One Week Post Op Surgery - Serious Concerns/Questions

[notweakwilled]

Hi there,

Short background: I've been dealing with gynecomastia since puberty (around the age of 12). I've currently 26. Always thought weight loss was the answer and found this site and information around 2006/2007 timeframe. I still tried to battle it myself, got really into bodybuilding, eating healthy, and changed my life for the better. I was in decent shape... Throughout this post, I will be referring to a different set of pictures. The password for ALL albums is "gynecomastia" - Anyway, here is what I looked like in 2008 (at 165 pounds):

photobucket.com/mendagain_2008

That was actually a significant improvement but for some reason I sort of gave up. Life started to change - I became a father, bought a house, and took on a lot more responsibility. I gained a bunch of weight back. My gynecomastia got worse with that too. Here is what I looked like in 2012 prior to having the surgery done...

photobucket.com/mendagain_2012

I still decided to have the surgery done with Dr. Delgado on May 21, 2012 and ever since it has been an emotional rollercoaster for me. I suffer from extreme anxiety (never been medicated for it) and I'm also very obsessive compulsive. Bottom line is this - I cannot stop thinking and over-obsessing about EVERYTHING. I am constantly worried that something is wrong or that I've over exerted myself or that I made the wrong decision at the wrong time. It makes me really upset to look at how much BETTER i looked in 2008 than in 2012, and I just wonder how much BETTER the surgery results could have actually been if I had simply done it earlier. Yes, the surgery is now done but I'm just wondering if I picked a horrible time to do it. What do the docs think?

Also, I am FREAKING out that something is wrong - I have all sorts of red stuff around my chest and I am REALLY weird about blood. I am back in my hometown and haven't told anyone about this so I'm dealing with this all on my own. It is really hard and I'm just a wreck. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm so weird about blood that I have STILL yet to even shower and putting the compression vest on and applying the ointment is like an hour procedure for me because I get so crazy. I feel all woozy and like I'm going to faint every time I start to apply the ointment and I just freak out. In fact, I only have done it once in the past 30 hours and I KNOW I'm supposed to be doing it more than that. I was also told to make sure the compression vest is on "loose" enough but I'm freaking out that it is on "too" loose now. I just don't know what to do. I'm been taking the valium prescribed to me to help deal with the anxiety but even that isn't helping when it comes time to put the ointment on and put the compression vest on. I'm just so weird about this and I can barely even function because it's ALL I am thinking about. Also, sleeping is horrible! I can rarely sleep for more than 2 hours and I constantly feel like the compression  vest is being rolled up making it the wrong fit - I wake up in a pain that I can't describe. It almost feels like my chest is on fire. Once I finally get moving for the day it starts to feel fine as long as I'm done thinking about it or looking at it or doing anything. But laying down is horrible.

Here are the POST-OP pics and I'm just absolutely freaking out. Is everything normal? Most of the pictures I've seen of Dr. Delgado's patients after surgery have hardly ANY of this redness that I'm seeing. I've been told that they are just bruises but why do they look so bad? What should I be doing? Please help..... Thanks so much

photobucket.com/mendagain_postopday5

photobucket.com/mendagain_postop1week (this is where I really start freaking out)

Again, password for all of these albums is "gynecomastia"

Thanks so much for any advice and help. I can really use it.

[DrPensler]

You chose a good experienced surgeon, relax as much as possible and let him tell you what to do. The concerns about what would have happened if you had done it earlier are frankly not worth you or me worrying about it.

[Litlriki]

From the photos, it looks like you have some bruising and a little blistering on the nipple.  I wouldn't freak out over this, but rather follow Dr. Delgado's instructions and follow up with him frequently for guidance on local care in order to get you the best outcome.  Remember that he (as do most of us on the forum) does a lot of these procedures on a regular basis--and you only do it once (hopefully).  It's normal for you to have concerns and questions, and as surgeons, we're accustomed to answering those concerns and questions.  It's better for you to have him address your concerns and put your mind at ease than for you to suffer needlessly with unanswered questions.

Rick Silverman