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

[chopper]

Day 1 post -op

Just stuck the plasters on and had a shower. Waterproof my arse, i made sure they were on but they leaked like bugger lol

Sleep was OK, woke up a few times with a stiff / dead back from being on it all day and night. I have more range of movement today as well. Swelling is there as expected, chest area is numb ish but also quite sensitive, strange feeling, kinda like when you have pins & needles and the feeling starts to come back, you can feel it, but you cant, if you know what i mean?

Anyway, pics uploaded. Happy with the result, but i know its a long way off of being the final result, so here is to wishing away the months 



MY lower stomach looks so funny now it protrudes more than my moobs!!!! First time Ive seen it look like this that I can recall lol






Ive tried on a few t-shirts and jumpers that have been banished to the back my wardrobe for ever....such a feeling putting on a t-shirt and not having to pull it away from your chest 

[Choda]

Great results Chopper, must be a great feeling wearing your favourite t shirts and shirts now! I brought loads of nice shirts over the years that I could never wear, so can't wait till the day I can put them on with no worry in the world.

Its just a case of following everything by the book now, your gonna experience swelling but its just a case of staying strong through that period.

All the best and keep us posted.

[emanresu]

Its just a case of following everything by the book now, your gonna experience swelling but its just a case of staying strong through that period.

Could not have said it better myself. You will deffo get swelling and it'll look like your m00bs are growing back again. This will probably hit you after you take the compression garment off. Unfortunately it's a case of being patient for 6 months or so and trying not to freak out too much.

Keep us updated with the pics and...

Welcome to the other side!

[thetodd]

Looks spot on mate, you havent got much brusing so hopefully your body will react well to scar tissue aswell

sit back and relax ... because those days are gone once the baby arives .

[Choda]

Its just a case of following everything by the book now, your gonna experience swelling but its just a case of staying strong through that period.

Could not have said it better myself. You will deffo get swelling and it'll look like your m00bs are growing back again. This will probably hit you after you take the compression garment off. Unfortunately it's a case of being patient for 6 months or so and trying not to freak out too much.

Keep us updated with the pics and...

Welcome to the other side!

Does the swelling make your chest badly mooby or does it just stick out a bit? From the pictures I've seen the swelling just looks like swelling and not mooby at all. Does the worry of G returning make things 10 times worse?

[improving]

Looks perfect to me mate, thats the kind of results im hoping for

[vegasgo]

Looks great!

From your previous pics, I was reminded how nice the sandwiches were. I didn't get the goody bag though!

[pharmerjoe]

are you allowed to take ibuprofen or something to bring swelling and inflammation down?

[chopper]

Looks perfect to me mate, thats the kind of results im hoping for

Still a long way off of being the finished article, but I'm hoping all heals well in time buddy..Hope you get the results too, I've wasted far too much time over the years thinking about it, hopefully thats over  

Looks great!

From your previous pics, I was reminded how nice the sandwiches were. I didn't get the goody bag though!

Sarnies were good, always better when someone else makes them and you dont have to wash up too ha!

are you allowed to take ibuprofen or something to bring swelling and inflammation down?

I was told No asprin in the first week because it thins the blood and won't help with healing. I've got 2 types of pain killer, one a morphine based one which I havent had to touch...I've had 3 doses of the other one, but these were all given to me by St Johns. I'm under the impression the compression vest is the ticket to help with swelling from what i've been reading, but could be wrong?

[PecDec]

Happy everything went well for you mate, good you didn't live too far away to catch a train. I had to go to a hotel which sucked left a day early just so I could get my own bed and home. Let the recovery begin!

My advice for recovery is don't stress or worry about results ( from someone that did ), you've already said it's a long road of recovery which is right.

Main thing is get pass the 1st few weeks and see improvements.

I've in the dreaded scar tissue stage, but I know with the proper recovery it will go with time.

I was back in the gym just over a week but only legs, needed to train hate sitting about doing nothing!

[PecDec]

LOL the sarnies was quality, I hadnt ate for 12 hours so I ordered 2 lots. Eat 6-7 meals a day then they made my starve for the op. Made sure had enough for when I woke up

Yeah the good bag was great, I'm still using the natural shampoo and cloth to wash myself and even used the massage oil for the 1st time massaging. Bought bio oil now but £15 for big bottle.

I'm week 3 and still wearing my vest 24/7. Its annoying at 1st especially when still swollen and sore but you get use to it. I rather keep it on longer now and recover better than take it off early and do damage.

Not sure what everyone else does but I wash my vest with the natural shampoo in the shower every morning. Got 2 to use so fresh one everyday.

[chopper]

Thats not a bad idea PecDec, using the gear they give you to clean the compression top with as I was wondering the best way of cleaning it tomorrow when I stick the new one on. I had planned on using these tops for 2 weeks then buying nike / adidas ones and wearning those for up to the next month or possibly longer....just going to play it by eye and keep pressure and support to my chest until i feel confident i can go it without them...I work from home (for myself) so I can wear what I want daily, so it makes it a bit easier

Good on you for having a good munch mate!! I had half a chicken this evening for dinner and i had to loosen my compression vest as my gut was at bursting point LOL

[PecDec]

Yeah I wanted to use natural cleaning products for it because didn't want it to get itchy. Just wash it every morning in the shower then hang it up. With this hot weather we're having they having been drying in a day easy. See how your swelling goes, after 2-3 weeks you get use to the vest. Due to the swelling and scar tissue i still dont like wearing t shirts without the vest. The vest helps smooth everything out so looks alot better lol. You will see what I mean.

Well this is what I brought with me to the hotel and I was only there a couple of days & these were only snacks. Ate out for my 3 main meals a day lol in total I eat 6-7 meals daily.

[emanresu]

Does the swelling make your chest badly mooby or does it just stick out a bit? From the pictures I've seen the swelling just looks like swelling and not mooby at all. Does the worry of G returning make things 10 times worse?

It's made my chest look a tiny bit mooby. When I'm wearing clothes there's an almost unnoticeable moobish profile from the side. It doesn't bother me though coz it's so much better than before + I'm not gonna freak out unless it's still like this after 6 months. I guess it's different for everyone because some people get virtually no swelling.

Good on you for having a good munch mate!! I had half a chicken this evening for dinner and i had to loosen my compression vest as my gut was at bursting point LOL

LMAO same here! I pigged-out bigtime for a few days after the op and it made wearing the compression vest bloody murder.

[Choda]

Sounds like the compression vests are murder!