Surgery with Karidis 29/11/12 With Pics

[adamj]

Wow, awesome results mate. You must be so pleased! Sorry not been on here in ages so first I've seen,  welcome to the other side!

[sjwsjw]

I'm happy to be on my way. The improvement I have now has been a nice buzz. Thanks to other people's logs I know what's ahead.

No problem mate I can understand this board is more help getting to the post op stage then it is being here everyday for months after.

How's the scar tissue going?

[sjwsjw]

Slept without the vest on last night. Felt a bit strange. Think I'll continue to use the evening as my 12 hours rest from it because my work is mainly driving so it feels more comfortable with the vest underneath when I've got a seat belt on.

[sjwsjw]

Day 18 post op
Got a follow up date with karidis for January 14th.

Got some funky swelling and lumps and bumps over a few area's of my chest. Not worrying about any of it as it's all expected from what I've read here. If it's still an issue by the time of the follow up I'll ask karidis, but hopefully it won't be so just wait and see.

Going to start massaging in a couple of days. Still taking the vest off on an evening and been getting some weird feelings around my chest while it's off but I guess that is part of the reason for taking it off gradually.

[sjwsjw]

3 weeks post op
Just had my first massage was pretty good. I was really surprised how numb my right hand side is compared to the left. Got one more week of the vest,  that will be strange not wearing it at all.

Just looking forward to the follow up to get the ok and then I'll start the gym again. Trying not to eat too much because my exercise is down about 75% to before

[sjwsjw]

4 weeks post op
Ok so 4 weeks have now past. I've been eating way too much over Christmas and can't wait to get back down the gym. I'm going to wait til after the follow up on Jan 14th. I have a couple of questions for karidis and don't want to rush back into exercise at the risk of spoiling the results.

Been massaging for just over a week now and it feels pretty good. I have a couple of areas of swelling under the arm area (where the vest holes are) that I wanna see if they settle down now I've stopped wearing the vest. I have a pretty spotty chest tbh I think because of the massage oil + vest combo of the week or so before so again I will wait to see if that settles now the vest is off.

The incisions under the nipple are both sealed but don't seem fully healed atm (like a slit that is healed at the bottom but not fully so that the skin has fused together fully) so keeping my eye on that too.

As everyone else says I go through times of feeling like Mr universe to feeling down about my chest from day to day. I guess that even knowing that healing is a long process doesn't stop the impatient thoughts we all have for this to all be over that much quicker than it is. Not exercising doesn't help either.

It now feels like I'm getting to that stage where the noticeable changes are slower to see and the last week has felt longer then the 3 weeks before that because of that I think. Looking forward to the new year and seeing karidis for a professional view of the progress and then exercise to better my overall shape.

I'll probably post a more up-to-date photo after the consultation on the 14th of Jan.

Happy New year everyone 

[sjwsjw]

6 weeks post op
Well, nearly 7 weeks now (Thursday)

Had the consultation yesterday and he said its as he would expect at this time. Said I can start doing some weights etc so gunna hit the gym asap. Got a lot of snow here and my journey to work took 2hrs 15 mins instead of 50 mins so I'll probably be late home tonight. Will post a picture tomorrow after work

[Imbackagain]

Great feedback on post op... Hope each day is getting easier. Have you manages to take any new pictures? I know this is a random question, but would you pick karidis again if you could do it all over again?

Anyway all the best

[sjwsjw]

Hi, sorry about the lack of new pictures, the snow has been adding a few hours on to my working day and I just haven't got round to it. Recovery is going fine I still have some swelling (and my Christmas belly for that matter!).

I agree that the follow up with karidis was a very quick in and out job but he said I am where he would expect me to be for my stage in the healing process and with no issues for me or him I also had very few questions to ask so no biggie. He said he would like to see me in April if possible so I will book another date when I get round to it.

