Your chest looks great, Darrin. That smile tells how happy you were.

Quote from: Darrin Scott on March 20, 2014, 04:06:27 PM
I know. Sorry to sound redundant. I'm just really excited. Thanks everyone for the nice words!

Not redundant at all.  I was just pointing out that you were correct and I was happy for you.  She did a great job!

Also, no worries...I couldn't stop talking about it for weeks I was so thrilled!  My friends were sick of me!

Such an awesome picture Darrin, you look so happy!

I totally thought I had my post op appointment today, I was waiting for the bus and everything about half an hour ago. Then I was just idly glancing at my letter and realised it's not for another two weeks xD why I thought it was today I really don't know.

On a semi-related note. I had a GIC appointment on monday, and she has given me the go ahead to start the process for getting hysto. I'll have an appointment in a couple of weeks with someone else from the clinic to get my formal second opinion and then the referral can be sent off....but I'm basically already approved, it's just so they can tick all the paperwork boxes Interestingly, she presented me with a whole bunch of options about which surgeon I wanted and which hospital I wanted to go to. I never had this option for my top surgery, it was just "you're going to this guy" - very strange. She said she would do her best to fit it in around the time of my summer vacation too, which is awesome.

I will also be able to get my new birth certificate at some point this year...it's all finally working out

There are a bunch of pictures in between on my tumblr. Also I have a super detailed write up of my recovery.

Does anyone get a prickling sensation on the nipple grafts sometimes? I think it's from my shirt but its annoying and almost hurts. 

Quote from: Alexthecat on March 22, 2014, 06:57:15 AM
Does anyone get a prickling sensation on the nipple grafts sometimes? I think it's from my shirt but its annoying and almost hurts.

No, but I would when there were still those hard fishing line type stitches sticking out from the areolas.  You sure yours have all dissolved?  Look close with a magnifying mirror and clip, if needed.

Your pictures look great, anibioman.  I hope more people learn that Fischer does a great job with double incision, not just keyhole.

Quote from: Brett on March 22, 2014, 09:53:50 AM
No, but I would when there were still those hard fishing line type stitches sticking out from the areolas.  You sure yours have all dissolved?  Look close with a magnifying mirror and clip, if needed.

I looked and ran my finger around the areola but I don't see anything. I think it just does it to annoy me even when my shirt isn't touching. It's only poor lefty nipple, it's more bunched than righty nipple.

Awareness and Acceptance:

Ok, guys, so I am a bit slow on the uptake.  I have talked about my scars thickening and not really understanding this.  I have literally had either scar strips or silicone gel on at EVERY SINGLE MOMENT (except for one 8 hour period), since week two after my surgery.  Yes, you heard that right...24 hours a day, with constant precision, meticulous about it.  I haven't worked out, either.  So, I haven't understood why my scars look so different from everyone else's (worse), on this thread.  I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong.

Now I understand.  My scars are hypertrophic.  For some stupid reason I thought that all scars were either Keloid or Hypertrophic.  Meaning, I thought that hypertrophic was just another was of indicating visible scars.  Well, dumbass Brett, this is not the case.

SO, what I am looking at is thicker, wider scars than someone without this.  They say it could build up for up to two years, and then start to settle back down.  They are rope like.  Sucks.  Sucks.  Sucks. 

Strange though because the surgical scar on my stomach did not become hypertrophic.  I read that it mainly happens on the chest.

Anyway, you can note it on any of my pictures (first post).  They are now wider and thicker/heavier than that first post picture.  I will post a 6 month picture when I hit that mark in a couple of weeks.

The positive is I am no longer driving myself nuts trying to figure out what the hell is going on with my scars!  It's a shame because my OCD behavior would have made for some non-visible scars!

Sad day.  Oh well.  They should lighten over time (which they already are), and become more flat (not happening yet).  But, since they are so wide, they will always be pretty noticeable. 

