Finally had it done!! 8 hours Post Ops with Dr Tholen in minneapolis.

[minnhelp]

Before I go any further I would add a link to my initial post right here (Not much there but just in case if someone was wondering (http://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=16441.0).

I was losing sleep thinking over it earlier this week but finally got some sleep in last couple days. Also, something I want to mention is that reading through posts regarding post surgery recovery and healing, i decided to do some searching. After reading a few articles about pre and post surgery recovery, I decided to take the advice of a couple and see if it helps with recovery. I will keep posting of my progress.
Here is one of the articles if someone is interested (natural homoepathic... http://www.naturopathyworks.com/news/newsltr0807.php)

I had support and help in every possible way from my wife who also had to deal with my insecurities and such first hand. That really helped throughout the process.

I am in pretty decent athletic shape as I play football outdoor over the weekends (yes in this weather too!) and workout during the weekdays; the part that would suck is not being able to goto gym or play sports. but then again this is probably the best time to get surgery done since its the slowest time for most activities if you live in this part of the land....lol

I was told that i will only need excision and maybe a little lipo-sculpting to contour my chest so it looks more natural and such. Here is my timeline...

pre-op advice from doc's office

• No alcohol starting 5 days prior to surgery
• No food or water 8 hours prior to surgery.
• No supplements and only multivitamins
• Shower the day of surgery but no lotions and such around or close to surgery area
  No jewelry
• wear zipper or snap button top and pants with strings to easy to get in and out of

Surgery day:

• My appointment was at 2:45 in the afternoon and I had to shovel snow in the morning so my wife didn't have to...lol..
• 1:45pm=> We made it to clinic by 1:45pm as instructed.
• 1:45-2:00pm=> Filled out some paperwork, took some pre-op photos, changed into robe with my track pants on, and then put away my stuff in the locker room and waited in the pre-surgery holding area.
• 2:00-2:05=> One of the nurses came by, gave me an anti-inflamatory pills (celebrax), asked few Qs and left.
• 2:15-2:25=> Doctor came by to visit did the drawings on my chest, asked & answered a few questions, and left.
• 2:45-2:50=> When operating room was ready, anesthesia tech came by, prepped me for surgery, and escorted me into the operating room ( I chose to do Local anesthesia with sedation).
  I brought some psychedellic trance music on my mp3 thinking it may help fall asleep or sort of distract if i have any awareness during surgery. but it never came down to it. As i was knocked out within 30 seconds and woke up in the recovery room around 5:00pm.
• 5:00-5:45=> I was inserted with drains, which I was hoping I won't have to but oh well, its for the best. I was still loopy the whole time and felt a little buzzed and remember bits and pieces of conversation with the nurse. My wife took most of the notes and directions on how to drain and dosage for pills etc. Which was kinda nice. After that I just got in the car and headed home.

On a sidenote:- i was lucky that surgery was relatively inexpensive ($3300 approx.) but all the prescription drugs were totalled upto $1800.. what the hell?...Anywho, i hope its all worth it in the end...

I'm home now, picked up some panera french onion soup and chicken noodle soup..it was great as that was my first real meal of the day.
I got home and i was still a little slow but not incoherent anymore. I am taking my medication so far and had to empty the drains once already within couple hours of being at home. I dont feel too much pain, well, nothing that can't be tolerated. I am just hoping that drains come out soon so I can shower  and be less constricted etc.

Another thing is that as I used to taking L-Glutamine and muscle milk product during my workout regiment, i decided to continue to use it along with other supplements as it was suggested in that artcile that I attached a link to earlier in the post. I would like to see if that helps in any way.

Wish me luck and I will keep a log of my progress and hopefully it will answer some questions for some and maybe it will help someone in some ways... I am off to bed soon.

[minnhelp]

So far so good I think.... It's almost 24 hours and the pain is bearable so I am not taking any Vicodine (painkiller) right now. Got some celebrax and muscle relaxer pills that i was given along with Antibiotics.

