Blitz's Diary...had follow up surgery with Dr. Fielding. Case closed.

[Blitz]

Hi All,

It's been over 2 years since my surgery with Dr. Fielding and I'm here to give everyone an important update. I thought the surgery went well but I was never completely happy with my left side.  My right side looks amazing but my left side (which suffered a hematoma right after the initial surgery), never looked right.  When I looked in the mirror, I could see the difference because the right side looked really good.  I lived with it though because I really didn't want to go through the whole ordeal of another surgery.  Plus, I never considered it that big of a deal.   

However, it was during this summer when I was at a water park with my 10 year old niece that sent me over the edge. The day was going well when I noticed my niece looking at my left side.  I can see her staring at it which made me uncomfortable.  I thought she was going to ask a question but I quickly drew her attention away by asking her if she wanted ice cream.  You have to understand that the way I looked, most guys with gyne I guess would kill for.  It really wasn't that bad but it did look a bit off....especially to me.  Anyways, I waited for the fall weather to get here and I made an appointment with Dr. Fielding. 

My appointment was October 22nd.  I went in and he agreed that he should remove some more fat from that side.  He gave me credit for trying to live with it for the past 2 years.  He said it was a minor procedure that would take place at St. Joseph's hospital.  By the by, the follow up surgery was free. 

The minor surgery was set for Nov 27th.  There's a section in the hospital actually named minor surgery and that's where I went; that's where he drained my hematoma 2 years ago.  I was his first patient at 8:15.  He used local anesthetic which doesn't put you to sleep but made the left side numb. He cut a little hole in the side of my ribs and inserted a tube which lead to my chest.  He filled the chest with a solution that would loosen the fat.  If you haven't guessed it by yet, he was liposuctioning the area.  He told me not to be alarmed because he would have to let the whole bag of solution drain into my chest and it would blow the area up like a water balloon.  I looked down twice and I didn't have the stomach to look down anymore.  He left me there for about 20 minutes so the solution could do its magic.

When he came back in, he took out the tube, placed a metal prong into the incision which went back up into my chest and turned on the liposuction machine (sounds like a vacuum).  That's when he started working the metal prong with all his might.  He really made sure he was going to get all the fat.  The first solution to fill up the machine was the solution he put in there to start (you can see the discharge in the liposuction vacuum).  Then he pointed out after 10 minutes of getting out the initial solution, that my fat was going to be next.  Out it came.  This yellow substance that I can't really describe (cornmeal in water comes to mind).  He worked the area for another 10 minutes.  There was some discomfort but no major pain. 

When he was finished, he had me sit up and when I looked down, I could see the improvement.  He bandaged me up immediately and told me not to take off the bandage or get the area wet.  I having been through major surgery already with him, knew better.  I took the bandage off the next day, took my shower and bandaged up again.  I wore my bandage to work for the next few days and I would sleep with it on for the first week.  Dr. Fielding said it takes at the very least 3 months for the overall swelling to go down and to see the final product. He did put one stitch where he placed the incision so I had to visit him the following week for him to take it out.  We were both happy with the outcome.

It's been close to a month since that day and I can tell you that I'm 100% happy with the way it looks.  Today is Dec. 23rd (2007) and it  looks amazing. The swelling still hasn't subsided but it looks so much like my right side that I can't complain even if I'm still healing.  My initial surgery 2 years ago, he told me that he had taken out 600 cc (cubic centimetres) total from both sides.  He said that's a lot.  I don't know how much was lipo'd out last month but it was definitely the right amount. I'm just glad that this chapter in my life is over with. 

The end.   

Some friendly advice: 

It took me 3 to 4 months to make an appointment with Dr. Fielding when I first started surfing these boards in Dec. of 2004.  It took me time to read the stories and work up the courage.  After having gone through the operation and a follow up procedure, I don't know what I was afraid of.  There's really nothing to be worried about.

Have the procedure done in the colder months for those of you who live in season changing parts of the world.  I'm from Toronto and I had my surgery in the middle of our hottest month, July.  Trust me, it wasn't fun wearing the bandages to work. It made me hot and it itched. 

You will lose some sensation in your nipples.  Right now, my right side might be at 75% of what it once was.  Before the surgery, I could have my girlfriend (s) lick or touch my nipples and I would almost...well you know but since the operation, it's not a part that needs to be focused on for me.  To be honest, I would rather lose 100% sensation there then live with gyne.  That's how I feel. 

Go into debt for this.  I was swimming in debt when I put the surgery on my credit card but this was one purchase I wasn't going to regret.  That was 2 years ago.  Today, I'm gyne and debt free. The road was a difficult one but has made me a better person.   

I don't know what else I can add because I've shared my ups and downs in this diary. Good luck to all of those who reads this blog.  There is a solution for us guys who never asked for this. When I first discovered this site, I was addicted.  Since the surgery two years ago, I may check out this board once every 4 months (if that).  I knew I had to make my story a happy ending  and that's why I returned.  I will check in every now and again but I don't think I could be a regular.  My gyne is yesterday's news.  Good luck to everyone and don't be afraid to ask me any questions.  I will check in regularly over the next week to see if anyone has responded.