Karidis journey - from start to 12 months with lots of photos

[bomberman]

looking good mate!
you mentioned about a long recovery, do you think it will be something like 6 months or more till it's completely healed?
I'm pencilled in for 16 august which will leave me 5 weeks recovery until uni starts, do you think that will be enough to be able to go out drinking and sleeping on my side and stuff?

[chopper]

5 weeks is plenty of time to be feeling good and out to pubs etc. I was back in the gym by week 6 and was at a BBQ having a few beers around week 2  but the sun got too much with the compression vest and i was sweating like a paedophile in a playground.

It will still be a little tender by 5 weeks probably, but I would say 90% back to normal. To be fair, the first week is the worst and by week 2 you will have a lot of movement back, by week 5 you will be flying. Go get it done, especially if you are Uni with all those ladies about....party time!!! Don't need to be getting bogged down with feeling self-consious about your moobs...make them a thing of the past 

[bomberman]

That's good to know mate! Hopefully if I pull a girl she won't be weirded out by the compression vest haha
I'm booked in for 16th august, just started a thread on it

[chopper]

I was looking through the photos I have taken of this journey so far and thought I would put up a quick summary of it.

I'm so pleased I got it done personally. It's a cliche saying on here but it has "changed my life" and that is about the best way to summarise it lol
Loads of my friends have complemented me recently all saying how I look like I have lost so much weight and look really good...the funny thing Is I haven't lost much weight at all, i'm just wearing clothes that fit me better and don't have my t-shirt sticking out around my chest by 2 unwanted moobs anymore.

I've been hitting the gym for about 8 weeks, only doing chest once a week, cleaned my diet up as best as possible for the time being and acquired a sun tan in the last week which has helped no end!!  Bring on the sun!!


Day of surgery - 3rd May


Next Day - before putting on waterproof plasters - 4th May


6 weeks later and enjoying some heavy scar tissue -  Loads and loads of scar tissue everywhere - 22nd June


8 weeks after that photo was taken - Hitting the gym and picking up a suntan - scar tissue has calmed down dramatically and things are "smoothing" out slowly. -5th August


I'm chuffed  
I still have some swelling and a lumps of scar tissue that are slowly going down. For what is just over 3 months i'm really happy and it's far greater then my expectations of what i mentally prepared myself for....i prepared myself for worst case scenario that I would have a flat chest but be embarrassed about the scars from surgery and healing that I wouldn't want to take my top off in public, but at least I would be able to wear clothes that fitted and not be so conscious about my chest...i was happy to accept that....unluckily for the public they now have me getting my top off at every chance making up for all the times i previously wore over sized tshirts on hot days  

[pharmerjoe]

can see a real improvement there mate! Btw, at what point did you stop massaging?

[somedude999]

Awesome post bro and glad to hear you are doing so good.

Sums up how i am feeling as well, today I'm off down the gym for a heavy back and biceps workout and then it's shirt off and enjoy some sunshine.  I've dropped about 8lbs of fat so far since post op, strength has increased and I'm feeling great

[chopper]

Guys in the last 2 to 3 days some of the swelling on my right hand side is starting to go down, it's not fully gone, but its deffo on its way out. It's changing the shape of my chest for the better, it was only a very minor patch of swelling about the size of a 50p coin roughly, but i could always tell it was swollen by looking down and also by the texture of the skin, it was a little baggy/wrinkly for want of a better description. It's now tightening up and with that its also changing how the nipple looked all for the better.
It's still not healed fully, but i've started to notice a definite difference in the shape of my chest on the right hand side. I was happy with it anyway, but it's still changing now and for the better. Have faith all you guys in the healing stage, it really is taking a long time and i still don't think it's anywhere close to being fully done. I can see why they say 12 months now.