(Almost) Six Week Update
(not until Wednesday, but I'm impatient...)

Just wanted to pop in and throw down some recent pictures! I'm now tape-free, nipple-bandaid free, and SO CLOSE to vest-free. Everything is closed (that I can see) and the only real "wounds" left are some ugly spots where the bandaids and tape were pulling my damn skin off. My nipples are doing AWESOME.

Quote from: NathanExplosion on March 23, 2014, 10:31:24 PM
(Almost) Six Week Update
and the only real "wounds" left are some ugly spots where the bandaids and tape were pulling my damn skin off. My nipples are doing AWESOME.

same thing happened with my skin from the bandaids, don't worry it my take a long time but it will fade.

Brett you might look into management/treatment for hypertrophic scarring. Like the micropore tape. I have scars on my hand and wrist that did this. The one on my wrist is beginning to flatten out and fade now with treatment of the kelo cote gel and micropore tape. I apply the gel -once- a day when I change the tape and that's it. I only apply the gel to my chest twice a day and change the tape at the same time.

The scar on my leg that I talked about in an earlier post would have probably became hypertrophic without taping. The scar on my wrist was about six months old when I started treating it out of curiosity and the need to rub off the extra gel at times from my chest. I'd try and treat the scars on my hands but most of them would be a pain to keep taped hah.

Btw guys amazon sometimes has good deals on the kelo cote gel. Mine has lasted quite a while, it's the same bottle from April last year when I was treating my hysterectomy scars. A tiny bit goes a long way.

Brett, what treatments are available for hypertrophic scars?  Have you considered possibly getting a tattoo to cover over them at some stage in the future if you're still unsatisfied?

Quote from: Kreuzfidel on March 24, 2014, 01:23:29 AM
Brett, what treatments are available for hypertrophic scars?  Have you considered possibly getting a tattoo to cover over them at some stage in the future if you're still unsatisfied?

Hi, Kreuzfidel.  You mainly just do what you would do with regular scars.  They say to just keep the silicone on them and massage. 

You can also get cortizone (steroid) injections, but you run the risk of the scar becoming indented into the skin if too much is given. 

They are an excess of collagen.  I suppose my body overproduced what was needed for healing.  Massage breaks down the excess collagen, which is why massage is particularly good for these scars.

Interestingly, they often have blood vessels and nerves.

So, the hope is that eventually they will become as light and flat as any other scar, it will just take an extraordinarily long time.

I am just going to continue with scar strips and start doing massage again.  If this indeed is going to take a couple of years, Scar Away is certainly going to make some serious dough off of me!

I don't think I would ever get a tattoo in that area.

hey brett I have a little bit of a hypertrophic scar on my right side to the left of my nipple. You're not the only one. I've been trying my best to keep it flat with strips and stuff but it's not working. It just started to inflate last week so I kinda freaked out. If you find anything that works to reduce it please share and if I find something I'll be sure to post about it.

Hey, Sebryn.  Somehow I missed your reply.  I have appreciated you responding to me in the past.  Thank you for responding again with your thoughts.  I did do the micropore tape as you suggested previously.  My body seemed to just not want to keep it attached.  No matter what I did. 

I have read a lot of articles from academic journals.  All I see is just the information on use the silicone and massage when it comes to hypertrophic.  To be honest with you, with everything I have read, I have a hard time believing that micropore tape can keep a hypertrophic scar from happening, if that is what the body wants to do.  I had a colon resection and did not have a hypertrophic scar there.  The scar I got when they put my chemo port in (horizontal scar) was not hypertrophic.  The scar created to remove the port, (vertical scar), right under the first scar, became hypertrophic (which I just realized when I figured out that my DI scars were hypertrophic.  At the time, I assumed the scar was wider/more rasied due to just poor stitching by the surgeon when it came to the second scar).  Both of these are at the top of my left pec.  The hypertrophic vertical 3 year old scar has gone down considerably since I started putting silicone treatment on it beginning when I started my DI scar treatment.  I am quite pleased.  The non-hypertrophic horizontal scar was already beautifically healed.  I just used Scar Gaurd periodically on that scar.

