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I am doing something different this month. This time it's all about my surgery. I went in for chest
reconstruction surgery on June 26th at 8am. It took about 3 hours. I went in to change my clothes into a gown, started feeling
really nervous because of the thought of being cut open. I got on the table, they stuck me with the IV and the next thing
I remember was waking up coughing to clear my lungs. The nurse put my pants on for me and got my shirt on somehow, it was
so tight... my wife beater that is. I hunched over as I sat up and she helped me to the wheel chair. I was so drugged up and
drowsey I couldn't see straight. So... I spent the next week and a half at my moms. She took care of me and nursed me back
to health, or should I say her and my younger brother. I didn't eat a lot but I did eat. I was taking 2 percocets every 4
hours for the first week. I went down to 1 every 4 hours the second week and allowed myself to go home after my first shower.
Most of you don't know this, but I was a D and my surgeon performed keyhole on me... so my healing process and pain was all
a whole new level and learning experience for me or lots of people I could say. It's typically only performed on people with
a, sometimez b cup sizes... for those of you who dont know what I mean... instead of getting 2 large incisions below my breasts
to have them removed... I was able to get it done through my nipples, they cut them and lipo suctioned my whole chest and
under arms then re sized my nipples and put me back together. Back to healing...I slept on my back propped up on pillows for
the first week... started to tilt myself a little the second week cuz I got really stiff and my neck was havin problems. I
felt stiff all over and felt the need to hold my shoulders high when I walked so I got pains in my muscles in the back
of my neck. When I mentioned my first shower... It's not like I was going without. I was gettin in the tub and beinding forward
to wash my hair without gettin my chest wet at first and I could barely lift my arms. Even now... today is July 19th and my
chest is still so tight and swollen from lipo that lifting my arms or turning my body hurts. So it's been a month... im still
on pain meds and I am trying to lessen the amount... only taking them when I really really need to. Any motions of my arms
or lifting seems to irritate my chest.
Some concerns I was having is that my right nipple has a thick scab over it and its not falling
off, but that seems to be normal. Also, the tape started to fal off some parts of my left nipple and I saw underneath
and panicked because it looked like exposed flesh... when I spoke to my dr's nurse today she told me that because my body
was rejecting the stitches that normally would be dissolved... my body is just pushing them out so it's pussing a little and
smells kinda bad. The tape is still there and it's working its way off slowly. I am not using a garment at the moment, just
ace wrap and gauze or tissue under to catch anything oozing off me. I forget a lot when I shouldnt do certain everyday things
and then I pay when I feel the pain. Below I am going to post a 2 week photo and then a couple that I took today to show
the example of the fleshy look I mentioned. I will follow up at the bottom of next months update and add updated photos for
you to see how I heal and how my chest turns out as time passes.
This photo was taken around 2 weeks post op.
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My left nipple above.
These photos were taken on 7/19/08
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I was long over due so I got a haircut tonight.
Photo above was taken July 27 2008
Month eleven>>>
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