I've read some advice on what to do before and after top surgery, but I'm wondering a few things. I prefer answers only from your own experience; but if you read the advice somewhere, I'll be happy for the reference (remember the TOS--no links).

1) I know that I shouldn't be reaching or stretching or twisting and that I should move household objects lower so I don't have to stretch for them for the first couple of weeks. Well, how high is too high? Is it okay to carefully reach for something that is right there in front of me at chest level? at shoulder level? at eye level?

2) My hair is recalcitrant. When I wake up in the morning, I look like a baby woodpecker (at least, that's what I imagine one would look like), and no amount of brushing makes my hair lie down and behave. The only thing that really works is for me to thoroughly wet my hair and comb it into place. Well, I don't want to go to my next-day follow-up with my hair all over the place. That morning, I was planning to put a towel around my shoulders and sort of stick my HEAD ONLY into the shower for a minute, then comb my hair into place. Or I suppose I could have my ex go at it with a spray bottle for a minute or two. Whaddaya think?

3) How many days, if any, did you really really need the prescription pain pills? I will be taking Darvocet, by the way.

4) I do plan to get a haircut right before my surgery so I will have fewer problems with my hair.

5) I won't be allowed to drive for about a week, but I plan to keep the car cover off my car for the first two weeks so I won't have to grapple with it. Covering the car requires a lot of stretching and reaching. Should I plan to leave the car uncovered for longer?

6) What, if anything, didn't you do before surgery that you wish you had?

7) What, if anything, did you do after surgery that you wish you hadn't?

Thanks in advance to anyone who replies.

Quote from: Arch on June 27, 2009, 01:33:01 PM
I've read some advice on what to do before and after top surgery, but I'm wondering a few things. I prefer answers only from your own experience; but if you read the advice somewhere, I'll be happy for the reference (remember the TOS--no links).

1) I know that I shouldn't be reaching or stretching or twisting and that I should move household objects lower so I don't have to stretch for them for the first couple of weeks. Well, how high is too high? Is it okay to carefully reach for something that is right there in front of me at chest level? at shoulder level? at eye level?

You'll know what's too high - if it feels at all painful, it's too high. But as a better guide, for me it was anything above about chest height - shoulder and eye level would have been too high to start off with.

Quote from: Arch on June 27, 2009, 01:33:01 PM2) My hair is recalcitrant. When I wake up in the morning, I look like a baby woodpecker (at least, that's what I imagine one would look like), and no amount of brushing makes my hair lie down and behave. The only thing that really works is for me to thoroughly wet my hair and comb it into place. Well, I don't want to go to my next-day follow-up with my hair all over the place. That morning, I was planning to put a towel around my shoulders and sort of stick my HEAD ONLY into the shower for a minute, then comb my hair into place. Or I suppose I could have my ex go at it with a spray bottle for a minute or two. Whaddaya think?

Get a haircut! It's only hair, it'll grow back, whereas chest surgery is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Failing that, however, I'd say go for the spray bottle option - bending to get your head under the shower is bound to be uncomfortable - I can't imagine having done that the day after surgery.

Quote from: Arch on June 27, 2009, 01:33:01 PM3) How many days, if any, did you really really need the prescription pain pills? I will be taking Darvocet, by the way.

I took mine for a while, but probably only really needed them for a couple of days, if that.

Quote from: Arch on June 27, 2009, 01:33:01 PM4) I do plan to get a haircut right before my surgery so I will have fewer problems with my hair.

Good plan, glad to see you're taking my advice from above already!

Quote from: Arch on June 27, 2009, 01:33:01 PM5) I won't be allowed to drive for about a week, but I plan to keep the car cover off my car for the first two weeks so I won't have to grapple with it. Covering the car requires a lot of stretching and reaching. Should I plan to leave the car uncovered for longer?

Yes, I'd say so. Keep it off until you're 100% sure it won't hurt you to stretch and reach.

Quote from: Arch on June 27, 2009, 01:33:01 PM6) What, if anything, didn't you do before surgery that you wish you had?

Nothing really.

Quote from: Arch on June 27, 2009, 01:33:01 PM7) What, if anything, did you do after surgery that you wish you hadn't?

Nothing springs to mind here either.

Quote from: Arch on June 27, 2009, 01:33:01 PMThanks in advance to anyone who replies.

No worries, hope it helps!

don't let water from the shower spray directly on your nipples. my nipples shrunk dramatically as they healed and i'm still not 100% it's not from the water. 

don't bend down to pick anything up. you'll know if it's too far, you'll feel a pull.

i stopped lifting weights a week or two before surgery, so i wouldn't instantly feel 'deprived' from it after surgery. this is still tough. i was just getting interested in my body and working out and having a great time with it when it came to a 'grinding halt'. it's been like 5 weeks. i figure i should wait until on the stitches are gone completely.

