Fat Transfer: Stories

I am 46 years old. I have wanted larger breasts since my 20's but not implants. I met a girl from real self who had a fat transfer with this doctor. Since she lived in my area, she was willing to meet and showed me her great results. I scheduled surgery today for April 11th and began the Brava today.

I just hooked up to my 3 night of Brava. This thing is uncomfortable. The morning after the first night, I saw some swelling. This morning, I was very disappointed as the Brava seemed to give no results. I tried to make sure I had a good seal with the domes tonight. I realized that my breasts go outward & so should the domes as I thought they had to be in the middle. So, I am hoping that will help. Also, the first 2 nights, I only wore it for 8 hours. Tonight, I will try to go for 10 hours from here on out.
I am having liposuction done from the flanks and the thighs. Dr. Shermak says she does not need the fat from my thighs for the transfer but I would just like to have them done. Also, I do have some available fat in my abdomen if we should need to do a 2nd transfer so we are saving that area.
I am using Brava for 6 wks pre-op and plan to do 10 wks post op if I can stand it.
I am very excited but also very nervous & just hope it goes well. I wish we had more long term updates on these blogs. I will try to be diligent about updating my story over 1 yr, 2 yrs, 3yrs out so women know what to expect as this is an emerging procedure that is becoming more popular.

I have one month to go to surgery & I am very excited!! (nervous too)
Tomorrow, I will try to post updated photos after using Brava for a week.

Continuing w/Brava. Seeing swelling. Still feeling hopeful & a little over 3 weeks to go before surgery.

I am finding as the tackiness of the domes wears out a little, the Brava is less annoying to wear. Thank God! It is interesting how the Brava makes your breasts stand up (like young breasts) and fills in the upper pole giving a very nice effect.
The aloe vera and calendula are really helping reduce the red marks on my chest. They are finally almost gone.

The Brava is really starting to show some nice results now. I am getting some really good swelling & fullness. I am just SO antsy for my surgery day to come. It is still 3 weeks & 2 days away & it feels like it will never be here!

Well, I was considering moving up my surgery date b/c at this pt, I am SO antsy to get this over! But I decided to wait & 3 wks feels like an eternity!! I am seeing good results w/Brava & have been avging 14-16 hrs wear a night. My nipples look lighter pink (almost whitish color) than normal so hopefully they return to normal after surgery. The sensitivity has changed as well. They are still sensitive in a good way but maybe not as sensitive. It is harder for me to take walks now ( I walk 4 miles, 6 dys wk) b/c the girls are sore. Brava is becoming slightly more comfortable now as the stickiness on the domes lessens & my skin is mostly healed except this one spot that I have trouble with. I have been wearing Bali Revolution Bras which give light support but stretch & are flexible. I got done my mammo, physical, etc everything is done for the surgery & paid so now I just keep using Brava & WAIT til it is my day! I have only told a couple people abt the surgery, others just that I was using Brava so if they see a difference, I can just say it was Brava. I am hoping I get good results like my friend who used this doc. Her breasts look gorgeous at almots 1 yr post op. It has been a blessing having her support & Beagle Baby from this forum to walk this journey with. My husband has been great too. I got a cheap, dark colored sweatsuit, zip down in case leakage, have made healthy soups, got Mesederm scar gel & also considering getting Scarguard for the lipo sites. I am trying to decide if I will need to order the extra large domes before the surgery for the new girls. I will wait til like a week before as right now I am pretty far from the end of the large domes. I am also very concerned that due to my age (46) that the weight from the new fat, may cause sagging and my nipples to turn downward. Right now, they are up but how will all the heaviness effect with my age/gravity. I really do not want to get a breast lift (do not like those vertical scars) s we'll see. My doc encourages walks starting the first day of surgery to prevent blood clots so I am excited about that as I LOVE to walk! No weights or yoga for 3 weeks but that is fine, it will be a nice break!

Last night, I used the 'black bulb/pump' for the 1st time. Thanks to Beagle Baby on this forum who was so kind to send it to me. I could not get it with my Brava since I did not purchase from a ps. I saw VERY good results last night. I cycled 3 times. I am really having ALOT of trouble with my domes as all of the sticky stuff is coming off so I am hoping to get my new domes SOON! I am super excited and super NERVOUS about this procedure & beginning to feel sicker every day that it gets closer! I will put an updated Brava pic on soon & prior to surgery so that you can see how girls look prior to surgery. I would say right now, I am a small C with swelling in the am. 17 days left to surgery & the countdown is ON! Just 2 work weeks left and then it is my surgery week. I will be off the entire surgery week as I have to wear Brava for 24 hours a day on Mon-Wed with surgery being on a Thurs.

I can't believe I am finally under 2 weeks til surgery. I can say, 1 week and 6 days, yay! Good results from Brava last night. Will post pre-surgery pics within 24 hours of the surgery to see final Brava results. We seem to have more women joining this section on real self which is great & I hope they will be willing to update long term with posts to educate and help other women.

