Post-op questions

[billystuart92]

I have two questions that don't really relate to one another but for the sake of not cluttering up the forum I'm gonna ask em both here!

I've been out of surgery for two weeks tomorrow, and I wanted to start doing some light exercise for my arms.
I have a set of those one handed weight things with various weights available, but I don't want to push myself?
How much weight do you think I should be able to handle at two weeks from surgery?
I don't have full mobility in my arms yet but I can do the movements required for the little weights.


The next thing I'm curious about is nipples, I get to see my progress on those in three or four days when my surgeon takes off the dressings.
I'm aware that these things are gonna be quite ugly for a while.
I was wondering about all of your experiences?
How long was it before the nipple stitches came out?
How long before they stopped being all scabby?
Also, if it's not too intrusive, would anyone be willing to show me a picture of a close up on their nipples, along with info on how long they've been healing for? Even seeing fully healed ones would be nice, I have no idea what to expect!


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[Alexthecat]

2 weeks is too early for weights. Wait at least 6 weeks. If you have heard that you should move your arms asap that only applies to those that have cancer and have more removed than we do. They are at high risk of losing arm movement.

[RaptorChops]

I waited about 5 1/2 weeks and I only did 5lbs of lifting. I continued that for a few more weeks and once I was at my month I felt well enough to lift a bit more (15lbs). You have to be careful, I noticed when I started lifting a bit heavier I could feel like a sharp sensation near my nipples.

As far as nipples go mine weren't as bad as I thought they would turn out to be. They didn't get all juicy and nasty like some folks had going on. I kept using Xeroform on them for a few weeks until my doctor said I was good to go. My left side was more swollen and now my areola there is much larger and puffier (the nipple is slowly starting to pop out) than my right. My right side is smaller and the nipple itself is off center. I'm not mad about it or anything, makes me have more character I suppose lol. Mine stopped being scabby around 6-7 weeks.

I had dissolvable sutures so they went away on their own. Mine didn't even itch all that much, only recently (a little more than 2 months post op) did the right side start to itch every now and then.



the little cut on my right side (left in pic) is from a suture that popped out and started growing into the skin below it. I'm still swollen on my left side too. Also on my swollen side the middle of it started bleeding about a week after my surgery so that's why it's so thick looking.

[billystuart92]

2 weeks is too early for weights. Wait at least 6 weeks. If you have heard that you should move your arms asap that only applies to those that have cancer and have more removed than we do. They are at high risk of losing arm movement.

Oh! Thanks for letting me know, I'll admit I'd just been searching the word mastectomy, hadn't really paid attention to the reasons behind it!

It's a shame knowing I should wait so long but I def don't want to press myself so I'll be sure to take your advice!

Im actually a little annoyed at my nurse, for my first consultation after surgery my surgeon had to rush off to unexpected surgery and stuck me with her nurse instead.
The nurse chided me for not having full use of my arms yet and said I should have been back to normal by then (almost a week ago)
She made it seem like I should be lifting things easily so that's part of the reason I'd been so worried about my arms :/

And Raptor! Thanks for the pic and the info!
I'm not even sure I care what my nipples end up looking like lol, I just want the grossness to go away!!!
6-7 weeks is a pain but I suppose I waited this long for surgery, I'll have to be patient a little longer :p


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[invisiblemonsters]

my scabs came off about 4 weeks in. i went back to my physically demanding job at 4 weeks and had no issues with lifting heavy things, etc. my scabs came off because the gauze rubbed against them and they came off but they were peeling already about 3 weeks in. my arm movement wasn't too bad i could do most things by week 2-3 but showering still took a bit to lift my arms up high enough because although i could move my arms, i didn't lift them above my head until well after 4 weeks. i didn't want to stretch my scars or do too much so even though i had a physically demanding job, my scars didn't stretch.

[RaptorChops]

Also if you start feeling an irritation like something plastic is rubbing against your skin it is more than likely the sutures (if they used the same thing my surgeon did). Sometimes they can poke out and become very painful and annoying. I had a bunch that poked out of the skin so I took nail clippers and cut them as close to my skin as possible so they would dissolve back in. I had like 2 that I had pulled out in my sleep some how. The worst areas that they poked out for me were where my drains were. They left these little bumps but after I got them under control my skin started to smooth back out.

[billystuart92]

That seems like a really speedy recovery!!!

I had another issue so rather than make a new post I'm gonna add it to this one!

I've noticed today my rib sort of area under my scar has been really painful!
I'm assuming it's the bruising that hurts, but it seems weird that it was practically better and now I can't touch it at all without it being really painful!
Is this normal for bruises to get worse before healing??


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[RaptorChops]

About 2-4 weeks after your surgery you will still have bruising and swelling. It can take up to 6 months for the swelling and all that to subside. I still have some sore spots on my chest.

As far as your new pain goes, I would say it's probably a good thing because your nerves and all that are reattaching and you are regaining feeling in that area again. Continue taking your pain meds if you got them! Don't take your binder off, you will have to wear that for about 5 weeks (obviously you can take it off to shower). This will also help decrease any swelling as well as keep your scars from stretching too much.

[FTMax]

No exercise unless you have your surgeon's permission. Think about it from their POV: I tell guy he can't work out until 4 weeks post op. Guy works out at 2 weeks post op. Guy comes to me wanting a revision in 6 months. Guy didn't follow my instructions about post op care. I make guy pay for revision. It's not worth it.

I was scabby for a few weeks, then goopy. Pics below.


Ten days post-op.


One month post-op.


Three months post-op.



Nipples close up, four months post-op.

[billystuart92]

Oops!
I hadn't been wearing my binder at all because of the pain it was causing by pressing into my bruises!

Ftmax, your nipples look amazing! Thanks for the pics!
What kind of care did you have to give your nipples when they were "goopy"?


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[FTMax]

Oops!
I hadn't been wearing my binder at all because of the pain it was causing by pressing into my bruises!

Ftmax, your nipples look amazing! Thanks for the pics!
What kind of care did you have to give your nipples when they were "goopy"?

I had permission from my surgeon to stop wearing the binder after 2 weeks, as it was hurting more than helping. That said, I didn't have much (if any) swelling. If I had, she may have told me differently. I'd ask yours when you see her next. Or call her office.

As soon as the bandaging came off (8 days post-op), I covered them with antimicrobial gauze pads and papery medical tape with a dollop of Neosporin. Did that for basically two weeks more, until I realized that the constant Neosporin was making them stay goopy. So then I'd shower, put on Neosporin, and air dry for a few hours. I did that until around the one month mark. By then, they weren't gross anymore. I rub coconut oil along the incisions and nips twice a day (from then to now).

[billystuart92]

I've had little to no swelling, so hopefully it's okay that I haven't been wearing it.
All it seemed to be doing was squeezing my bruises and making it hard to breathe :/
I will ask my surgeon though, I see her again on Wednesday so it's not that long a wait!


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[FTMax]

If it's adjustable, try loosening the shoulder straps. This helped me a bit.