Top Surgery Recovery Updates (a place for all members to update after surgery)

[Bimmer Guy]

Ok, so I don't think this is "just in my head".  It seems as though there as been a marked lightening of my scars since I have been using the jojoba oil for massage over the last couple of weeks.  I probably have only used it about 5 times, too. 

Anyone else doing any kind of massage and seeing a difference?  I think it may be the moisturizing from the oil that is making the difference, as well.

Jay, are you still using the Scar Away serum or have you changed to something else?  I continue with the Scar Away strips, 24 hours/day.  I was saying to my partner tonight that it does suck to think that I am going to be wearing these stupid strips for a year (this is my estimate).  I just want to be done with it all, already!  Grrr.

[aleon515]

Yeah I am continuing with the Scaraway serum. Not a big fan of the applicator, but I don't really want to pay for shipping from Amazon. The stuff is not too sticky or whatever else that could be wrong with it. Looks like i will get pretty much exactly 1 month out of them. (I don't know why but a guy named Rae, on youtube, another clone, got only a week out of his bottle.) I might use it for 6 months, not sure after that or if it matters anymore. I have heard someone asked Dr G and he basically said something like use it for a couple months and you won't have much benefit after that. One thing I have found with it, is that you can think it is not coming out because of being numb. I am more numb on one side than the other. Guessing this is what happened with Rae.

BTW, had EXACTLy the opposite experience massaging. I used grape seed oil per the recommendation of the masseuse that posted here once. I felt it made my scars stretch more. Now maybe they would have anyway. I noticed our friend on youtube who is most obsessive about massaging has the reddest scars. Might be a coincidence? Doubt it has much to do with what you are massaging with. But maybe I gave you better advice than she did.


--Jay

[timbuck2]

2 months and 20 days. Left nipple is a little more oval shaped than I'd like to be but I doubt it's as noticeable to other people. I had no sensation in my nipples at all before surgery and now they're so ridiculously sensitive I can't even scratch them if I'm itchy. Anyone else have this change?


(I had to edit my tattoos out so it probably looks a little weird around my neck.)

[Bimmer Guy]

2 months and 20 days. Left nipple is a little more oval shaped than I'd like to be but I doubt it's as noticeable to other people. I had no sensation in my nipples at all before surgery and now they're so ridiculously sensitive I can't even scratch them if I'm itchy. Anyone else have this change?


(I had to edit my tattoos out so it probably looks a little weird around my neck.)

Hey, timbuck, thanks for posting.

1) Could you tell us who your surgeon was?
2) You mentioned that your nipples are more sensitive, did they keep them attached during surgery, or did you have free nipple grafts?
3) What scar treatment are you using, if any?

I think that your chest looks really good.  I would suggest not focusing on what is going on with nipple shape.  I am 4 months/one week out and the shape has changed over time (including past 2 months).  They say things don't completely settle until 6 months.  I think that your nipples look very well done.  They look very natural.

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Jay, in terms of the stretching of scars...I know that they say to not use Vitamin E oil due to stretching (at least early on).  I have not heard the same of any other product.  Is it possible that you are just moving around more and that is why they are stretching?  It could just be normal life.  My scar are continuing to widen a bit, which bums me out, but I really think we don't have much control over it.  Garromone pretty much said this to me.

For the Scar Away serum, I did it by sight.  You can't tell if it is on by feel due to numbing.  Let it dry completely before you put a shirt on.  If you don't want to wait, use a blow dryer.  Per a research article, using a hair dryer did not take away from efficacy of silicone serum treatment.  After it dries it is not sticky.

In terms of our fellow clone on youtube, he recently made a video saying that he hasn't used anything in 2 months.  The other thing to remember about him is that Bio Oil is the only product he has ever used (besides Scar Guard very briefly), and there is not data that suggests that stuff works, just anecdotal evidence.  I also have noticed his scars have not lightened.

In terms of the idea that Garramone says that after a couple of months it makes no difference, I beg to differ.

Let me tell you something that has been amazing to me and a bit shocking.  I have a long rippled/bumpy scar from a colon resection I got in 8/2010.  I have been using the serum on that from the beginning.  At first it was just a place to "wipe off" the extra after placing over my incisions.  The scar was already white due to time.  Anyway, it has been simply amazing to me the way that it has flattened out.  I mean there were significant caverns (I can't think of a better word) along the scar line and it has really flattened.  The rate of change on this has been much quicker than the lightening of my chest scars.  Supposedly, it takes much longer for old scar to lighten/flatten, but this has been amazing!  Needless to say, I will continue to use the serum in this area.  The serum settles right in to the crevices.

[timbuck2]

Hey, timbuck, thanks for posting.