I touched base w/my ps in prep for surgery. She offered for me to come in again to see her since its been a while since I've been using Brava. I decided not to go in b/c we are spending time on surgery day going over our surgical plan prior to the operation. Also, I feel very confident with her based on my friend's long term results. Dr. Shermak has also been available by email whenever I have questions. She promptly answers all of your questions so that you are comfortable. I had considered maybe not doing the extra lipo to the legs & the cost would then only be 5000 not 7800 but I really want to get my legs done. One thing that has been difficult is that I have been losing weight since I signed up for surgery. Not alot but I want to make sure I don't lose too much pre-surgery and I also do not want for that to effect the Brava results. I will post pics as soon as I am able after surgery.

10 days til surgery & so excited!! So far, I am feeling strangely calm. I was nervous a couple of weeks ago. Brava is going great but I am concerned about using the pump based on Jenna's comment. So, we'll see.

Super excited and calm SO FAR. New pics w/Brava to come within a few days of surgery. We are having ALOT of new ladies joining our fat transfer forum, so cool! More women are getting this procedure & sharing, WE ROCK fat transfer chicks!!! LOL

I can't believe I am finally a week away from surgery. It's crazy! I am the first surgery at 8:30am. My friend shared there is a CD called Successful Surgery that helps you relax & have a speedy recovery. I may consider getting it, not sure. Tomorrow is my last day of work before surgery so that I can wear Brava as much as possible for the 5 days prior to surgery. So exciting!

Okay so Jenna has brought to light a possible area of concern. So, I contacted my doc. I spoke w/her via telephone. She says she has not heard of this and she is actually speaking next Fri-Sun at a conference for plastic surgeons on Brava & Fat transfer. I also called Khouri's office and they said they have not heard of it either. I called Dr. Tantillo's office who says it is true and they are not using Brava for now but are still doing fat transfers to the breast without Brava. The info they gave me was different & it was just that Brava did not have enough cases to prove that it was increasing the amount of fat retained, this is what they said at Tantillos. They said it was safe. It all seems very strange. My PS is still going ahead with my surgery as she has not heard this. This has caused me significant anxiety in worrying that my surgery would be cancelled after wearing Brava for the last 5 weeks. So, lets just put this to rest for now.

Brava tip for irritated skin is calendula cream is working very, very well. I am excited to post my updated Brava pics this weekend. Tonight was my last day of work prior to surgery so that I can wear Brava intensely.

I am done working now until 5/1 so just trying to use Brava as much as possible. The weather in Maryland is looking promising as we have high 60's and 70's coming which will be nice after surgery b/c Dr. Shermak wants me to get outside and walk for 15-20 mins on the surgery day. She wants me to walk every day to prevent blood clots. I am not allowed to lift weights or do yoga for 3 weeks but I will be walking ( I hope anyway!). LOL

Brava Update
I called Dr. Louton's office & spoke for a long time to them. They told me that the FDA just wants Brava to do further studies and that Brava is no longer selling the devices so they are just doing fat transfer to the breasts without Brava for now. So, I called Brava and they are DENYING what Dr. Louton's office said. They said they are still selling Brava and that I could purchase one right then. They also claim they are still selling them to ps. So, I say that there is NOT consistent info out there. Someone is either not telling the truth or not knowledgeable...it is VERY SAD!! The Brava Drama really is CRAZY!!!

Last weekend before surgery...Happy Friday to all!

New pics using Brava for 24 hours straight with just an added pump or two here and there. Not full cycling..trying to save skin.

Well girls, I have 3 days to go & I feel like I am going to VOMIT! Ugh, it is close now & feels scary now that the weekend is closing & I know Mon-Wed that I will be tied to the house wearing Brava for the next 72 hours prior to surgery.

I can't believe that I am 2 days away!!
What a great way to spend the Spring..sitting around in the "Digger Domes" while I try to make Turkey Kale soup for recovery, LOL! I am trying to keep my spirits up as I am strapped to the house! :-)

Tomorrow (Wed) is my last day in 'this body'. Thurs morning, is the day! I am feeling nausea. I am trying not to let the anxious thoughts take over so it is presenting physically! The weather is so hot here that I had to escape Brava & go out & get a short sleeved button down shirt for surgery. Whoo! Almost 48 hrs of the 72 hours of Brava is done.

