Oh Bugger!!!!!

[ms1972]

 

Well here goes...

Hi to everyone who's been posting here for the past 12 months or so since I found this site. All your pictures, advice and freindly but caring banter has helped me along in my decision to get rid of these f**king tatties that have plagued my life for the past 10 years.

This is my second post (The first one was about my dissatisfaction with the Hurlingham clinic in the Armando Cason thread), so it's basically an introduction.

I'm booked in with Mr Levick to have em sucked out on Friday!!!!, and to be quite honest, I'm bricking it to the max. Mr Levick was the second consultant I saw, and his knowledge and explanation of the problem made the first look like a bloody amateur. As far as the consultation goes, it was absolutely second to none.

Just going off on a tangent here, from what I've read in these forums, he may have changed his procedure recently compared to what some of you describe. He showed me photo's of his procedure which involved lipo in the first instance, then detaching the glandular tissue from under the nipple using long thin scissors. The glandular tissue is then pulled out using a long thin clamp in one blob, not discimilar to Dr Bermants procedure, but from under the arm still where everyone else had it done. He said it just came to him one day while he was performing a different surgery on someone using the same tools.

So, anyway my gyne came from stupidly using steroids as a late teenager. I wish the internet was available to me in those days...sheesh. It's so much easier to get advice, and information now. So kids, don't use bloody steroids mmkay!! Since then as time's gone on I've put on a few quid, so (please, no offence) I fall in to the Shaggy-Dude and Pferdestärken sort of category.  

In fact it was you two's pictures that inspired me and made me go ahead with booking with Mr Levick and finally having the balls to do something about it. I've got some pics to post when I get home from work, so I'll wang them up for you all to have a neb at.

Thanks again guys.

Here's to Friday. (Brick!!).

PS: I'll post the after pics aswell once the deed is done....Oh shit oh shit oh shit.

[ms1972]

I've started my Diary now, the link's in my Signature below.

Still pooing my pants but excited.

[IT100]

Have fun!

Seriously don't worry too much, I was quite nervous... but you really don't need to be. Going under is a blast... waking up is slightly weird, but you know why your so groggy.

No real pain to talk about. If I was you I would seriously trim your armpit hair.... give it a grade 1 or something! Don't ask why, just do it!

E

[Pferdestärken]

Since then as time's gone on I've put on a few quid, so (please, no offence) I fall in to the Shaggy-Dude and Pferdestärken sort of category.

No offence taken fella!

Tomorrows the day eh? Done worry, you will be in safe hands, and it really isn't a bad experience as experiences go! Make sure you take plenty of reading material, or a gameboy, or something to pass the time though.

Despite what you may read elsewhere on here, as I'm sure you know having talked to Mr Levick, the chances of anything going wrong are minimal.

Its a weird feeling pre op - nervous, excited, anxious, elated - a real roller coaster. Its worth it though.

Good luck, and relax!

Oh yeah, IT100 is right about the hair. Ditto for your chest really. I got some Veet hair removal cream and went for the smooth look all over my chest and shoulders. It really paid off when it came to bandage removal!

[irish_dude]

Oh yeah, IT100 is right about the hair. Ditto for your chest really. I got some Veet hair removal cream and went for the smooth look all over my chest and shoulders. It really paid off when it came to bandage removal!

The cost of life changing surgery? 3,500.

Getting advice to shave your armpits before the said life changing surgery? Priceless.

I didn't want to mention the date of my op as I don't think Mr.Levick would like his practise turned into the Big Brother Gyne House ('Day four in the Big Brother House and Craig has run oot of ah-nicka').

However, I will be following in your footsteps exactly one week after.

Like you, I'm currently bricking it, but I'm counter-balancing it with 20 years of a horrible-self image and well, shame, basically.

There's no competition and I've come to a brick wall in my life. I can't and won't go on like this.

I'm a very confident person anyway, so I'll be totally insufferable after the op.

I'm not expecting miracles, but if Mr.Levick can pull this off (or out, as the case may be) next week then I'll name my first-born Paul...even if it's a girl.

My biggest fear is the General Anaesthetic. I've got horrible and deep rooted memories of getting most of my baby teeth out aged 7 because an anti-biotic I was taking caused them all to rot.

I still remember the rubber mask going over my face and the 'sweet' taste of the gas before going under. Horrific.

Thankfully, Mr.Levick re-assured me about modern anaesthetic technique, he told me that I'd be getting a IV in my hand.

Thankfully anaesthesians these days actually get some training and don't just go out and buy a bottle of ether and a big mallet. But I'm a smoker and overweight and in my mid 30's, even so, the friends I have in the medical profession told me that all will be cool. It's just the whole concept of going under that freaks me.

I've been compiling a diary and will do pre and post op pics. But out of respect for Mr.Levick, I'll refrain from posting everything until after the op because personally, I find nothing as annoying as working with an audience looking over my shoulder.

[London_boy]

I'm in for the op with Mr L on Wednesday ! I keep telling myself it's ages away but it's really not, aaaarrrrgggghhhhhh.......

[ms1972]

That's it, I'm Back!!!!!!

I'll update my diary when I get settled back home and what not but let me say, there was NO part of this weekend that wasn't in some way enjoyable.

