u/Sudden-Bar5029

he's a silly goose so i don't have very many flattering pictures of him, but just felt like sharing my sweet steel :) he's turning 11 this month

officially 7 weeks PO today (DI + FNG)! I was medically cleared last week to return to life as normal and I'm so excited. I've been back at work since week 3 and I can't wait to swim and get back in the gym and just live to the fullest :). I'll be doing scar care for the next year, and I'm using the CVS brand scar strips. They're great, just a little cheaper than the name brand ones. My doctors said that everything looks good. I have a bit of thicker scarring close to my sternum but my doctor said that's natural and should reduce with continued massages and taping. Overall very happy with my results and I can't wait to grow into them a little more lol

I had my procedure done on June 5th, and had my 1 week post op appointment today (6 days technically). I had a DI with free nipple grafts and contouring, with no drains. If anyone in the Tucson area is looking for a surgeon, I would 100% recommend Dr. Mason or any of his colleagues at Banner. He's a plastic surgeon who specializes in body sculpting and breast surgeries (reconstruction, mastectomies, etc.) He made an effort to make me feel comfortable and took the time to explain everything he was doing and why he was doing it. I had my consultation in December, and was offered a surgery date in March, but chose to push it towards the summer, as it worked better for me. With my insurance, I only paid about $340, including the copays for my consult, and the doctor and hospital fees. I understand insurance is a messy battle, but it went pretty smoothly for me since I'd jumped through all the different hoops already. I was on T for over a year at my consult, had a therapist letter, and a letter from my PCP. I was referred to Dr. Mason through my PCP, so she was able to verify that he takes my insurance. But, Dr. Mason and all of the other plastics specialists at Banner have their insurance coverages listed on the Banner website. Overall I had a great experience with Dr. Mason and his colleagues, and Banner pre-op took great care of me.

I'm still in the phase where I have to wear dressings and mild compression at all times, but I'm able to shower and have full range of motion beyond lifting weight over 10 pounds. I can't wait to see how it heals :)

I'd posted in here about bleeding into my dressings a few days after my procedure, so thank you to everyone who replied and gave advice. My bleeding did fill the dressing on my left side, but did not bleed through the bandage, and stopped completely after about a day. My nurse said that it was likely a hematoma that resolved and drained on its own. While I was very lucky to not have to come in for an appointment to get it looked at, it was still very jarring. If anyone experiences something similar, always trust your gut and ask your doctor!

Hi everyone! I'm about 2 days post op from a DI and free nipple graft procedure and I expected to get a little bleeding, but my left incision is bleeding a good amount. my right incision is completely fine, and the left one doesn't hurt at all, but I'm just a little concerned about the bleeding. If anyone else experienced something like this please let me know, and let me know if I should go to my doctor and get it looked at. All of my post op instructions say that as long as it's not bleeding through the dressing or onto my ace bandage, then it's not something to worry about but im stressing. I attached an image of what it looks like atm. Nothing too graphic, just blood on my dressings. I noticed a little bit of blood last night but there's more today. I'm worried I may have popped a stitch