Anything above chin-height or so was too high for me.  YMMV.

You can stick just your head in the shower.  In fact, you can bathe so long as it's shallow and in no danger of wetting any bandages.

I took three painkillers-  one immediately post-op, one before drain removal, one before suture removal.  I found that staying on motrin was sufficient enough to keep the ache at bay.

Plan to leave the car uncovered for closer to a month.

i don't have any regrets from before/after surgery-- I think my healing went well.  I gave myself 30 days before and after surgery to be super healthy (no alcohol, no caffeine, no crap food, etc.) and had a pretty good experience.

Loving this topic by the way.. *soaks up the information*

its kinda hard 2 not use ur chest muscles 2 do stuff so everythin u do will hurt at first. ur gonna need someone 2 help u sit up & lie down. I didnt shower for 9 days but used baby wipes & a wet old t-shirt 2 keep myself kinda clean. my bro & his wife helped me out. couldnt do it on my own   

cant remember what I took 4 pain.  some prescription stuff right after surgery & b4 browstein removed the drains. then tylenol 4 two wks. thats it. I was sore but not in alot of pain.

yep no drivin or liftin weights  & lotsa vitamin E.

I have permission to make a short drive (to my usual therapy appointment) five days after my surgery as long as I feel up to it and don't take the Darvocet beforehand. I'll have to play it by ear, though.

All of this seems like sound advice. I'm still hoping to get my hair cut the day before surgery, I plan to move a bunch of dishes and mugs down to the kitchen counter where I can easily reach them, I won't cover the car, and I'm planning to do my T shot a couple of days early so I don't have to worry about it right after the surgery. I'm catching up on the laundry and some other chores around the house. I have plenty of books and magazines and DVDs.

I'll go out and see what the local Target has in the baby wipe department. I hope they have something hypoallergenic because my skin is so bloody sensitive. (So far, the T seems to have helped, but I still get eczema. I was hoping it would go away entirely. Perhaps it still will.)

My ex and I still live together, and he has the week off from work. I know that if I really need him to help me with something, he will.

I'm very glad that my surgeon doesn't use drains, but I know that there's a trade-off. It will take some time for all of the excess fluid to be reabsorbed by my body.

I don't lift weights because my hands are so messed up, but I'm really going to miss taking a spin around the living room every day on my recumbent bike. It shouldn't be too long before I go back to that--I just sit back and pedal.

It was almost a year ago that I fully came out of the closet. Hard to believe that I'm having chest surgery in only a couple of days!!!

Despite my impending divorce and my uncertain job situation, I'm really quite happy. After so much unhappiness for so many years, this is a new experience for me. I know that life is full of ups and downs, but now I'm starting to get used to being up a lot of the time.

That really is extraordinary.

that's great, Arch! i'm really happy for you. i do have one thing to mention: do not become alarmed if you hit a deep depression a few days or week or so after surgery. i was so down suddenly right after being ecstatic from surgery and i didn't know why. think it's the anesthesia coming off.

Something that comes to mind, what with the advice given, is that you said "The only thing that really works is for me to thoroughly wet my hair and comb it into place."
I wouldn't expect to be able to raise the arms up to do the necessary combing, so get help with that or live with unruly hair for a while. (Haircut or no haircut)

I'm happy for you Arch. Good luck!

I haven't had top surgery yet, so I'm just throwing this idea out there. I know alot of guys who get concerned about the scarring afterwards. I suggest Palmer's cocoa butter lotion. It's supposed to help reduce scarring and stretch marks. I use it on my tattoos when they're healing and it works great. But, since tattoos are way different from surgical cuts, ask the doctor about when it would be safe to start applying lotion.

Quote from: Miniar on June 29, 2009, 06:47:11 AM
Something that comes to mind, what with the advice given, is that you said "The only thing that really works is for me to thoroughly wet my hair and comb it into place."
I wouldn't expect to be able to raise the arms up to do the necessary combing, so get help with that or live with unruly hair for a while. (Haircut or no haircut)

You know the arm thing really isn't something I noticed at all. I didn't think about it at least. I only stopped doing something, reaching for something, etc when i felt it in my chest. The only restriction I really noticed is I shouldn't lift heavy things, bend over to pick something up, or reach (stretch) for anything (most of which I did anyway until it pulled). I was quite fine combing my hair the day after surgery.

The first few days my brother sprayed the water for me to wash my hair in the sink -- I did the actual washing but he sprayed.  After those few days I could manage it myself. You'll likely be able to comb your own hair if you wet your comb first.

Listen to your body and do rest a lot.

Worst part for me was the air travel afterwards.  Even though I didn't lift or carry anything other than a tiny laptop, just the squishing into tiny seats, bending to stick the laptop under the seat, etc, my chest was BURNING by the time I got home and I had done nothing strenuous at all.


Jay