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

[JandJ]

I'm staying over night, will have leg compressors, and have a prescription for a couple shots of Lovenox to take after surgery. All this because I have a blood clotting issue. I've had one PE and am not on Coumadin.
I'm 44, had a recent mammo (mandatory for this surgery with my surgeon) and will have pre-op blood work done.
I don't understand your surgeons perspective. If YOU don't feel comfortable with him, I'd really reconsider using him.

Exactly!  I've thrown several PE's over the years thus the filter.  I am having surgery locally so I don't have the usual travel concerns but it just has me very uncomfortable that he nor his staff even asked.  My family is very concerned about the missing pre-op blood work and mammogram.  I had lab work done last month for my T and all looked good - BUT the surgeon does not know that!  I don't know...  I have waited a long time for this, and I might not have the opportunity again for some time but...  I told them that I was bed ridden and in a wheelchair for several years - for them to assume I am now the picture of health just feels odd.  Yes, I am MUCH better now and do try to appear healthy.  I know that I look healthy now and since starting T, I feel healthy for the first time in years.  But I spent a decade being anything but healthy and I do not ever want to go back!

[AleksiJason]

There is NO difference between Scaraway gel and Kelocote i just researched them

both are 100% silicone.....same exact ingredents (just silicone).....ScarAway gel is just cheaper and worked like magic for me

[AleksiJason]

I dont know what photobucket is and when i click on the picture saved on my PC there is no option to open with photobucket

they should make it a little harder for us to upload pictures

[Alexthecat]

I dont know what photobucket is and when i click on the picture saved on my PC there is no option to open with photobucket

they should make it a little harder for us to upload pictures

Its easy you just haven't learned how to internet.

Go here http://imgur.com/ push upload photos, take link and post it here.

[SyrBigDog]

I'm two days post op.  Soreness has kicked in today.  Drain tubes hurts like a bear but I am so happy!!  Unveiling happens on Monday!

[Konnor]

Congrats Syr! You will likely feel better once you get the drains out. They weren't as painful as I had feared, but definitely gross and a nuisance! Hope you are taking it easy!  Don't be afraid to take the pain meds and rest up!

[Whynaut]

Maybe my nerves are starting to wake back up but I feel like I've gotten MORE sore. I'm 2.5 weeks post-op and at the 2 week mark I started getting very itchy and very sore. It doesn't feel bad to just sit or stand or walk, but reaching got more difficult and touching the incisions (like drying off after showering) got more painful. I'm sure it's fine -- there are no signs of infection or anything. It's just annoying.

Also, my nipples are even with each other as far as placement goes, but they look VERY different. I'm not concerned with aesthetics (cis bodies aren't perfect) so it's sort of funny to me. :]

Finally, I'm pretty swollen. I wish the swelling would go down because I want to admire my chest but I'll just have to be patient. How long did it take for the majority of the swelling to go away?

I went to Dr. Satterwhite and I gotta say I loved not having to deal with drains. My experience was very positive. The only downside was that the office is very busy so it took a while for them to return emails. They are much better at returning calls.

[AleksiJason]

Its easy you just haven't learned how to internet.

Go here http://imgur.com/ push upload photos, take link and post it here.

I've been using the internet since i was 11 years old....I'm 28 now....I was using it back in the AOL days when u had to dial up to get a connection and couldnt use the phone while u were on the net because of it.....I'm just not a nerd who knows EVERYTHING and all the ins and outs about computers or the internet

[AleksiJason]

My surgeon nearly joined my scars, there was only about 1/4 inch between them (at most)

I used nothing but ScarAway gel and my scars (in the past) DO NOT heal well......I have many scars from both many surgeries and also being an ex-cutter and used nothing on those scars and they healed horribly.....raised and dark colored

My camera is VERY good at picking up the slightest bit of color.....so u can see my scars are not even visible in the middle of my chest... and just get only slightly more noticeable as they get closer to my armpits (where the incision was much deeper so takes longer to go away and heal)

u can even see the light purplish color of the lines on my stomach from losing a lot of weight (i used to have fat rolls) but scars are not visible except by my pits.....that was 1 year post op

the lines on my stomach from losing weight are more visible than my scars

[Bimmer Guy]

There is NO difference between Scaraway gel and Kelocote i just researched them

both are 100% silicone.....same exact ingredents (just silicone).....ScarAway gel is just cheaper and worked like magic for me

ScarAway bought Kelocote or vice versa, I can't remember about a year ago.

The Kelocote is thicker, which is why I like it.  It also mentions hypertrophic scars, which is why I used it.  I used the Scar Away roller ball for about a year because Scar Away gel wasn't out yet.  I tried the Scar Away gel and then tried the Kelo cote.  Kept with the kelo cote because it was thicker and I have hypertrophic scars.  It was soon after that the companies combined.  But yes, any gel that is 100% silicone should work fine.  I still use the Kelo cote daily and I am 1.5 years out.  I am going to have to go to a dermatologist to get steroid shots to flatten these scars.  They are pretty light in color for hypertrophic scars, though.

The Scar Away strips stayed on for me.  I would wear them for 24 hours.  I would wash them as instructed.  I never even had the hint of a corner come up and I wore them daily for 4-5 months.  I know that Jay said Target's came off.  So, maybe it is a name brand thing.

