My diary...

[IT100]

<excrement>.... was supposed to read 'shirt' lol

[IT100]

Update! 2 weeks 6 days post op. (but it seems so much longer!!)

I'm still strapping myself up 24hrs a day and still massaging quite vigrously now although I only do it for a couple of minutes each side. The swelling although not gone down an aweful lot doesn't seem so solid as it was at first. No fluid build up experienced.
Don't really get any pain now, but seem to have general soreness over most of the area one scar is healing very nicely, the other is gonna take a bit longer to sort itself out, but neither of them concern me all that much.
Only concerns I have at the moment are that I am now fairly sure that too much has been taken from my right side. But its not much of a difference, just nit picking really! And I'm fairly sure that any work I do to my chest in the gym is gonna reduce that difference still further. The other concern is that I may have noticed the very early signs of my nipples puffing up slightly like lots of other people have reported post op... but it might just be the fact that both my nipples have now come back to life rather than looking like there ironed flat! At the moment I am still pretty happy with the way things are looking and have no concern about showing my chest to anyone who wants to look! (All my friends knew what I was having done) One of my female friends described my chest as... wait for it.... Very manly!!  
I have lost weight too.. so even my stomach is looking good! Joining a gym this week as well, Will still be taking it easy on my upper body (although I feel like I could work it out practically as normal) but will be good to start exercising again on the bike etc.

Basically everything is good and I am happy! I can't wait to whip my shirt off in the summer at every oppotunity!

[IT100]

Hello! Hope everyone had a good easter weekend... heres my update at..

3 Weeks, 6 days post op!

Yes, practically a month has passed now since I had the op done... Doesn't time fly when you are in pain! lol

Everything is coming together really nicely, The differences between the two sides now that I keep nit picking at are reducing all the time... in fact this morning I couldn't decide if one side was flatter or not! Pain / Discomfort is almost non existant now and I am moving around as normal. This week I will be back at swimming and I have spent the weekend hot air ballooning which always involves some heavy lifting/lugging around and pulling on ropes etc all of which was fine. I also flew my power kites (dragged around on the end of your kite strings) and played a little bit of Rugby (that was too far and it hurt a bit in a 3 man and one woman scrum!) Chest looks great, swelling round the outsides is still present, particualy under my right pec which has come up a bit in the last few days (probably over doing it!) Not wearing the bandages during the day now, and it feels great to be wearing tops that I would not have worn before due to the gyne. Ummm, everythings basically really good so far.. realise I have a while to go yet though, but I like to feel i'm out of the woods now.
Showed my ex girlfriend last night, although she never saw it after it had grown, she saw it in its reduced state for many years and when I took my top off she said... Blimey!!! Its flat isn't it!!! Said it  looked really good!
I have actually been going out of my way recently to walk around my shared house with my top off... hooray!! lol

One question though, How long till nipple sensation comes back and how much of it comes back?!

Ian

[IT100]

Its my regular Tuesday diary update at.....

4 weeks 6 days post op!

Everythings looking and feeling very good now. I am back to doing most of the things I could do before. Doesn't even hurt to run or anything... but I'm not doing much of it. I have even started to do push ups to get my chest used to exercise again. Over the last week my ability to stretch my arms above my head has become almost normal, I can feel it pulling on my ribs, but I wouldn't describe it as painfull or anything. I have also stopped with bandages completely.

I have no further swelling, and the existing stuff is going down slowly. So alls good here. The scars are fading nicely... one side is much more obvious than the other. but to be honest they don't bother me... so I have scars by my armpit.. who cares.. I have a flat chest!

Chest looks great... more and more even all the time. In fact it pretty much is even now, you would have to look for a while to notice any difference at all.

One strange thing I did notice last night though... If I move around so that the skin over my chest moves... the nipple doesn't! Its sort of stuck to my chest so that the rest of the skin slightly folds over it. I have read this elsewhere on the forum though and apparently it does eventually release. So no worries here... even if it never does.. still no worries, it looks and feels fine.

So alls good... Finally feels like I have my life back to normal now, which at 4 - 5 weeks isn't so bad is it!

See you next week!

Ian

[IT100]

Update at 5 Weeks 2 days post op!

