My Karidis story: Surgery DONE 27/09/12. (Pre-op pics on p1, post-op from p3 on)

[Nipper]

Nah, he didn't strike me as the dumb type.  Very very astute, which is great for us guys

Re the amounts.   Yes mate, looks like you had a fair bit, but to be honest, just looked like ALL gland to me in your pics, as you are kinda thin looking (no offence)  I just thought they looked more pronounced due to your frame.  Just goes to show, you can't guess with the naked eye and that there is always fat and lots of it...eeew

[kniveshurt]

12 days post-up update

Can't actually believe it's been 12 days already and that in 2 days I'll be switching to wearing this b@stard compression vest in the daytime only (woo!)

The bruising is slowly (very slowly) disappearing (still got some beauties on my upper arms). I knocked the Arnica tablets on the head around day 7 as I didn't think they were doing anything and switched to Arnica cream instead. That seems to be working a lot better; the bruising has visibly improved since I've been using it.

Not feeling one bit of pain any more. I'd say it ceased to hurt after about Day 3. It's more just discomfort now and that's largely due to the vest. The sensation in my chest is starting to come back slowly too and also in my nipples (which feel a bit tender, tbh).

I've also had this weird "phantom moob" feeling too, haha! I kid you not. The past 2 days it's like I can feel them there, hanging, even though it's completely flat (and even if they were there they'd be strapped to my chest anyway in this vest). Very strange feeling indeed. Anyone else had this??

Psychologically-wise, the past 12 days have been a complete headf*ck, I'm not going to lie. I've gone from thinking this is the best thing I've ever done to thinking it's the worst thing I could've possibly ever done. From thinking I look great to thinking I've permanently disfigured my chest (seriously, some dark thoughts been going on...)

These negative thoughts have all been sparked by the way my chest is looking now - it's not a pretty sight (to be fair, it's never been a pretty sight!) I've still got a bit of fat underneath my armpits too, which I thought was swelling but it doesn't seem to have gone down, and it's making everything look a bit weird.

Also, I'm suffering quite a lot with scar tissue (which started to appear around about day 6/7 post-op). To be honest, I didn't know what it was at first. I was just expecting a few lumps and bumps, but these dents (like deep ridges a few inches long) have appeared above both nipples, causing my chest to sink in. It's so deep you can actually see it through the compression vest and even through some clothes!! I've went from obsessing that you can see my moobs, to obsessing you can see my sunken chest. I keep telling myself it's early days and that it'll all sort itself out, but I can't help thinking what if doesn't. Stupid I know...  Told you it was a headf*ck.

To make matters worse, both of my nipples started turning black after I took the plasters off on day 7. Do yourself a favour, if this happens to you, do not google "black nipples after chest surgery" because you'll most likely self-diagnose yourself with necrosis of the nipple, like I did, and freak the f*ck out, haha! After a bit more searching around on this forum, I found that it's quite a common thing to happen and is. apparently, just scabs forming (this is true; they're starting to "peel" now). I wish Karidis would've put something about this in his docs! I literally thought my nipples had died and were going to drop off, ha ha!

Anyway, here are some pics I took at 7 days and ones I've just taken now. Hopefully they'll illustrate the issues I'm experiencing at the moment:

7 days post-op photos

You can see the scar tissue forming above the nipples and the blackness appearing on the right nipple!



Still a bit of swelling (or fat?) under my armpits, enhancing the concave-look of my chest.



12 days post-op photos

Deep ridges appearing above the nipples now.





Can really see it up-close. So deep you can see it through the compression vest (and some t-shirts!)

[Nipper]

Dude, you need to stop watching horror flicks   When I raise each arm above my head, mate, it looks grisly...like all dented and fucked up, like something I wouldn't want to live with.  It's gonna subside over time, it's a proven fact.  They wouldn't warn us of this phenomenon known as the rollercoaster if it didn't exist. Just think what the first guy ever to have it done must have thought, no forums or support, nothing. 

I'm always going to be a week ahead of you plus our cases differed but I think it's relative in most other aspects post op.  I knew about the scabbing on the nipples from reading about it on here before, plus I mention it in my log.  Do yourself a favour one night and pore over some logs again, just to refresh your memory.  My right is well mooby but I know Chopper had the same thing and when I read it, it put my mind at ease instantly. 

