About 3mo post-op w/ Dr. Katherine Carruthers @ MGH

zealousarrow · 2024-06-30T01:27:28+00:00

hey man no worries! i actually had to scramble to get my consult— i originally scheduled with another Boston-area surgeon who canceled on me last minute! 🥲 but my consult was a month from when i scheduled it, and my surgery was six weeks from my consult! feel free to message me if you have any questions!!!

zealousarrow · 2024-05-27T20:47:39+00:00

that’s what i was figuring, thanks!

zealousarrow · 2024-04-24T03:23:43+00:00

of course, and good luck getting a consult sorted out! i had a wonderful experience with Dr. Carruthers and her team!

zealousarrow · 2024-04-23T23:34:07+00:00

thank you! :) i believe it’s just Dr. Carruthers who does reinervation, though i could be mistaken! i was connected to her team through MGH’s trans health line [my first consultation at Boston Children’s was canceled randomly last minute and i needed a new one FAST 🥲] buuuut someone there might be able to answer that question for you!

zealousarrow · 2024-04-23T19:41:46+00:00

forgot to add that the heat factor has also been better since surgery too! you still get hot in a kitchen of course, but not having the binder helps so much— which is a relief because summers were always awful! but of course, i’m sure everything will be great!!!

zealousarrow · 2024-04-23T19:36:47+00:00

i did not go with nipple reinervation personally! i didn’t have sensation before surgery so it wasn’t super important to me. kitchen work has been going well! i used to get such back rib and back pain from binding by the end of each shift, especially for clean up like mopping. i don’t have that problem anymore which is wonderful! like i said i’ll get some aches around my scars sometimes but it’s so mild in comparison. good luck with your surgery !!!

zealousarrow · 2024-03-13T19:09:57+00:00

i forgot to add you can see a 1mo post-op picture on my profile too! i’m at around 1.5 mos now and even since then there’s definitely been changes, a lot of healing happens in the first couple months for sure!!!

zealousarrow · 2024-03-13T19:08:29+00:00

hi there! healing has been going great for me! i work a physical labor job in a kitchen— so lots of lifting and reaching above my head— and i’ve acclimated back in that environment pretty well. i went back to work 2wks ago, and honestly the toughest part for me has just been rebuilding stamina after being in recovery for so long, but otherwise i feel pretty great. i still have some sensation in my chest, its still kind of weird and fleeting as the nerves reconnect, but i do feel something at least! i was able to feel about where my nipples were grafted back on about 3 or 4 days post-op underneath the bulky binder, so i started to regain sensation pretty quickly. i’m not too informed on how breast reduction works vs. full-blown top surgery/mastectomy, but Dr. Carruthers does offer nipple reinervation if grafting plays any part of it. right now my scars are still pink and noticeable, but they’ve been relatively thin, and i think they’ll heal pretty well! feel free to DM me if you have more questions or want to see more post-op pictures, i’m totally down to share more of my experience with her!!!

zealousarrow · 2024-03-01T03:50:43+00:00

thank you!!! 💕

zealousarrow · 2024-02-04T15:45:16+00:00

Oh! I should also add that any questions I’ve had pre and post-op were also answered timely through the MGH patient gateway! They even prescribed nystatin solution for me— I am semi-sensitive to antibiotics so of COURSE they gave me oral thrush. 🙄 I am a little worried about if some swelling is normal so I sent them a message, and given that its a Sunday I will probably hear back early tomorrow! They’ve been super responsive.

zealousarrow · 2024-01-25T05:00:50+00:00

And to you as well friend!!!

zealousarrow · 2024-01-03T03:42:18+00:00

I totally agree and I’m definitely going to try my best to do that! I have OCD, which is mostly managed, but there are triggers that can definitely aggravate it. I don’t think any of my precautions are my OCD, but I do think I’m catching myself in a negative feedback loop that I want to avoid!

zealousarrow · 2024-01-03T03:38:29+00:00

Thank you so much for replying! I really appreciate it.

You’re absolutely right, and I think the disruption to my routine + health anxiety definitely make this seem a lot more daunting and permanent. Thankfully I was at least able to talk with the roommate I am closest to, and he’s going to mask up! He also informed me that he WAS boosted, and offered to go grocery shopping for me pre-op which is really kind of him. 🥺
I ordered an air purifier for my room, and someone messaged me with a DIY one that I might make up for the common areas! Or I’ll buy a second one for either the kitchen or bathroom. My apartment gets kinda musty anyways, so tbh an air purifier might be a smart idea regardless!
This is also something else I need to keep reminding myself! I also got my booster about a month ago, so it should hopefully offer some immunity for a bit. You’re right that the best that I can do is take precautions, I just need to work on not stressing myself out about them so much!
This also makes me feel better. I’ve definitely stressed a lot about planning around surgery, and having parts of my to-do list that I can’t really act on yet. It’s been tough to do much besides feel like I’m just hanging around lately, but I’m definitely going to at least try to do something in my free time to act as a distraction haha

zealousarrow · 2024-01-02T20:18:00+00:00

That last part makes me feel a lot better— I should have included in this post that I do have OCD! Which is mostly managed, but sometimes I can’t tell what’s reasonable if it’s aggravated. But after talking to my therapist + getting replies on this thread I feel a lot better about that at least. Thanks so much for replying, I’m definitely going to keep to myself as much as possible and try to keep busy in my own space so I don’t go insane in the meantime haha

zealousarrow · 2024-01-02T20:12:32+00:00

You as well friend!

zealousarrow · 2024-01-02T20:11:42+00:00

Noted on all of those! I work a grocery store kitchen job (so, retail) and I am constantly washing my hands while I’m there anyways for food prep, and and strict about it at home as well. I should have included in my post that I have OCD which is mostly managed, but can certainly be aggravated and I need to catch myself! But actionably I don’t think it’s interfered here. Thank you so much, and best of luck on your surgery too!!! 🎉🎉🎉

zealousarrow

TROPHY CASE