Gyno Sufferer for 4-5 years, what do I do?! 4MothsPostOpPics - Opinions? Pg.9!

[thetodd]

I dont know bugger all about blood flow, all i know is after surgery the nurses generally repeatidly tell the patient to sleep at an elevated position on their back. For anyone reading this post getting the surgery get 3 pillows propped behind you and tuck your quilt into your side

you wont roll over! it can be uncomfortable but you get used to it. Its not worth getting into an arguement over it, its what the hospital says you must do!

[wantridofgyno17]

All hell has broken loose! (in this thread haha)

@ Kingboob - yes I'm taking the sugar pilluetes or whatever they're called! Are they supposebly not as effect as the creams? I opted against a cream for now purely because I'l still got all my plasters on and what not, so I wouldn't be able to effectively apply the cream.

[wannabemassive]

Hey dont worry about the brusing.

My right side didnt stop bleeding until 2 days after the drain was taken out.

It is still swollen now 3weeks after surgery and discloured.

The doc was right to sand you home your body will absorb the fluid draining the chest in mild cases would have put unwanted stress on the area.

Happy new year

Wannabemassive

TRAIN HARD LIVE LONG

[wantridofgyno17]

Hey dont worry about the brusing.

My right side didnt stop bleeding until 2 days after the drain was taken out.

It is still swollen now 3weeks after surgery and discloured.

The doc was right to sand you home your body will absorb the fluid draining the chest in mild cases would have put unwanted stress on the area.

Happy new year

Wannabemassive

TRAIN HARD LIVE LONG

Thanks for the encouraging words bud.

Just had another look at my chest.. Left side is black and f*cking blue with bruising! I don't know if this is a hematoma or just a hell of a lot of bruising coming out because of the arnica, I think it also looks a bit bigger than the right side. Anyway, I'm seeing Mr Masood tomorrow so no doubt he'll let me know what's going on tomorrow.

I feel like the left hand side has gone down a bit and is look much more promising (*I think*), hopefully tomorrow plasters etc will come off which will be the first time I get to see the whole picture as it is.. Definitely feeling a bit more positive about it all at the moment, but tomorrow will no doubt see either a good or bad turn I guess - fingers crossed! I will let you know how I get on tomorrow.

[wantridofgyno17]

Just been at the hospital, and they removed all my plasters etc. I've just got to have this tape stuff over the stitched bits for a week, and apparently the stitches will just dissolve over time! I'm allowed to shower now, so think I'm going to have a nice shower in a bit, quite excited haha. Didn't see Mr.Masood unfortunately, but another doctor took a look and he said it all looked okay and all the bruising and swelling will just go down over time, and didn't think it was a hemtoma either just lots of bruising. Right hand side looks best atm but I'm still hoping it'll go down some more etc and improve, only time will tell I suppose. Will try and update with more pics at some point.

Hope everyone has a good new year, don't think I'm really able to go out tonight which sucks! Really want to go out and get smashed!! Nevermind! Have a good one all!

[kingboob]

Happy new year.......... If I were you I would not go getting totally drunk tonight though, not so soon after surgery.  Just my opinion.

[wantridofgyno17]

Thanks and you. Yeah I decided to stay in, as much as I really want to go out and it makes me kind of sad thinking I'm at home on new year, really wanting to see all my friends! (Havn't seen anyone in last 10 days or so!) But I know I'd end up drinking alot and it'll be a bit of a rough and tumble night, can't imagine it ending good. So made the sensible decision.

[wantridofgyno17]

Sup guys havn't posted here in a little while. Now about 2.5 weeks post-op. Still not overly happy with the results, still have moobs as far as i'm concerned! Stitches havn't fully healed up yet, when should I be looking to start massaging?

Also, on both sides my chest feels quite 'firm' round most areas where I never noticed before, there is minimal bruising now etc, could this just be my pectoral muscles? Baring mind this is not tensing, when just relaxed.. ? Is it possible for scar tissue to fill up the whole chest and that quickly? I'm not sure if now I'm just left with fat, in which case hopefully I'll be able to get a decent looking chest by cutting my BF% down which I'm going to try when I'm healed up enough, is 4 weeks post-op enough for strenous cardio? Or should I wait until 6 weeks?