Irish_dude, I was worried about my anasthetic more than the Op also, let me reassure you, there's definately something about going private as far as quality of medical proffesionals go. The anasthetic was quite awesome really. A slight scratch while the plastic canular was inserted into my hand. Then in went a couple of syringes of stuff to help recovery. (You don't feel any of these by the way, they all go in through the canular), then something to relax you (Ahhhh which was nice...very nice), then OK I'm going to send you off now, let me know when you're eyes start getting heavy. I remember thinking "nothings happening here" then all of a sudden "ping" I was awake, done. It was like watching a scene change in your favourite soap, instant. The only other thing I can compare it to is blinking, amazing.

Now for the long road to recovery, and you're right, I don't want to make it like Big Brother Gyne House either but I wouldn't have thought anyone at the Priory would mind. I haven't got a single thing bad to say about the whole experience or staff, absolutely second to none. You've made the right choice, really.

BUT, if there's one word of advice I could offer, listen to the profesionals about the shaving. Get rid of the bloody lot. (Something which I regrettedly didn't have time to do by the way).

Oooh, aaaah.....mmfffff..........bloody hairs!

It's early days yet, but I'M FLAT!!!!!!! Woo Hoo!!!!!

[London_boy]

Congratulations ! Glad to hear that everything went okay, hopefully this time next week I'll be in the same position as you.

Now where are those razors.......

[Yorkshireman]

MS....I also got gyne through steroid abuse when I was 21......

I went with Mr Levick, and there really is very little to worry about, just relax, take lots to read, be prepared for lots of hanging about in your room, all the staff are very polite and helpful, and there is no need to be self conscious, they've seen it all hundreds of times before!

The anesthetic will knock you out cold, and when you wake up, it's done! The pain is nothing major, sure its there, but its not agony or anything like that, for me it was more like mild discomfort.

For me the hardest bit is now, waiting for the scar tissue to go, waiting for the end result.....it's a long slow process, the op is just the start, but it really is nothing to worry about at all.

I wish you all the best!

[Yorkshireman]

ooops....just read your last post......you're back!

[ms1972]

ooops....just read your last post......you're back!

Lol, thanks Yorkshireman

Thanks to everyone else who's wished me luck, and good luck to irish_dude and london_boy who are going in for the chop next week. I hope you all feel when its done as good as I do right now. I can't beleive how far away driving down yesterday seems, just a distant memory now. All the worry just seems so far away. You'll both be fine.

I'd just like to take this opportunity to further reinforce the need for shaving before hand. Why oh why didn't I shave beforehand. It's not the copression bandges yet, it's all the tape from the drains and the plasters on the incisions and drain holes (which are also taped on). Now if I didn't have the hairs. I wouldn't need the tape as the buggers would have stuck in the first place. d'oh!

[irish_dude]

I remember thinking "nothings happening here" then all of a sudden "ping" I was awake, done. It was like watching a scene change in your favourite soap, instant. The only other thing I can compare it to is blinking, amazing

That's incredible. Didn't it feel like a 'regular' sleep at all?

Also, did you have the draining tubes inserted in you when you woke up?

[ms1972]

That's incredible. Didn't it feel like a 'regular' sleep at all?

Also, did you have the draining tubes inserted in you when you woke up?

No mate, I think there's a certain level of consciousness isn't there when you're asleep, almost as if your body is still aware of it's surroundings even though you're switched off. With this it was as if someone had just removed a slice of time from your life and you'd "skipped" it. There was no dozing off, and no coming round, it just seemed like being switched off and the on again.

The aneasthatist was absoultely amazing, really. At no time was I unaware of what he was doing, he explained everything as he was doing it, and there was no pain, not even with the canular.

When I woke up it was completely finished, bandaged, taped and drained, and I was in the recovery room in the bed from my room, they just wheeled me back to my room in the bed so someone must have been up for it.

You'll enjoy it irish_dude. As soon as you get the relaxant before you got to sleep, you'll be smiling.

I still have no sensation of wanting to pee though.

I have to keep going every few hours and trying it to see if owt comes out....

Good luck fella.

[RRB]

Congratulations mate

Im 6 months post op now and while i still have healing to go, the op has totally changed my life now .  

Its so easy for post op people to say dont worry and all that, but it really doesnt put you at ease and then after the op your like they were right there was nothing to worry about.  For me the hardest part was sleeping on my back for a week or 2, that was pure torture for me.

I agree about all the priory staff, everyone of them are professionals at what they do.

[Pferdestärken]

No mate, I think there's a certain level of consciousness isn't there when you're asleep, almost as if your body is still aware of it's surroundings even though you're switched off. With this it was as if someone had just removed a slice of time from your life and you'd "skipped" it. There was no dozing off, and no coming round, it just seemed like being switched off and the on again.

Seconded; it is really weird, but it is literally like a blink. I had general several times in my youth after bike accidents and there was that drifting off sensation. Not these days; one second you're wide awake and chatting in the pre-op room, then a split second later you open your eyes back in your room, done!

As for peeing, wasn't a problem for me. However I did make a point of drinking a *lot* of water as soon as I was awake. Poor nurses spent most of the night alternately bringing me jugs of water and, er, "receptacles".

I was dubious about a papier mache p1sspot I can tell you, but they don't leak and don't turn soggy after a few minutes as I expected them too.