Well guys,
I'm finally on the other side.
Like many of you I have been lurking on this forum for a couple of years. I'm 46, 6' and weigh 164lbs. I'm in decent shape and workout regularly. No matter how hard I worked out my chest would never firm up. I could see the muscle underneath the breast tissue, but the tissue would never go away. Last year, I was in peak condition and starting to get ripped, but my chest wouldn't improve. I became depressed and stopped working out as much and gained about 15lbs. I knew then that I had to do something about my chest. Luckily, before the surgery I lost half of the weight I gained.
The surgery was yesterday, 11/22/11 and I feel great! I couldn't really sleep the night before the surgery. I awoke early and decided to watch TV. I arrived at the Doctor's office an hour early. I wanted to make sure I didn't miss my appointment due to traffic or whatever. Waiting to be brought back to change into the gown was a bit nerve racking, but the time passed quickly.
The nurse instructed me to put on the gown and eventually the anesthesiologist introduced himself and quizzed me to make sure I hadn't eaten anything or had any liquids since midnight. It was almost noon and I should have been hungry by then, but I was a bit anxious and couldn't even think about food.
Dr. Jacobs came to the examination room and reviewed the surgical procedure with me to make sure I knew exactly what he was going to do. Then he drew circles on my chest identifying the areas he would address. He took a few pictures before drawing the circles and afterwards. I couldn't believe I was actually going through with it! It was kind of funny.
Next I went into the operating room. The anesthesiologist began prepping me for an IV. It took him a while to locate a suitable vein. He tried my arm, but decided to use my hand instead. This happens to me all the time, especially if I'm dehydrated. My veins seem to hide from the needle.
Luckily, I'm not afraid of needles. I used to draw blood at clinics when I was in high school. I just wanted to get the procedure over with.
Once the needle was in I began to feel a little lightheaded and the next thing I remember is waking up. I looked at the clock and it was almost 1PM. The procedure was a bit less than an hour. WOW!
A friend met me after I spent an hour (or two -- I can't remember!) in the recovery room. Dr. Jacobs reviewed the aftercare instructions with me and with my friend as well, because he said the sedation medication usually causes the patients to forget everything. I arrived home and have been taking it easy ever since. I'm sleeping in a recliner which doesn't really bother me. I'm only sleeping in 3-4 hour intervals, but that is OK. I wake up, grab a bite to eat and drink and then take another nap.
The pain is really nonexistent. After about 5 hours I could tell the pain numbing medication was wearing off. I took 2 Tylenol (500mg each) and that took care of the discomfort. The over the counter Tylenol seems to be all I need. I have prescription medication, but if I'm lucky I won't even need it. I won't hesitate to take it, but the discomfort has been minimal, thus far.
I'll post pictures tomorrow when I remove the bandages for a shower. Yippie!
Dr. Jacobs is really great. I had my first consultation almost two years ago. Then a followup a year later. He explains everything thoroughly and is completely no pressure. He and his staff readily answer questions and are very helpful.
Topic: Had surgery yesterday with Dr. Jacobs! (11/22/11) (Read 2973 times)
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