I have been back at work for 3 weeks now, and theres not a lot I cannot do. I am still restricted with my arm movements above shoulder/head height, and with lifting heavy weights.
With arm movements above shoulder height, until about 1 week post-op there was simply none of it. But from 1 week post-op onward, I found I was slowly able to increase my arm lifting height (with less pain). Eventually I was able to do things like reach coat hangers in my wardrobe, reach up to grab a plate from the cupboard etc etc.
I have pushed the point and found I can actually lift 25kg (for a few seconds assisting my mate at the gym) but in terms of working out at the gym myself, for upper body exercises I have found so far I can only do dumbbell bicep curls with about 5-8kg each dumbbell.
My scars are healing well, and while i still have a bit of swelling, there is next to no pain anymore. Since surgery, my drainage bag for my right pec was always full of more blood, and consistently my right pec has been more swollen than my left.
After surgery I woke up in a surgical compression vest, which my surgeon asked me to wear for as long as possible to minimise swelling. At week 5, I begun wearing it only during the day and taking it off too sleep.
A few days ago, I tried leaving it off for an entire day and night. The result was my right pec's swelling flaring up, which obviously is not good, but shows that the compression vest does work!
Here is a picture of my chest at 1 month post op (with silicone strips over my scars.)
I see my surgeon again this Friday 22nd, exactly at my 6 weeks post op date.
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