Good Luck Phantom

[orrible]

Just wanted to wish you all the best for your suurgery. Its nothing to worry about and you will be at home and recovering before you know it. You have choosen a great surgeon and im sure you will have a positive experience. Please keep us posted, pics and all  

[phantom]

Hello and thank you stonecold.

I really feel the reality of it all now.  Have started the arnica and vits C+E.  The money has been cleared from my account.

I have a hypnotherapy session booked for tomorrow to mentally prepare me for both the surgery and to help me manage how I might feel/react to the result when the bandages come off a week later.

I am putting on a brave face for the few people that know what's going to happen on Friday, but right now I am shitting it.

I know most of you guys overall feel better once on 'the other side', but I do feel a little freaked at this point.  I know that in the least that I will have a flatter chest, but as you may already know, my gynaecomastia is moderate to severe.  This means that there is a risk of redundant tissue (or to put it another way, saggy skin).  Mr Levick said that skin excision is another option at a later date, but would then have to consider excess skin v's scare tissue where the skin would be removed.

So Friday is really just the next step along the journey.

As for pics, I am incredibly self-conscious about my body, even in a 'safe' environment like this website.  I asked my GP if she would help me remove my bandages when they need to come off, which she is happy to do.

I will post pics - it's the least I can do to thank all you guys before me - I know how important it is to those considering/waiting for surgery.  But I will probably wait around 4 weeks post-op and show you various before and 4wk post-op after pics as the bruising and swelling should be pretty much gone.

This just leaves me to thank this website and everyone who's postings I have read over the last couple of years.  I have learned so much about this condition and has led me to who I believe to be the best surgeon, at least in the UK.

I return home on Saturday morning to sunny Bolton.  I will post in the 'surgery experience' section to let you all know how it went.

Phantom

[geg100]

good luck matey

[Robin_G]

Yeah good luck phantom

I'm up next week so am starting to think about it a lot more now......although they're not getting my money until the actual day as I'm a tight Yorkshireman  

I look forward to hearing you letting me know what a breeze it is whilst its my turn to sit there bricking it anyway

I take a lot of heart from the fact that you came to the conclusion to use Mr Levick after two years of research as going on the content of your posts, I have only done a fraction of the background stuff that you seem to have

Anyway, all the best mate. Hope all goes smoothly (and flatly)

ps on a practical note, I see you mention Vitamin C and E as well as arnica......is that generally recommonded then? I got some arnica but heard no mention of anything else

[phantom]

Hello Robin_g

Mrs Levick mentioned vits C and E when I was sat making an appointment with her.  I also did a bit of reading on them.  For whatever reason, they help the skin and possibly scare tissue, so I'm popping one 1000mg of vit c and one 200 iu (whatever that unit is) of vit E from one week before surgery, along with the arnica.

Not sure what they are do, but it does no harm to take them anyway.  Oh and get them from Asda and not Holland and Barret.  Asda is MUCH cheaper.

[Robin_G]

Hi Phantom

Having read your post I rang Mr levick's office as I needed to check whether to stop some other medication I was on

Spoke to Mrs Levick who said Vit C and Arnica were def a good thing but that it was best not to take Vitamin E

Confusing

[terminator t]

Good luck with the surgery. I am 5 weeks post op, the whole levick experience is just fine. Dont expect perfect results as soon as you take the bandages off as you will still have a lot of healing to do.

I was told specifically not to take any vit E before surgery. I think it even said that in the handout book I got from levick at the time of my consultation.

[phantom]

Thanks for that people.

I can't find the blooming handbook.  Have now ditched the vit E!

[geg100]

yes mate dont take vit e as it can make you excessively bleed.there fore complicate surgery.i wouldnt take it 2 weeks after surgery either.

[phantom]

Well folks, I'm all packed and ready to go.  It feels like I am in an aeroplane and waiting to jump out - with a parachute of course!

Just can't wait for that moment when I open my eyes and realise there's no going back!

I took a range of pre-op photos yesterday and will present them with post-op in four weeks.

Thanks for all your tons of advice and support.  Each and every one of you have been fantastic.

Surgery report probably on Sunday.

Best wishes.

Phantom