My drains have gone down and I am hoping that I can have them removed on Monday. Nothing new to report. I haven't actually looked at my chest to see how it looks but i think its too early to evaluate anyways. My wife and docs say that it looks great. We'll see once drains are removed and my chest is over the initial shock of surgery and such.

I am taking the homeopathic remedies along with muscle milk, glutamine etc as well right now.

Also, my left side hurts more than the right and had more drainage come out of it.... I'll keep you all informed.

[minnhelp]

No drains out today. I had to setup an appointment for tomorrow to have it removed. At this point, its just soreness and feeling of constriction in that jacket thats on my mind.
I feel really warm and constricted inside that jacket right now but just have to bear it and deal with it. Nothing unusual at this point, i haven't opened my jacket since yesterday and that was to adjust it earlier in the day.

I will know more tomorrow once my drains come out.

[minnhelp]

DAY 4 POST OP

Ok, when I woke up this morning i felt ok and feel like i am getting more strength and range of motion. I had my appt with Doc to take the drains out. I just didn't what and how drains were inserted in my chest and hence wasn't mentally prepared for the pain i was to endure today....ouch!

Made it to docs office fine and and had the vest removed, felt great as I could expand my chest and breathe a little easier. When i asked the nurse if it will hurt or pinch a little when they take drains out, she looked at me as if 'did you not know?' ... that look told me that I better embrace for a little pain that was to come my way....lol... nothing too bad but just that I wasn't expecting any and hence wasn't prepared.

Basically, the drain tubes were inserted to the side of my chest and were running underneath my skin beneath chest area to collect fluids etc. Doc came in and removed stiched tubes and pulled it off.. God it burned like as if someone's put a hot iron on my skin....lol...ouch it keep throbbing and probably the most pain I felt during this process, even worse than the day of surgery and such. But don't be too scared, it is bearable and nothing that you and I can't handle.

I got home and its about hour later and I feel a whole lot better.... Now I can possibly take a shower, as early as tomorrow. I have to wait till friday to have myself inspected again during my next appointment with Dr Tholen. He will determine then if I need to keep my vest on and how far am in my progression.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

[dondante]

Fantastic updates! Keep it up, I'm reading with great interest - have you had a chance to see your new chest yet?

[minnhelp]

Thanks dondante..... I did get a chance to see my chest when doc removed my vest to take the drains out but I really can't say much as vest is keeping the swelling off and my chest looks real flat probably because of the vest too. Also, it very wrinkled up as I can't tell whether it is smooth or not and I don't want to judge anything yet until after my vest comes off and soreness goes away. Its hard to judge.

DAY 5 POST-OP:
I woke up today little bit more sore on my right side, not sure why? But overall I feel slightly better each day. i am loading up on protein, L-Glutamine, and Bromelain for my body to heal and repair itself at optimal pace it can. I am probably going to keep my vest on until friday when I go in for my one week review with the doc.
i do feel some tingly sensation around my nipple/areola and drain-insertion area but I am assuming thats normal? Hope so!

By the way, I want to thank everyone here who has been posting and sharing information as I've been reading and building courage over last few months and now that I am going through it myself, i want to return the favor ....

[minnhelp]

DAY 6 POST-OP

Ok guys, I got good night sleep last night and I woke up a lot less sore. I have more flexibility in my arms to reach my back and stretch a little more without any obvious pain or soreness. I haven't tested the my limits yet tho. Everyday, it slightly gets better.
I do however, feel a little burn if press my chest over the vest, which i still have it on. I am just glad its not summer or I would be dying.
It is however testing my patience and is a great annoyance at times. The crease of the vest is killing me around my shoulder blades area and I am having to stretch it to relieve the tension. Anyhow, enough complaining about the vest..lol.