[Nipper]

I can see what you mean about the fat on the side...but only after you mention the fact are my eyes drawn to that area and even then it doesn't strike me as fat per se.  Plus it looks like the vest ridges are making it look worse.  

You're only 12 days post knives, so consider it as a fraction of the 365 you actually need to get good results and you're about 4% healed right now...looks about right to me  Phantom moobs, no.  But I have glanced down a few times and expected to see more than I do, my clothes just fall naturally now.  I have a query or two for Karidis when I return for my follow up.  A few soothing words from the man himself should do the trick.

I take it you are keeping this from everyone?  I found a little sharing the burden worked wonders.  

edit - If you squint and look at the pics, you kinda get an idea what it will look like but if you look at your pre op pics and squint, it doesn't make a blind bit of difference.

[adamj]

Yeah agree with Nipper, just ignore the chest for a month or two if at all possible. I make myself late for work in the morning by sleeping too long so I haven't time to even look at it after a shower, and then I don't even see it again till my shower the next day. Since i'll be late again I have no time to scrutinise. 'I make myself late' is translatable to 'i'm a lazy b@stard' by the way.

Perhaps it's easier said than done for others but I think just ignoring it and letting my body heal itself has been the simplest way to go. The time I did a check on Sunday night left me feeling a bit crap because my chest looked like it had been at the wrong end of a mauling after it looked so good following the op. Just let time do it's thing. Most importantly, remember why you had the op in the first place and the negative impacts that gyne had on your life. I don't know what you mean about the armpit thing, can't see it.

Phantom moob syndrome hasn't struck with me either, but I have had ex-moob habits and satisfying realisations. Like today for example I was tucking my shirt into the back of my jeans. Normally this would have meant that as I reached around and leant back my moobs would stick out so I would do it quickly, but then I remembered half way through the motion that I have a flat chest now so took all the time in the world!

Scar tissue and the indenting's a bitch for me too, hopefully massage will flatten it a bit.

[kniveshurt]

Cheers fellas - yeah I'm trying my best to not obsess over every little detail. Think I was having a particularly bad day when I posted those last pics!

Actually things seem to have settled down a little since then. Indenting is starting to fill out a bit so hopefully everything's moving in the right direction...

So I'm 15 days post-op now and slept without the vest on for the first time last night. Also tried a bit of light massage with some Bio-Oil before bed. Got to say I've woken up this morning and everything is feeling tender for the first time in ages, especially around my nipples. I'm kind of aware of not being supported too. Also I still can't sleep on my side as it's too uncomfortable. 

Not sure if this is normal or not... Do you reckon I should be keeping the vest on 24/7 until it feels less tender? Or was this an after-effect of the massage - have I started it too early?

Really think they need to put more effort into their aftercare doc - I've followed everything to the letter and am still unsure. I can't imagine what it'd do without this forum!

[adamj]

Yeah their documentation is useless. I might actually mention it to Karidis when I go back you know. Glad it's looking like it's going in the right direction mate. I woke up on my side today because I got a bit pissed last night, could def feel it when I woke up. I found it weird with the vest off too. I have gone for evenings, might extend it by an hour every few days, I felt tender too, must be normal I think. I'm just going to follow the docs I think an keep taking it off for periods regardless.

[thetodd]

I wrote a decent bit about recovery a few months ago, but i cant find it. So ill do another quick one. No-one considers recovery because they've got their eyes on the prize which is surgery. You have the surgery, wake up the next day you have a flat chest

Problem solved

Your buzzing, have a great few days and feel like a new man. But that initial euphoria starts to fade and about 7 days in you start to have doubts. Fast forward a month and you will look in the mirror and convince yourself that you are getting re-occurrence. Its normal, and it does get better for me it took about a year some lads it takes weeks but its mostly psychological. Your fine to massage just do it gently doing it do vigoursly will do more harm than good.

Your result looks great, it will definitely get better with time just ride out the waves

[Nipper]

Dude, now you have thetodd telling you to relax ha!  And he's bang on, my right side looks like a pre op moob, albeit a little one, but when I tense , it doesn't hang forward like the gland used to.  So I know it's just fluid or swelling or bit of both.  And I have a massive painful bit of swelling on my right side now, where I was more painful on my left while wearing the vest 24/7.

