Finally GONE!

[hopeful1]

Hello all!  I haven't posted but a few times here, but I had surgery this past Monday and I wanted to share my experience so as to ENCOURAGE others to get this done as well. 

So after suffering with this for 20 years since I was 13, I had enough and decided I wanted to have surgery.  I went to two consults and then scheduled my surgery!

So I get to the hospital early Monday morning, fill out some paperwork and then my nurse directed me to strip to nothing and put on a gown.  She gave me a wrist ID bracelet and then took me to a hospital gurney.  She then hooked up an IV to me and then I filled out another few forms while I waited for the anesthesia doctor. 

At that point, my surgery doctor came in and marked my chest with a couple markers and told me that they'd get this all taken care of! 

After that the anesthesiologist came in and she talked over a few things about anesthesia--they ask you a million times have you eaten since midnight (SO DON'T EAT!) and then she injected this drug into my IV which I recall burning slightly and that was the last thing I remember!  I was OUT!

Next thing I remember is waking up in the recovery room with two nurses smiling at me and offering me drinks/crackers.  It was such an odd feeling coming out of anesthesia.  Not unpleasant really, just really odd, like swimming in warm syrup if that makes any sense!  Maybe an hour later I was getting dressed and was taken to my buddies car and he drove me home. 

Post Op Day One:  Stood up too quickly and got sick at my stomach and threw up.  Otherwise I slept mostly.  You will not be doing much on this day.

Post Op Day Two: Soreness sets in, but it is manageable with Extra Strength Tylenol.  Noticeable fluid retention in my abdominal area which looks funny since my chest is so flat. 

Post Op Day Three:  Follow up with doctor, he is pleased with the results and tells me to come in Monday to have my sutures removed.  He said my glands were about the size of walnuts, but most of it was fatty tissue.  I forgot how much he said he removed CC-wise, but I think it was a lot!

Post Op Days Four and Five:  Swelling goes down and I can already wear a tshirt and it looks great!  I feel like my muscles are atrophying away though, I want to go to the gym, but I have to wait 5 more weeks at least!

Summary:  Guys, get this surgery done!  I wish I had done it 15 years ago!  I can't wait until next summer to take off my shirt and go swimming and just forget that I ever had gyne!  I saved up my money and paid cash for this, but in hindsight, I wish I'd have taken out a loan or even taken money from my 401k years ago to finance this.  It is such a huge difference.  All of my clothes look so much better now and I just feel so free. 

Kinda Funny story:  So yesterday I go out to eat and I was wearing this tight fighting tshirt and I kept tugging it like I used to.  Then I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror and I just stared at my chest and how great it looked.  No sign of moobs whatsoever, just a natural looking male chest!  The girl at the greeting counter kind of laughed at me and I really didn't know how to explain my seeming vanity other than to just smile.