Hey guys. I've logged nearly a full day on this site since joining in February. It has helped me in many ways as I have prepared for my surgery and no doubt will continue to help during my recovery. I've decided to post my story with the hope that I may help someone as so many of you have helped me.
My story is pretty typical. I noticed my chest in elementary school when others felt the need to point it out to me. I have always been athletic but never a standout, a little overweight but not fat. In high school I starting boxing. I lost 40 pounds which was probably 10 too many for my height, but it worked out ok. My favorite memory was knocking out a kid who was four years my senior and probably had 30 pounds on me. He felt the need to laugh at me. After dancing circles around him for one round, avoiding all his punches, I came out in the second and landed an upper cut to his jaw, one and done. He never laughed at me again. That fight changed the way I fought, but it made me even more conscious of my "condition". Even at 123 pounds, my chest didn't change. Over the years, my focus shifted and other things took priority, but I never forgot about my chest. Since graduating from college, I have averaged around 160-165 pounds. A little overweight, but nothing severe. Even at my fighting weight I was a little soft. I've long since accepted my shape, but never my chest.
Fast forward to September 2006. After working in an office for 8 years, I could feel myself slipping and decided to join a gym. By November I was able to run a couple miles and do an hour in the weight room. I started looking into exercises for my chest and that's when I ran into a dead end called gynecomastia. I was devastated, but I kept pressing on. Eventually my chest got stronger and my condition looked worse. I looked into some doctors in my area and was not overwhelmed with confidence. A few nights later I found this site and eventually Dr. Jacobs in NYC. I waited a month before telling my wife. She was very supportive when I told her I'd like to get the operation done. A couple weeks later we went in for a consultation. The biggest hurdle for me was actually waiting two and half months between consultation and surgery, I was nervous, but I was able to pull it off. Thanks in large part to this site which taught me a lot.
I am now approaching my fifth day post op. Feeling pretty good.
At this point I'll give the info that everyone always asks for. My surgeon was Dr. Jacobs in NYC, the total cost was $6700. He was able to remove all breast tissue with lipo only. I was informed that, if necessary, he would make an incision under my areola to get anything he could not remove with the cannula. It all came out, so I should be basically scar free.
The day of the operation, I was walking around like Frankenstein with my shoulders raised and my arms straight down. When the anesthesia wore off, I was definitely in pain. Laying down was an adventure, getting up was nearly impossible. Pain medication made it tolerable, but I don't like medication so I only took one pill at a time even though two were recommended.
The day after surgery, day two, was better. Less pain, but very uncomfortable. I went back to the office for my follow up and had the bandages and the binder off for the first time. When binder came off, the sudden rush of blood went straight to my head and I nearly fainted. I got to see the results and they were very satisfying considering how early it was. I was definitely swollen and beginning to bruise though.
Day three was much improved, pain continued to lessen and my comfort level grew. I also got to shower for the first time since the surgery. That was the highlight of the day. More than a few minutes out of the binder and the pain comes back though, so it was quickly back on.
Day four, more of the same. Pain went down, comfort level was about the same. Day four's shower was more painful as the skin is starting to reattach itself. The slightest separation is very disturbing.
Day five, I've skipped the shower today in favor of keeping the binder on as much as possible. I only took it off to change the bandaids. While it was off, I noticed that the sensation is returning to the skin. There is still a lot of swelling, and the bruising is intensifying. Some of the bruises are pretty dark. My wife winces when she sees them, but they actually don't hurt at all. I don't even know how to describe the worst/most unusual sensation. That is when the skin, that is beginning to fuse back to the muscle, moves. It's a weird liquid-electric feeling. I don't really like it. It's kind of like the worst sunburn you've ever had, after it's blistered. My nipples seem to be the last part to fuse. I can feel that liquid-electric sensation every step that I take.
I'm really looking forward to sleeping on my stomach at some point in the near future.
I only have some photos that i took of myself at the hotel the night before surgery. I'll post some post-op photos in the coming days. Updates will likely be weekly after that.
Thanks again for all you have done to help me. I hope that this info is helpful to any of you who are considering the surgery for yourselves.
Later....
http://new.photos.yahoo.com/all_photos
Topic: Surgery April 10th 2007 (Read 3748 times)
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