A few questions?

How often did you change your sports bra, it does say in my booklet that it should be changed every 24hrs is this right?

Also when can i start moisturising, i remeber the nurse saying i could use simple or e45 but didnt quite catch when i could start doing this.

I'd say change it every 24 hours but didnt get told how often and i was told not to use any creams or lotions on my boobies til the incisions had healed up (risk of infection i think) I started at 2 weeks post op as all scabs had gone then xxx

I would change it every 24 hrs. I was allowed to use moisturiser on my boobs from day one, just wasn't allowed to get anything near the incisions until 6 weeks

didn't put anything on my incisions till week 5, was told to change my bra every 24 hours, but realistically i did it every 48 hours..... !! (i'm not a skank at all, just very busy ) xxx

Iwas allowed to bio-oil straight away,as the incisions were covered,and then to start oiling them from 2 weeks PO after all the tape was removed.

Yeah,I changed my bra every 24 hours,and had half hour bra free every evening. Which was lovely,until the hyper-sensitive-being-rubbed-with-sandpaper nipples started

spittingfairy Bio is a great option! Good idea :thumbs:

Amy... haven't heard SKANK in a long time!

I asked the nurse about E45 cream cos they feel a bit itchy but she said to wait till ive been back in a week before putting any creams on ! x

How did it go for u hun? x

Hi Hun, how u feeling today?

I changed my sports bra every 24 hours and could use moisturiser on my boobs straight away just not near my incisions.

I'm going to change me bra today, not sure how that is going to be, my other one is over the head eeek.. and also going to start putting a bit of bio oil on, but nowhere near my incisions...

How are you and sparkyleeds? xxx

My back and ribs are killing me, cannot sleep for nothing, just so uncomfortable! ive managed to have a shallow bath and got hubby to wash my hair, might put some cocoa butter on them today at the top.

I change my sports bra everytime I have a shower and my tape which is everyday !!
How are u feeling now hun ??

xxx

I dont feel too great to be honest!,my stomach is killing me with pulling myself up without using my arms cos that hurts too much and tablets are making me nod off every few mins! and the boobs feel real stingy !!!Sorry to moan on ,maybe its cos im older and its a bit of a shock to my old bones !!!xxx

Ah don't worry you'll both feel better soon - Vicci, my ribs were sore for a while but after a week or so it was only when I poked at them. Sparkyleeds - those are the "sunburned boobies" once the skin stretches a bit that will pass hun!

\xxx

Vicci and sparkyleeds, try and get one of those microwave wheat pillows, I'm finding my mums amazing, I had the worst night sleep last night, and when I had one behind my neck and one on the small of my back it was relief :)

Also feeling sore when I try and get up from laying position... cant wait to feel normal again. xxxx

Awww vicci huni I really do feel for you it will get better soon just hang on in there. Hope your feeling better tomorrow x

I'm sorry you're all feeling worse for wear - it must take the edge off the excitement at getting your Christmas pressies early. Things really should start to improve from now. 36 to 72 hours post-op is the worst time, when the anaesthetics have worn off and when the nerve endings are clamouring that they've been interfered with...big time.

As for moisturising - like most others, I was told I could moisturise immediately, but just to keep it away from the incisions until two days after the dressings had been removed (which itself was 8 days post-op). I'm a great believer in Bio-oil, (although it does stain clothes a bit) and it's lovely for easing that stretched-skin, 'sunburnt' feeling.

Even the hyper-sensitive-nipples-problem (like Spittingfairy) seems to be responding to regular applications of Bio-oil.

i was given i roll of tape but cant remember how often to change it any ideas?

Hi hun, I've PM'd you. Sorry I couldn't PM you sooner... A bit of a manic day with work! No need to change the strips, these will stay on until your appointment with the nurse to have them removed in a few weeks. You just pop more tape on every time you have a shower, & then take it off after.

I changed my bra every 24 hrs just to avoid infection at first. can't wait to get out of this damn bra now!!! Lol. I haven't yet got to the moisturising bit, waiting till the nurse gives me the ok tomorrow. Think you can moisturise tho as long as it doesn't go near the incisions xxx

It's totally weird how everyone gets told different things from their ps/nurses! I was massaging bio oil on my incisions from 2 weeks! I had all my dressings taken off and everything.
The back pain and sore ribs were definitely a killer like. To be honest I think they felt more sore than my boobs themselves.
I also think my mondors cord thingy has come alive, it's like a boob worm, very odd. Does everyone get this?

It is strange isn't it hun, very conflicting! I've still got the steri strips on (4 weeks post op tomorrow & finally having them removed!) must admit they are looking pretty minging now & very itchy. They also look a bit wet & yukky (sorry to be so graphic!) round the edges so am starting to wonder if keeping them On so long might not be so good and causing an infection? Glad I'm going back tomorrow!

Sorry to hear you've got a mondor's cord hun. I've not had this (touch wood). Hope you are doing ok other than that? xxx

Very interesting thread and some of the responses... thanks to all.
Sorry to hear you ladies are feeling a bit ikky and sore.... however you all look super fab in your pics.... and even the sound of your pain still makes me think... BRING ON THE BOOBS!!!!!!!!!!! All worth it ladies when you look in the mirror = :thumbs:
xx

Hey jojo - my steristrips were downright manky before they came off - dried blood still on the insides of them

but all worked out well with me - they took them off and cleaned me up and no infection. Good luck getting them off today!>

alexandra33 wrote:Hey jojo - my steristrips were downright manky before they came off - dried blood still on the insides of them

but all worked out well with me - they took them off and cleaned me up and no infection. Good luck getting them off today!>

Thanks hun. Had them removed today and the incisions look fab! Very neat and tidy. Strips were def manky and so ready to come off, but still have some of the dissolvable stitches attached to the incisions which she said should come away by themselves. And at last the itching seems to have stopped ! Yay!! xxx

I asked lots of questions at my consult last night (you can read the full blurb via the link to my diary if you want to) so thought I would post on here what the answers were - this is obviously only one surgeon's opnion:

Piercings - nipple piercings must be removed. I can wear PTFE in the other piercings (I have several) but not any type of metal. This is due to the method they use to cauterise the blood vessels which uses a high electric current that will travel through the body and may cause burns at the piercing sites (presumably due to it earthing on the metal).

Dressings: just the incisions will be covered and wearing a sports bra. This makes me happy as it means I can put a bar through my nipple each day to keep my piercings open even if I can't wear them for a while :-) The dressings come off after 10 days.

Garlic (refraining from post op): It is up to me. He doesn't mind, he says there is a slight chance that it may thin the blood which may make clotting slightly more difficult but nothing significant. He joked he would not be interrogating me on the day of my surgery re my dinner the night before and he wouldn't send me home if I said curry.

Arnica: again it was up to me. He said like Garlic and also like bio-oil is is homeopathic remedy so it may help, it may not. He has no view either way.

At this point he mentioned that the only things that are scientifically proved to affect healing are:
1) Keeping the wound dry so the body does its thing,
2) not smoking as this hinders healing
3) Um..... I can't remember, damn! (my words not his!!)

Showering/bathing: this is allowed as long as the incisions are kept dry.

Exercise: probably won't be able to do much with my arms training wise for 4 weeks but lower half, walking etc, whenever I feel ready, just listen to my body.

x x x