 Things are changing all the time, some good days some bad.  But none of them make me look like I have a pair of feminine breasts, so it's all gravy from here on in if you ask me.  I swear I have some kind of lifewish, the opposite of the Charles Bronson things, yeah..I just can't help beaming and being nice to folk, I've spent shitloads on clobber, bought a new motor and ditched my crazy ex.  Physically I'm no where near where I want to be but I'm on the other side, that's all that counts, only way is up from here mate, easy fella!

[kniveshurt]

I wrote a decent bit about recovery a few months ago, but i cant find it. So ill do another quick one. No-one considers recovery because they've got their eyes on the prize which is surgery. You have the surgery, wake up the next day you have a flat chest

Problem solved

Your buzzing, have a great few days and feel like a new man. But that initial euphoria starts to fade and about 7 days in you start to have doubts. Fast forward a month and you will look in the mirror and convince yourself that you are getting re-occurrence. Its normal, and it does get better for me it took about a year some lads it takes weeks but its mostly psychological. Your fine to massage just do it gently doing it do vigoursly will do more harm than good.

Your result looks great, it will definitely get better with time just ride out the waves

Cheers thetodd - thanks for your reply. It was threads like yours that made me book the op, so really appreciate your advice.

Think I totally underestimated the psychological part of all this. I mean, I'd read about the "rollercoaster" on here and read tons of posts where lads talked about it, but I kind of just thought, "Well I know about it now and I'm expecting it, so I won't let it affect me". But it's a totally different ball game when it actually happens to you. No matter how many times you tell yourself it's early days and it takes a while to fully heal, you can't help thinking "What if I'm the exception? What if it never gets better? What if I've actually made things worse?" And I swore I wouldn't obsess about the way my chest was looking, but that's much, much easier said than done. I've gone from actively avoiding looking at my chest, to scrutinising every last detail of it!

I'm sure this is all a completely natural reaction. It's a very strange set of emotions to go through.

Anywayyyyy.....  as predicted, I'm feeling MUCH better about my chest than when I last posted. It was 3 weeks yesterday since my op and things are looking so much better. The indenting in my chest has disappeared (thank f*ck!), my bruising is all but gone and I'm starting to be able to see (or, at least, imagine) what the end result is going to look like. (Thanks for that advice Nipper - squinting at the pics really does help, haha!)

I'm still full of scar tissue, but the massaging (which I'm trying to do twice a day) is really helping to disperse it. My chest is still slightly concave around the nipple area, hopefully that'll fill out a bit. It's looking a bit like a little boy's chest at the moment (better than a little girl's though!) I definitely need to get building up my chest as soon as I'm able to (don't think I'll touch a weight until the New Year, to be honest). The weird black scab on my left nipple has dropped off now and I've got a very pink-looking new nipple in its place!

My chest still feels tender at times, especially around my nipples and especially after massage, but it's definitely not painful. More like a dull throbbing. Still can't lift my arms fully above my head without feeling a twinge, but other than that mobility is pretty much back to normal. One more week and I can say good riddance to the compression garment for good.

Finally, thought I'd post a few photos which I took yesterday so you can see how it's going:

3 weeks post-op







And just for a bit of a comparison. This was me just before the op, compared to me now... (Not only have I lost my holiday tan in 3 weeks, I've also lost my boobs!)

[adamj]

Great post Knives. Those comparison shots are amazing, especially the side shot. Glad things are healing well for you.

[Nipper]

Yeah mate look at that thing sticking out of your chest, that was a pretty bad case you had knives mate.  No wonder you have a bit swelling on that side, I still see that thing you referred to earlier, could just be swelling mate and not fat as my pec is heavily distorted on one side due to some major swelling in the upper section.  But on the whole knives, you look right on schedule if you ask me, coming along quite nicely, just a little blip on the psychological front, happy days

[adamj]

How are things Knives?

[Imbackagain]

How you getting on dude? Hope all is well.

[sjwsjw]

How's it going? I'm coming up to 9 weeks post op and I have that 'fat' looking ridge near both arm pits as you have pointed out on your pictures so would be interesting to hear how that's progressed on you