For all you guys who have had top surgery, what was the recovery like? What did you have to do, how did you manage simple things like showering, when did you finally feel fit enough to carry on everyday life, etc etc...and how long did it take your scars to fade to a barely noticeable level?
I've only been post op about 8 nearly 9 months now.. my scars are still noticeable and red but still slowly fading.
My recovery time was 1 week I could have got back to work fine.
Jay
From the date of surgery I would say about 10 days. From the time I returned home a little under a week. For work it really depend on what you do, for a desk job I would say 2 weeks if you work in a warehouse much longer depending on how heavy the stuff is and the specific surgery, DI or keyhole. I had DI three months ago and the heavy stuff over my head is still a bit uncomfortable.
Andrew/Myles
I don't know if I was typical, but here's something you might not have considered. My body was stressed for weeks after surgery. I was tired and had to take naps in the middle of the day for quite some time. Good thing I was on summer break.
As far as physically feeling pretty good I'd have to say 3 weeks. Still about 5-6 weeks before regular lifting, and several months before the heavy overhead stuff. Still have reddened scars 11 mos post op though fading, and pretty much can do anything now without fear. Occ. get a twinge but nothing to worry about, and still have some numb areas.
Jay
Quote from: Jay on November 22, 2009, 07:34:51 AMMy recovery time was 1 week I could have got back to work fine.
Do you have a desk job? I would ideally like to take just a week off from work. When I'd return I'd abide by the healing suggestions, but being at a computer all day is easier on healing than someone who has to lift alot at work.
Radar, I was back at my desk for my "volunteer" work/job upon returning home from surgery. It was about 6+ hours a day in front of a computer at that time, to make up for my time away for surgery.
Myles/Andrew
Should add I was home a little over 7 days later (after surgery), was in SF for a little over a week for all the post op stuff.
Quote from: Radar on November 22, 2009, 04:04:35 PM
Do you have a desk job? I would ideally like to take just a week off from work. When I'd return I'd abide by the healing suggestions, but being at a computer all day is easier on healing than someone who has to lift alot at work.
Yes I do, however I still need to travel for an hour to get there. I was absolutely fine after one day I was good to go.. however I only had my drains in for about 24 hours and that was it. The only thing I couldn't do was reach and that only caused a slight pain. But still uncomfortable enough to not do it. My main pain was my nipples because of the stiches.
I can see how everyone is saying approx 3-4 weeks guess I was a special case then.
By the way I had DI with nipple grafts
Jay
Here's a (probably) stupid question:
Does anyone know if they have to make the scars symmetrical or if they might be able to make them asymmetrical (as in one side looks different from the other) if you requested it? Do you think they'd have to do a different type of procedure on each side in order for the scars not to look like mirror images of each other?
Scars can be attractive in general, but I don't know about the symmetrical-looking ones that I happen to have seen on guys who have just had top surgery . . .
lol, I'd be thrilled if a surgeon made the scars look different...different enough I could mark them up to something else if questioned about it. Sadly the top surgery scars scream "boob removal" by their placement.
Quote from: Alexmakenoise on November 22, 2009, 08:52:31 PM
Here's a (probably) stupid question:
Does anyone know if they have to make the scars symmetrical or if they might be able to make them asymmetrical (as in one side looks different from the other) if you requested it? Do you think they'd have to do a different type of procedure on each side in order for the scars not to look like mirror images of each other?
Scars can be attractive in general, but I don't know about the symmetrical-looking ones that I happen to have seen on guys who have just had top surgery . . .
can you elaborate? don't know quite what you mean. mine are symmetrical for the most part except that the right scar is larger and more noticeable. really don't know what caused this as my breasts were the same size.
Quote from: Nero on November 22, 2009, 10:23:39 PM
can you elaborate? don't know quite what you mean. mine are symmetrical for the most part except that the right scar is larger and more noticeable. really don't know what caused this as my breasts were the same size.
I mean that the ones I've seen look like mirror images of each other.
I like the idea of having scars on my chest, but I don't like the idea of them looking symmetrical (mirror images) like the ones I've seen.
The ones in pics I've seen make it look kind of like the person put on a bra with branding irons for under-wires and then got their breasts removed. At least that's the image that comes to mind for me.
