4 days until surgery with karidis(08/05/12)

[sparta]

so, only 4 days left for me before my surgery with karidis. i knew things were going too smoothly so something had to darn up my plans

i dont know if people are aware of the strikes going on the east midlands trains over the next 3 weeks but they decided to strike on the day of my surgery, so there is a very limited service.now i have to go down to london on monday and come back wednesday and stay 2 nights in a hotel. i managed to get a return for £34 and that includes a first class seat back on the wednesday so very reasonable. if i went down the day and came back in the evening it would have cost me £100. 2 nights in a hotel has put me back another £150 though

i have read through all leaflets given and am i right in thinking all i need to buy for myself are waterproof strips to cover up my incisions?i have bought 2 packs of 12. will that be enough? will karidis provide everything else?

i am planning to do some shopping on monday for some food to help with the recovery. i know pineapple is recommended. anything else i should buy? is pineapple juice just as good as actual pineapple?

i also asked this in another thread but never got much response. did everyone else on heer who has had surgery just wash your compression vests just the same way you wash your other clothes? do they shrink in the wash?

would i be ok enough to go to a gig 17 days after my surgery? if i am careful enough not get bumped etc

i am doing all this on my own. i know it is a long shot but if anybody else is getting this done on their own and is down in london at the same time as me,pm me if you want to meet up for a couple of drinks on monday night in london. otherwise i will just watch the world snooker final in my hotel.rock'n'roll

[jim2509]

Hello mate, am post up recovering myself at the moment although I went abroad for my surgery, karidis seems to have a really good reputation, so you'll be in good hands am sure. Right I will try to answer some of your questions whilst laying here counting the hours down, before I can go home. Your vests can be washed at 40 degrees-that's what missus washed mine at. Am taking arnica pills to help with swelling, I was given  Big box of Gauze and Tape, but you can buy it at a pharmacy so don't panic. I personally would not go to a gig, as I want to give myself the best chance of recovery with as little risk as possible, but hey that's just me mate. I hope it all goes well mate, and am sure you'll be living the gyno free dream soon, best of luck to you, am monitoring forum from my hotel room if you have anymore questions you think I can help with, although I'm recovering myself at the mo, had surgery yesterday.

[ChestMan]

Sparta,

Shame about the strike, bit of a ball ache for you. At least you won't be rushed trying to catch trains home if you travelled to London and back on the same day.

In response to your queries:

I'm 10 days post op and I reckon that I could have attended a gig after about 5 days. I'm not sure what type of gig it is, just don't expect to throw you hands in the air like you just don't care....or crowd surf in a mosh pit..

I'm not sure what type of vest that Jim has, but I initially machine washed one of my vest at 30 degrees on the 'hand wash' setting and it did shrink. I'd recommend hand washing and drying daily.

The hospital will provide you with some Opsite waterproof dressings (6.5cm x 5cm). I'd recommend trying to source these if you run out as I used some Elastoplast waterproof plasters on my armpit incisions and the adhesive irritated my skin and these were not very waterproof or comfortable in comparison to the opsite dressings. The Opsite dressings are more expensive, but they're worth it - the only place that I could find that stocks them is lloyds pharmacy (and luckily there was one close by). The hospital will also give you an extra vest and some disposable mats that you can sleep on so that the blood and ooze don't get on your sheets (i didn't have any real bleeding so these were pretty much redundant for me). 

I've been knocking back pack of sliced pineapple daily and several glasses of pineapple juice. I've also been taking Bromelain tablets (which is pineapple stem extract), as apparently this is the component of pineapple that has inflammatory effects. I can't tell if any of this is having a positive effect, as scar tissue started to take hold about 3 days ago. I guess things could have been worse and eating pineapple for a few weeks is pretty easy. I've also being taken Vitamin C tablets.

One thing that I wish I'd done is move anything important to lower shelves as your movement is going to be somewhat restricted for the first few days and you dont want to be reaching up high for anything.

Hoep this helps. Good luck trying to find someone for a few drinks on Monday night...if you do, remember to stay on the soft drinks as I pretty sure you're supposed to avoid alcohol 2 weeks prior. Blackburn play Wigan on Monday so you might have a nice little relegation battle to watch instead of snooker....

[captain chesty]

yeh the strike is a pain in the balls! I usually get that line to Derby but had to find another station to go from yesterday when I had an exam to get to of all things. On the plus side Em 1st class is pretty lush and will sort you out nicely if your fragile post op

For what its worth I'll be going for my op alone at the end of month too m8. also going on what old threads say seems like quite a few people do aswell.   

p.s thats a good point about the alcohol from chestman. Levick advised me not to drink 2 weeks either side of surgery as can cause haematoma.


