...gyne has changed us in a way that cannot be imagined. And after we emerge out of this condition we are quite confused if we should rejoice in the new found life or think about the the life that we lost..
Aptly said! I am facing the same problems, and gyne has effected me so much in psychological way that it takes time to understand where I am and where I want to be...
Now Continuing...
So I decided to go ahead with the surgery on 11th October. Dr Ramachandran gave me a bottle of Bitadine solution, which is required during surgery & prescribed me antibiotic which I should start taking 1 day before surgery day & two pain killers which are required after surgery for 5 days.
On 10th October, I bathed my chest area with Bitadine solution in the morning and in the evening. I got train on 10th night only and reached in hotel at about 6.00. I would suggest to people here (who have made up their mind for surgery) to reach the place at least 24 hours before surgery because that way you would be going good with your diet. Because after I was operated, I had to go to loo many times & I also vomited immediately after I came back to consciousness.
So, I reached the hospital after taking bath again with Bitadine solution & went directly to OT at about 7.30. Luckily, my wife was with me and supporting me and preparing me mentally for the operation as I have never gone under the knife. She said that once you will be unconscious, you would not know anything at all! They told me to remove all the clothing & wear a blue colored gown which can be closed from back side. In OT, Doctor marked the area with a blue paint & took some photos. The assistant (who is working with Doc since last 20 years) removed hair from my chest.
Then Dr Anesthetist came and asked me to sleep. She inserted needle on my hand and started talking about my profession, height and weight. I know this because the last answer I gave was 85 KG is my weight!!
I don’t know anything what happened during operation. But then I heard someone calling me by my name & it was Dr Anesthetist again. She said that wake up, everything went well, Surgery went very well, wake up. I was subconscious but feeling very cold and shivering. At that time too, I remembered that moobs_sucks wrote about the temperature of OT. Also, because I had traveled whole night, my stomach was not totally free and I wanted to go to loo. Also, I had sore throat, about which I learned later from Dr Anesthetist that it was because of anesthetic pipes put during op in my throat through mouth. Surgery went about 2 hours I guess because when I asked immediately to the Dr what is the time now and he said it is around 10.00.
If I talk about the pain, it was nothing. I felt like something has been attached to my chest very tightly. I was then transferred to a general ward where all the patients immediately after surgery were under care by nurses. Dr Anesthetist came to check me about 4 hours after that and asked nurses to transfer me to day care room (at around 1.30). I stayed there till 5.30 when Dr K Ram came & gave me instruction about lifting weight, how to get up from the bed & declared me fit to discharge. Meanwhile in day care, I drank juices only and was not allowed to eat anything because I should not vomit. Nothing was happened. One of the male-nurse, Jagdish, was very helpful & helped me through my stay of 4 hours. Once I went for loo & I felt dizziness but I drank more juices and it was ok by 3.30.
I went along with my wife & went in an Auto to Sea-Shell. She was always with me supporting throughout day & night whenever I need to get up. I am also not accostumed to sleeping on my back, but then I remembered what bloregynecomastia wrote ‘Solpa adjust madi’!!! ;-) During dressing, my wife confirmed that the drainage were inside the bandage only and in a way it is good because we don’t need to carry it along wherever we go.
Slowly, but strongly, I could find a way to handle myself. On 4th day, I had gone for change of plaster & stopped taking the medicines. On 7th day i.e. on 18th October, as per doctor’s instructions, I removed the plaster by my self. But that gave me a hell lot of pain as it was totally stuck to the skin. Moreover, hair also had come on chest area, so the plaster was stuck to hair. I removed the plaster and that took almost half an hour. I cleaned the area with Bitadine again & went to see the doctor. He removed the stitches, which was like ant biting filling. I was again prepared for this one because this too I read somewhere on this forum only. I traveled by train on the same day & reached Bangalore.
Doctor gave me two pads & compression vest which can be closed from front. He put compression west so tightly on my chest that I could barely breathe. But then he said that it has to be tight properly so that the skin will shrink automatically
I spent as follows:
- Rs. 30000/- for operation and medicines during operation
- Rs. 2000/- for pre-op (urine & blood test) & consultancy
- Rs. 10000/- for stay at Sea-Shell & transportation between Bangalore & chennai
So I would say that keep aside around Rs. 45000/- if you are not from the place where you are getting operated & not going to stay at your own apartment / home.
But I did not like the fact about this forum that the members of this forum are not studying medicine but then also they would suggest and try to discuss in medical terminology by calling medicines, creams & procedures/methods. That might misguide some people who do not know anything about medical terminology. It is possible that every doctor uses different method and / or medicines. We should leave everything to the doctor on whom we are trusting then.
Anyway, let me know if anyone needs any help regarding these things. I will do my best to help you out.
The pre-op & post-op photos link is here:
http://www.clickfriends.com/anothersufferer/gallery329