It would be cool if a surgeon could make the incisions in a different place, or in a different shape, on each side so my scars wouldn't make me think of being branded or scarred by bra under-wires.
I think that scars, in general, are very attractive. But they're more attractive if there's something somewhat haphazard-looking about them. It seems like a surgeon COULD cut in a different place or shape on each side, but I wonder if any actually would (upon request).
I had lopsided deformities on my chest, so I'm not surprised that my scars aren't quite symmetrical. Frankly, I wish they were symmetrical. But that's just me.
I don't know whether you could convince a surgeon to make unsymmetrical incisions. I think most docs would have a problem with that.
i am actually 5 days post op...drains r still in...hopefully gettin out in the morning...i have been on couch at a buddies for a week...im just sore n very tender on the sides...i have to be sponge bathed...i hope to go back to work next week..it weird tho it hurts more on the sides than the front
Quote from: xACEx on November 23, 2009, 01:36:39 AM
i am actually 5 days post op...drains r still in...hopefully gettin out in the morning...i have been on couch at a buddies for a week...im just sore n very tender on the sides...i have to be sponge bathed...i hope to go back to work next week..it weird tho it hurts more on the sides than the front
Congrats on your surgery and I hope you feel better soon!
Yep what alex said. :) heal up soon!
This is a great thread, it's good to know how much you can and can't do. Ty on You tube got a big haematoma from moving around too much, from what he said on his videos, and i want to be as well healed as possible. i got 18 days to go! ::)
Funny thing my surgery hurt alot more when the drains where in because my movement was restricted. But my drains where taken out after 24hours so maybe thats the reason why you guys hurt more??!?
Jay
Yeah, this thread is really informative. Drains? Hematomas from moving around too much? I didn't know until now.
Agree with the drains thing, once mine were taken out (think I had them in for 5 or so days) I was much more mobile. Good part about them staying in longer is it gets as much of the fluid out as possible. Once they are out though you will feel so much better.
Cheers
Andrew
look like mirror images of each other
Is there a different definition of symmetrical?
I took 10 days off. I have the equivalent of a desk job, not quite but not physical either. I did have limited arm movement and couldn't reach the higher shelves or wall racks of papers and folders. I wore my binder for protection the first few days.
I'd still take it easy. You don't realize how much you use your upper body even when not lifting things, just by moving and bending and reaching etc.
FWIW I'm not the type to sit still or take it easy and tend to do too much too soon because I *hate* being incapacitated in any way. I also take pain fairly well. I also worked 1 day 4 days post hysto and went back regularly after a week... not recommended but that's me.
Jay
I have the equivalent of a desk job
FWIW I'm not the type to sit still or take it easy
Please justify these two ideas being in the same post. I dare 'ya.
lol tekla
I'm a computer database nerd so have to sit at a computer but do have to run around the office with paperwork also
but if someone tells me NO YOU CANT LIFT OR GO OUTSIDE then of course I just HAVE to lol
then I do things like run marathons and hike in my spare time to get the energy out.
Jay
You choose to be that, and you choose to sit at a desk. Which is cool, everyone ought to know their limits, but sitting at a desk to me was like giving a 50 minute ->-bleeped-<- to someone who came in the first 30 seconds. More work than it was worth.
Very true.
It's mentally stimulating and financially rewarding, which is why I do it. If it sucked I'd go do something else. Though in this economy I'd just like to have a job. :)
Jay
All sorts of things might be 'financially rewarding' - but they suck. Literally.
The 'guys' I know have more jobs than they can do, the rest, are looking for any job. In any economy, no matter how depressed - and in many cases because of it - real jobs find the people who can do them, the rest? Well, unemployment insurance exists for a reason I guess.
Quote from: sneakersjay on November 23, 2009, 08:34:50 PM
lol tekla
I'm a computer database nerd so have to sit at a computer but do have to run around the office with paperwork also
but if someone tells me NO YOU CANT LIFT OR GO OUTSIDE then of course I just HAVE to lol
then I do things like run marathons and hike in my spare time to get the energy out.