Like a few people who have kept logs I have found myself drifting away from here for a while now but no news is 99.9% of the time good news. I'd soon be on here if I had any worries or issues.

I don't regret any part of my decision if that's the best way to answer your question. Karidis worked for my situation so yes I feel it was right for me personally. Levick adds an hour each way to my travel and I'm glad I could keep that down to 3hrs and I'm happy enough with the results.

Just need to hit the gym once again once the snow is cleared, had enough of it now.

[sjwsjw]

Got a few things to do over the next month or so. I WILL get a new set of pics up once i hit 12 weeks (just past 8 weeks atm). Continuing to massage and will be back down the gym on monday (went for a week before the snow) after what FINALLY looks like a thaw of the recent snow! Good to see more new blogs starting i'll be popping in to check up on all them over the next few weeks then update mine with new pictures.

Healing seems to be going fine here and once i get back into the normal gym routine everything will be back to how it was pre-op, just with a flatter chest Am really enjoying a bit of colour in the t-shirts and feeling like im not being stared at for my chest on treadmill

[sjwsjw]

I do have swelling on the sides of my pecs (near the arm pits) but im trying not to concentrate on that atm. My overall look in a t-shirt is much better so i can put up with that for a while.

Still haven't booked a second follow up in April but im thinking thats gunna be around the time things should start sorting themselves out (fingers crossed)

[theITguy]

Hi Mate, thanks for your reply on my post :-)  its posts like yours that have made me take the plunge to actually book the surgery.  

Your results are amazing mate and your chest is exactly how a blokes chest should look.  I am just hoping for a similar result.  Not that your even at the end yet as with any surgery it can take a good 6-12 months to really settle.

You must be chuffed though.  I knew Karidis was the right choice.  This has just confirmed it.  

[sjwsjw]

Cheers mate, I've just realised that my last picture was at 10 days post op, wow. Obviously things have improved since then and the incisions under my nipples have healed up nicely now. I think once I get in shape some and approach the 3 month mark the end result will be easier to work out.

Yes I don't regret my choice of surgeon or my decision to get this done. Karidis knows what he's doing and I can't fault any part of the process. The hospital staff were very good.

[theITguy]

For 10 days post op that looks great - do you have any more pics at other stages. You dont seem to have much scarring or bruising if any at all.  Karidis is an artist.

How do you feel now 3 months in, mentally and physically?  How long before you were able to get back into a standard routine without any pain or discomfort, or are you still not quite there.

Karidis said to me in the consultation that he doesnt use stitches and i can excerise afer a week if i really wanted.  He is super confident in his abilities and work.  I am just wondering when i can get back to running and doing some weights... any ideas.

Sorry for the 20 questions mate but only a few days to go now and i think its dawned on me this is now a reality

[sjwsjw]

I still had light bruising at 10 days post, was about 14 days or so that it went. I'm currently coming up to 8 weeks post op but I made a point to take things VERY easy. I first went to the gym and did light cv at 5 weeks post. I'm going to start doing weights on Monday but that's only because the snow has stopped me going to the gym sooner, my gym is in the city I work not my home town so it was a little awkward with the snow and ice.

Things feel pretty normal now, it's comfortable doing things, I get the odd bit of tightness. Massaging helps with that, I have some scar tissue on my right hand side that I'm working on with the massaging. Swelling on both sides but karidis said that lifting weights at my stage will help my recovery now. Mentally I feel good, I forget that I've had it done from time to time. I find myself covering my chest every now and then also, subconsciously but I'm walking taller for sure. Worse part was the first week, just feel restricted. Strangest thing for me is looking back at my pre op pictures on here.

I don't have any pictures after 10 days tbh. I would say short of the bruising going and the incisions healing over there isn't a great deal I can show with a picture past that but I will add a 12 week picture when I get there.

No, no stitches but it does take a while to fully fuse shut I found, it heals over quick enough but looks like a slit in the nipple for a while. Mines all healed over now.