1) Could you tell us who your surgeon was?
2) You mentioned that your nipples are more sensitive, did they keep them attached during surgery, or did you have free nipple grafts?
3) What scar treatment are you using, if any?

I think that your chest looks really good.  I would suggest not focusing on what is going on with nipple shape.  I am 4 months/one week out and the shape has changed over time (including past 2 months).  They say things don't completely settle until 6 months.  I think that your nipples look very well done.  They look very natural.

Curtis Crane in San Francisco, CA.
I had nipple grafts. One of them bled a lot more than the other and unsurprisingly thats the one I'm not fond of haha. I've been using the scar away scar diminshing serum that you mentioned above on and off and I've seen a marked difference on each side. Left is lighter and the right is smoother.

I'm glad to hear it looks good! We're all our own worst critic so naturally I've been finding every little flaw but I'm glad to hear about the changes you've had. Gives me a better idea of what can happen.

[aleon515]

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Jay, in terms of the stretching of scars...I know that they say to not use Vitamin E oil due to stretching (at least early on).  I have not heard the same of any other product.  Is it possible that you are just moving around more and that is why they are stretching?...

For the Scar Away serum, I did it by sight.  You can't tell if it is on by feel due to numbing.  Let it dry completely before you put a shirt on.  If you don't want to wait, use a blow dryer.  Per a research article, using a hair dryer did not take away from efficacy of silicone serum treatment.  After it dries it is not sticky.

In terms of our fellow clone on youtube, he recently made a video saying that he hasn't used anything in 2 months.  The other thing to remember about him is that Bio Oil is the only product he has ever used (besides Scar Guard very briefly), and there is not data that suggests that stuff works, just anecdotal evidence.  I also have noticed his scars have not lightened.

In terms of the idea that Garramone says that after a couple of months it makes no difference, I beg to differ.

Yes, I think it could totally be coincidence!!! It just happened when I used the oil and perhaps I moved more or whatever. They are going to stretch for whatever reason. And yes, I realize our clone on youtube used Bio Oil. Haven't actually heard anything taht says this works. I'm sticking with the serum. I think it might be the best, at least for me, since I do not want to use strips. I was saying the pros of it, as I haven't had any problems with stickiness or anything like that. It's fairly reasonable. Mine have lightened a LOT. Goign to post soon.
Well Dr G is not an expert on scars, he just creates them. LOL

--Jay

[Alexthecat]

Day 28 - 4 weeks post op

Starting scar strips today.

[aleon515]

Hey got an update. I'm 3 months post-op. A clone of Dr Garramone. Some swelling on left side esp. Right nip hasn't "popped" whatever that would entail (he talks about this). I am using Scaraway serum, which is silicone gel. The scar actually looks a lot lighter IRL. Looks quite red in the picture.  No problems at all. Just went snow shoeing this weekend, so this is really the first time I have really done exercise in awhile (would have been nice had I been a little more worked out for that one!!).  Jay

Picture:

[Bimmer Guy]

Alex and Jay both of your chests look really, really great!  Jay, with you holding the camera differently it is a better view of your chest than before.  I think the learning curve for the top surgeons out there is getting better!  Seems to me we are seeing better results in the community as a whole.

timbuck, I find it really facinating that you are having sensitivity when you had free grafts!  I have no feeling in my nipples at all.

Thanks for the updated pictures, guys!

[aleon515]

Yeah Brett, I realized that why my chest didn't look as good in the pictures was I was holding the camera. It looked so much better in the videos. I decided to take the picture on the computer and not the iPad. Also, of course, I think it starting to look very good and the just having had surgery look is gone.

--Jay

[Alexthecat]

Medalie says I don't need the bandages any more!

[Sebryn]

Wow everyone is looking good. I had my surgery on Jan 23rd and I can't express how happy I am. The only thing that I have to remember now is walking outside in the cold with only a T-shirt is now really only a T-shirt and not a tank under a binder under a T-shirt lol.

Dr. Gary Lawton did my surgery and I'll post pictures once my nipples are less of a scabby mess. I am pleased with my scar lines so far and the way my pecs look. I was a tad worried since this surgeon doesn't have his patients use binders at all post surgery, unlike most other top surgeons, but his results on a couple of the local guys were excellent and he is local to me so I went with him and I can say I'm happy I did. One difference I notice now is my nipples seem sensitive, which was not expected since they are grafts and were not sensitive at all before. Perhaps I had a disconnect to what they were before the 23 I had a mental block of some sort...Interesting thought.

Another question for all you guys...what do you do about the boredom? I'm at a loss for what to do. I'm used to working 7 days a week between 5 and 8 hours each day so beyond work, sleep, working out and cabbing stones and gems I didn't have time for anything else. I'm already bored with Netflix and TV...ugh the reruns are endless. I never realized before now how physical my hobbies are.

