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

[aleon515]

Sounds like a wise friend.
Yes things take time to settle.

--Jay

My bio male friend told me it looks fine and to stop freaking out lol. So I think I'll just relax and wait for everything to settle

[jumpthenexttrain]

Starting to worry a bit because my left side goes back to being swollen when I don't have things compressed. It's still about as swollen as it has been, and one part of it is a little firm now on the side. I could be just being a worry wart but idk.

[HeyTrace19]

Rotator cuff injury?

I can't move my arm in specific  directions. Could this be caused by the position of my arm during surgery? Anybody else experience this?

It is possible that you have a shoulder impingement.  I have experienced them from time to time in my life when my arm was held for a position too long (usually above the head), such as painting ceilings, or trimming tall hedges, tennis tournaments, and yes, also from being immobilized during surgery.  When your post-surgical mobility returns, there are range of motion exercises to do that set the ligaments and tendons back in place and strengthen the muscles (look up Codman's Pendulum).

Of course, you will ask at your follow up appointment and find a solution.  I also have nerve damage from an abdominal surgery that affects my left leg, so it could be something like that.  Time...it heals.  Well wishes to you.

[FTMax]

Rotator cuff injury?
I'm 5 days post-op DI. Since surgery, my left shoulder has hurt, with the pain ramping up while surgical pain gets less intense.
I can't move my arm in specific  directions. Could this be caused by the position of my arm during surgery? Anybody else experience this?
If the pain gets worse, I'll get ahold of one of the surgical residents, and I have my post-op in three days anyway.
Until then, my chest is wrapped in Ace bandages and gauze, so I don't get to see yet.

How are you sleeping? In the recliner, I had a lot of shoulder pain upon waking up that would only start to go away 5-6 hours after the fact. I would not call it debilitating, but it was the most painful part of recovery for me. If you're propping your arms up at all, maybe try just crossing them over your stomach instead.

[Konnor]

How are you sleeping? In the recliner, I had a lot of shoulder pain upon waking up that would only start to go away 5-6 hours after the fact. I would not call it debilitating, but it was the most painful part of recovery for me. If you're propping your arms up at all, maybe try just crossing them over your stomach instead.

This is what I was thinking as well. I was miserable the first few days post-op because I couldn't find a comfortable position to sleep in. I was always stiff and sore upon waking up too. What helped for me was putting pillows under my head, the small of back, and under my legs at the knee. Seemed to help keep me aligned better. So perhaps try playing around with your sleeping position or just the way you're sitting when hanging out. Also, try a heating pad on the sore shoulder (or a hot shower once you're allowed to shower). Good luck man, the first week or two are pretty rough but it gets better!

[MacG]

I'm sleeping in bed in my back. My arms on my belly or at my sides. I'm having trouble getting my muscles to relax. Everything tenses up. The resident on call told me to double my pain medicine dose and ice the shoulder.

[AleksiJason]

Starting to worry a bit because my left side goes back to being swollen when I don't have things compressed. It's still about as swollen as it has been, and one part of it is a little firm now on the side. I could be just being a worry wart but idk.

That could be fluid buildup which is dangerous....if your surgeon is far away make an appt with your GP

same happened to me (lots of swelling) and i called my surgeon and he told me he cant tell from pics (and since i live a 3 day drive away he couldnt inspect me) but told me to make an emergency appt with my gp and if theyre not available go to the ER

the firmness sounds weird to me....let us know how it goes

[jumpthenexttrain]

 

That could be fluid buildup which is dangerous....if your surgeon is far away make an appt with your GP

same happened to me (lots of swelling) and i called my surgeon and he told me he cant tell from pics (and since i live a 3 day drive away he couldnt inspect me) but told me to make an emergency appt with my gp and if theyre not available go to the ER

the firmness sounds weird to me....let us know how it goes

Oh god....I'll ask them tomorrow

When you had that did you end up going to the er or anything or did it go away?

[AleksiJason]

Oh god....I'll ask them tomorrow

When you had that did you end up going to the er or anything or did it go away?

Luckily a GP was able to take me right away so i didnt need to go to the ER.  Turns out was just swelling, took a while to go down though

But like my surgeon said he cant tell whether its just swelling or fluid buildup without feeling my chest

if u cant get an appt with a GP today i'd say go to the ER, better safe than sorry, good luck bro

[FTMax]

How long should I expect my nips to be scabby? The outer edge of them has peeled off and looks amazing, but the middle is still black and scabbed over.

[Alexthecat]

My surgeon said 2 months for nips.

[jumpthenexttrain]

Saw my surgeon about the swelling, they stuck in a needle to make sure it wasn't another hematoma and they said it's ok and to wear an under armor type of compression shirt, but nothing more compressing than that (not an ace wrap like I used a few times)

[Amadeus]

How long should I expect my nips to be scabby? The outer edge of them has peeled off and looks amazing, but the middle is still black and scabbed over.

