UK Guy Speaks Out

[enigma]

Well, after living with this for about 17 years, I finally got the balls to go to the docs about it

(Thanks to Vanessa and her plastic surgery live..at least channel 5 have some worth now)

Anyway, I went to the docs and he did some feeling around, sorry lads, ya nuts will get groped

Got referred to the hospital for blood tests to check my hormome levels or somthing like that..painless and easy bit

Then referred to a Plastic Surgeon in Birmingham...had a feel around and told me that they would operate but needed to do some tests first. (fair enough)

Got sent to the Breat Clinic - not easy when u are the only guy in there..but at the end of the day, i didnt know them so i didnt care..i sat there as proud as i could be.

Referred for a mamogram, which was kinda embarrasing but the nurse was dead cool with it and made me feel comfortable. Stuck the offending items in this machine thing that took internal pictures etc etc...over in minutes and totally painless

So....after 9 months, finally got THE letter...operation in 3 weeks time...oh my god, could my life actually be chaning..sick of walking like a hunchback or sweating in layers through the summer...and being a pasty skinned thing as too scared to get a tan....cant remember the last time i went swimming etc etc

Anyway....days roll by and had to go for a pre op, which was just to measure me for a vest and sign some paperwork...the formalities

1 week to go...nervouse but excited

Day of the op, rolled into the ward, had me own room which was cool...they checked blood pressure and heart rate etc...it was double what it should be and they said i would need a sedative if i didnt calm down...try telling that to somone that was going to have a life changing experiance

Anyway, the day arrived, i was anxiously waiting and then they came.....

The op was surreal...never been "under" before, so i was a bit nervous..and despite having a row with the surgeon cos he kept getting my name wrong, i slowly drifted off....to the sounds of " my name is not DAVID!!"

Came round kind of, about 2 hours later...vaguely remember i started to cry, not sure why...maybe cos it was all over with..or just because i was still off me head on the drugs

Taken back to my room and left to sleep etc etc

I had been taped up with bandages across my chest running to half way round my back and tight as hell..but i couldnt feel too much so it didnt matter.

Compression vest came the next morning and i put it on...felt dead sexy in it..the nice cream brown colour was lovely ha ha

Anyway...being honest..there was a fair about of discomfort once the drugs wore off..but the pain killers they gave me worked a treat...just make sure u eat if u take em...i didnt once and nearly wound up on another planet

1 week later back to birmingham to have the bandages removed...nervously not really wanting to look but had a peep....the left once looked alot smaller but still swollen.and the right one looked ok, but not as good as the left one.

1 week on..sitting here in my compression vest...3 weeks left to go with it...and they have both started to ease off with the pain, but the right one still hurts quite a bit if i move in certain positions and driving is not feasible at moment...but i can def see an improvement

They told me not to do too much which is fine..but it gets boring....
Not back to the hospital now till 20th december...

From reading what others say i can imagine there is still swelling that needs to go down so i am hoping for more improvement...

I have already put on a couple of teeshirts just to try it out...and i was impressed...and have even been out in just a teeshirt...and felt kinda ok with it...even if it was cold..think i needed to prove a point to myself ha ha

Anyway....drawbacks?

well, like i said, the right one is still quite ainfull if i move too much..but other than that...None at all

My adive for u guys out there who are still unsure about it is...GO TO THE DOCS ASAP...the time from my first appointment and the op flew by..and it is worth the wait

If you have any questions please post them on here as i will be happy to share them with you....if i can help others then it makes it all the more worth while

YOU DONT NEED TO LIVE WITH THIS..IT IS TREATABLE AND WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

[markashleigh1979]

I wish my meetings with the NHS went as smoothly as yours!
I went to my GP told him how i felt ect and how depressed i was, he refered me to out patients at the general....they played with my sausage and eggs and took some x-rays before refering me to a plastic surgeon at another hospital.......go to see him, he tries to put me off....saying it's cos i have a lot of muscle ect....and that i could get therapy and then tells me about the operation drawbacks. Tell me he will do it , but first i have to go home and think about it......
I phone back to make an appointment and i don't get one......GO BACK TO MY DOCS( go to my neW GP, WHO IS AN ARSE!)  and he tells me they sent a letter knocking me back , i told him that he said i could have it and i want to be refered back.....his respone was kind of cold and blunt ' deal with it'....so now i  am off to easern europe

[enigma]

that doesnt sound too good...im sorry u are having trouble...

u need to explain to them the affect it is having on u mentally and that u need to get it looked into

thats what i did, i was told they wouldnt listen if it was just to make u look different only if it affected u emotionally.

ask to speak to another gp perhaps a woman, they seem to be more sympathetic?

let me know how u gets on and if u wanna ask anything...

[markashleigh1979]

Hi, i gave up on them
I done the whole emotionall thing and it didn't get me far . I think my gp is on a one man mission to save the country money .
I have an appointment for surgery on the 15th of December in Poland, going alone so it may be a bit scary....but welll worth!

[enigma]

well i hope it all goes well for ya, i am sure it will..let me know how it all goes

[jc71]

Good thread enigma.  When in the t-shirt, do you have the vest on under it? Keep updating on how flat you are.

[enigma]

I have tried it with and without..and both looks not too bad at all...

i have called the hospital to actually get a smaller vest, cos they measured me pre op and gave me one that would fit, but as the swelling is going down i now need a smaller one.

Have to wear it for 3 more weeks yet, but 3 weeks is nothing compared to 17 years!!!!