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+--- Thread: Older guys considering chest surgery (/t-older-guys-considering-chest-surgery)
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Older guys considering chest surgery - Seth - 10-10-2015
Interested in hearing from other older guys about their mental and physical state in considering top surgery at our age. Turning 60 in a couple of weeks...
Connected with Dr. Mangabut's office about a consultation. Will schedule when my wife and I can get our schedules to work. I'm in decent shape and fairly healthy. I don't drink or smoke. So my physical state is good... though my mental state is a wreck. How about you?
Lets start a conversation for guys who are 50 and older. Anyone is welcome to chime in too.
Thanks,
Seth
RE: Older guys considering chest surgery - Jak - 10-18-2015
(10-10-2015, 11:34 AM)Seth Wrote: Interested in hearing from other older guys about their mental and physical state in considering top surgery at our age. Turning 60 in a couple of weeks... Connected with Dr. Mangabut's office about a consultation. Will schedule when my wife and I can get our schedules to work. I'm in decent shape and fairly healthy. I don't drink or smoke. So my physical state is good... though my mental state is a wreck. How about you?
Lets start a conversation for guys who are 50 and older. Anyone is welcome to chime in too.
59 here. Schedule for surgery in December. Can't wait. Nervous, but can't wait!
RE: Older guys considering chest surgery - Joshua - 10-18-2015
Have your surgeons identified any potential issues with Top Surgery due to age? For example, loss of skin elasticity?
RE: Older guys considering chest surgery - Seth - 11-10-2015
(10-18-2015, 10:09 AM)Jak Wrote:(10-10-2015, 11:34 AM)Seth Wrote: Interested in hearing from other older guys about their mental and physical state in considering top surgery at our age. Turning 60 in a couple of weeks... Connected with Dr. Mangabut's office about a consultation. Will schedule when my wife and I can get our schedules to work. I'm in decent shape and fairly healthy. I don't drink or smoke. So my physical state is good... though my mental state is a wreck. How about you?
Lets start a conversation for guys who are 50 and older. Anyone is welcome to chime in too.
59 here. Schedule for surgery in December. Can't wait. Nervous, but can' wait!
***Hey Jak, I bet you did all kinds of research as I am doing. I am meeting with Dr. Mangabut next week.
Who are you having surgery with? What concerns do you have at 59?
Joshua brings up a good point certainly about elasticity and such. Will check with Dr. about that.
Good luck to you! Bet you are thrilled.
Seth
RE: Older guys considering chest surgery - jaylee - 11-21-2015
Jay here, had chest surgery Feb 2014 with Dr. Steinwald in Golden, CO. I had just turned 59 and decided on the double incision inverted T. I wanted to maintain nipple sensitivity. As for the outcome, quite happy. I have always been athletic and body builder so pecs were well developed before surgery. I haven't had any problems with skin elasticity or the like. I was pretty manic about taking care of my scars for the first few months but now I've embraced the scaring quite happily. Nipple outcome is just as I had hoped...get erect and sensitive. I am slated for slight revision next month as the nerve stalk has healed to the point I'd like a little more of the tissue removed. But chest very flat but just want it a tad flatter now.
I've gotten great phallus growth from my one year on T (I had a good size base to begin with) and hope to have full metoidioplasty before 61 in 2017. Though I've come chronologically late to my transition journey, living life more authentically is how I want to live the remainder of my life. I have a great wife (15 years together, 3 legally married), she's 51, the love of my life and with me every step of the way.
RE: Older guys considering chest surgery - Seth - 11-25-2015
Hi Jay,
Thanks for responding. Glad to hear your chest surgery went well for being an older guy. Very cool that you are doing more surgery at 61, and hope it goes just as well. I was just in Golden, CO this past week visiting my nephew in college. Sweet town.
I'm fairly healthy so don't expect much trouble, plus my wife is excellent at post operative care. When I had my hysto 10+ years ago she was incredible day and night. Pretty sure Arnica is in my immediate future! I will take good care of my scars and like you I expect I will embrace them proudly.
Thanks again and congrats on living your life authentically!
Best, Seth
==============
(11-21-2015, 09:28 PM)jaylee Wrote: Jay here, had chest surgery Feb 2014 with Dr. Steinwald in Golden, CO. I had just turned 59 and decided on the double incision inverted T. I wanted to maintain nipple sensitivity. As for the outcome, quite happy. I have always been athletic and body builder so pecs were well developed before surgery. I haven't had any problems with skin elasticity or the like. I was pretty manic about taking care of my scars for the first few months but now I've embraced the scaring quite happily. Nipple outcome is just as I had hoped...get erect and sensitive. I am slated for slight revision next month as the nerve stalk has healed to the point I'd like a little more of the tissue removed. But chest very flat but just want it a tad flatter now.
I've gotten great phallus growth from my one year on T (I had a good size base to begin with) and hope to have full metoidioplasty before 61 in 2017. Though I've come chronologically late to my transition journey, living life more authentically is how I want to live the remainder of my life. I have a great wife (15 years together, 3 legally married), she's 51, the love of my life and with me every step of the way.
RE: Older guys considering chest surgery - Jak - 11-26-2015
***Hey Jak, I bet you did all kinds of research as I am doing. I am meeting with Dr. Mangabut next week.
Who are you having surgery with? What concerns do you have at 59?
Joshua brings up a good point certainly about elasticity and such. Will check with Dr. about that.
Good luck to you! Bet you are thrilled.
