over 3 years since joining here, surgery now complete!

[ineedhelp]

i joined this great forum over three years ago. scared about my 'condition', i spoke to so many people and read about every thread there was. i asked stupid questions, yet you guys always were there to help me. you were like a family to me and it was great reading your posts. so the last year or so, i decided to go for it. i worked like crazy, no loans taken out as i dont want anything to haunt me. i wanted it done and dusted without having another headache after the op. so a couple of months ago, i finally had saved up enough. i kept putting money aside from my pay packet to get to this day. most of the guys on here talk so highly of Dr. Karidis, i said to myself, its him or no one else.

so i booked a consulttion and after a few days, went to visit the man. this is so common to him and he is so experienced, he made me feel so comfortable with everrything. he is a busy man and kept everything short and simple with me. no messing around, just questions and answers. i booked on the same day.

i was going to keep a journal, but niguy13 and me were just a day apart in surgery and it was as though he was writing exactly what i felt. so the big day came, i went in to the hospital, spoke to the nurses and got ready. as you probably know, i was nervous as hell and i was anxious about the general anesthetic. to my surprise, the general anaesthesia doctor came to visit me before the op. he made me feel calm and relaxed and reassured me. i was ready.

i went to a small op room where i had four people around me to do the surgery. that made me feel so much better and thats why i paid the big money. i woke up and a nurse sat next to me ensuring i was comfortable. i never expected that! they took me to my room and after an hour or so, gave me lunch. throught the day, the nurses checked my blood pressure about 50 times! but they ensured i was well. i had a lot of gland removed so the little tight vest i was wearing was padded up to be extra tight. the nurse gave me my medz and said i could leave when i was ready.

i went home a little while later. the next two days were very uncomfortable and i did feel a bit sick. however after day 3, i felt much better. my chest is flat and im very happy however its going to be a long road to recovery. i have lost my six pack! my tummy has swollen up and it looks as though i have never been to the gym as my chest is a bit too flat at the moment!

its been a week now and im still feeling a pulling sensation however its getting better every day. i am guessing it will be another 2 weeks before i will be back to most of my daily activities and a further week to ease in to excercise.

so there you have it. im so glad i came on here and spoke to you guys as i swear i could not have done it without you. some of you guys have been on here for years and many of you have had your surgery, yet still contribute for the rest of us. i appreciate that greatly. ive had my op and now and have a road ahead of me where i must heal and recover. its been hard the last week, but i hope it gets better soon.

anyway, i have another question for you guys.....AGAIN! hahaha. when can i take the plasters off the nipples and armpits? it seems to have healed up and i think the nurse said 10 days? the vest is very annoying and cant wait to get rid of it. right now, i just want to get back to the gym and work out like crazy!

thank you so much you guys! and one last point, just so everyone knows, yes surgery will help you, but its not the be all and end all. i changed myself by losing weight. that is what really matters. if i was still really fat, i would not be happy at all. i play sports and enjoy life more. dont think surgery is lifes answer. its only a percentage and last resort. i had loads of gland and little fat left. i had no choice but to have the gland removed as it was so much. i see a lot of guys with small puffy nipples and a lot of body fat. trust me, your better of going to the gym, getting in to great shame, playing sports and if your puffy nipples are still there and affect you, then see a surgeon. i know i was 100% ready to have it done and it took me over 3 years to reach this point. dont rush in to it assuming it will change your life as only you can change your life, not a plastic surgeon. they can only help you along the way. speak to your family or a close friend about your situation and try to work it out.

good luck guys and i will keep you posted.

[headheldhigh01]

congrats on getting sorted 

be conservative with the plasters, it may be annoying up front, but you put a lot into getting this fixed, and you want to do the recovery right to finish the job.  if they smell after a bit, spray a little alcohol or something on them, and the dr's office may have other suggestions.  also, hold off on the working out for about 4-6 weeks.  your chest has just been under a little restorative trauma, and it really needs time to heal properly before being subjected to the tearings and stresses of exercise again. 

you're right about it not being the be all and end all, but for some people, even making the decision is individual challenge enough.  the weight loss is important like you say, but it will usually make puffies or other forms of gyne more prominent instead of mitigating it, which is good as a preop prep, but a few out there still think exercise can reduce real gyne, which it won't.  cheers at you for a good story. 

[ineedhelp]

hey headheldhigh01.

thanks for your advice. your right, i never thought about the stress it will cause the chest. 4-6 weeks before training sounds ideal i guess so i will wait it out.

i just wanted to point out to other gyne guys that surgery is not magic. i remember longing for surgury when i was overweight thinking it will change my life in a day but its a process that should be done the right way, unless you are not overweight and as you say, have gland tissue which needs to go. but i found that losing weight and building muscle really improved my look. losing weight can make it look slightly worse but building good pecs, shoulders and arms will improve it drastically. use 'the rock' (dwayne johnson) as an example. he had clear gyno as a teen and had lumps very visible, yet, when he got older, he wrestled in front of millions around the world, topless! he built himself up and his gyne was barely visible.

i would say to do surgery after you have got yourself in to good shape and health. surgery is the icing on the cake, but theres no point having icing on the cake if the cake looks and tastes really bad!