Report on Yesterday’s Post-Surgery Appointment

I saw the surgeon yesterday for my one week post-surgery follow up.

 

As I feared, one of the drains has to remain in place until the fluids being drained by it decrease quite a bit more.

 

But other than that, the incisions are healing nicely and the nipple grafts look viable.  It sounds like I get to keep ’em, as long as they don’t start having issues below the surface.

 

The surgeon doesn’t anticipate that, based on how good they look right now, but she told me what to watch and feel for, and to let her know if anything starts to go south in that regard.

 

She took pictures of my new chest with her cellphone to document the healing process and show other patients and doctors in the future.

 

I forgot to ask her to take a picture with my phone, so I don’t have one to show you…and I probably wouldn’t if I did, because the more squeamish among you might consider it TMI (too much information).

 

There is still some swelling (which may remain visible for another three to five weeks) and the grafted area is reddened because of the stitches that were holding the bolster in place for a week, but now that those are out, the irritated areas are shrinking. One side is redder than the other, but normal for this stage of the process.

 

The doctor gave me some medicated bolster material to keep over the nipples for a while yet.  I’m allowed to shower now, but I can’t rub my chest dry: I need to pat it dry to protect and preserve the nipples at this tender stage.

 

I did get a look at my chest before she prepped it for my binder again, and I was thrilled with the result.  I look just like a guy (with reddened, post-surgery nips)!

 

So, it’s true. Not only don’t I have cleavage anymore, I no longer have a female chest at all.  In repositioning the nipples to where they are on a guy (closer to my sides) and taking out most of the breast tissue to sculpt my chest, Dr. Goldsberry-Long has given me the upper body I’ve wanted my entire adult life.

 

When I told her how thrilled and happy I already am, she said she’s extremely glad and that “your delight gives me chills.”

 

She said I can take the remaining drainage tube out myself after the fluid output reaches a certain level for two days straight. That won’t be today or tomorrow; I already know that. The output is remaining high but within normal limits. I hoping by the weekend it can come out.

 

My problem when it can come out will be finding someone willing to cut the sutures that are holding the tube in my body.

 

My sister Jackie has been giving me the bridge therapy shots every night (something I can do myself, but I prefer it when someone else does them) but she balked mightily when I asked her if she’d be willing to cut the sutures when the remaining tube is ready to come out. The very idea creeps her out.

 

So, I hope Lisa will feel okay about doing it. I can’t do it myself because I can’t see the area well enough to snip the sutures.

 

I can pull the tube; that’s no problem. When the doc pulled the other one yesterday, I didn’t even feel it. Sometimes it tickles.  If it’s sore or sensitive, I can just leave it in, suture-less, and let it slip out during the course of the day.  But I think I’ll be able to slide it out without any problem at all.

 

All of my chest coverings (except the tit bolsters) are gone except for a few remaining “cling-ons” beneath my chest where the skin was sutured down (and the tit bolsters are just sitting atop; they’re removable for showers and applying antibiotic ointment).

 

The doctor says she tightened the area where the lower incisions were made and then sutured shut, but that it should free up noticeably over time.

 

That’s good, because I still feel like I have a tight band around my chest (even when bare-chested entirely) there. I tried sleeping on my right side last night but my chest felt so tight (not painful at all, just tight, like having a really tight bra on) that I didn’t try it for long. I ended up on my back again.

 

This morning as I’m typing this, my binder (which I need to wear for at least two weeks, possibly longer) is in the wash. When it’s dry, I need to put it back on.

 

I asked the surgeon when I can go back to riding my bike. She replied, “No sooner than four weeks after surgery.”

 

And no lifting of more than ten pounds, either, for that long.

 

It’s going to be a LONG (frustrating) recovery period for someone as active as I usually am… but happily, certainly not a painful one.

 

I’m having no discomfort at all now, even when repositioning my body from prone to standing up. My body has performed brilliantly.  I’m very impressed!

 

 

In Other News…

 

This morning I get my coumadin levels checked to see if I can get off the bridge therapy (shots) yet. I hope so. The shots don’t hurt, but it will feel good to have my INR level back up to par so the concern about blood clots goes away. (Not that I’m really concerned. The shots mitigate the risk enormously.)

 

 

The bettas, snails and ghost shrimp are in their new digs. I put them into the 20-plus gallon tank yesterday afternoon. They look very happy. The two bettas (both females) are having the time of their lives swimming all over the new seascape, up and down, all along the top and bottom, as if surveying and claiming their new domain.

 

It isn’t 100% set up yet. I still have to turn on the under-gravel filter as soon as the airline tubing gets here on Wednesday, but the critters in there right now don’t require that now.

 

I have a water-circulating pump in there (from the little tank they were in), and a heater, and I made sure the pH levels in the water is good and the chlorine is out, so they have everything they absolutely need right now and a little bit more.

 

The ghost shrimp is swimming all over the place, too, looking for food the bettas dropped. The snails are doing their thing.

 

All in all, one happy place!

 

I need to get some more live plants, a few more fish, an aquatic frog and a plecostomus. I might get those today or wait until Wednesday. I know Lisa wants to come along, so I have to see when she’s available to go…

 

Guess that’s it for now!