Surgery booked with Karidis - scared/nervous/excited!

[frozen]

I find it strange to say but the whole procedure was completely different to what I expected! I'll give you guys a brief outline now, but will make a proper diary with pics when I get home.

I was REALLY nervous this morning as I was admitted around 9:30 and spent until 12:30 in my recovery room waiting as Karidis was running late. I'm sure you can imagine what the tension was doing to me!

Finally went down in the end to get anaesthetised and remember the guy telling me things would get a bit dizzy, and I remember a feeling of just *falling away* from the world. Literally the next second I awoke as a nurse said my name. I was really groggy, feeling quite nauseous and my throat was killing!

Got sent up to my recovery room where my girlfriend helped me get lots of water and some fruit down me. As time goes on you start feeling much better. After around an hour I was fine apart from my throat really not feeling great. Strangely enough, my chest doesn't hurt in the slightest!

Chantelle (One of Karidis' nurses) told me 600ml of fat was removed in total and 18g of gland removed in one 'breast' (eugh ) and 20g in another. She told me that this was quite a lot as most patients only have around 3g on each side, but I'm not sure how true this is as I've seen people on here claim to have 50g!

I'm not going to lie, I genuinely felt really rough afterwards. Obviously the surgery and anaesthesia effect everyone differently and I was just one of those people it messed up a bit!

I'm glad that I did it though, I really am. Even with the compression garment on and all the bulk underneath it my chest looks slimmer under t-shirts! Even though I felt seriously buggered I was sooo happy at being able to walk around with a flat chest. The compression garment is skin coloured and hides 100% under my t-shirts, I would say. The best thing is walking around outside and not having anyone stare at my chest. *big smile*

I've taken all my meds and had some food so that's all sorted. I now intend to have a nice hot chocolate and relax in what is most possibly the nicest hotel room I've even been in

Thanks guys for all your support. I'm on the other side now, and laden with relief. Any questions whatsoever ask away!

[niguy13]

hi mate,

Jealous as hell you're on the other side now- i have to wait until October for mine

What was the whole anesthesia part like? Did you walk to theatre and they knocked you out from there or what? Was it simply a case of the injection and then waking up?

Get some rest and get some before and after pics up when you get a chance..

Cheers !

[frozen]

Before you go down for surgery they ask you to get dressed into a blue surgery gown that in all honesty I'd find impossible to tie up at the back if it wasn't for my GF! Then you slip over a white dressing gown and some other surgery paraphinalia like anti-embolism socks to prevent you getting DVT and some little slipper things!

Then a nurse finally comes to call for you and takes you from your room to a special lift purely for taking people up and down from the theatre.

I was carted into a what I can only describe as a pre-surgery room where a friendly nurse talked to me for a bit and confirmed all my details. The anaesthetist then came in and asked me if I'd ever had anaesthesia before, which I have not! I also asked him what he was going to use, just out of curiosity . He said he was using Propofol, which is the stuff that is linked to Michael Jackson's death apparently! Freaky.

Anyway, they put an IV in my left arm, then I noticed the anaesthetist working to my left, obviously preparing the syringe, which I think he then injected into me before saying "You might feel a little sleepy" and then I just remember the aforementioned feeling of just *falling away* from the world really peacefully and ... next thing I knew, I was in a different place with a female nurse saying my name and checking me over! I tried my hardest not to 'babble', and from what I can remember I succeeded! I instead just ended up going back to sleep over and over again!

Well, I hope that answered your question niguy!
_________________________________________

As an update to everyone, throat pain has gone completely. Strepsils (throat losenges) last night totally saved my bacon and really helped with pain. Slept great and even found I could sleep on my side a bit! Woke up with a bit of a twinge in my chest and a bit of discomfort when walking around. Took all the meds the nurse has told me to, including painkillers, so I feel fine now.

[thetodd]

Before you go down for surgery they ask you to get dressed into a blue surgery gown that in all honesty I'd find impossible to tie up at the back if it wasn't for my GF! Then you slip over a white dressing gown and some other surgery paraphinalia like anti-embolism socks to prevent you getting DVT and some little slipper things!

Then a nurse finally comes to call for you and takes you from your room to a special lift purely for taking people up and down from the theatre.

I was carted into a what I can only describe as a pre-surgery room where a friendly nurse talked to me for a bit and confirmed all my details. The anaesthetist then came in and asked me if I'd ever had anaesthesia before, which I have not! I also asked him what he was going to use, just out of curiosity . He said he was using Propofol, which is the stuff that is linked to Michael Jackson's death apparently! Freaky.

Anyway, they put an IV in my left arm, then I noticed the anaesthetist working to my left, obviously preparing the syringe, which I think he then injected into me before saying "You might feel a little sleepy" and then I just remember the aforementioned feeling of just *falling away* from the world really peacefully and ... next thing I knew, I was in a different place with a female nurse saying my name and checking me over! I tried my hardest not to 'babble', and from what I can remember I succeeded! I instead just ended up going back to sleep over and over again!