Jay
I can totally relate to this. I'm a lounge around most of the time and then RUN!!! type too. I like things like having a job that requires me to sit still all day but choosing to walk as fast as I can to get to and from work. And then lounging again after work. Then banging on drums and practicing playing guitar while jumping up and down and spinning in circles for half an hour. Then lounging again until bed-time.
I'm like a snake - I spend most of my time laying low and conserving energy, then let it out in short bursts.
I also like to try doing what I'm told I shouldn't do. I'm a real sucker for "reverse psychology". :eusa_wall:
I'm a real sucker for "reverse psychology".
Go out and be a success then.
Quote from: tekla on November 23, 2009, 10:15:11 PM
I'm a real sucker for "reverse psychology".
Go out and be a success then.
Case in point - self-deprecating humor doesn't always work online.
It always works for me.
Mentally stimulating + financially rewarding = WIN
Financially rewarding - mental stimulation = FAIL
I work hard but then I play hard. Best of both worlds. :)
Jay
Quote from: Chris the Wookie Slayer on November 22, 2009, 06:50:40 AM
For all you guys who have had top surgery, what was the recovery like? What did you have to do, how did you manage simple things like showering, when did you finally feel fit enough to carry on everyday life, etc etc...and how long did it take your scars to fade to a barely noticeable level?
I was able to do a lot of what i did before and since, few exceptions included:
*my laundry
*reaching into the freezer over my fridge,
*spraying the top leaves on my laurel for mildew
Dr. Wilson told me that I could "shower as normal", but I learned the hard way that is the LAST thing I should have done. What happened? The grafts got wet, couldn't dry completely between showers (his bindings are just large hunks of cotton sewn directly to the skin), and this led to them falling off. I then had to argue with Dr. Wilson (and get my Enormous Room-mate in on it, as well) so the man would just fracking do a revision so I could look like a human being again -- and even then, he refused to admit that he did anything wrong. It's been about eighteen months and I still don't have total feeling back in my underarms, either.
As for the scarring -- honestly, that's going to be more you than the surgeon. Yeah, good surgeons will have little tricks to make certain scars less apparent, but depending on how much tissue will end up removed, certain scars are inevitable. If you scarred well before, then don't worry too much. But I had keloids left-over from chicken pox when i was ten, so for scarring I expected the worst and ended up with something not quite as bad.
Post Merge: November 24, 2009, 03:26:08 AM
Quote from: Chris the Wookie Slayer on November 22, 2009, 10:18:09 PMlol, I'd be thrilled if a surgeon made the scars look different...different enough I could mark them up to something else if questioned about it. Sadly the top surgery scars scream "boob removal" by their placement.
I don't think my scarring necessarily screams that, but then again, only a few of my neighbours has seen me with my shirt off (and none of my friends have). Of course, in my case, so much tissue was removed that the scarring extends under both arms and a bit in on my back. The only time I was asked about it, I said "I had an eighteen-pound growth that went across my chest removed, that's what happened to the nipples, too." Technically not a lie, though I'm sure he probably thinks this means I had cancer of some variety.
I want "perfect" symmetry in my scars tyvm.
I'm considering surgery this year but am really bothered about recovery time cuz I usually work in a warehouse, how long after can you lift 20+ lbs?
Quote from: onebody on March 27, 2014, 04:10:08 AM
I'm considering surgery this year but am really bothered about recovery time cuz I usually work in a warehouse, how long after can you lift 20+ lbs?
Your doctor can tell you more about that.
For myself, 6 weeks.
Depends on what you mean by "recovery". 2-3 months after surgery people still sometimes ask me "how I am?" and it always seems weird. I don't have any discomfort except that I still feel my incisions if I lift my arms over my head.
I had a DI with drains. I had the drains in for a week. It wasn't comfortable but after 3-4 days I was more stir crazy, itchy, and uncomfortable than anything. After two weeks I had this sensitive kind of sensation. Really nasty actually.
I could have gone back after one week after getting the drains out (So that's two weeks) for a desk job.
I had help around the house because I couldn't take out the garbage or do the litter box for a few weeks (limited to 5 lbs). After 3-4 weeks I could do those things.
I had Dr Garramone, he says 8 weeks til normal activity like exercise and so on.
You could take walks and so, I think he doesn't want you elevating your heart beat or putting stress on your suture line.
