Booked surgery in but still nervous

[Rise against]

Hey guys I'm new here but have been on here many times in the past reading things . I have recently booked in surgery with sue thistlewaite in Melbourne . I don't live in Melbourne so will be flying into a city I do not know and will be on my own. I have a few questions which hopefully someone who has seen sue can answer if not any help is good

The compression shirt . Should it be the measurement of my chest before surgery or after ? Do I give them my chest size as it is now and it will compress a bit more after surgery ? .  I'm ordering it over the phone as it's embarrassing enough going ahead with surgery yet alone walking in to a store and saying I need a chest compression vest especially when the one sues office suggests is a women's laungere shop . :S

Second would be is the whole process discreet . ? Like when u go to the hospital are you met by a bunch of people you have never met with as well as sue ? As for me the least people who know about it the better . How many people in the operating room ?

Is the compression shirt very noticeable . I.e like when u can see the back of a ladies bra threw her shirt sorta thing ? Was wondering so I know if to stay indoors or venture out after surgery .

Did sues office arrange rebates or did u have to call Medibank private and explain u had boobs removed .?

Sorry for the weird questions , I'm just very worried as I've been with my gf for 5 years and have a son with her and she had never seen my chest even yet alone anyone else . Very insecure about it , and have thought many times to back out of surgery just because of the emotional pain of confronting it instead of hiding it .

Any help would be nice thanks and hope to get to know a few of you better .

[chiguy10]

Hi guy---I'm in my 60's and have lived with this my whole life.
I'd suggest WHATEVER you can do is worth it.
I just found this site a year and a half ago.
Wish it had been here when I was younger.
Nonetheless I've visited 4 doctors to get their opinions.
Mine is a pretty severe case.
I'm now about to schedule surgery with one of them.

Whatever time I have left on this earth I want to spend it as comfortably as I can.
It's up to me to take the steps necessary to get there.

Good luck fellow traveler.
I'm sure there are other guys/docs that can answer your specific procedural questions .

[Grandpa Bambu]

Whatever time I have left on this earth I want to spend it as comfortably as I can.
It's up to me to take the steps necessary to get there.

Absolutely! The sooner one can be free of the Gyne Curse, the better...

GB

[Grandpa Bambu]

Rise against...

Congratulations on your upcoming surgery.

Concerning a compression vest, unless you have severe Gyne, I would advise getting your normal chest size before surgery. If you get a full length vest that is designed for post surgery recovery, you should be okay. No straps or anything that would make it look like a female under garment. They aren't female under garments, so why would they be designed that way? 'If' someone does notice and ask about it, just tell them that you hurt a chest muscle at the gym and you need to wear a compression vest for a few weeks. I used a large 'tensor bandage' for my post-op compression. It had a Velcro fastener. Very easy to put on and take off...

As for surgery itself, very few people will know what the nature of your surgery is. Hospital staff will know what you are in for but hey, don't worry, they are professionals. They won't point and snicker at you. In the operating room there will be a few people. Sue, an anesthesiologist, and maybe one or two assistants. So probably four people. There again, they are professionals. They will not make you feel uncomfortable.

Your questions are not weird my friend... most pre-oppers ask the same questions.

I can relate to not having your g/f, or anyone else for that matter, see your Gyne. It it is a very embarrassing condition for most. However, you will be Gyne Free very soon! You will say to yourself, "Dayam, I should have done this sooner!!!".

Cheers...

GB

[Rise against]

Thank you all for commenting , have definitely answered some of my concerns . I guess at the end of the day I'm going to have to face my fear to fix it .  Just pretty hard to come out about something you've hidden for 5-6 years to complete strangers  .  The cost isn't a problem for me as I've got money aside plus a 6 grand tax return is going towards it . . What sorta time period does it take for swelling to go down ? 4 weeks as recommended for the compression shirt ? . I am a carpenter , will I be fine to lift things and continue as normal after about a month off ? ( as that's what I'm planning ) . . As far as my gf knows I'm going away for two weeks for " work" and will return home after stitches are removed the following week of surgery . 

I wouldn't say I have the worst gyno , def noticeable and puffy nipples . So I might just order the vest as my chest measures now .   Will the puffy nipples be a procedure in itself ? I know it would be in the same surgery but would she charge me for the removal of fat / tissue and then also to fix the puffy nipples on top of the surgery cost ? .

Sorry again for the questions . They probably have been answered elsewhere but I don't have a lot of time atm to search threw forums .

[Grandpa Bambu]

Rise...

Swelling can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months. It depends on how the individual heals. Final results can take anywhere from 6 months to a year. However, most guys will see final results no later than 6 months.

As far as work goes... you should be good to go at 4 weeks. Try to keep 'reaching' with your arms to a minimum. Listen to your body though. If you feel any pain/discomfort, stop and get some help. Being a Carpenter, you shouldn't have any problems.

As far as the puffy areolas are concerned, you need to discuss this with Surgeon Sue. Did she not tell you exatly what she is going to do and what the fee will be? Is she doing Excision and Lipo, or just Lipo? If she is doing Lipo 'only', your puffy areolas will not see great results. Excision and Lipo is required for best results when one has puffy areolas.

GB

[Bobby - LAgyne]

Great advice GB!

[jinr0h]

I got surgery comming 21st of october myself. Im nervous as well but its diffrent than taking your shirt off at beach or w/e . The surgeon + assistants know you have gyno and see it comming.
Anyway good luck and i look forward to the results.

[headheldhigh01]

good advice up there.  i add only this: 

you will be nervous before. 

you will be nervous after. 

you may be nervous about results weeks or even months out. 

all of this is normal.  it's a safe bet you will be ok 

[Rise against]

Thanks guys you really are a big help , and to answer your question , I haven't been for a consult yet . What she has as an option is I fly down on the Sunday , Monday is the consult , wednesday that week is the surgery , and stitches out following Friday . Which is handy because I live a fair way away so doing it all in the one trip is convenient and doesn't give me a chance to back out of it when nerves are running high .  Will I notice the difference strait away though ? Or will it take a while for me to go " wow the surgery worked " . All I j know is in looking forward to walking around in my weekend without my shirt on ha ha . Amazing how the little things that others take for granted can mean so much to us . Will def keep you all updated . My surgery is in jan (21st to be exact) . Would have been  November but it took me a month or two to get up the courage to call and by then the next available date had moved to jan. From what I hear sue does a fantastic job which  is why I'm putting in the effort to go to her , and from what I gather she does any correction surgery for free. Her site says she has not yet had anyone take Her up on that offer , so fingers crossed it's true .   The countdown is pretty intense feeling , almost overwhelming with joy and also nervousness lol.

[Rise against]

Ow and good luck jinr0h

Would love to hear your experience once it happens, fingers crossed you will also be a lot happier in life

[headheldhigh01]

i hope you chose your doc based on experience, that's the best confidence builder in any case. 

you will probably notice SOME difference straight away, especially in severe cases. 

but all cases are different.  a few are not complicated with swelling or scar tissue, more are.  often it flares up after a few days when you already thought you had your "final" results.  in most cases you may not see that for weeks or months. 

good luck with it   

[Grandpa Bambu]

Great advice HHH... Yes, so many Post-Opers freak out when swelling starts in after a few days of the procedure. They understandably think that the G has returned. However, when the swelling subsides after a month or two, all is good...

GB