Hello,

I'll be getting my FTM double mastectomy with free nipple grafts very soon.

My main worries are related to not wanting to be exposed to folks more than I have to. That is much more disturbing to me than physical pain and blood.

Thanks for helping with these questions:

1) Will they have to use a urinary catheter?

2) What are some tips for bathing, going to the bathroom and dressing, so I can do as much as possible on my own?

Thanks!
J

My general knowledge of surgical procedures is they will be getting you out of bed within a day after surgery and once they are sure you are safe on your feet, you will be permitted to go to the bathroom by yourself. I am not sure if they will use a catheter but there isn't much reason to do so unless they want you confined to bed.

As for washing, it's going to be sponge baths until you are healed enough that water on the incision won't cause an infection. The staff will give them and they will be over so fast, you will hardly know you had one.  The hospital will furnish you with something to wear that will be simple to wear and it will be changed at bath time.

Most important, these people are professionals and deal with patients everyday. They will do their best to make you comfortable but accept the help they offer because they understand the pain and movement difficulty you will have.

*hugs*

Here are a few things that could help you:

https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,189332.msg1698168.html#msg1698168


As I understand the process a catheter is only used in some cases where its necessary from body relaxation, during the surgery.

With some surgons people have one day bed rest and then go.
They can do quite a few things on their own.
Afterwards the first week its no showering only wet towels used carefully.

Wish you luck and a good outcome


*hugs*

I didn't have a catheter. My underwear stayed on the whole time.

I didn't need any help to clean myself or use the restroom. Buy flushable baby wipes if you're worried about it.

Welcome JB4,

I am a retired anesthetist and spent decades working in surgery and obstetrics.  I urge you to simply be an assertive consumer and let people know what you need and expect.  Talk to your surgeon and team about any questions you have and let them know you are concerned about your privacy.  A Procedure, Alternatives and Risks (PAR) conference is expected before you sign any permit or are sedated.  I just had a surgery myself and was only misgendered once, that i know of;)  My nurse at the time spoke up quickly; "Her name is Tessa!"

Mastectomy is a common procedure and does not automatically require a urine catheter but, some surgeons might prefer we have one if the procedure takes over 2 hours.  A catheter, if needed, is placed in a private OR suite and your privacy should always be respected.  Your fluid balance, after no breakfast or fluids all night, is monitored in part by your urine output and vital signs.  Anesthetic and post operative narcotic pain medication can sometimes make it difficult to start your urine stream post op.  Picture yourself awakening calmly after all is done; hungry, feeling relief and ready to go to the restroom or on a bed pan if needed.  Those medications are also capable of producing degrees of amnesia and people often have no memory of even going in to the surgical room or waking up hours later.  Some things are OK to forget or miss entirely  

They do want you up and doing as much for yourself as possible post operatively.  First you sit at the side of your bed and progress as you are able.  The only people who need to see your surgical site, other than to check your external dressings, is your surgeon.  Those dressings might remind you of wearing a tight binder. 

If you have a trusted friend or family they can be part of your care but I hope you find your recovery team is sensitive to your needs and knows how to assist you.  Your care and safety must be their first priority.

Best of luck and congratulations for getting to a better place in your life.

i didn't have a urinary catheter. my underwear came off for surgery, but as soon as i was able to get up, i wore underwear. it didn't matter because i was in a bed the whole time. i was 100% exhausted and slept most of the time. getting up i had a nurse help me to the washroom and wait for me outside to walk me back. eventually i was able to go pee without anyone helping me. getting up though i was super nauseous, so i did it as carefully and slowly as possible. i was able to shower after a week (that is when i was recommended to shower) and i could do it by myself. you just can't really wash your armpits and you can't get your chest wet.

all in all, i was pretty independent after surgery. i mostly just slept a lot for the first like week or two tbh.

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Again, welcome to Susan's. I hope you find what you are looking for.

With warmth,

Joanna

I haven't heard of anyone needing a catheter for chest reconstruction. It's outpatient surgery.

The recovery updates thread in this forum is worth reading, as are these links

https://neutrois.me/2012/10/09/top-surgery-tips-and-advice/

http://gendercube.tumblr.com/post/39243045633/top-surgery-advice

I did not need a catheter.  Undressed and then dressed myself in a surgical gown in a private changing room.  My surgery lasted 4 hours and I went home the same day.  I was able to care for all my own needs except for reaching things above my head and walking my dog.  I was giddy with joy that evening and danced around the living room with glee...did not even use the pain meds!  I think my sheer excitement and relief carried me through any awkwardness or extreme pain.  I was not allowed to shower for 3 weeks!!!  Was able to clean myself up enough and wash my hair though, after a day or two.  Good luck!  Hope it goes as well for you...

