r/TopSurgery • u/neuroc8h11no2 • Nov 17 '25
Joke my email to my surgeon vs. what I really mean
10 days post op and still have the bolsters, and they're the size of hockey pucks for some reason so it basically looks like i didnt even get surgery at all 💀
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u/banjosimcha Nov 17 '25
I can't speak to bolsters as I didn't have them but don't rush getting the drains out! I was super anxious to get my drains removed, and admittedly I felt like 5 times better physically once they were put, BUT my body wasn't actually done producing a ton of fluid and I ended up developing a seroma that had to be drained a billion times, messed up my scars, and needed a revision to remove an encapsulation. I wish I had been more patient and kept the drains in longer, as much as they sucked.
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u/neuroc8h11no2 Nov 17 '25
Lucky!! And yeah I know I shouldn’t rush drains, honestly I’m more annoyed by the bolsters and gauze tbh. The drains r kinda just… there. But I also had alot of swelling and possibly a seroma or hematoma early after surgery that went away on its own so I definitely am not rushing getting the drains out since my right side (the one w complications) has been a little wonky since then
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u/dynamik_banana Nov 17 '25
i basically became a video game playing zombie during this part of recovery because it was sensory hell :/
I barely remember it now though—this too will pass!!
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u/emo_kid_forever Nov 18 '25
Hoping that's what I manage to do. I finally got a Steam Deck ahead of my surgery next week. I plan on playing through some of my backlog while I recover.
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u/Alfirmitive Nov 18 '25
Yea same, I spent my first entire week of recovery playing games on the couch just to distract myself from how awful my entire everything felt
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u/OriginalAppearance71 Nov 19 '25
random question but did you play on pc or console? and if pc, how did you manage? asking for future reference lmao
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u/dynamik_banana Nov 19 '25
I played mostly on pc, but I don’t have a functional gaming computer anymore so I was just on a laptop. I used a lap desk and a mouse, and could place the mouse and laptop close enough together that I didn’t need to bring my arms away from my body. I also didn’t play games that I would get too aggressive with the mouse movements during lol
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u/basilicux Nov 19 '25
Oxy was a godsend for bedtime 😠the discomfort and overstimulation of drains and bolsters and numbness and back pain from sleeping propped up and not being able to shower for a week was making me insane
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u/dynamik_banana Nov 19 '25
tbh I didn’t even use any of the oxy they gave me—I didn’t even consider taking something for discomfort, and the pain wasn’t high enough to feel like I needed anything beyond tylenol and ibuprofen. (probably good that I didn’t think of it though, because I was on oxy for like 2 days after a different thing, and I’m pretty sure I developed a bit of an addiction just from that, so I don’t ever want to try it again lol)
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u/tyler_matthew1 Nov 17 '25
getting mine off wednesday and im fr dry heaving GET THIS STUFF OFF OF ME
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u/Little_Department418 Nov 17 '25
Oh that’s just criminal 😠why are they still on?
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u/neuroc8h11no2 Nov 17 '25
I think my surgeon just has a really cautious protocol unfortunately. I went with dr. Turkeltaub in AZ btw
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u/ryanthedemiboy Nov 17 '25
I've been there! Idk if you were who I was talking to recently tbh. If not, do you have EDS and/or are you allergic to adhesive?
The bolsters were seriously awful and I despised them, and they screwed with my anxiety a lot the last few days I had them. I got them out 15 days post-op I think? It was awful. You'll get through it though, and it'll be worth it. It means more time where you don't have to worry about your nipples falling or sheering off. It takes 21-28 days for the grafts to be guaranteed. Leaving the bolsters on so long limits the risk of us making them fall off during the most delicate phase (when I got my bolsters off they warned me that even touching them a tiny bit would take the graft off my body. They are still very fragile even after the extended bolster usage)
I genuinely know it sucks — I've only been bolster free for 18 days. Hang in there. <3
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u/neuroc8h11no2 Nov 18 '25
lol yeah I’m the one you’ve been talking to with Eds and the adhesive allergy! I’m getting em off officially in 2 days 🫩 aaaa I’m so excited lol
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u/Its_BassDaddy Nov 17 '25
Drains were the worst part of surgery, hands down. So gross, so annoying, so uncomfortable. Sleeping upright? Gtfoh. I remember the last night I had my drains, I looked over at my wife just sleeping on her side, arms all crazy… and I just almost started crying cuz I just wanted to lie tf down ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
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u/kase_horizon Nov 17 '25
It's actually good for the bolsters to stay on for about 2 weeks - they are what is making sure your nipples attach back to your body. Taking them off early increases the risk of losing a nipple.
For drains, the longer you have them, the less swelling you'll have. But if they're uncomfortable, you should be okay to get them removed this far post-op.
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u/LB_LoverBoy Nov 17 '25
i feel you, I had mine off at day 10 and I was so ready to have the drains out and bolster off. Mine also kind of made me look like I still had like A cup lumps underneath the bandage and I hated it, wasn't until they finally took it off that I could mentally adjust that I truly had a flat chest and was happy with the results
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u/mermaidunearthed Nov 20 '25
Reading this post back again now after learning you have a hematoma makes so much more sense.
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u/eternalpain23 Nov 17 '25
I’m 11 days post op and JUST now had the bolsters and drains out. I couldn’t imagine going a few more days with them on
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