3 day vs 3 week picture (shirtless)

[TheGymGuy]

I put shirtless in the title in case some of you are at work and do not want to put such image on your monitors. I sure hope this forum is private.

Ok, so here is a 3 day versus 3 week picture. All the scars are healing up nicely, with chest and clavicle scars being fully done and chest tubes about 95% there. The skin around the scars is a bit discolored pink due to the allergic reaction I had to antibiotic ointment during the first week. At this point the allergic reaction has been long gone, and I am waiting for the skin to shed several more layers to get it's color back.

I don't really own any hawaiian shirts and felt sort of wrong putting on a dress shirt for this pictures. Plus, I wanted to show a comparison from the hospital and now, and unfortunately I was shirtless in the hospital. Also, the picture on the right is from a mirror, so it's a mirror image.

 

[njean]

Wow, look at you! You look absolutely great!

Stay well my friend!

 

[Greg a]

I am impressed ....question though.....as a rapidly balding man I was wondering how you grew the hair out ....just kidding WELL DONE

 

[bocco]

Looks like good progress. I'm really curious to see how these will look a year from now. The tough part for me is going to be keeping a shirt on this summer. The scar is supposed to stay out of the sun.

 

[dhudson]

Heavy on the sun screen:cool2:Looks good gymguy! Looks like you should be back to training in no time! Rockville Maryland, I got sister in law in Frederick, small world. Way to go!!!:thumbup::thumbup:

 

[TheGymGuy]

Greg A, I've been shaving my head for several years now. This way people cannot see the grey hairs (and there are many) I shave it every 3 weeks which is why you see same hair-cut on day 3 and week 3. Heck, this way when I do start balding, and I will not really notice. Speaking of shaving heads, another positive to add to the list of things I can do on my own, that and actual face shaving.

Bocco, I am pretty sure these will be barely visible a year from now, that and since I am pretty hairy, the chest hair will probably cover it all up. I am so white and so afraid of sun that I am generally more covered in the summer than I am other seasons. Plus, you are right, people advise to keep your shirt on in the summer to prevent scar from being a different color from the rest of things

Dhudson, indeed a small world. I was travelings several years back and saw one my high-school friends in Europe. Talk about small world and coincidences.

 

[Sarah_Louise]

WOW How small is your scar lol!
So pleased how good its looks and healing!!!
Love Sarah xxx

 

[Roberta]

That scar is healing nicely and will even fade more with time. Looking good. :thumbup:

 

[TheGymGuy]

My chest scar is exactly 6". My clavicle scar is 2.75" and chest tubes are 3 scars at 0.5" each.
I know my surgeon did a full sternotomy, but I am not sure how he was able to leave an outside scar of only 6".

 

[Bina]

Amazing how the surgeons stretch the skin so much....I'm a small woman and my scar is 7"

 

[bocco]

I was noticing the clavicle scar in your pictures. I don't have one of those. I'm not complaining but I wonder what is different.

My chest scar is exactly 6". My clavicle scar is 2.75" and chest tubes are 3 scars at 0.5" each.
I know my surgeon did a full sternotomy, but I am not sure how he was able to leave an outside scar of only 6".

 

[CATDOG]

Gymguy,
Looks like the swelling is all gone at 3 weeks. (Does it feel that way to you?)
When do you think it was pretty much all gone? Great to know that much anyway.
Keep up the good work--you're doing fantastic.
C

 

[TheGymGuy]

Bocco, my clavicle scar is from antegrade cerebral perfusion via the right subclavian artery. You can read about deep circulatory arrest and antegrade cerebral perfusion via the right subclavian artery here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12698148
Anyways, they needed access to my subclavian artery and for this the incision was needed across my right clavicle.

CatDog, the swelling of the wounds and most other stuff was gone 1-3 days after I was home, let's say day 6 post-op. The bump at the top of the incision is mostly gone now (well, for the most part anyways).
When I left the hospital my stomach was swollen due to not using bathroom for 3 days and water retention. My pecs and most other muscles in the hospital were a little smaller than before the surgery, but still looked about same. Right now, 3 weeks later, I have lost lots and lots of lean mass, my pecs are almost non-existant and I can see loss of mass in my back, shoulders and neck. So, the water retention goes away as soon as we start getting more sleep and switch to a more regular schedule, the lean mass is lost as soon as we stop using it after the body switches into the fight or flight mode. And, if we are lucky to eat well, often, and not too much, we can avoid gaining more fat.

 

[sarahsunshine]

Lookin good!

The good news is that once you have had muscle and you start using it again, it usually comes back way faster than if you never had it to begin with. So here's to hoping that it returns quickly upon returning to your routine!