--Jay
I had DI with no drains four weeks ago. I went back to work at 3 weeks, but I have a desk job and am not doing any heavy lifting. My boss is doing all my lifting for me until I recover. ;)
The physio gave me a list of gentle stretching exercises to do several times a day until normal movement was restored. I have most of my movement back, but I still struggle to reach things above my head. She advised that I could start some gentle exercise, like walking on a treadmill, from 4 weeks... but no weights until 6 weeks, and even then, I have to start out with very light weights and work my way back up.
So, bottom line: I doubt you'd be able to safely manage loads of 20lbs+ for at least the first six weeks, and it may be some time after that before you're back to full capacity.
Could you arrange with your employer to change your role for a few weeks until you've recovered?
I didn't go back to work until 8 weeks due to paperwork issues. I'm a stocker so it can be 50 pounds at times with lots of reaching. I started physical therapy at the chiro at 5 weeks and I think that helped a lot. Now at 10 weeks I barely feel pulling and would say that I have full range of motion back.
Quote from: onebody on March 27, 2014, 04:10:08 AM
I'm considering surgery this year but am really bothered about recovery time cuz I usually work in a warehouse, how long after can you lift 20+ lbs?
My surgeon recommended 1 month before attempting to lift anything 20 lbs or over. And tbh up until about 3 weeks after surgery it hurt for me to even try (feels like it's pulling at the stitches). I worked at a hardware store at the time, and many places will put you on light duty if they know you've had any kind of operation/surgery (you don't have to disclose to them what the operation entailed).
ok thanks guys, Then I might have to quit and stay home, I usually work as a temp, some places are not so happy when you're taking 8 weeks off
Bah, guess I won't be able to have top surgery for a long time. I have a special need dog that weighs 35 lbs. I have to do some lifting of her almost daily.
Quote from: tomboy on March 27, 2014, 09:05:37 PM
Bah, guess I won't be able to have top surgery for a long time. I have a special need dog that weighs 35 lbs. I have to do some lifting of her almost daily.
They aren't cheap, but there is something like this: http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=4Y0H&adv=127748&cm_mmc=plas-_-Dogs-_-4Y0H-_-127748&kpid=4Y0H-06-60&c->-bleeped-<-spn=pla
--Jay
hmm... that might be worth it. not just for surgery but for my back in general. most of the time we do pretty well, but sometimes its... interesting. She wears this harness: http://www.ruffwear.com/Web-Master-Harness_2 everyday
There are other sorts of similar harnesses. Just didn't know if you knew this existed. It would be a help. Lifting a dog every day like that can't be fun, and it would make surgery pretty nearly impossible. Another store to check out is http://www.drsfostersmith.com/
I used to get a lot of stuff from them and they are reliable.
--Jay
how long could you guys go back to normal driving?
Quote from: onebody on April 04, 2014, 03:49:30 AM
how long could you guys go back to normal driving?
3-4 weeks. Driving itself isn't an issue, it's when some lunatic almost hits you and you have to yank the wheel and your incisions half a mile.
I was able to drive for short trips between weeks 2 & 3 to build up my stamina, and I went back to work exactly 3 weeks post-op. My journey to work takes about an hour and a half, so I needed to try shorter trips first before attempting the big one.
For my first week back at work (Week 3) I had to take paracetamol before each trip, but from Week 4 onwards I haven't touched any painkillers at all. My surgeon recommended that I should wear the surgical binder for extra support whilst driving until I felt I no longer needed it; I stopped using it during Week 4.
It might be worth mentioning that your car insurers might not cover you until you're completely clear of anaesthetic. For me, I felt fuzzy-headed until halfway through Week 2 so I didn't feel safe to drive before that point. My insurers would've refused any claims if I'd driven too soon. If in doubt, call your insurers and ask them what their policy is for driving post-anaesthetic.
I should also point out that I was lucky to have unusually good mobility post-op, but most patients are more limited in their arm movements.
About 2-3 weeks. I had to drive "underhand" for awhile though. I never took any pain meds, but I think at a certain point, you would pull the sutures too much.
--Jay
Quote from: onebody on April 04, 2014, 03:49:30 AM
how long could you guys go back to normal driving?
5 weeks for me.