Truman Customer Story Column
Asked to Write Their Worry, They Wrote One Word: "Bleeding"
When I ask what worried someone most before surgery, some give long answers and some very short ones.
The person I would like to introduce today was the latter. The answer in the first box of their review was "bleeding" — one word, and that was all.
A Short Answer Is Not a Light WorryBeing sparing with words does not mean the worry is small. If anything, an answer can be short precisely because the worry is concentrated in one place. Bleeding is in fact what we watch most closely in this surgery, so this person's worry landed on exactly the right point.
So I answer this worry not with an explanation but with a procedure.
How We Manage the First Two DaysThe stretch between 12 and 48 hours after surgery carries a risk of bleeding. During this period you spend the time with additional compression over the garment. With the chest and abdomen doubly compressed, it is not comfortable. I hear often that this period feels confining.
When you come in the next day, we check directly for bleeding and remove the extra compression. From then on it becomes considerably easier. During that period you should not do upper-body exercise, though light walking and lower-body squats are fine.
This flow was what this person wanted to know, and I explained this sequence exactly as it stands in the consulting room beforehand.
What Remains After Hearing the ExplanationOf their first visit, this person wrote, "They explained the surgery in detail, so I had no fear." They also said that because they had heard the process explained well, they had no concerns about the surgery either.
What creates fear is usually the part you do not know. Once what happens, when, and how is laid out in order, what remains is only the decision.
The Next Plan Is ExerciseAsked what they most wanted to do first after surgery, the answer was again short: "Exercise."
From when and at what intensity you can resume training is advised at each visit while we watch your recovery. People like this one, who already have a next plan, tend to follow that guidance well.
To Those Facing the Same ConcernThis person left the words to stop agonizing and have the surgery. But that is the view of someone who has finished it, and having gynecomastia does not mean everyone needs surgery. Which case you are is something to judge after confirming it through an examination.
If your concern is clearly focused on one thing, you may bring just that one thing. The consulting room exists to answer that one thing precisely.
