How long in vest?

[gynogone]

And how do some doctors not need a vest?  I figure they're not taking as much out, almost by definition.

I'm almost 2 weeks post op...when I take my vest off, I don't feel numb at first, but it starts to hurt after a while...can't really describe it.  Plus the hardening of the tissue is freaky.  It's like schleroderma, where you're skin turns to  bone.

I only take it off for about 15 minutes a day. 

Getting kind of sick of it. 

I have the hook vest with velcro straps up top.

When do I get to use the undershirt like vest?  I'm hoping that's more comfortable?

I asked the doctor about the hardness and he said it's "swelling" and it will go down in time.  It was more swollen before but less hard...more like there was fluid and it was still healing.

Also when I flex it looks weird.  Like my nipple is attached to the bone or something.  I don't think this is good.  Plus my nipple, or areola is not round anymore.  Kind of oval and completely deflated.  The actual nipple isn't really recognizable as such.  It's just a spot of slightly more skin in the areola.  I'm really hoping it fills in eventually otherwise I still won't be able to take my shirt off but for different reasons...obvious surgery, possibly botched at that.

Doc says "dont' worry, all will be great, you're look great".  He's done alot of these but maybe they're all disfigured and he just figures that's how it is supposed to look.

The pictures some have of "day 2 post op" where their chest looks swollen but the nips are regular is not me.  My areolas looked like dark pink smudges.  It was bad.