It still feels like I'm wearing a binder: Physical therapy and stretching helps

It's been 7 months since my top surgery. I already talked about "cording", learned about what might cause it, and then had a couple visits with a physical therapist to deal with it. Apparently you can break the tissue under the skin, but it will often grow back. The way to make it less noticeable is to do stretching until it is loose enough under the surface to not be taut and appear raised from the underlying tissue. So, the point is, it's eventually not a big deal if you do the stretching and can no longer feel any constriction when moving your chest or arms. The stretches consist of sticking your chest out as far as you can and bringing your arms and shoulders back for 10 reps, multiple times a day. Lifting your arms up in a sweeping motion as far as you can reach, again, multiple times a day. I had complained to the physical therapist about how it still felt like I was wearing a binder (24 hours a day!), and that the top surgery was supposed to give me a break from that. I asked her how long it would be before that feeling of tightness would last and she said that the stretching should alleviate that feeling in 3-4 months. So if you do not have access to PT (physical therapy), find chest stretching exercises and DO them. That binder feeling will go away eventually. I am including a gratuitous chest pic below. It is very obvious that some of my skin was NOT tan. I'm looking forward to being able to even up my skin coloring after I am finally able to go in the sun!

Middle-aged Top Surgery

I just had top surgery a couple days ago. I wondered if I would mourn my smooth unbroken flesh, but I don't. My new chest is strange to me, but it is intriguing. I learned to live with my old chest, but I had to work up to that from terror, disgust, horror, to resolve. As an adolescent I wished and prayed that I wold wake up and some kind of magic would happen while I slept and the mistake of my body would be corrected. That doesn't happen.

At 53 years old I re-shaped myself. I looked at myself and I see a stranger, but an interesting stranger with potential. I have no regrets about it at all. Anything was better than what I had, even uneven raised scars and a missing nipple would be better. Anything.

When I started this process, seeing doctors and therapists, jumping through hoops for insurance, I didn't want to get my hopes up and have it taken away from me. It didn't happen for me truly, until it was done. It's not like I didn't make preparations though, I did. I was very over weight and my surgeon talked of all kinds of complications like they were a given. I lost 20 lbs and that talk stopped. I did upper body weight training in the hopes that the surgeon would have an easier time following the contours of my muscles while making the incisions. My results look good, but I'm not sure that is the reason. I wanted to do all the right things to prepare, but there is no way to know for sure what your personal experience will be. I found out that I should have done sit ups because I must use those muscles to get out of bed. I was very cavalier about it the first day, now I am agonized every time I must do it AGAIN. I am not taking pain meds because I am taking 4 classes and I was concerned about slowing down my digestion. It still sloooowed. I'm not sure when that will be resolved. Maybe I need to drink more water.

The big things I'd share if anyone cared to ask about are:

You can't do this on your own. It requires friends or family to help you. I have 24/7 care that my poor harried spouse is providing. The things she is helping me with are bathing, emptying fluids draining from the incisions, feeding me, helping me dress and walk. She is also taking care of everything else in our house. She is doing a lot. This surgery makes you helpless.

Using the toilet is difficult. I installed a bidet (it sprays water on your butt) right before having surgery. Wiping is mostly just drying off. The bidet has made that issue a lot easier. It cost under $40.

Top surgery is a huge decision. It is a permanent decision. After the surgery, you are still the same person with the same problems. It may help a little on the outside, but not so much on the inside.

Afterwards, you need time to adjust. You need time to heal.