vest off after 6 weeks!

[andersonATL]

Today marked my 6 weeks since surgery.  I was friggin pumped to take the stupid vest off!  But I'm mildly disappointed.  It's hard to explain the feeling.  My chest feels awkward and sensitive.  I also feel like my range of motion is still limited.  I thought I would begin to ease back into the gym this weekend.  But instead I'm second guessing myself and wondering if I should continue with taking it easy and wearing that damn vest.

I would love to get some feedback.  What did it feel like when you hit your 6 weeks?

[shaknbake]

I'm 7 weeks post of as of yesterday, so I know exactly what you are describing.  When I stopped wearing my vest a week ago, my chest felt almost sore.  It was quite sensitive to driving on bumpy roads in particular.  All the sharp bumps really kind of hurt!  I massaged both sides like crazy, hoping to "toughen" them up a bit.  A week later, things seem to be much better.  No where near as sensitive as they were at first.  I think our body gets used to the extra support the compression vest gives our new chest, and it needs a little time to get used to not having it there anymore.  I've also noticed that the swelling has gotten worse too.  If you haven't noticed this yet, you likely will soon.  Again, the compression vest held everything tight, and now our chests have freedom to "stretch" so to speak.   My range of motion is still good, but my chest still feels a bit tight.  I have to stretch often to get rid of that feeling.  If you are going back to the gym, you should be totally fine by now.  You will still feel odd as far as your chest goes, but as long as you don't overdo it, you should be totally fine.  My doc said to pay attention to your body.  It will let you know if you are doing something it's not ready for.  The key is to not ignore it.

[masked_1]

congrats bro. ill be six weeks next friday. my chest right now is pretty damn swollen. sometimes in my mind i look like i did before even though in reallity its probably not that bad. it sucks really and its mentally tough to think positive and not worry about my chest staying this way even though i know its very very very unlikely that it will continue to look this way. i would say that at times when its really bad swelling i swear it only looks like 15 to 20 % better then pre op. its a mind game because its probably more like 80% better even with extreme swelling. sorry for my rant

[shaknbake]

When ever I'm in doubt, I look back on my pictures taken just before the surgery.  They are invaluable when it comes to this sort of thing.  I can see a huge improvement, instead of just trying to remember.  If you have any, take a look.  You will be pleasantly surprised!

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

All of your comments are normal and to be expected.  The day of surgery is just the beginning -- there is a lengthy period of healing and you will experience all manner of symptoms.

Just keep your eye on the horizon.  The hard part (surgery) is behind you.  Your body is healing but it does not do so overnight.

It will take roughly 6 months (and sometimes longer) to feel absolutely normal and as if nothing had ever been done -- except that you should have a better looking chest.

PATIENCE!!

Dr Jacobs