 

[sparta]

Hello mate, am post up recovering myself at the moment although I went abroad for my surgery, karidis seems to have a really good reputation, so you'll be in good hands am sure. Right I will try to answer some of your questions whilst laying here counting the hours down, before I can go home. Your vests can be washed at 40 degrees-that's what missus washed mine at. Am taking arnica pills to help with swelling, I was given  Big box of Gauze and Tape, but you can buy it at a pharmacy so don't panic. I personally would not go to a gig, as I want to give myself the best chance of recovery with as little risk as possible, but hey that's just me mate. I hope it all goes well mate, and am sure you'll be living the gyno free dream soon, best of luck to you, am monitoring forum from my hotel room if you have anymore questions you think I can help with, although I'm recovering myself at the mo, had surgery yesterday.

thanks for your views. i have had a look at your thread and it will be interesting to see how your results compare to karidis' and levick's

[sparta]

Sparta,

Shame about the strike, bit of a ball ache for you. At least you won't be rushed trying to catch trains home if you travelled to London and back on the same day.

In response to your queries:

I'm 10 days post op and I reckon that I could have attended a gig after about 5 days. I'm not sure what type of gig it is, just don't expect to throw you hands in the air like you just don't care....or crowd surf in a mosh pit..

I'm not sure what type of vest that Jim has, but I initially machine washed one of my vest at 30 degrees on the 'hand wash' setting and it did shrink. I'd recommend hand washing and drying daily.

The hospital will provide you with some Opsite waterproof dressings (6.5cm x 5cm). I'd recommend trying to source these if you run out as I used some Elastoplast waterproof plasters on my armpit incisions and the adhesive irritated my skin and these were not very waterproof or comfortable in comparison to the opsite dressings. The Opsite dressings are more expensive, but they're worth it - the only place that I could find that stocks them is lloyds pharmacy (and luckily there was one close by). The hospital will also give you an extra vest and some disposable mats that you can sleep on so that the blood and ooze don't get on your sheets (i didn't have any real bleeding so these were pretty much redundant for me). 

I've been knocking back pack of sliced pineapple daily and several glasses of pineapple juice. I've also been taking Bromelain tablets (which is pineapple stem extract), as apparently this is the component of pineapple that has inflammatory effects. I can't tell if any of this is having a positive effect, as scar tissue started to take hold about 3 days ago. I guess things could have been worse and eating pineapple for a few weeks is pretty easy. I've also being taken Vitamin C tablets.

One thing that I wish I'd done is move anything important to lower shelves as your movement is going to be somewhat restricted for the first few days and you dont want to be reaching up high for anything.

Hoep this helps. Good luck trying to find someone for a few drinks on Monday night...if you do, remember to stay on the soft drinks as I pretty sure you're supposed to avoid alcohol 2 weeks prior. Blackburn play Wigan on Monday so you might have a nice little relegation battle to watch instead of snooker....

my hotel is in paddington. i guess it is best to get a taxi back there after the op instead of the tube. god knows how much it will cost

the compression vest is my major concern if i am honest. i will be on my own for 9 days until my parents get back from holiday so i should be ok in that time. but i have never hand washed anything in my life, so if my mum, for example, sees me suddenly doing handwashing on a compression vest she will certainly suspect something. how long will you be wearing the compression vest for?

i never knew karidis would provide you with dressings. the post op info i received makes it sound like you have to buy your own. a waste of £6. do the dressings they give you stay on for a few days even after a shower?

i will stock up on some pineapple on monday then. what other stuff are you eating? my hotel includes breakfast. obviously i wont be able to eat it on tuesday but should i eat it on wednesday if i am alright to? or is it best to avoid fatty foods altogether?

[sparta]

yeh the strike is a pain in the balls! I usually get that line to Derby but had to find another station to go from yesterday when I had an exam to get to of all things. On the plus side Em 1st class is pretty lush and will sort you out nicely if your fragile post op

For what its worth I'll be going for my op alone at the end of month too m8. also going on what old threads say seems like quite a few people do aswell.   

p.s thats a good point about the alcohol from chestman. Levick advised me not to drink 2 weeks either side of surgery as can cause haematoma.