Seth
[/quote]
Hi! Just saw this. Yes, tons of research! I'm having surgery with Dr. McLean in Mississauga, Ontario. He doesn't require a therapist's letter and being in Canada (the loonie is really down against the USD right now) is half the price of the guy here with whom I did a consult. And, I was able to connect with someone in her (yes, that's her pronoun) 40s who had him perform her surgery. She was very happy with it and his clinic/staff.
I have wondered about elasticity, but then it dawned on me that tens of thousands of folks only have plastic surgery when they get older. I'm more concerned about dog ears, since I've got some extra pounds on me. I have a pre-surgery phone consult on the 1st. It seems to be mostly to make sure that I know about not taking NSAIDs, not eating after midnight the night before, etc. My primary concern is that my healing process will be significantly slower than if I were younger. But, I have the good fortune of not having to do anything until 4 February when the semester starts. So, I have seven and a half weeks to focus on me! Well, I have to do some course prep, etc., but I can do that from home.
I have gone through all kinds of mental gymnastics asking myself if I am really ready for this. Whenever I imagine not doing it I'm really bummed. When I imagine it being over, I'm thrilled. So, that confirmed it for me! Stay tuned!
RE: Older guys considering chest surgery - Jak - 12-18-2015
Since the thread was originally about older folks having surgery, I thought I'd post a bit of an update here. Today is Friday, 12/18. I had surgery early on Monday, 12/14. The worst of Monday was the loopiness and nausea. Pain was minimal on Tuesday, but worse on the right than left. I flew home on Wednesday. That wiped me out and I spent most of Thursday in bed just being lazy. Unfortunately while I feel as though I could do just about anything on my left side, the right side is getting worse. I talked to the OR nurse and then saw a doctor here at home to get a prophylactic antibiotic. I just don't want to wake up at 3 in the morning on a weekend with red streaks and in even worse pain. I was able to bathe myself and wash my hair this morning so that seems huge! I have some significant bruising, some of which is from the binder. But, overall, with the exception of some really intense and deep pain under the right graft, I feel pretty good - especially given that I came out of surgery just about 96 hours ago!
Oh, and I'm taking half a Tylenol 3 every 2-3 hours, longer when sleeping which is going remarkably well. That's about it for now. I've posted a 'before photo' on transbucket, but haven't managed to get an after photo yet. I'll update there when I do. Cheers to all!
RE: Older guys considering chest surgery - Seth - 12-20-2015
Congrats Jak! How was the flying two days after surgery? Must have been a bit rough I'd think.
What happened to your right side? Hope it eases up for you.
Rest east and get back to healthy!
Best,
Seth
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(12-18-2015, 12:11 PM)Jak Wrote: Since the thread was originally about older folks having surgery, I thought I'd post a bit of an update here. Today is Friday, 12/18. I had surgery early on Monday, 12/14. The worst of Monday was the loopiness and nausea. Pain was minimal on Tuesday, but worse on the right than left. I flew home on Wednesday. That wiped me out and I spent most of Thursday in bed just being lazy. Unfortunately while I feel as though I could do just about anything on my left side, the right side is getting worse. I talked to the OR nurse and then saw a doctor here at home to get a prophylactic antibiotic. I just don't want to wake up at 3 in the morning on a weekend with red streaks and in even worse pain. I was able to bathe myself and wash my hair this morning so that seems huge! I have some significant bruising, some of which is from the binder. But, overall, with the exception of some really intense and deep pain under the right graft, I feel pretty good - especially given that I came out of surgery just about 96 hours ago!
Oh, and I'm taking half a Tylenol 3 every 2-3 hours, longer when sleeping which is going remarkably well. That's about it for now. I've posted a 'before photo' on transbucket, but haven't managed to get an after photo yet. I'll update there when I do. Cheers to all!
RE: Older guys considering chest surgery - Jak - 12-20-2015
Thanks, Seth. The flight was only two hours and I paid extra to get bulkhead seats. I can't imagine having tried to get in and out of a "regular" aisle. My partner carried everything. So, while I was really tired the next day, it wasn't bad, just tiring.
As to the right side. As noted earlier, I got an antibiotic on Friday. The weird pain continued. I don't know that I can describe it very well except to say that it was just outside the right graft and deep. Not under a suture. And, it seems related to movement/muscle. E.g., I notice it more when doing something like opening a pill bottle. I was thinking it might be a seroma. Yesterday I got up and it felt like something popped. That was scary. It didn't hurt, just felt weird. But, the pain seems to be diminishing. Today has been fine. So, I really don't know. Did the antibiotics kick in and resolve something? Did something have to "give" and that took care of it? Would this improvement have occurred anyway? I don't know. But, it is way improved, that's for sure. Definitely not the same as the left, but way better than how I felt on Friday!
I know that before surgery - um, yeah, like for the year+ before - I was looking for every scrap of info I could find to prepare myself so I'll post a few more tidbits. Tomorrow morning will be one week. Yesterday morning I started on Extra Strength acetaminophen only, no codeine. That alone made me feel better. I can't stand the loopy feeling that codeine gives me. I took half a Tylenol 3 before bed. Today, acetaminophen only and I'm doing fine. Honestly, my left side is so good that I have to force myself not to reach up as I could easily do so.
If you're reading this looking for info, just read everything you can and look for the common ground. One major piece of advice that was helpful is to move things down to lower shelves beforehand. Also, I saw a lot of mention of using things like Metamucil, etc. But, if you read about opioid constipation in specific fiber/bulk is not recommended. Google it.
Gotta go. Thanks, again, for the good wishes!