surgery booked with Dr. Karidis 3rd March, pre-op pics

[zm]

i'll try the sock thing....the pics showing now....

[improving]

Vast improvement man, great job! All the best with the healing process!

[ChestMan]

Zm,

Thanks for sharing you story and pics. I cant see the pics on my iPad, but they show fine on my laptop.

Massive improvement - you're jacked bro....roll on summer. keep us posted.

[zm]

Thanks breastman...can't wait to hit the gym...no more picking out clothes with stripes to hide the moobs....

[dexs]

I have to say zm the after pics show a fantastic result.  I know your concerned about fluid build up but I read that one of the main purposed of the compression vest is to reduce fluid build up. 

on some of the Europe boards, where guys have had surgery in Poland they were sticking needles in their chest to extract the fluid and thats what their surgeon recommended.  The thought of doing that myself makes me feel dizzy and i dont trust the wife with sharp objects.

[zm]

lol@dexs...

thanks bro..i'm very chuffed but long way to go yet..

when is your surgery?

[dexs]

Thurs 29th March so approx 4 weeks away bro

Feeling nervous just writing about it

[chopper]

In your gown pre-op picture your gyne looks worse then your average case on here and i half expected there to be a fair amount of baggy skin in your post-op pics, but there isn't. The ride ahead will be a bumpy one mate, hold on to your seat and the better times will be here soon

[zm]

Hey chopper. For some reason that particular photo does seem to emphasize the Gyno more.
Having a pretty bad night. Unable to sleep. I really feel like taking the compression vest off for about 15 minutes. What's your advice during there trying times?

[zm]

I took off the vest for about 40 minutes last night and just laid on my back. Felt so good. Then put the vest back on but left the bottom 5 hooks off. This helped me sleep a lot better.

I wonder how tight is too tight. I'm starting to think my vest is too small for me.

[chopper]

That was the single worst part of the entire operation, the first few weeks, trying to get a decent nights sleep. I did the same as you, undid the bottom and kept the pressure on my chest part. So uncomfortable. I just used 2 pillows under my head as I couldn't sleep anymore upright then that.

For the trying times there is no easy remedy. I looked at my pre-op pics a lot and also spent time going through other peoples journals on here. The guys that kept updating over a year there was a general common theme I noticed; you have the great start where your chest is very flat, then it goes to shit anywhere from 3 - 10 weeks and can stay that way for a period of time (some cases weeks, some cases 6+ months) but then it all seems to settle down. All I can suggest is to keep checking back on journals and trying to keep positive and accept that the result is going to get a lot worse before it gets better, but in the end it will be better.....

[zm]

You are absolutely right chopper. I’m finding this part the hardest so far. I’m not too sure how the next few weeks or months will pan. Not being able to sleep is just so annoying.  I normally sleep on my back anyway but the vest just makes it so much harder.

I just ate some grilled chicken now and feel really bloated even though I’ve had a small amount to eat.  It really does help leaving the 7 bottom hooks off from the vest.
I’m also eating a whole pineapple every day.

Here are some pics after 3 days of op.  I can hardly see the cuts under the nipple.  The incisions near the armpits have more or less closed up.

I do have a lot of swelling but I can’t really see the bruising like others have. Maybe because of my skin colour?

When I press some parts of my chest, I can literally feel the fluid travelling from one area to another.  Anyone else experience this?







Right nipple


Left Nipple


Right Armpit


Left Armpit

[zm]

not much to report today but feeling a lot more mobile than the previous days.  Starting to sleep very well too.

I can feel slight twinge of pain stabbing around my nipples but this only happens maybe once or twice a day. but this only lasts a second or two.

I've still got plaster over the nipples but have taken off the plasters from the armpit sites.

I'm off pain killers and the antibiotics.

 

[crossfit99]

Glad you're doi g better brother. I'm on the other side now, with you got these stinkin drains in, but otherwise all good...surreal at this point!


Hey did you try to take any stool softeners with the pail pills? The nurse told me it's a must

[zm]

Hi bro. Those drains Sound horrible. We didn't have any.

I never took any stool softeners although sounds like an excellent thing to do. I was clogged up for 2 days but didn't have any stomach cramps or pain.
I only had the pain killers for 2 days then went onto normal paracetamol every 4 hours. This definitely helped me poop like there was no tomorrow :-D.