Not much else to report since Tuesday but thought I would say that I have been to the gym twice this week. Last night I was even doing things like bench pressing etc. Ok the max weight I used is what I used to warm up on, but I was taking it very easy for obvious reasons. That said, I experienced no pain or discomfort what so ever and felt like I could have done much more... Wonder how long I can hold back for?!

Ian

[IT100]

Update at 6 weeks 1 day post op.

Increasingly there is becoming less and less to report as not much changes day to day, or even week to week any more.

Main thing I want to report is that I went swimming last night, exactly 6 weeks post op. Not the first time that I have been swimming since the op but last night on top of my 40 lengths, I did a couple of lengths at full power front crawl! Happy to say that my lungs gave out before my chest did!! No ill effects what so ever apart from being knackered!

I can now stretch my arms completely normally although I can feel it pull slightly down the sides of my chest onto my rib cage, but not enough to restrict movement at all or cause discomfort.

Sensation I think is returning to my nipple area which is the only bit that is still lacking any feeling.

Everything is looking great, still very proud of my new chest! My sisters friend who knew I had had an op had to ask me at the pool yesterday where my scars were, so I had to point them out to her... just goes to show how inconspicous they are and how unconcerned I am at drawing attention to my chest area... Never would have done that before!

I'm back at the gym again tonight, Now don't have any worries at all with pushing some weights that are near to my maximums... I won't be all out straining... but definitely giving those muscles a work out!

Alls good! This is officialy a big big recomendation for Levick!

Ian

[IT100]

6 week 6 day update...

Yes, another one!

Just to say that I was flying power kites at the weekend which basically involves being pulled a couple of feet off the ground a few times holding onto kite strings... Well dodgy as far as testing the old war wounds goes! Although it all felt fine at the time, There are definatly areas around my chest that are feeling it today! But nothing too drastic so basically all is still ok! Another part of this is that for 30 mins or so, I was running around the busy park / flying kites topless! How liberating! Another kite flyer even come over for a chat and I quite happily chatted to him for 5 mins with my top off, not a care in the world! Its times like that that makes it all worth it!

Swelling is still there but going very very slowly, scars are the same, quite visible (if you look for them) but sure they will fade over time no probs.

Watch this space!

Ian

[IT100]

8 week 5 day update!

Hello again!

Well everythings basically come together now. I can do everything I would have done before the op. Heavy weight training on my chest included. I'm even training for an Aquathon (like a triathlon but without the cycle bit) I sometimes feel a slight tightness in my chest, but waving my arms about a bit soon clears that!

Everything looks great, If I was being picky then the right hand side has possibly had too much taken out. But as I am still swollen directly beneath this, I do wonder if its just where the skin is being pulled over this swelling. The swelling is reducing as well... but very very slowly!! My chest now has quite a nice shape to it, so anyone who reads my earlier posts just after my op where I was mortified about how flat my chest was, this sorts itself out!
The scars are still fading, but this is something that will fade over the months and years to come and they don't worry me at all.

Just wondering now whether I will go back to see Paul Levick at 3 months post op. It would be nice to go back and say thanks to him! Last time I saw him I was still in La La Land!

Ian

[Guy_J]

Sounds fantastic mate, good for you. Things are great over here too, tho Im afraid yesterday the gym took second place behind lazing around in a sunny pub garden   but hell, even that was changed by the lack of gyne, cos I was happily chatting to my new (quite fit, which is pleasant (female)) housemate in the full sun without even thinking about tugging on my shirt.

I was also thinking of going back to see Paul, probably quite unnecessary, but it'd be nice to thank him properly (and show him the great results) rather than the groggy thanks I offered post-op. Which reminds me.. still gotta pester him for those pre-op photos...

j

[IT100]

hmmmmm....

Was massaging my chest last night and was feeling for any lumps and bumps more carefully than normal. I am a little worried that maybe a little bit of the gland has been left behind.... I can feel a little lump in both sides not directly behind the nipple but slightly further in towards the center of the chest, everything still looks fine, but I can feel its in there... Do you think this is scar tissue or maybe swelling? Or are my worries about remaning gland well founded? All looks fine still though. I have never really checked that carefully till now so maybe thats why I hadn't noticed it, or maybe its new? I can only really feel it if I run the back of my thumb hard across my chest.

I wonder if SIMES and Guy_J or anyone else have similer bumps? As I say, you can't see them, only feel them.

