Necrosis and Other Issues

I had breast reduction on 9/12/2016. I had terrible complications, and my doctor was a jerk to me. I switched doctors and was very happy with the change. I divide my complications into two categories: medical and cosmetic. The medical complication was necrosis and the cosmetic complication was that they looked bad. I had to stay under doctor care for months, and I was determined not to leave the care of the office until I was okay with how my breasts looked. I thought, as long as I look OK when I leave here I will not make a big deal about any of this.

I guess looking back how much of a big deal could I have made? I guess if you think your breasts look bad it doesn't matter. I didn't even leave the guy a bad online review. He really really deserves one and I will rectify that soon.

So I saw my new doctor for a year for the medical complications (actively for about 4 months). I had a huge necrosis (dead tissue) in my right breast that we were hoping would get smaller, and then we would do the cosmetic improvements when we removed the necrosis. It went from about baseball size to now about egg size. In the end the doctor decided to give it another year to get smaller. Removing it will make my breast that much smaller, and egg size is a lot of tissue to lose.

So we did the surgery but it was just cosmetic. The list of goals was long and varied, and I did ask him at one point how he was going to remember everything. He said it was all in his head. I should have insisted he write it all down and then checked his list twice.

The plan was to fix the weird, cleavage-ruining medial dog ears, fix the lateral (normal) dog ears, make both sides less heavy laterally by removing tissue surgically while plumping up the medial areas with fat grafting, even them out because I'd lost tissue to necrosis on the right, and do some work on the nipple, which is a whole other story. 

So I had my surgery and he forgot to do some of that stuff I listed up there.

I should have known he forgot something when we were talking before the surgery, he was marking my breasts and said he was thinking of taking some tissue out of the left to even them up. That was already supposed to be part of the plan, and it was something I'd had to fight him for. I will never forget it because I thought it was so odd that I had to convince him to do what I wanted when all I wanted was for my breasts to look even. He didn't want to take any more volume out because they are already pretty small looking on my frame. I finally convinced him. (??!!) And then I guess he forgot about that. And he also forgot that he was going to work on the right side being too full laterally. He only remembers talking about fixing that on the left side, and so that's what he did. This left me looking more uneven, as now the right side is just a bit lower than the left.

But what difference does that make, my breasts are so jacked looking. That is how I've started to feel. 

The nipple is a whole other story that I won't even start here. I always write way too much on here.

Now my breasts are still uneven, and the cleavage is not fixed, and my surgery is over. So the unevenness is locked in, only another operation can fix that. But the cleavage, I think, could be fixed in an office visit. If I am wrong I need to know that. Because I am so pissed off that after all I have been through that my doctor is willing to let me live with this cleavage for the rest of my life. I just want my cleavage to look normal.

My right nipple and areola died after my breast reduction in
September of 2016. I seem to be having "phantom nipple pain." Has anyone
else ever experienced this?
I have an abscess that is now about 4 cm deep, which I have been treating twice daily with Santyl and packing. I've been doing this process for about 6 weeks.
In
the past week I've been having what I call "phantom nipple pain." It's
like a sexual nipple feeling, but it is so strong that it's actually
painful. Not a terrible pain... it reminds me of sour candy that makes
me squinch my face up.
Has anybody ever had anything like this?

Well, I went this morning for a consult with a new doc, somebody in the same practice as the doc that I started with. I feel weird about that but not weird enough to not do it. I don't want the old doc to feel bad, but really his feelings are out of my control and not my problem. I had fear that the new doc might have an agenda, but that would be a major lack of integrity on his part and I just did not expect that.
I really liked the new doc! He gave me a lot of choices - choices for wound care, choices for surgery. He explained everything really clearly. He took his time. He had read my chart notes and we discussed them, he had lots of questions and made room for any of mine. And he was nice. So I
plan to move forward with him.
He said I could go the patient route and do wound care for about 2 more months, or I could decide I am done with this and have him surgically remove the fat necrosis and close up the wound. He explained each choice thoroughly. He gave me some choices for wound care that would make things heal faster, or have fewer dressing changes. I really like having choices.
If he does the surgery now, he might have to take a lot out and I'll be uneven. Then I'll probably want reconstruction later. Maybe even an implant. Can you imagine, getting an implant after wanting smaller breasts for your entire adult life? I sure as heck can't.
So for now I'll do wound care with an enzyme cream that should help the necrotic fat slough off faster, two dressing changes a day.
I am grateful for a new doctor who seems to be much more attentive and helpful in dealing with my complications.