Surgery With Levick - COMPLETE 16th January (Pics now added)

[Ricardo7]

Sorry guys, it keeps slipping my mind to get a loan of a decent camera to show you some decent pics!

5 weeks post op on Wednesday. Had my first gym workout since the op this morning, used light weights (10kg dumbbells)and worked my chest for a bit using slow controlled movements. I also wore my compression vest during the workout. I felt absolutely fine throughout.

Another point I should make is I'm wearing my vest during the day rather than in bed at night. I find that I sleep better without the vest.

As for my chest itself, still much the same as last time I posted. Slightly swollen and I'm massaging twice a day most days. By swollen I mean - looks really good but not as flat as when the dressings first came off. Your chest is really flat when the dressings come off, and thats what you're likely to compare it to.

[Ricardo7]

6 weeks post op and when wearing tshirts i still feel the need to 'hunch' my shoulders. My chest is still a bit tender feeling and the protruding area feels quite firm.

I know they say to wait 6 months for final results... but should I be worried? It feels like not enough gland has been removed

[improving]

Any chance you could post some pictures? It's hard to say otherwise.

At week 6 i'd suggest things are still very much settling down, i wouldn't worry too much mate. Are you still massaging with bio oil? If so, does it all flatten out nicely after a massage? I get a little swelling from time to time (after exercise - this is normal) but after a massage i'm fully back in the pancake zone. I'm coming up to 16 weeks post op.

I think hunching takes time to stop because it's a psychological thing aswel as a physical thing. We spend so long hunching over i think the mind can still be playing catch up post op. (as TheTodd often points out, and i agree with him).

[Ricardo7]

improving - decent pics by monday hopefully.

i don't massage with bio oil, i do it in the shower. 5 minutes twice a day most days. I wouldn't say it 'flattens out' as such, it does improve slightly though.

my chest seems to be not far off what it was before I had the op, only minus the puffy nipples. I'm hoping this will sort itself out, I'm wondering if maybe wearing my vest full time for a while might help.

Hopefully it resolves itself in the coming weeks/months either way.

[improving]

Cool be good to see the pictures. The way i see it is, ultimately your end result should look pretty much like when you first took your bandages off, before the swelling and scar tissue sets in.

I would recommend trying bio oil for massaging. I've used shower gel in the shower, and bio oil, and the bio oil imo is noticeably more effective. I tend to do it twice a day for 15 minutes.

You can get it in boots, looks like this




Wearing your vest for a little longer may help too. As you said, it can be 6 months + before you're chest has settled completely, it's a fair old healing process, i'm sure you'll get the result you're after.

[Ricardo7]

^ cheers improving

pics on the way...

[Ricardo7]

Ok here are some pics... I took them underneath a light to give a better idea of how my chest is sticking out a bit. You can see the shadowy area underneath









let me know what you guys think. These pics aren't the best but they give you an idea

[McGilli]

Looks good I think!

I am wondering though - is one of your nipples lower than the other or is it just a trick from how you were holding the camera?

Curious cuz I had that after my first surgery....

[Ricardo7]

It's just how I'm holding the camera I think

[sjwsjw]

Looks fine to me. Are you tensing in any of the pictures? I know when I tense still I get a little creasing in the nipple. Swelling will ease off, keep massaging - bio oil is very good if you haven't used some (the big bottle lasts ages well worth the £20 tbh) that'll loosen you up. My nipples looked different heights in the pictures when they aren't. Just the angle of the camera.

[Ricardo7]

Cheers guys. I may be tensing slightly in the second pic.

Seems bio oil is pretty effective for massaging. I don't personally like the stuff but will give it a try!

Hope to god it flattens out, I was the happiest guy on earth when the bandages came off

[theITguy]

welcome to the rollercoaster mate :-)

One day is good and the next not so good.  I dont think you can really expect anything to be anywhere like the end result for a good few months..  you body has to settle into its new shape.

I have a few creases in my nipples i am not happy with but only being 5 weeks, its no time really.  keep having to tell myself that i have to be patient.. 

and if im not happy still in a few months i will getting the doc to sort it..

[3rdTimeLucky (Dave)]

Chest has got a really good profile mate, sure your nips will come back to normality before long.

[Ricardo7]

cheers for the reassurance chaps.

Levick did tell me at my consultation to be patient and I said I would -  I'm just finding out that that's easier said than done haha.

[improving]

I think it looks great man, just keep up with the massaging and give it some more time. The recovery process does mess with your head a bit. My right side swells up a little every now and then but it's all part of the rollercoaster!