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

[Darrin Scott]

Just did my pre op blood/physical. 14 more days!!

[Bimmer Guy]

Just did my pre op blood/physical. 14 more days!!

Woo Hoo!  Remind us who your doc is again?

[Darrin Scott]

Dr. Kathy Rumer in Ardmore pa.

[Alexthecat]

They said I don't need bloodwork.

[Darrin Scott]

Who's your surgeon?

[Bimmer Guy]

Dr. Kathy Rumer in Ardmore pa.

Oh, that's right, I remember you saying that now.  I know a guy who got his chest done by her.  He was quite pleased with it.  What made you decide to go with Rumer?

[Darrin Scott]

I chose her because of location and because she's good with bigger chested people. I like her results.

[Jeatyn]

Well that was unsuccessful. Yesterday I didn't even try to go to college, I had a night of no sleep and felt like crap.

Today however, I woke up early and was ready in record time to get out for the early pre-rush hour buses. I had a shoulder bag with my laptop in, I figured I'd be able to handle it. I stood at the bus stop for half an hour, no buses showed up (three should have come in that time) and I realised I actually wasn't ok with the bag, it was already starting to hurt pretty bad. So I just thought screw this and came back home -_- the rush hour traffic was already starting so I missed my window of opportunity to guarantee myself a downstairs seat.

I've taken some pain meds and I'm sorting out my folders to put on a USB pen and will consider trying again in a few hours after the traffic dies down sans bag.

Feel pretty frustrated now, but ah well, I will get there all in good time.

[Jack_M]

650ml of bloody, yucky, brown fluid drained out of my right chest today. Didn't hurt that much except for the stab on the outer side. Fun part: had to stand for the whole thing! That was...uhh...interesting, and my way too inquisitive med school student ways couldn't be switched off and I watched the whole thing. Ouch!

Took away all the welling though. Having to compress even more too (few towels shoved under my compression vest).

Just glad to have a flat chest and it actually doesn't look all that bad right now! May have to get it drained again on Thursday. Hopefully not, but it's a real possibility. Crossing all my fingers.

[Elijah3291]

Jack, I am glad you were able to find a dr to drain your chest. I am guessing your swelling was a hematoma like I had? I had a LOT of trouble finding a surgeon who would drain mine, mine luckily went away on its own. it really sucks what happened to you but I am glad the swelling has gone down. Keep up with the compression, thats what made my hematoma go away.. and I know how much it sucks to have to "bind" after surgery.

[Jack_M]

I got my surgery locally so my actual surgeon just straight away drained it when he saw it today and will do the same on Thursday if required. Can't say how happy I am to have chosen local! Yeah, it was a haematoma and apparently I have the record for amount drained now. A record I'd gladly have gone without tbh! Lol.

[Elijah3291]

I'm glad your surgeon was local, thats lucky and convenient

[Elijah3291]

here is my 7 months, 3 weeks post op, with Dr G. Waiting for that stretch mark on my left side to go away. The photo's are misleading but my scars are actually turing more white.

[aleon515]

650ml of bloody, yucky, brown fluid drained out of my right chest today. Didn't hurt that much except for the stab on the outer side. Fun part: had to stand for the whole thing! That was...uhh...interesting, and my way too inquisitive med school student ways couldn't be switched off and I watched the whole thing. Ouch!

Took away all the welling though. Having to compress even more too (few towels shoved under my compression vest).

Just glad to have a flat chest and it actually doesn't look all that bad right now! May have to get it drained again on Thursday. Hopefully not, but it's a real possibility. Crossing all my fingers.

Wow sounds awful, esp the "guests" and the pain and the compression, but I am pretty sure that you are strong enough to handle all that, but still rough going. Glad it looks like it will work out. Crossing my fingers for you.

@Elijah-- you're looking good. Could not tell you had problems you did. I know what you say re: the color. I think the camera turns everything redder. Some guy posted his nipples today and I can't even tell the picture is so red looking.
Jack's hematoma was caused by someone pulling him violently.


--Jay

[Bimmer Guy]

I chose her because of location and because she's good with bigger chested people. I like her results.

Great.  It is best to choose a surgeon whose results we like for our body type.  Good luck to you.

Jeatyn - Sorry it didn't work out today.  I hope tomorrow is a better day!

Jack - glad you got it drained and are pleased with how it looks.

Elijah - your chest looks great.  Thanks for posting!

[Bimmer Guy]

Hey, Jack, did the doc say you would have to get a revision due to what happened?  Are things shifted out of place?  I know you mentioned the shape of your nipple changing shape.

I saw on the other thread you have to get a drain.  I hope it isn't that difficult to deal with.

Hang in there!

[Jeatyn]

Well that was a fun hospital appointment.

The clinic was delayed by an hour and a half to start with, several screaming children in close proximity - always a nice addition.

I finally got in there, nurse didn't know what I was in there for but then saw "Dr Rubin" on my chart and was like "oooh, you're one of THOSE patients, ok" and gave me a weird look.

I thought great, this will be fun. She mis-gendered me the whole time. So did the other nurse she called in to help

I got my stitches (apparently I do have stitches, they told me just glue at one point) YANKED out - and she said if any more come to the surface to do the same thing.

I've had to put plasters on where she yanked a couple out because it's bleeding and sore. A little bit of white stuff came out too, like the crap that's inside pimples. Will keep an eye on it - hope it's not the start of an infection =/

This can't be right can it? Surely you're not supposed to just force the things out? Aren't they supposed to dissolve over time?

[Alexthecat]

This can't be right can it? Surely you're not supposed to just force the things out? Aren't they supposed to dissolve over time?

What happened to the new age of dissolved stitches? I know the ones they had in my head as a child still have a scar, though I don't think they used any scar care on it back in the early 1990's. They had to cut them out.

[Jeatyn]

I've never had stitches before. The rest of them must be inside me I guess o_0 I must have been stitched and then had skin glued over the top. I had some scabby bits on the edges of my incisions with what looked like just normal white cotton thread poking through, they were yanked. Then I had a weird clear plasticy thing sticking out of my nipple, also yanked. That one was horrible, it was only a tiny nubbin poking out and ended up being like 1.5cm by the time she was done pulling it out. I figured this whole time that thing was just a bit of dried glue xD Weirdly though as gross as it looked, there's no hole or bleeding on the nipple like their is on the edges.

[Jack_M]

They remove them if they come to the surface so it's entirely normal. I actually did all that myself at home. Any that come to the surface you can grab with tweezers and get them out. The ones I had were more for the tie over bandage on.my nipples at the time. They can dissolve but they're also not holding anything together internally and can be yanked. At your stage of healing you don't really need the stitches any.more and are just waiting for them to dissolve or come to the surface and be pulled out speeding up the process.