I'm not sure if I had a catheter during surgery but I didn't have one in when I woke up and didn't need one during recovery.

For me, bathing and going to the bathroom were surprisingly easy. Dressing was harder, but not in a way anybody else could help with. It just hurt a lot to put shirts on.

The main theme of my mastectomy was the drains. It hurt if they got pulled on, and they had to be emptied frequently. I'm all healed up for a couple years but I still have scars where the drain tubes were.

I know my mastectomy isn't the same kind most transguys get (I asked my insurance to cover it because my mom and her mom have reproductive cancers and so I got all breast tissue removed) but I thought I'd chime in.

a catheter for a chest surgery..?  I definitely didn't have one before or after waking up from surgery. I kept my underwear on, my  lounge pants, and my compression socks. The only things i had to remove were my contacts, body jewelry, hat, and obviously my binder. You won't be bathing for about a week until the drains are removed. I bought myself medical bathing cloths on amazon and used those.

Luckily my friend was able to help me wipe down my back for me because it would be nearly impossible for me to reach my back. The drains are a bit annoying but the only time they stung was if I tried to reach for something and when I got them removed. I recommend making a list of everything you will need after surgery and purchasing it. Here are some things I recommend:
-Bath Wipes
-Neck Pillow
-Compression Socks (prevents blood clots in your legs because you will be in bed a lot)
-Laxatives (going to be constipated from the medications)
-Comfortable loose clothing (pajama pants, sweat pants)
-Xerform (used on your nipples changed daily)
-Gauze (to keep on top of the xeroform)
-Skin safe medical tape (to hold on gauze)

The one thing I didn't do but you might want to try is to move anything you reach for daily lower. If you stretch too much you're going to stretch your incision and the scars will get much wider.

Figure out how you're going to be comfortable sleeping on your back for a month or more.  I had one pillow under my knees and two pillows under my head. 

Move everything that requires lifting or reaching.

Have easy food available.  I ate a lot of yogurt, applesauce, hot cereal.  Partly because I had to take antibiotics and pain meds 4x a day and had to have food with them so I didn't want a full meal every time I had to take a dose of antibiotics. 

Have stuff to help prevent constipation while you're on pain meds.  Soft foods, foods with fiber, slippery elm lozenges or powder (mixed with applesauce), chia seeds (in yogurt or applesauce), coffee, lots of water.

Shirts that open in the front - forget about pulling anything over your head for a while.  And easy sweat pants.

Slip-on shoes unless you have someone to tie your shoes for you every time you go out.

Have stuff to watch to keep you occupied, but don't expect to be at your sharpest, so TV shows and light reading are a better bet than dense literature or long movies with subtitles that require full attention.  I dozed off a few times a day - all the sudden would just have to take a nap for a while. 

Quote from: unclesean on April 09, 2016, 04:57:01 PM
I dozed off a few times a day - all the sudden would just have to take a nap for a while.

yup.. I definitely found myself doing the same thing. The day I got back to my hotel from surgery, I laid in bed and dozed off for an hour then woke up and went to sit in a chair. I started eating pizza but got super nauseated. I thought I was going to throw up but sat there for a moment and fell back asleep...still had pizza in my lap.

Button down shirts and zip up hoodies are good to keep around as you won't have to lift your arms to put them on.

There's a brand called pharma-c that makes water-activated bathing cloths in one-use packs. Basically it lets you wash yourself since after surgery you can't spare for a couple days and even after you can it isn't always easy to drag yourself up. Walgreens sells them.

High fiber snacks and fresh fruits and veggies so you don't get constipated from all the meds.

Hat to hide your great hair(from not being able to shower as often).

I seriously doubt you'll have to use a catheter. Usually after you wanted up from surgery they let you go home once you can walk by yourself to the bathroom.

Pillow to hold to your chest when you cough, sneeze, and are in the car (bumpy roads such, seat belts suck).

Catheters are normally used only of longer surgeries so you probably will not have one, if you do, it will be put in when you are under and taken out before you  come to afterwards.  So if that case you will never know you had one.  I know the thought of getting one is dsyphoric for sure.