I had chest surgery completed, May 6th, 2005 by Dr. Perry Johnson in Omaha, Nebraska. I chose Dr. Johnson because he was local, had good outcomes, and charged a lot less than other surgeons. He also offered free consultation and revisions (if using a local vs. general anesthetic).

 

I paid out-of-pocket for my chest surgery, which ended up costing me $5,350 (contact his office for updated pricing).

 

Waking up and seeing a flat chest, after fifteen years of struggling with breasts, was the most surreal feeling in the world.

 

People ask me if I was nervous before going in for surgery and I can honestly say I wasn’t. I just wanted a flat chest so I didn’t think about anything else. I loved my experience with Dr. Johnson and his staff, and am extremely happy with my results.

 

Surgery and Recovery:

Operating Room Time: 2 hours

Waking up from anesthesia: 45 minutes

I wore a zip-up sweat shirt, pajama pants, and slippers to surgery (those are the easiest things to slip on after they are done.) I also left all of my jewelry at home, including my watch, rings, earrings and necklace (they don’t allow metal into the operating room).

 

After waking up I was wheeled out to my car and my girlfriend drove me home (you cannot drive yourself, or have a taxi take you somewhere after surgery). Some people get sick from the anesthesia, but I felt pretty comfortable on the way home (Lincoln is 45 minutes away from Omaha).

 

For recovery, I spent a week out on our reclining couch, sleeping, drinking a lot of fluids, and watching a lot of movies. I couldn’t raise my arms, and for the first three days I battled waves of nausea from the anesthesia wearing off…I did not, however, throw up.I became pretty depressed by the third day because I felt lonely and really worthless. This feeling stuck with me up until the next week when I went back to work.

  • I began wearing t-shirts after three weeks and quit wrapping myself with ace bandages after 35 days.
  • I deeply massaged my scars two times a day for 5 minutes each with Cocoa Butter with Vitamin E.
  • After several years my scars are flat and a shade of white or light pink.
  • I began running 36 days after surgery and began lifting again 50 days after surgery.

Items for Recovery:

  • 2 pairs of draw-string pajama bottoms
  • Mederma Scar Cream
  • Cocoa Butter with Vitamin E
  • Bendy Straws (trust me)
  • Lots of Gatorade
  • Jell-O and Pudding
  • And a reclining chair

 

Working Out:

I have always been a very athletic person, but in order to get ready for surgery I became more dedicated to the weight room.

 

I focused on lifting heavier weights with the hope of building up my pectoral muscles prior to surgery. I felt the more defined and contoured my muscles were, the easier it would be for the surgeon to sculpt my chest. I wasn’t on testosterone yet, so everything I did in the weight room was ruled by estrogen and hard work.

 

I’ve always cross-trained so my routine was alternating muscle groups:

  • Back
  • Chest
  • Arms
  • And legs (I hate legs)

 

Cardio included alternating:

  • Running (4-6 miles)
  • Biking (45 minutes)
  • Elliptical Machine (45 minutes)

I worked out 6 days a week and rested 1 day out of the week (typically on Sundays).

Taking Care of Scars after Chest Surgery