[AleksiJason]

The ScarAway gel was thick enough for me....if it was thicker I think it'd be more uncomfortable and more suffocating.....the scar needs to heal and breathe....i actually think that is what made me choose scaraway gel.....they advertised it as "breathable" technology or some crap like that

I just bought an aloe plant for my scars now because im a year and almost 2 months post op and dont wanna use heavy duty stuff anymore

and also my scars are completely flat level with the rest of my skin....there is absolutely no hypertrophic scar tissue (like there was with previous operations and cutting).....the right side is still fairly dark in color but is completely flat level with my regular skin.....and with the aloe plant gel im hoping within a year it will get lighter

[Bimmer Guy]

The ScarAway gel was thick enough for me....if it was thicker I think it'd be more uncomfortable and more suffocating.....the scar needs to heal and breathe....i actually think that is what made me choose scaraway gel.....they advertised it as "breathable" technology or some crap like that

I just bought an aloe plant for my scars now because im a year and almost 2 months post op and dont wanna use heavy duty stuff anymore

and also my scars are completely flat level with the rest of my skin....there is absolutely no hypertrophic scar tissue (like there was with previous operations and cutting).....the right side is still fairly dark in color but is completely flat level with my regular skin.....and with the aloe plant gel im hoping within a year it will get lighter

Hi, Aleksi, I am glad to hear that you didn't get hypertrophic scarring even though you have a history of them.  It was the opposite for me.  I had a colon resection which means an incision line from above my belly button down to the top of my mons pubis and it didn't get hypertrophic.  I didn't even know what it was.

Aloe is some good stuff.  Who did your surgery? 

[AleksiJason]

yeah ive got scars from when i used to cut when i was 15 (13 years ago) that look a hell of a lot worse, darker (and raised) than my top surgery scars which were just over a year now.....but i didnt use anything on my arm scars....i have a scar on my scalp u cant see cause of my hair but when i pull my hair away it looks horrendous from a benign brain tumor that was removed when i was 20

i went to garramone and stayed at new beginnings and had a mixed experience there....there were positives and negatives.....i know most guys would like highly recommend it but i had some bad moments there......for example Leland kept pushing me to make my bandages looser the day after my surgery but i was not comfortable with loosening them so soon

so a few days after surgery i agreed he can loosen them.....so he re-wrapped me

when i went to my post op appt dr. garramone looked shocked at my bandages....he asked why the ace bandage was so low on my chest (all my white gauze was popping out) and why it was so loose

i told him Leland rewrapped me and he looked hella ->-bleeped-<-ing pissed and rolled his eyes

i knew there was a problem when he rewrapped me because the ace bandage was so loose it was falling down my chest onto my stomach and all hte white gauze on my chest was showing

it didnt even cover my chest

my dad took me for my top surgery and when i was waiting in the waiting room for my Pre-Op appt... Leland came in looking for new "recruits" and talked to me and my dad and was SOOOOO nice and personable and just seemed like a great guy

but once we payed him for my week's stay he started getting rude and passive aggressive and i just got a bad vibe

[AleksiJason]

They (Leland and wife) live in a mansion in Florida.....both are nurses but i dont think Leland even works as a nurse anymore....and nurses dont make enough money to afford a mansion

there is no way they can afford that gigantic beautiful house if it was not for all the guys they take in (not even legally) after surgery to recover

Leland even said we couldnt tell anyone about it and i couldnt go outside without my chest fully covered and buttoned up....they dont have a license to make their home a recovery center

[makipu]

Right now I am using the Scaraway strips and I was initially pleased with how it stayed on and the way it looked. It's not even a week yet but 2 of the pieces fell and I don't even know where, it happened 3 times now without my notice.  I would understand it if the corners were a bit off. Is it rejecting my skin?

[Bimmer Guy]

Right now I am using the Scaraway strips and I was initially pleased with how it stayed on and the way it looked. It's not even a week yet but 2 of the pieces fell and I don't even know where, it happened 3 times now without my notice.  I would understand it if the corners were a bit off. Is it rejecting my skin?

Are you removing them, washing them and then leaving them to dry, every 24 hours?

[aleon515]

Oddly the stick better when clean. But they do lose the adhesive after about a month. The generic really is less good than the brand name.

--Jay

Are you removing them, washing them and then leaving them to dry, every 24 hours?

[Bimmer Guy]

Oddly the stick better when clean. But they do lose the adhesive after about a month. The generic really is less good than the brand name.

--Jay

You are supposed to throw them out after 7 days (scar Away)

[aleon515]

Okay that's right. The month is how long I got out of a box.

--Jay

You are supposed to throw them out after 7 days (scar Away)

[Aazhie]

Exactly!  I've thrown several PE's over the years thus the filter.  I am having surgery locally so I don't have the usual travel concerns but it just has me very uncomfortable that he nor his staff even asked.  My family is very concerned about the missing pre-op blood work and mammogram.  I had lab work done last month for my T and all looked good - BUT the surgeon does not know that!  I don't know...  I have waited a long time for this, and I might not have the opportunity again for some time but...  I told them that I was bed ridden and in a wheelchair for several years - for them to assume I am now the picture of health just feels odd.  Yes, I am MUCH better now and do try to appear healthy.  I know that I look healthy now and since starting T, I feel healthy for the first time in years.  But I spent a decade being anything but healthy and I do not ever want to go back!

As someone who works at a hospital... This attitude concerns me :C  Are you able to call the office and talk with someone about it? Have you known anyone who has gotten this kind of surgery from the specific surgeon you are seeing?  It's one thing for a surgeon to be a bit cocky/overconfident as that is generally the personality one has to have to literally be holding people's lives in one's hands.  However, this sounds like it's getting into negligent areas rather than simply confident?  How does the doctor that handles your lab work feel about this?  I know it's an important surgery but I have concerns for your health and safety if they aren't even doing some basic screening pre-op, unless they are secretly getting your lab work without your knowledge, whcih should NOT be happening!