Well, I hope that answered your question niguy!
_________________________________________

As an update to everyone, throat pain has gone completely. Strepsils (throat losenges) last night totally saved my bacon and really helped with pain. Slept great and even found I could sleep on my side a bit! Woke up with a bit of a twinge in my chest and a bit of discomfort when walking around. Took all the meds the nurse has told me to, including painkillers, so I feel fine now.

You will prob feel alot more croggy tommrow mate (not a lot), youve still got a lot of the anesthetic inside you. I only say that because some people get over confident and start overdoing it! Your going to be pleased at some point today when you take out the padding ... get some pictures then youl be buzzing!

Im not to sure about sleeping on your side though mate, i dont think your supposed to. Your meant to sleep elevated on your back, not to the side! Thats what i was told by Karidis's main nurse anyway

[frozen]

Cheers thetodd, I've been keeping myself as upright as possible but I'll try to sleep on my back from now on (as much as I hate it!).

As an update; I took my compression garment off for the first time today. Again, I'm so glad my GF was there. I fully experienced the 'orthostatic hypotension' thing mentioned in the post-op care guide. Basically, as soon as I took the garment off I started going really lightheaded and felt uber faint. After 15 mins or so of leaning over the bed I started feeling better and changed all the plasters. All I can say is WOW! I don't wanna toot my own horn but my chest looks incredible! Karidis is such a magician. I used to have such a horrible chest, but now I'm completely flat and my nipples stick out where they used to be inverted. Soooo happy!

Had a shower, compression vest back on, resting again and really, REALLY happy with my chest. I feel like such a different person, and I'm wearing t-shirts that I wouldn't of dreamed of wearing a few days ago.

So. Worth. It.

[frozen]

Well its now 3 days post-op and also my birthday! Let me start by saying that sex is most definitely possible 2 days post-op!

Things are going great, no pain, only slight discomfort, mobility isn't reduced too much (reaching above your head can be difficult at times). Its all gone completely textbook really and how I expected the post-op part to be!

Mentally, this is a strange journey. After the surgery, when you look down and witness your flat chest it's very odd. Happy, but odd. I've started to develop a feeling that I never had gyne, and that I've always had this flat chest that I've got now .. which for some reason makes me feel somewhat guilty as I feel like I should pay homage to the thing that's burdened me all these years.

On a final note; I turned 20 today, thus ending my teenage years. Gyne was a problem that started in my teens and it feels somewhat symbolic that as I am no longer a teenager I'm leaving this problem behind. Many people can't say the same thing and have carried on to suffer with gyne late into their life. My advice to anyone reading this and contemplating surgery, especially the younger crowd, is to just go for it. (If I hadn't of had the surgery now, I know I would have had it later in life, possibly with worse results as my skin elasticity would have reduced).

Do your homework, don't go for the cheapest or easiest to reach surgeon .. go for a PS who knows what he's doing and inspires confidence in you. I'm glad I did, and the £4000 I paid seems negligible for the freedom I now have.

[frozen]

Just for anyone subscribed to this thread, I've got some pictures posted up now @ http://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=18539.0.

[merlot]

Hey Frozen, just been catching up with your pics/experience.  Pics look great!  Keep up with the Arnica for a couple of weeks. I did plus the pineapple for a week. Very little swelling.   

Sounds like you had a pretty text box route through... now you can start ticking off the milestones week by week 

As well as the Arnica, another useful homeopathic remedy for the internal scar tissue is calendula. Also Staphisagria if you get pain with it too.

Really well done fella. I'm nearly a month post this week, and it really does keep getting better and better!!

[Nightmare]

For swelling
PINEAPPLE, major healer for swelling get a load of chunks and pineapple juice it will do you a lot of good

you know what, i been eating pineapple for the past 2 days and my chest is getting more flatter in the last 2 days then the last 4 weeks. i dont know if its a coincidence , but  pineapple really do work. infact i am going to go buy atleast 5 more pineapple. why didnt i eat pineapple any sooner, i regret not eating it sooner.

[Nightmare]

you think i am messing around? haha

[frozen]

Haha nice work mate 10 days post op and I'm still flat as a pancake, no swelling and bruising has pretty much gone! I can't believe how fast I'm recovering! I put it down to a mix of arnica, Bromelain pills (enzyme extracted from pineapples) and protein shakes. I'm on my phone at the moment so this is only a short post but I intend to do a proper update soon!

[Nightmare]

Haha nice work mate 10 days post op and I'm still flat as a pancake, no swelling and bruising has pretty much gone! I can't believe how fast I'm recovering! I put it down to a mix of arnica, Bromelain pills (enzyme extracted from pineapples) and protein shakes. I'm on my phone at the moment so this is only a short post but I intend to do a proper update soon!

thats good to hear. Dr. Karidis is Da Man !!! you guys in the U.K are lucky.