Just had surgery this afternoon

[emjay]

I finally had my surgery this afternoon.  It had been ~15 years of unhappiness and ~5 years of considering surgery before I finally went and did it.

I really was not very nervous about it this morning.  The prevailing emotion was disbelief that today was finally here and that my gyne would be gone.  I went for consultations and scheduled the surgery back in October.  For the past two months my surgery had always felt like it was something far in the future, almost something that was not really ever going to happen.

But today it did.  Before I left for the surgery I took some final "before" pictures, and then it was off to the Dr's office.

They were running late with an earlier surgery, so I ended up having to wait about an hour in the waiting room before they called me in.  I started to get a little anxious at this time, but I still was not really nervous.  I just wanted to get it over with.

After going back to an exam room, they had me strip down to my socks and underwear and put on a surgical gown (the type with an open back).  The anesthesiologist came in and talked to me about what he would be doing.  How it would be "twilight" sedation, I wouldn't be totally under, but I would be asleep and numb. 

Then after another 10 minutes or so the doctor came in and verbally ran through the surgery again.  He took a set of before pictures and then marked me up with a sharpie (wondering how hard it will be to get that off in a couple of days!).  From there it was on to the operating room. 

They surgical assistant helped me lay down on the table and the anesthesiologist started working my arm to find a good vein for the IV.  We all had a short conversation about the music they were playing (it was country...I am not a fan) and the next thing I knew the anesthesiologist was waking me up, telling me that it was all over.

I had no pain at all...and a few hours later I still don't.  They put me in a chest binder, which is a little bit different than I expected.  It seems to have some hard plastic inside which creates a chest plate.  They brought me into a recovery room and had me lay there for about an hour while I received fluids intravenously.  I felt a little groggy, like I had just woke from a long sleep, but that was really it...besides being really thirsty.

The doctor came in and told me that the surgery went very well, and he expects excellent results.  I have to wear this binder continuously for two days and then I can take it off to shower.  After that I should wear it over a T shirt.  I will be going to see him for a follow up on Wednesday (in six days).

I have not seen my chest yet since it is under the binder, so I really have no idea how things turned out.  But I am looking forward to Saturday for the big unveiling.

All in all, it was definitely less scary and less painful than I expected (at least so far!).

Hopefully I am happy with my results, but I feel pretty confident that my doctor did a good job.

[cnc990]

Hey man

im so happy for you...right now im waiting for the insurance company...they are probably going to say no but who knows haha....
im paying for it anyway.. so do you work? go to school? does anyone know about it? my thing is hiding it from others....
let me kno 

[emjay]

I work.  I have an office job.  I took off today, tomorrow and Monday.  Tuesday is New Years Day (so I am off) and Wednesday morning I have my follow up with my PS.  The timing worked out really well given the holiday week, which is partly why I did it today.  So no one at my work knows, nor do I expect to have to tell them.  If I have to still wear my binding when I go back to work next week (I think I will), and someone asks about it, I am planning to say that I hurt my back over the weekend and have to wear a brace for a little while.

My wife knows (obviously), and so do my parents.  No one else knows, and I don't plan on telling anyone else.  I have been working out a lot lately and I lost about 10 pounds in the past two months.  I have about 5-10 more to go to get to my target weight (maybe the surgery took a pound or two off!), so that could end up being a really good cover for my "transformation" if it is immediately noticeable to anyone.

I didn't have to travel for the surgery or anything...the PS is less than a mile away from my apartment (in Manhattan), so that made things easier.

Good luck to you!  And definitely let me know if you have any more questions.

[macho]

your wife knows(obviuosly)...lolzzz congratulations for getting the surgery done. i am getting it done on 01/01/2008. i wants to know how was the pain?? and how is it nao??? can u go in public after 3/4days post op? if not 3/4 den can we go out 10 days post op? and is that binding clearly noticeable that u wearing inside??
                   i know i have bombarded u with lots of questions...lol but plzzzzzzzzzzz reply.

[emjay]

I am sure everyone's experience is different, but for me the pain was not bad at all.  I was expecting much worse.  I took the prescription painkiller proactively once I got home, but later that night I just took some regular tylenol.  Since then I have not taken any pain meds.  I am just really sore.  It actually hurt more once I took the binder off today to shower.  The binder is not terrible, just uncomfortable, and it took a little getting used to.  The hardest thing for me is sleeping solely on my back...so I have not slept as well as I would have liked to.   The first day with the binder I would get a pulling pain under my arms whenever I moved my arms or twisted my body a lot.  I realized the next morning that it was because some of my armpit hair was caught in the binder!!  It was much better when I pulled it out of there.  LOL.

So right now I am just pretty sore, especially around the nipples.  It is an odd sensation, they are numb and sore at the same time if that makes sense.

I did go out in public a couple of times so far.  The binder is not very noticeable.  Picture a thick ace bandage wrapped around your chest a couple of times...that is what it is like.  It certainly helps that it is winter, so I can wear a sweatshirt or a baggy long sleeved shirt with a T shirt underneath.  Basically the same strategies that we have all been using in the past to hide our gyne works well to mask the binder.  Though I think the binder is easier to hide.  And if anyone questions it I am prepared to go with the "I hurt my back" excuse.

My big concern is what the results will ultimately be like.  I got a glimpse today when I was able to take off the binder to shower.  It is just really weird to see your body so dramatically altered.  I was super nervous to take off the bandages.  The bruising was not as bad as I thought it could be.  My chest seems to be 90% gone with the left side a little larger than my right.  I hope it is just some post op swelling.  If it stayed this way I would be much happier than I was before, but not 100% satisfied.  I know that it is hard to make a judgment this early, but I am interested to see what my PS says on Wed at my follow up.

Good luck with you.

[gynenomore]

HI EmJay: I am happy for you.  I have similar observations for my op as well.  I am just waiting for day-after for the follow-up.

I hope the swelling will be a lot less by then.

Btw, yesterday I drank a glass of room-temperature water and the body started to shiver like anything... I almost hurt myself -- my pectoral muscles started to twitch...  others noticed this?  I have made it a point to drink warm fluids since then.  (this is 3rd day post-op for me)

[macho]

ok i got the idea abt post op pain. thanks a tonn!!! for the reply.