Will try and get some pics up later today if I remember!

Thanks guys

[decimal]

I know it might sound like a long shot but the 'firm' structure in your chest could just be ur ribs. Atleast that is what it seems like in my case. And contrary to what I had imagined earlier, I hate the feel of the overly bony chest. It looks/feels more natural where I have a layer of fat/flesh.

I am about 5 weeks op myself, and still have not started working out. I am gonna wait till its atleast 6 weeks before I start any heartpumping exercises. You have had a history of excessive swelling so far, if i recall correctly. So I would definitely suggest you wait it out.

What I would suggest for you from 3 weeks onwards it to start stretching ur arms overhead, very gradually ofcourse. This mite help minimize any improper nerve to skin adhesions, and pre-empt tightness that arises as a result.

[kingboob]

Well I hope for your sake that it is  some kind of swelling that goes down......   However in my experience swelling is usually pretty soft and squishy, the scar tissue is more like hard lumpy or stringy knots but it doesn't appear so quickly after surgery nor  does it form a huge boob shaped mass! (in my experience anyway, although I'm no doctor).

 I really don't want to be negative early on but if I were you I would be saving up.

[decimal]

King, Just wondering if you were referring to my case or wantridofgyno or both  .I kinda feel my chest looks worse nd worse as the swelling has subsided.

Its been a longtime since u had ur surgery. How are things holding up for you? Are there any pictures up?

[wantridofgyno17]

Well my chest seems to change a bit every day really. Last night when I looked the RHS seemed smaller and the skin seemed 'looser' almost, possibly where the chest area had shrunk a bit and the skin hadnt adjusted? But today its more firm again.. It seems the RHS is softer at the moment than the LHS, although the LHS has always been the worser side. Incisions still havn't healed up fully, LHS is worse than RHS.

If I feel behind my nipple at the moment I can't feel any gland as far as I can feel, but I'm sure I can feel a bit of scar tissue developing in various areas.. I'm still optimistic and hope that once the scar tissue is mostly gone and I've cut my BF% down again that my chest may still look satisfactory, but we'll have to see. I'm not going to write myself off yet. I'm 3 weeks and 1 day post op now, should I be massaging? And what is the best cream to use? (Arnica? Vitamin E? etc)

[decimal]

I would recommend waiting  until 4 weeks before massaging. Using a tight compression vest definitely helps the swelling.

http://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=19766.msg136167#msg136167

Hope that helps.

[thetodd]

you should start massaging at 3 weeks really, use bio oil or similar. Take your time it will feel uncomfortable but its vital for recovery!

Good luck

[wantridofgyno17]

Sup guys,

I realise I havn't been too active here lately, partly being to do with the fact that my laptop recently died and so I havn't been able to get any pics up etc. Coming up to 4 week post-op (feels like it's gone quite quick!)

I just a minute ago had a look at my pre-op pics, and had a look at my chest now and there's definitely improvement, you don't really realise until you look back! So how are things for me now? Well, bruising has almost gone completely. I still feel like my chest isn't looking too great. Now I've definitely put on quite a bit of fat lately (due to lack of exercises, eating crap because of stress etc!!) and no doubt this is going to be part of the reason my chest isn't as good as it could look. I'm also still feeling a firmness round my general chest area, especially on the sides? I havn't started massing yet, but today I had a little massage using shower gel and just now use face moisturiser (lol!). Not uncomfortable or anything really, I can move my arms etc absolutely fine and have been able to do for probably 1-2 weeks.

I'm still unsure what it is though really. Pre-op, behind my nipple I could feel quite a sizeable mass which I could pretty much pinch and move etc.. Now I can't feel anything there behind my nipple really, and my nipples definitely look much better in terms of size, they don't stick out atall really either. It's just the general shape of my chest. If I tense and sort of hold my arms in front of me, it seems to stick out quite a bit? But can't feel any sort of gland or single mass in my chest, it just seems generally firmish with a bit of fat.. I'll see if I can get some pics.

Also, when I first removed my compression garment just now i'm sure my chest appeared flatter, and then as I left it out of the garment it got a big bigger... and I'm sure I've noticed this before. Is this just in my head? Or is it just because the area is compressed and expands to it's normal size after being uncompressed..?

Thanks