Mine are like that too, and I'm thirteen days out.  My doctor said it'd take about a month for my nipples to return to their normal colour, and about that long for all of the swelling to go away.  I have to keep wearing this binder, too.  I've never worn a binder until now and I think it's helping with my anxiety.  Kinda like when you put a thundershirt on a dog.  So I might keep this thing around after I've healed for when my nerves are really, really bad.

[FTMax]

Mine are like that too, and I'm thirteen days out.  My doctor said it'd take about a month for my nipples to return to their normal colour, and about that long for all of the swelling to go away.  I have to keep wearing this binder, too.  I've never worn a binder until now and I think it's helping with my anxiety.  Kinda like when you put a thundershirt on a dog.  So I might keep this thing around after I've healed for when my nerves are really, really bad.

Ugh, I'm glad someone likes it! Mine is making me so sweaty and uncomfortable. My doctor said I could have it off for an hour or so per day outside of showering. It comes off as soon as I get back in the house. Hate it so much. I just keep telling myself it's only two more weeks.

[JandJ]

Ugh, I'm glad someone likes it! Mine is making me so sweaty and uncomfortable. My doctor said I could have it off for an hour or so per day outside of showering. It comes off as soon as I get back in the house. Hate it so much. I just keep telling myself it's only two more weeks.

Amen to that Max!  I took that Bra off every chance I had and did a little happy dance on my way out of the office the day my Dr. Told me I could stop wearing it!  For me, that was 11 days post op - even though he had said I would have to wear it a month.  I don't know if he just forgot where I was at post-op wise or not, but I took it off that day and never looked back!  I just had my next appointment with the surgeon, on May 7th, and he again said I could stop wearing it.  I didn't even bother reminding him that he had told me that two weeks ago LOL.  He also told me at the May 7 (just shy of one month) appointment that I no longer had any restrictions!  Work out, lift weights, run, jump, live life and enjoy - no restrictions - see you in two months.

Yes, technically it is not a brace, it's a bra!  They tell us it's a vest to make us feel better about wearing it, but it's a bra !

[FTMax]

My skin started breaking out under mine and I was having pretty bad shoulder pain. Despite being adjustable, it was pushing my shoulder too far down. Bad, stabby pain on the spine-side of my shoulder blade. I am not swelling at all, so I am allowed to keep it off now. I'm only wearing it to bed currently, and will probably stop that in another week when I'm less tender.

[Amadeus]

Ah.  So I'm not the only one with shoulder pain.  Like, upper back, right across the shoulder blades it hurts like a mofo sometimes.  I've got a good muscle relaxer but sometimes that doesn't even help.  I really wish I had a partner right now so I could beg her/him to sort of massage the pain away.  With Tiger Balm.  And vodka.

I'm also having weird pain across my chest, in the upper pectorals.  I know I had some irritation from the paper tape I was using for my nipple bandages, but this is deeper.  It's worse when I move too much or too fast, or go down stairs too fast.  The jostle sends a shock of pain through my chest.

[jumpthenexttrain]

I'm also having weird pain across my chest, in the upper pectorals.  I know I had some irritation from the paper tape I was using for my nipple bandages, but this is deeper.  It's worse when I move too much or too fast, or go down stairs too fast.  The jostle sends a shock of pain through my chest.

Sounds normal, if it gets unbearable you should ask the surgeon but pain like that is common (despite how alarming it seems)

[Amadeus]

Sounds normal, if it gets unbearable you should ask the surgeon but pain like that is common (despite how alarming it seems)

Hasn't really alarmed me.  I mean, I had massive mannaries.  Triple Ds, if not bigger.  This was not a quick get-in-get-out surgery.  This was a Gilligan's Island surgery.  This was a three hour tour.  Dr Nahai was scooping fat and mammary glands from all over my chest.  This is going to take a while for the tissues to reconnect, settle down, and resume normal function.  So yeah, I've earned my Percocets.  Mind you, I mostly save them for night time pain management.

What's really freaking me out are my nipple grafts.  I know that our bodies can do some amazing things and I have complete faith that my body is rewiring its nerves, reconnecting everything to my nipples so they'll be sensitive again one day.  But DAMN.  I mean, I don't feel anything right now when I touch them or put the ointment on them.  But if I get, you know, a little chilled or aroused it's like someone is stabbing me with needles all around the graft sites.

Has anyone else experienced this?

[FTMax]

Has anyone else experienced this?

Yes. I've been back at work since the week after surgery, and I'm often going from room temperature to 30/40 degrees. The cold is definitely not pleasant. It's also not just the nips for me, though it does seem more concentrated there. The upper span of my chest above and between the nipples also has a lot of little stabby pains in the cold.