** Surgery completed with Dr. Karidis on 23rd June!(Will update regularly)**

[chopper]

I'm 8 weeks post op tomorrow and only in the last week have I stopped really worrying about people bumping into my chest...if my daughter digs her elbows in whilst having a story on my lap then I still feel it, but I know the vulnerable feeling you mention, because you feel so limited in what you can normally do.
The thing that sucks the most is a stonking hot day...You are trapped in the vest and a t-shirt and it's not so fresh. You want to be outside, yet you know outside is not like it normally is. I went to a bbq a few weeks post op and still had my vest on and it was scorchio..after a couple of hours that was it, I had made my excuses and I was off home to relax in the shade lol

[fingerit]

I'm glad I'm not the only one with that feeling mate, I seriously hope no one nipple tweaks me if I go out, I've only had that a couple of times before because of the gyno standing out but it could happen. I might end up punching someone if that happens 

[chopper]

I dont think I could have even punched someone too good the first few weeks lol

[fingerit]

Oh god yeah, good point. Utterly defenceless :-/ lol.

[fingerit]

Hey guys, so I'm 5 days post op now and feeling good. I'd say I've got about 70% range of movement back in my arms now and I'm getting much more feeling back into my chest area, it still feels weird and slightly numb in areas, getting a little itchy here and there but I think thats due to the healing. I cant see much swelling from what I can see but maybe that will come with time.

I'm still sleeping with my back propped up, not sure when I need to stop doing that but I'm having pretty good nights sleep so might just keep doing it for a few more days, we'll see how it goes. I still haven't taken off the little gauze plasters off the nipple incisions and I think I'll keep putting the water proof plasters on when I shower and taking them off afterwards until I run out of them. Hopefully the incisions will have healed enough by then not to have to wear them.

So here's a pic, not much difference from yesterday apart from a little less bruising.

[Choda]

Really good results, not surprised considering you had gyne on one side and just 5 days in thats fantastic.

I just sleep on my back not arched up at all, hasn't affected me personally. Well not to my knowledge anyway.

[fingerit]

Thanks dude! Cool, I might just start sleeping normally now then 

[Choda]

Thanks dude! Cool, I might just start sleeping normally now then 

I can't sleep on my sides or anything, not that I would recommend it. Laying down flat actually isn't that bad.

[fingerit]

Day 6 post op today and it was the first day back at work since the op. The vest felt ok under my shirt to be honest but I have to say, I'm really paranoid about someone seeing it, I was wearing a black shirt with the black vest but I only have one more dark shirt. I just don't know what I'm going to say if someone points out that I'm wearing a vest underneath in the hot weather. I was thinking of saying something like I had a minor tear in my pec training and I need to wear a vest to support it or some crap like that because I'm really bad at lying when put on the spot like that :-/

Anyway, I've had mixed feelings about my chest today, I think its looking in the mirror in different lights with the vest off, sometimes it looks great and other times I think its not symmetrical. I think this is just the peaks and troughs in the moods you get post surgery so I'm going to try and just suck it up.

Do you think its a little too much updating everyday or is it useful to you guys? I just get the feeling I might be a little obsessive about this? I just keep thinking that 6 months down the road if I've taken a picture everyday it'll look awesome if I animate the pictures together like a flip book!

So, moving on, not much change again, bruising pretty much the same as yesterday from what I can see, varied sensations in the chest, slight burning, then itching, then nothing, I guess thats good.

[sawyer]

no it's not too much.. although i don't post much, it's nice to check the daily progress.
and for 6 days in, they're amazing results, i'd be proud

[fingerit]

Thanks dude, really appreciate the comment!

Here's day 7 then a full week since the op, seems like its flown by and I'm getting much more mobility in my arms and more confident in moving about. Thinking of taking off the little gauze plasters over the incisions tomorrow, see how I feel in the morning. Still conscious about people finding out about the vest though. Just one more week and I'll hopefully be ready to stop wearing it in the day. Even wore my first t shirt today since before the op, its strange to see my chest flat under it and not a stupid moob trying to poke through!

[Choda]

Mate your results are fantastic, swelling will appear very soon but overall you have a very normal looking chest on a very healthy body. You look like a stud mate, if anyone asks about the vest just say its back support and your suffering from a bad back after the gym.

I'm more laid back, only taking pictures week by week and not seeing my chest until every two days then I shower. The only thing thats concerned me is finding red spots all over my chest today, but that could be sweat spots or something. I won't start judging my results until the two month mark.

[fingerit]

Thanks mate :-) Have you starting getting swelling then dude, what should i expect?  Ha ha, not sure I'd say stud mate, I'm happy so far though dude with the results. Still not in a position to be taking my top off in front of a chick any time soon. Ah, good idea, I didn't think about the back excuse, good one mate!

Dude, maybe the spots as you say is a sweat rash, I guess having the vest on in hot weather all the time would do that. Did you say you were showering every two days?

Yeah, thats a good idea, 2 months sounds like a good milestone. I think I'm just going to post pictures weekly now but keep taking them everyday for myself.

[Choda]

Thanks mate :-) Have you starting getting swelling then dude, what should i expect?  Ha ha, not sure I'd say stud mate, I'm happy so far though dude with the results. Still not in a position to be taking my top off in front of a chick any time soon. Ah, good idea, I didn't think about the back excuse, good one mate!

Dude, maybe the spots as you say is a sweat rash, I guess having the vest on in hot weather all the time would do that. Did you say you were showering every two days?

Yeah, thats a good idea, 2 months sounds like a good milestone. I think I'm just going to post pictures weekly now but keep taking them everyday for myself.

I have got some swelling but I can't really notice anything, but I don't have my vest off for long and I shower every two days because I have one vest that fits. Swelling will appear, especially on Tuesday when I take my vest off for longer periods, but I can start to massage and swellings just a natural reaction after its been through a rough ordeal. Its gonna clear and its just a case of staying positive and knowing my chest is no where near as bad as it was.

I think it is sweat rash, which is my fault and from Saturday onwards I can bath daily without fear of infection.

Taking picture part is up to you, I try to not worry and put everything out of my mind. Horses for courses as they say.

[fingerit]

Hi guys, just though I'd give another update. I'm 16 days post op now, I was told to stop wearing the vest day and night after 2 weeks but I'm thinking of keeping it on since I tried a t shirt on without the vest and the feeling of it against my chest just felt weird so going to leave it on for another week maybe. Im supposed to be going out on Sunday night so I think I wont wear it just that once and wear a nice t shirt and see how it feels to be moobless.

I've definitely noticed some swelling on my left pec, its not really around the nipple area but more my upper chest, actually just looks like what your chest looks like when you have the pump after a workout so its not a bad thing really, ha ha. Still got numb areas on my chest and slight yellow bruising still but its not that noticeable. I haven't noticed that much scar tissue, just tiny lumps here and there.

I also started massaging this morning for the first time, used some palmers cocoa butter which smells lovely and isn't oily which I really hate. I was a bit hesitant but started gently anti clockwise with an upward motion if that makes sense, open hand like you're cupping a breast. I'm not sure if I should be massaging with mainly upward strokes away from the nip or downwards towards the nip. I prefer upwards and it isn't too uncomfortable at the minute so will keep going. I'm going to try and do this morning and before bed if I can and just play it by ear how firm/vigorous I do it.

Didn't bother posting a pic this time as it doesn't really look that much different from the last time, think I might do it at the 4 week mark/1 month.