Thanks

Ian

[Guy_J]

dunno bout bumps..... I do have a lump of solid scar (i hope) tissue slightly down and 2 finger spaces in from my right nipple. Which incidently, is more 3D than Id like: the left one is pretty flat, but the right one is more puffy when warm, very slightly pointy when cold. However, Im putting this down to the scar tissue underneath, I think Mr Levick had to do more work there cos the right nipple did have more gland, and my right side was more swollen on bandage-off day.

j

[IT100]

Ok the lump is a fair bit bigger today, still not visible or anything but feels like a marble or something. Is it a good sign that its grown that quickly or a bad sign?! It's just to the left to slightly overlapping my nipple as I look down at it but its not tender or anything. It seems to be attached to the wall of my chest rather than floating or attached to the skin, I struggle to remember now but the gyne always felt like it moved around a bit didn't it? Hmmm

Just my luck

Ian

[Guy_J]

Hi Ian

tch! dropped down to the second page.....  I remember the days when we ruled this board.... all these newbies I dunno....  

How are you doing mate? Think Ive passed 12 weeks now (!!!) and all is very good. Ive been hiking, gym-ing, cycling all with no probs, told a few mates and while they were very surprised, they were really good about it. Been out sunbathing sans tshirt, and I absolutly love wandering round the house with no top on (usually at mate's houses, while nursing hangovers).

Left side is as perfect as I could ever want it to be, right side, Ive still got some muscle tighness (cant fully stretch) and swelling, and right nipple is a bit puffed.

Ive finally arranged to go see Mr Levick on Monday 14th for the follow-up, hope he's as happy with it as I am. Have you been back yet?


Jon

[IT100]

Hey Jon!

I make it that I'm 12 weeks post op tomorrow... scary stuff!

I know what you mean, we still rule the board! But maybe its time to pass the batern on!

Glad to hear that you are doing well! Yeah, I'm up to all my old tricks as far as phisical activity goes... none of it causes any problems although my chest might just let me know the next day that I had surgery only 3 months ago with a touch of soreness / tightness etc! Nothing to worry about though.

Like you my left side is perfect, looks great, right side still has a patch of swelling directly under the pec which I think causes a slight crease just below the nipple when I tense etc, not that it worries me and I think this will go when swelling finally goes down! My main worry is that I still have a hard lump about the size and shape of a small marble just to the left of my nipple on my right side as I look down at it. I only found this 3 or 4 weeks ago as I sort of have to get my chest in the right position and specifically run the back of my thumb over that spot to really feel it . I hope its just scar tissue but do worry that is gyne... but you can't actually see it at all, it looks great! Plus as far as I can remember it doesn't feel like the gyne lump. The gyne lump always seemed very centered below the nipple, where as this one stays in the same place no matter what I do with my chest, it almost feels like its in the crevice between pec muscle and rib cage... hmmmm, Still will have to see what levick says when I go back for my 3 month check up, which I haven't booked yet. This lump doesn't seem to have made the nipples puffy at all.. they are both still super flat!  
I can stretch out as fully as I can go but I can feel it pulling a bit, but doesn't effect the range of movement I have. On Friday I have a aquathon race (500m swim and a 5km run) Can you imagine 4 months ago competing in a race where people spectating will be watching you run around in just a pair of trunks.... bliss!! Plus have been working on my tan! Most sun my body has seen in years!! I have no concerns anymore getting my t shirt off in front of anyone, strangers, friends, loved ones... its almost a non issue now... the only reason it is an issue is because I appreciate beeing able to do it so much!

Yep lifes good!

Ian

[IT100]

16 week 5 day post op update! lol

Hello... not much has changed over the last month... the healing basically slows right down as you progress through the healing process.... so I still have a patch of swelling directly below the pec as well as smaller lumps on the pec. Main concern is still the hard lump that is to one side of the nipple as a possible remaining gyne lump, but feels more like swelling to me as well. Also I seem to have a tight band that goes from my right rib cage down in the direction of my hip... but been doing a lot of swim training recently and might be more to do with that then anything else.

I have my first follow up app. with levick booked for next tuesday (20/07/04) at 2.20pm. I suppose if anyone reading this has a first consultation with levick on that day and wanted to look at an 'after live image!' Then I wouldn't mind showing off levicks handiwork! Feel I owe the board quite a lot as its literally changed my life 100% for the better!

Let me know!

Ian