 

well, i have to admit i am a bit worried about going through this alone but it is the only way. have you told anyone about the op? because i have not

i never knew about the alcohol thing. i dont think karidis mentions it. the last alcohol i had was last saturday so it will be 10 days which should be ok

[captain chesty]

not told a soul about the op Ive only ever shown/talked about gyno properly to my GP and Levick. I just prefer it that way.

yeh dosent matter about the alcohol I guess just dont get smashed either side of surgery!!

[rho]

Hiya guys,
I had lipo on my chest coming about 3 weeks ago now and i'm feeling great. To answer a question about compression garments I have been washing my compression garments by hand using normal washing powder. I was told not to use the washer/dryer as it will lose its elasticity and stretch. My surgeon has also advised to wear a tight cycling top (you know, the ones Ive avoided like the plague for the last 20 years!!). So I'm sleeping in this and wearing the compression for work and during the day.

It has been fascinating for me to be now unpicking all of the habits / learnt behaviour I've picked up cos of the G. Things like always touching my chin as I walk past people so that my arm covers my chest etc etc.

Good luck mate, hope it all goes well for you!
R

[sparta]

thanks everyone for your opinions

i am just getting ready now to get the train down to london for my op tomorrow

my main concern is still the compression vest. i guess i will ask karidis what he thinks is best for washing etc

i will probably post something on wednesday when i get home

[thetodd]

Just keep some washing powder in your room, handwash it in the bathroom sink and let it try over 24 hours. All you do is submerge it in the water for say 10 minutes and let it dry out. If you do nick some of your mums powder put it in a suitable container,you dont want her thinking you're moonlighting as Tony Montana.

[sparta]

well, the op is all done

got there just before 9 o'clock and shown to my room. i was then asked to fill in all the relevant forms and lunch menu

karidis came in about 9:30 to to take photos and mark me etc. this was the last time i saw karidis all day which was a bit surprising. even when i was in theatre i never saw him beforehand, the cynic in me is thinking he was not even present.

went down to theatre about 10:00 and in under 5 minutes i was out of it. woke up roughly about an hour later and before i knew it i was back in my room, had my lunch, watched tv for a bit and left to go back to my hotel about 15:30

had a decent night's sleep last night considering. woke up 2 or 3 times

got the train home at 11:00 today and got in my house about 12:30. took off all the bandages which was a bit of a pain but managable. my chest is flat as i expected with bruising. first time i have ever looked in the mirror in years and seen my chest flat. put the plasters over the strips and had a shower. then put my compression vest back on which i found quite difficult

the worst thing so far is this compression vest. i know it is supposed to be tight but is very very uncomfortable and digging into my skin. they have only giving me a medium which i am sure is too small. it does not go right down my stomach and folds up a bit at the bottom especially when i sit down

i am drinking alot of water and pineapple juice but i am going to order a pizza tonight before i start eating healthily tomorrow

i am pleased with everything so far apart from having to wear this compression vest 24/7 for 2 weeks. i dont know if i can

that's my story. i wish i had some pre op pics but i am useless when it comes to things like that. i will hopfully work out a way to post some pics in the future as i progress

[ChestMan]

Nice one Sparta,

I only saw Karidis for maybe 5 mins when he marked me up too. I think it would be a nice touch if he at least popped his head in and said hello later in the afternoon. Surely he is not that busy....

The compression vest is a pain, but you get used it. Some other guys have used socks to stop the digging into the skin so you may want to try this. I'm two weeks post op today and have decided to wear mine for another week 24/7.

Be prepared to be very excited at first and then maybe a little depressed. I was over the moon 5 days ago (seriously, I felt like stopping guys with gyne in the street and telling them to see Karidis) and then I started getting creasing on the nipple/areola incisions and now I'm not very happy. I know that recovery is a long road and I need to be patient...

[sparta]

thanks chestman

i am expecting some ups and downs over the next few weeks. i may feel different when it happens but i feel i can handle that as long as i dont have to wear this compression vest. i am going to change it tomorrow morning and handwash it in the sink like todd said

i have to take these arnica tablets for 12 days. was this the same for everyone else? i was only giving 3 antibiotics as well which i have completed

my parents will be back from holiday a week today. the fact that i have the house to myself whilst keeping this secret is helping alot

[rasputin]

Great trip report Sparta, it does sound like the doctor/patient relationship with Karidis is pretty nonexistent which is a bit of a shame given the quality you would expect for the price. Even just a 2 minute 'debrief' would suffice!

Anyway, regarding the discomfort, I've heard a lot of people wearing t-shirts underneath the vest. I think I'm going to buy some underarmour to wear beneath mine when the time comes