Hypertrophic scars occur most often on the chest.  That is probably why my colon resection scars did not become hypertrophic.

antiobioman, try to not get too upset about it.  Be conscious of using the silicone gel or silicone strips.  The reality is we have no control over this if this is what our bodies want to do.  In the end, they will fade and flatten, it will just take longer than scars that are not hypertrophic.  Silicone and massage.  That is the treatment.  Not to be negative, but they may get worse.  Mine did. 

I tried every combination imaginable to try to manage this.  Silicone gel.  Siiligone sheets.  Massage.  No massage.  Different combinations, including time of day and order of treatment.  Here's the thing, if the body feels a need to create hypertrophic scars, it will.  This is the only conclusion I can come to and what the academbic literature supports.

Usually hypertrophic scars start around week 2-3 and continue from there.  I am at 6 months tomorrow, actually (I just realized this), and they really widened the last couple of weeks.  Like I said, I can only do what I can do.  I am trying to have a good attitude about it.  I am lucky that I had top surgery.  Anything else is minor.

As always, thanks for listening, guys.

I was thinking about you guys having scar problems again today and I remembered seeing something about using a tool that looks like a small paint roller but with acupuncture looking needles on it to help with scaring. I can't find the article I read now but I just thought I'd pass that along. Maybe professional massage? Seeing a dermatologist might help also, they might have some ideas beyond the cortisone injections.

I've heard of this Brett, don't really know if it worth it. There are also salon type places that will do this on a maybe larger basis. I found out about a place that will do this. Am not at this point interested but it might be something for the future. Don't really know much about it actually.

--Jay

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaalright gents! heres my Six Week Update (Dr.Horowitz, Lagoona Beach CA)

Theyre sideways because i was playing fallout and couldnt be bothered to get up. Its two AM!

Youll notice ive got a band aid over one of my incisions. I had some pus things that would pop up. I was told to drain em, put peroxide on them one time and cover them with a band aid and some antibacterial ointment. MOST went away in three days, but of course the last one is always a doozy, and its still around. HUGE, like a centemeter wide but its nearly healed up completely so. Alls well with that.

You might also notice that my nipples still have scabs attached....they wont come off and i dont want to tug on them. ive been keeping band aids on over them 24-7 for the past six weeks. theyre fully healed but the scabs are just stuck. Any ideas on getting them off? ive cleaned them off a TON, there was a ton more on the areola but theyre gone now. Not too worried really.



GREAT picture of the scars themselves, close up. They look a LOT wider and darker in the picture than they do in real life. A LOT. some spots theyre barely noticable. I keep micropore tape on them most of the time, save for showers and right now i just dont feel like having it on. Other than that i wear the tape. Its not too bad and theyve lightened a TON already. I am very pleased.

Still have some swelling on the right side. its going down very, very, very slowly but its MUCH better than it WAS. Ive already regained some feeling in my nipples. More in the left than the right. Its awesome cause i was SUPER worried about losing feeling, or the nipple all together. they came out just fine, we didnt even have any problems...useless worrying. My specialty! Current worry: Hypertrophic scars. I feel for you Brett! Things will get better though, ill see what i can dig up about them. Maybe try laser treatment if thats an option for you...

So thats about it, i think. Im pretty much healed up and i feel great! No more vest starting tomarrow (just in time-we leave for our celebratory vegas trip tomarrow!) and once this swelling goes down im done. Everything looks AMAZING, some random pains still but thats fine with me.

Looking fantastic, Flighty!!!  I'm really amazed - the result is awesome and you should be really proud 

Regarding the scabs, don't pull them if they're not coming easily.  I've read that some guys here put Vaseline or antibiotic gel on the nips, covered them with large bandaids and that moistened them enough that the scabs came off.