Hi everyone, thought I'd send in an update now that I'm three weeks after the op.
I've stopped wearing the compression vest 24/7 now and only wearing it at night which it a real improvement. I notice though that I am a lot flatter when I wake up in the morning so it obviously still has an effect so I'm going to continue wearing it for a bit. The swelling comes up during the day and actually makes my chest look better! Now that it is so flat I need to get down the gym and start building up the muscles behind so it looks something. It's such an improvement over how I was before I still can't believe how good my chest looks. It's such an amazing feeling to be able to wear what I want to without fear of showing these lumps. Sad as it seems, I've actually got a few t-shirts that I've had for years but never worn until now. I'd see them in the shop, like them then realise they were too tight around the chest but still buy them, telling myself that I'd exercise like mad someday just to be able to wear them without the embarrassment. Of course, that never happened no matter how fit I was. Now I'm wearing them and actually getting comments from my friends about how good I'm looking.
Healing-wise, I'm still a bit tender when I move in a certain way and my nipples are sore to the touch but that's to be expected after only three weeks, I guess. I think get Christmas out the way and I'll be ready to hit the gym without fear I'm doing any damage as long as I build things up slowly. Some days my nipples have three creases in them, some days none - it changes so much and will probably take a while to settle down. It's not bothering me at the moment as I still look great with my clothes on (which to be honest is most of the time
and the reason why I went through with the op in the first place.) If I end up with a crease or two then it's a small price to pay.
I've been massaging myself for about a week now, putting light pressure on the chest and also abdomen and notice the improvement in feeling and swelling. I went for a proper massage yesterday and explained what I'd had done. The lady knew what to do and paid special attention to that area and concentrated on lymphatic drainage that will help with the scar tissue that's building up on my abdomen.
Im SO pleased at how things are right now and looking forward to seeing how things settle down. I'd urge anyone to seriously consider getting the operation done if they can. It's amazing how it's transformed my life and the way I feel in public, even though before the op I would have said that it didn't affect me to much of an extent. It's my birthday tomorrow and as much of a cliché as it sounds, it's the best present I could wish for!
Happy Christmas everyone. Hope you all have a great time.
Wheeeee!