#posting this for science tbh it was overall very interesting; I just wish I didn't have to watch all that going down on my own chest

[emsloe]

mildly graphic medical content warning

had a very harrowing visit to the surgery center today during which my surgeon had to get a bunch of 4-day-old coagulated blood out of my pecs via massaging them aggressively, reopening an incision, and stuffing some gauze into said incision. Most disturbing part to me right now is that I can feel the gauze under my skin, and he wants me to rip it out tomorrow... was informed complications like this are more common if you have more muscle, and if it doesn't resolve by wednesday he will have to operate on me again.

he also put the wrap back on so tight that my ribs feel bruised. augh

he told me i was very stoic during the whole thing but frankly it was pretty gross. Ended up with apparently ~200ccs of clotted blood out of my problem side. This was a complication from a few hours after surgery, but I was too out of it to call them about it, and wasn't able to get it looked at til today due to the holiday, but it had been slowly reducing til today so I'm optimistic - fingers crossed I don't need that second operation.

I have extra aftercare instructions for now and will be back in the center on Wednesday so he can see how it's going

I know it's gonna be so so worth it in the end, but man I hate recovery. This sucks supremely.