So does anyone have boredom beating tips or activities safe for post top surgery?

[Alexthecat]

So does anyone have boredom beating tips or activities safe for post top surgery?

Play many flash games. http://www.kongregate.com/

[Sebryn]

Play many flash games. http://www.kongregate.com/

Lol I laughed at that since I have been thinking of getting my MacBook and doing that, but then I may be tempted to program/code and I don't know how excessive typing would be on the surgery wounds since I get in a "zone" and lose track of almost everything around me, including time and body pain responses.

I have been playing many many apps. (All the Doodle game apps beat 100% without using google...) I mainly use my iPad since it's very difficult to type code on.

Thanks for the link.

[aleon515]

I was VERY stir crazy! After awhile a trip to the grocery store and kind of thing where I could move around was what I wanted. I was so happy when I could drive again. I'm afraid I had the same problem. I just think some people are more restless than others.

I watched a lot of Netflix, but after awhile that didn't really work either.

--Jay

[Kreuzfidel]

So does anyone have boredom beating tips or activities safe for post top surgery?

Sign up for Ancestry.com.  Hours of fun (but then again, maybe not - I'm just a nerd).

I love writing, so this is giving me a great chance to catch up on all of my essays I've been working on.

Also, I've been doing more art - I've not had the inclination to draw in a long time.

[Kreuzfidel]

3 Week Update:

Surgeon - Dr. Megan Hassall (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia)

Sugery - Bilateral Subcutaneous Mastectomy - left nipple re-sized with preserved blood supply; right nipple free grafted (could not preserve the original blood supply)


So today I was allowed to remove the post-op binder that I've been wearing since the surgery.  It was great to have it off, although I'm highly sensitised over the skin at the top part of my pecs.  I'm still mostly numb throughout the entire pec region on both sides, though I have some tenderness when I press on that area.

I've been wearing silver pads over both nipples, micropore tape over the incisions and clear, waterproof dressings over both sides of my chest.  My wife changed the dressings tonight and was told by Dr. Hassall to debride the skin that's sloughing off over the nipple graft. 

My incisions and the left nipple look fantastic, but the right nipple (graft) is worrisome.  It looks absolutely atrocious - and my wife is a little concerned about it, so we've emailed through a photo to Dr. Hassall to get her input.

Here is my chest overall tonight:



This is the nipple I'm worried about (right nipple - grafted): WARNING - do not scroll down if you are easily nauseated as this is a bit graphic!


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Can anyone who has also had grafts tell me if this is somewhat normal for 3 weeks? 

Anyway, I hope that it survives and isn't dehiscence.  I really can't even fathom complications at this point - so positive thinking.

This is the last week (if nothing happens out of what's expected) I'll have to wear this waterproof dressing.  My first night sleeping with no shirt on!  No binder - nada.  I've been using Zonta cushions (that the ladies here make for women who've had mastectomies - my wife's workmate and our mutual friend who survived breast cancer has kindly donated hers to me) for sleeping and wearing between the seatbelt and my chest when I'm riding in cars.  They're really soft and comfy - and I may just keep sleeping with them even when I don't need them anymore 

I'm really glad I still have several weeks off work.  I've found that my arms are pretty weak and shaky still - not sure if it's due to not using them much for 3 weeks or not.  I'm also still feeling a bit tired and have to have a nap during the day, but not nearly as tired as I was even just last week.  Anyhoo - I'll keep updating.

[Jeatyn]

Kreuzfidel your incisions are looking amazing, they're so thin and light already. I can't comment on the nipple graft, I'll let someone with experience chime in.

I'm finding it interesting in this thread how there's a variety of different techniques on show. Thank you all very much for sharing

I don't have much to report, everything is looking basically the same since the last picture. I am pretty much back to normal in terms of mobility, I haven't tried weight lifting yet but it's on the cards in the near future. All my usual day to day stuff is no problem, vacuuming, carrying my college stuff around, picking up the kidlet, etc. I am still aware of pressure on the area, if the little'un gives me an over vigorous hug or the cat walks on me while I'm asleep I feel a bit of a jolt, it's not pain though, just slightly uncomfortable pressure, I react more than is warranted because I'm used to being delicate Sleeping in any position is not a problem, including on my front if I put pillows under me. So things are ticking along nicely ^_^

[Alexthecat]

I would be extremely concerned about that nipple graft. Yours looks like its dying.

Here's mine at 3 weeks.

[Frank]

Kreuzfidel, I don't have experience in the chest surgery area to reference yet but I do have an interest in the medical field and I would also be very concerned with that nipple. It appears to have separated from the surrounding flesh. At three weeks, everything should have long been closed up, that doesn't look remotely healed. Does it hurt?