NHS, no bandages or vest, is this normal?

[littlesmurf]

OK I'm a cheap skate and went with the nhs.  My town has a very respectable breast unit and I know they can do good work with breast reconstructions so I thought I'd give it a shot.  Very concerningly my consultant spent about three minutes with me during first consultation.  
- yes you have breasts
- yes we will operate
- yes we will cut around the nipples (didn't realise other options, sadly did most of my research after the fact, naughty me)
-thankyou goodbye

That about covered it.  couple of months later I'm in hospital going through all the delightful embarasment of a dumb ass bed manager in patient lounges going 'are you shore this is for you as it says breast surgery?  It's just your not a women' etc, etc.  Nurses on the ward referring to me as the breast man (nice touch).  Three days of this I endured thinking it's all worth it in the long run and it really wasn't that bad.  Had some problems with the drains but was finally discharged.

Home and happy spent a night in bed and woke up to a fluid build up in my wounds.  District nurse looked at it and said if it gets worse I should go back to the ward.  Next day it was worse so I called the ward.  They called me back an hour later and said that I should go to A&E which I did.  

After 7 hours in A&E I finally see a surgeon he initially talked about putting a compression bandage on.  This changed to doing nothing after contacting the breast unit who want me to come in two days later.  

Ins and outs of it is so far on the NHS I have
*not had any blood tests to figure out why I have gyne.
*spent about ten minutes with consultant preop.
*had no preop care or recomendations for prepairing myself.
*been embarased (doctors and nurses think curtains make for good sound proofing)
*had significant postop swelling
*no bandages at all
*wasted 4 days in hospital

All in all not a happy bunny.  At this moment in time I want my chest drained and some form of compression bandage.  This currently isn't happening.  Does anyone now of any studies or papers which I can qoute at the doctor on monday to make them see sense.  So far they seem very against compression vests or bandages and I don't understand why?

As my consultants don't seem to want to spend more than five minutes talking to me can anyone tell me what I should be doing at this point, postop.

Many thanks in advance

[AJP]

Hi mate, and welcome to the boards.

What you just put to us in your post seems quite good ammo to put to them. If you can get that lot into words then you're winning! Maybe you just need to persevere with them and stress the fact that you're not happy.

The more you hastle them, the more they'll take notice.

In answer to your question "what should I be doing post-op?" I would reply; putting anything right you are not happy about. Do anything you can to put your mind at ease.

Either way, stay positive and don't forget about this forum. Stick around. You'd be surprised how many people have been through similar things.

Hope this helps.