Edit: Pharmerjoe i was pretty good with massage for a few weeks, i was anal about it, then the summer came and i was content enough with my chest to just enjoy it and i neglected massage for 4 - 6 weeks, but i noticed one evening after a heavy chest session at the gym my chest was looking aggravated around the swollen area on my right side and i decided to massage and noticed 20 minutes later it was flat and smooth and so that got me back into massaging again. I'm not religious about massage now, but i do play with the scar tissue most nights when watching tv, i just squish it with my fingers through my t-shirt, sometimes i'll take my top off and don the oil and rub away, but most time I'm just squeezing the scar tissue and trying to soften it up and break it down. I can sometimes spend 20 minutes on 1 side, other times i'm done in 10 minutes on both sides...all depends on my concentration lol

[Mickydubs]

Have just been reading your thread mate and must say how helpful it has been.
Must congratulate you on taking the time to not only write / share your experience but to actually upload the pics which a lot say but never do.
Found this site only recently but have considered the op for several years.
Had booked a consultation with Dr. Karidis for 28th Sept, but was having second thoughts and was possibly gonna cancel it.
After reading your thread am 100% gonna make it and will sort out transport tomorro.
Thinking of doing a similar thread as yours with the pics etc, your results were great and think Karidis is a safe bet if there is such a thing.
Unless you have Gyne mild or severe you don't understand how the jokey comments from your mates hurt inside.
Anyway as said before good thread, congrats and thanks for the insparation.
 
p.s. not even sure you look at the site anymore,  now that your gyne free ?     

[chopper]

Hey Mickydubs, thanks for the feedback, i noticed when i was researching this site that people would post updates, then disappear and not be heard from again and it was pretty frustrating except for a few who kept coming back for a year with updates, so i thought i would add another one, so i'm happy to update for a year because i know if i hadn't found this website and learnt about Karidis i would still have my moobs today, so giving back a few photos and updates is easy stuff

I probably only check here once a week now and sometimes it can be a couple of weeks between checking, but as i'm still going through the healing stage i get days where i want to come and double check how other people got on around the same stage.

If Karidis had done a bad job i would have happily exposed his work on here and moaned non stop, but i'm elated, i really am. I only wish he charged £500, but i would do it all over again and tell anyone that has let their moobs consume their thoughts to just find the cash and go and get it done. I was always a very confident person before getting it done but my confidence has rocketed and i've had so many compliments from friends saying i look so well recently that it just fills the ego even more!! LOL

Set your expectations it's a 12 month journey and don't get too whingy and emotional during the healing roller coaster, you are going to go through it when some days your chest looks bad and others great, get set for 12 months and chill out and i'll bet you won't regret getting it done, i certainly don't.

[somedude999]

Great point mate, completely agree. It's a 12 month journey with ups and downs but don't be disheartened because the first few weeks of recovery and having the guts to have the op done are the hard parts.

[Mickydubs]

Thanks chopper,  just noticed somedudes thread and also great info passed on, nice when people can share experiences with others, very helpfull and it makes a change for it to be free.
 

[Swarley]

Great thread Chopper! Really useful to see how things have progressed.

I'm still laughing about you writing "large portion?" on the menu, and then amount of food they brought you!

[chopper]

6 months as of tomorrow: Will post a photo tomorrow or later this week as soon as I have taken one.

My swelling is about 98% done and away now. In the last 4 weeks I have really noticed a patch of swelling go down on my RHS, it is still there in a very small amount, but just goes to show how long the journey is.

My feelings on having the op:

Without doubt the best decision I have made other than being a father. If Karidis offered me my money back for my moobs I wouldn't take it. If he offered me £10K back I wouldn't take it, because whilst I could get the operation done again and have £5K spare, I really couldn't be bothered going through the healing stage all over again.
It is a long journey and I still don't think I'm fully there.


I would give the overall operation & success a 9.5/10

I have no scars. I have no baggy skin. Its virtually impossible for anyone to notice I have had an op. Im regularly in the spa and swimming pools and literally don't ever feel anxious anymore about moobs.


Good luck to all you guys thinking about getting the operation, if this thread has helped anyone then i feel I have given something back after reading all threads and posts others made. I will do another photo update around 9 months and then a final one around a 12 months.

So far - way better then expected 

[chopper]

Problem solved for picture taking. my webcam does it 

6months

[dapuffnipz]

Looks fantastic mate. I hope my results are as good as yours.