I have docs appt tomorrow to evaluate and review my progress which i am looking forward to as I will know more. I do remember however, that doctor told me that I will keep my vest on 24/7 for a week after surgery and upon review, which is tomorrow, i may be able to take it off? But reading from all the blog posts here, it seems like most people do keep it on for atleast 2 weeks and perhaps go even upto 4? Is there any particular purpose is it serving beside applying compression to any swelling or conforming/contouring chest to its new shape? So once your initial wounds from injury heal, what's the point of having it on?
Anywho, just wondering outloud. I am tho, looking forward to my appointment tomorrow and see what doctor has to say. By the way, tomorrow would be my first time looking at my chest after surgery in respect to my body and how it looks. I have peeked down underneath the vest but could hardly tell how much better does it look.

I am on a strict diet of loading on protein (muscle milk and ergoPharm brand) with l-glutamine (tbsp) 3 times a day, brolemain(2x), arnica montana(3x) for swelling, NAC, along with my normal diet to see if it helps expediate recovery. Keeping my fingers crossed!

[minnhelp]

DAY 7 POST-OP

So i had my appt with Dr Tholen this morning... I woke up with little soreness but nothing that I can't manage. Made it there on time, nurse asked me to remove my shirt, vest and bandages(on incisions for drains). And i looked at myself first time in the mirror....

Overall, my chest looks flat or actually more contoured than how i envisioned it... I am really glad the way it has turned out after one week. no unusual swelling or bumps or un-evenness... I did notice though, my right nipple is slightly, just slightly, bigger than left one and its not totally flat as my left but I can only tell looking down. It has a tiny little bump .... But looking from the side or front, its hardly noticeable. Overall, i am pleased with my progress.
Dr looked at it and he approved as well.... He thinks I am on the right track as well. I do feel sore however when i press my chest, and feel the burn as well. I have almost no sensation in and around my nipples, which freaked me out but doc says thats normal and it will take some time for the nerves and fibers to regenerate. How much time? He said something to the effect of upto 6 months to get normal feeling back that I had prior to surgery and a whole year for regeneration to complete itself. And I may have even more sensation than I had before. strange?

He also mentioned that all of my surgery was for removing glandular tissue and no liposuction; tissue was about 3 inch big and 30grams in weight on each side. He did have to perform lipo-sculting around the tissue to smooth/flatten it out.
I will take some photos and hopefully post it here soon. I don't have any pre-op pix to go along tho.

Now, next for me, the doc say is that I gotta keep my vest on for another week but I can start taking showers and such as my drain incisions have closed and just take it easy. I have a follow up appt for another review 3 weeks from now to see if there is any build-up for scar tissue/keloids and such because he thinks its too early to tell right now as my chest is still soft and pre-mature to be evaluated for that.......

Also, I am done with my antibiotics and anti inflamatory pills ... just got painkillers and muscle relaxer left that doc says I can take when I feel discomfort or muscle tensing up or twitching....

[minnhelp]

DAY 9 POST-OP

Haven't had much to add since my friday's visit to Doc's office. i finally was take a full shower after 8 days on saturday (weird, that every doc is different in recommendation as far as showers, drains etc goes).

Anywho, I also washed my vest but being stupid i put it in a dryer and that shrunk the linings and elastics to a degree and now i had the hardest time putting it on ... top of my chest feels collapsing and my tummy hurts where the elastic has now tightened up...lol.. Man, I had no problem with my vest until yesterday and now have to deal with it for next 6 days....

I see most guys here have used all different sorts of vest. Mine is a black vest with clips at front-middle with zipper on top of it. And I was given foam pads to insert underneath....
Anyone has any idea to relieve the tightness? Otherwise, I may have to call docs office to see whether i should take out foam pads or any other idea...

My pain has reduced quite a bit and things are progressing nicely so far otherwise.  No swelling, just my right nipple looks little bigger than left but hardly an issue right now.... next thing is keeping up the progress and start to move around as I will be going back to work tomorrow and wait for the next dilemma most people have been facing here... scar tissue and after effects once things start to settle down in your chest.... keeping my fingers crossed!

[minnhelp]

I am continuing my thread over in the post surgery section ... here is the link to it....

http://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=16672.msg115902#msg115902