Sounds like I had my the same day as "fed-up" ! He must have been leaving just as I was going down for surgery (16.00). I was to stay in overnight which cost an extra £500 but got me a slot for the op in just 11 days rather than the current 2 months-ish wait.
Arrived at 13.00 so had 3 hours to fill. I was the last op of the day. Got changed into a VERY small dressing gown (made for a dwarf)and a theatre gown that had ties missing at the back so I couldn't do it up. They must've forgot my slippers (see fed-up's account) coz I had to walk down in stockings with (deliberate) holes at the toes . Not so good on grotty floors! So much for keeping the op theatre clean!
Went under at 16.20, awoke at 17.20. Noticeable soreness in upper left chest so got a small dose of morphine. Back in my room by 17.45.
Strangely my appetite had gone (I hadn't eaten since 9) but VERY thirsty. Little bit of blood from the small incisions near the armpits. Compression vest tends to dig in here which is unfortunate & uncomfortable (and still is on day 2), even tho the dressings have been changed. The dressings here are just waterproof plasters so have no cushioning effect from where the vest digs in.
Eventually ate around 19.30 and still drinking loads and very dry mouth. Stayed up watching TV until gone midnight. Wasn't tired as had had afternoon nap ! No pain that evening except where the vest digs into your armpits. You are given a couple of paracetamol...that's all, but sent home with paracetamol & codiene which is a bit stronger.
Took one of my own sleeping pills to try to get some sleep. Not easy sitting up in bed (brought on back ache), not being able to move at all and the aneasthetic needle still stuck in the back of your hand (in case they need to administer anything quickly). I think I could have slept all night IF they hadn't woken me twice to take my blood pressure! I was a bit peed off about that, but my BP was a little low so maybe that's why. Also, aircon in room not working, so not as impressed with hospital as previous stay in BUPA one.
Dressings changed next morning, so got my first look. Couldn't see the incisions in front of my armpits (too close to focus on!). The lack of flesh under my skin on my chest took me back a little. I thought my god, where did I all go !! Pre-op, my left breast was noticably larger than my right one, and I think if they had both been the size of my right one, I wouldn't have bothered with the op. The larger, left breast tho was beginning to sag noticably and had always had more glandular tissue inside. Post-op, when I saw the left breast, after the much thicker wad of dressing was taken off, there seemed to be quite a large cavity where the tissue had been removed and quite a step off between the "normal" skin area and the area where tissue had been removed from. AK assured me this morning that this was simply where the thick wadding had been pressed into the area overnight, by the compression vest, and had caused an indentation. Time will tell ! The right breast was noticeably flat, tho the skin looked horizontally wrinkled.
I'm determined not to get worried about how "bad" things look at the moment. I know as an older chap that my skin is not as elastic as you younger guys. My only real concern long term is that the skin is not left with any wrinkles in it at all and that the area lipoed does not look any different from the areas around it, i.e. there is no "step off" between the two. Massage should help this.
A long recovery is underway and I don't expect to be fully post-op for 6-9 months. If there are any problems then, I will go back, but that's along time off.
Will keep you updated.
cheers
H
p.s. local aneasthetic wears off after 24 hours. Slight soreness returning (burning sensation) across the chest. Time to break out the codydramol!
Topic: 1 Day Post Op - Karidis (Read 3515 times)
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