things on everyday but I suppose the end result will be worth it.

I've noticed that sometimes there is a burning sensation through my nipples that comes and goes.  Sometimes it's only for a few seconds, sometimes for a few hours.  It's likely due to the fact that the numbness is starting to fade a bit and now things are returning normally. 

There is one thing that does concern me and that is when I lift my arms up over my head, the skin under my left breast stretches sooo tight that I can see a few veins below the skin get tight and it's quite sore.  I probably just need to do some gentle stretching little by little to get it all back to normal.

But all in all I'm VERY happy with the results and am very glad I chose dr. poomee.

If anyone has any questions, fire away!

[april24th2007]

sws: Queston-

In the whole process of finding the doctor and having having surgery from start to present what are the things you would do differently if you could go back and do it all over again?

Is there a fresh web site and updated contact info for this surgeon.  Thanks.

[sws]

Hey Bud

I just googled his name and got his website...I can't recall if this is the latest one but it's a start.  He's extremely friendly if you email him and he'll answer your questions quickly

http://www.drpoomee.yourmd.com/

As far as the process goes, it's different for each person.  Obviously location has a lot to do with it but I would stress that cost should not be an issue. Dr Poomee was quite a bit more expensive than another doctor at Bumrungrad hospital, but well worth the cost.  Honestly I took what most people recommended on this site to heart and made up my mind based on the great feedback I'd heard.  After all, reviews are the best way to get a real feel. 

Good luck...

[K_Ken]

Congratulations!!!!  I hoped you would now agree to what I said about my operation.

Again, I'm happy for you.  I can now happily wear T-shirt without feeling embarrass.
Although my chest doesn't like that of Brad Pitt since I'm rather port, I'm grateful
for the result and having found Dr. Poomee.

The stiching is so fine that I couldn't notice myself.

[K_Ken]

I checked your pics.  And wow.... you looked great.

The burning sensation and the numbness will go away soon 'til it won't bother you anymore.

But remember to wear your post op vest.  It's the most annoying part but it helps.

You don't want to waste a successful operation just because of small discomfort of putting
on the vest.  Dr. Poommee said wearing it 24/7 for two months but I did that for three months.
Plus, the silicone pad.