I can't believe it is 9 days post op already. As you all know, I have been very sick with severe anemia. I am doing better and will have my hemoglobin/CBC retested on Tuesday. I have been taking in tons of iron to get those red blood cells producing again. I am feeling hopeful that I will be fully recovered soon. Here are some pics finally! I gave the procedure a "worth it" rating for now (can always change later) because if anything the lipo results look excellent. I love the breasts as well and the swelling is starting to go down. Still a small amount of yellow bruising. You can also see a little redness under one breast as the doc removed a mole for me. The only thing that I am slightly disappointed in with the breasts is that the one breast still goes straight across at the bottom/ it is not as rounded along the bottom as the other. I did ask the doc if she could fix this so I am not sure if the shape could not be molded/curved or what. I have another post op visit this Wed so I will ask then. I had my stitches out at my visit last week and the marks are few and very tiny which I am thrilled about. I am still bruised in shades of purple, green & yellow. I guess that is normal for 9 days out? There is still some tenderness/soreness and some spasms in one leg at night occasionally. I also feel an occasional pain in the breasts for a second but the doc says this is normal. Since I am feeling better, I am considering beginning wearing the Brava again tonight at bed time for a few weeks. But, I don't know if it is too late to get the blood flow going to the breasts now since I stopped wearing it for 5 days. What do you guys think? I also saw that Purple Lake did not wear Brava at all post surgery and has maintained good results 4 mths post op. I guess it would not hurt to try it for a few weeks just at bedtime. Although, it will be strange going back to it. I am wondering since I had such a large transfer if all will work out. Although, then again, I see that Purple Lake had even more cc's put in then I did and she has had great results and no problems. What do you guys think? Enjoy the weekend!

So, I can't believe that I am 2 weeks post surgery already! The breasts are starting to deflate a little as expected. I will post new pics at the one month mark (in 2 more weeks). I would say they are a full C right now. The lipo results still look fantastic and the marks are tiny and few. Great news, I am feeling SO MUCH better!!! I already got my blood test results back and I raised my hemoglobin levels 2 points in 1 week! I have followed a strict regimen to get maximum iron absorption. I am still anemic but only have 1.2 points to get out of the "anemic category" and 3 points to get back to where I was. I only wore Brava one day and it seemed to give me such a bad rash and blisters so I discontinued it again so who knows how the lack of wearing it post op will effect my results. How is everyone else?

Well, I really may have overdone it today. I was feeling so much better that I walked my normal 4 miles (after only 2 weeks since surgery). Now, that I am sitting, I feel sore! In addition to that, I shopped for 3 hours at Kohls. I wanted some additional compression type garments so I don't just have the one from the doctor. Kohls now sells Spanx much cheaper than Spanx. The leggings were $26 not $80 like on their site. I got two pairs of the high rise leggings b/c I need the compression on my back/flanks. I also got a waist/back shaper to wear over the leggings for addl compression. The only thing that stinks (although I am sure none of you are going to cry for me here) is that the smallest size that Spanx makes is a 1 and I really need a smaller size for more compression. Same with the waist shaper, I really need an XS and they don't make it, poo! So, I am getting some compression anyway. I ended up getting some yoga/athletic pants in an xs and they are pretty tight so that should be good. Ended up getting a load more of things..turned into a real shopping spree. I also got 2 more Bali Comfort Revolution Bras that look like tank bras with a swirly design. They are sooo cute & fit so good. Got a 36 C but I seem to be spilling over in it. I tried on a couple of cute dresses but my boobs looked too big so I did not buy them. My boobs scared me as I am not used to seeing them protruding thru a dress, LOL! Then, the funniest of all, another woman was complaining to me that she could not find any bras b/c she had 'nothing up top" and I would not understand since I 'had boobs'. So, of course, I had to tell her my 'boob story' and directed her to real self. Another lady overheard & needless to say I made alot of friends today who are happy to get rid of their thighs and get some boobs, LOL!!!

Feeling great. Went into surgery weighing around 128, came out around 125. This am, weighed 124. Following an awesome eating plan to enhance the figure post lipo developed w/a trainer. I will share it in case anyone can use some of it for ideas. My energy is soaring since starting it & it creates a lean body.
** Drink 4 liters ( 1 gallon) of water per day & exercise min of 45 mins cardio/weights every other day. Space mini meals 2-3 hours apart (do not eat more at each meal-will gain fat)
Meal 1- 1 egg & egg whites w/ fruit or 1 dry grain toast or Kashi Very Berry cereal w/milk (1 cup)
Meal 2- smoothie made in blender, 6-8 oz coconut water, big handful of spinach, 1 scoop Raw Protein by Garden of Life (ordered on line from Amazon- see ingredients-so good for you), 1/4 cup frozen cherries, 1/4 cup frozen pineapples, 1/4 cup mixed berries and 3 tbs of 0% plain greek yogurt, blend, yum, your energy will soar after this!
Meal 3- 4 oz lean protein, 3 oz healthy carb (grain bread-1 piece, 1/2 cup quinoa or brown rice, or 1/4 cup diced yam) and side leafy salad & 1 oz dark chocolate
Meal 4- think thin protein bar or cottage cheese and fruit, or 1oz cheese w/6 healthy crackers or 3 tbs hummus dipped in celery & 6 almonds, or tbs pb spread on celery sticks
Meal 5- dinner- 1 cup healthy soup, 6 oz protein, (protein can be lean meat or vegetarian like a veggie burger, etc) and 2 cups leafy green veggies steamed
meal 6- something small pre bed, a 1/2 cup frozen greek yogurt, egg whites scrambled, small flavored yogurt, tbs almond butter & little protein
Hope maybe this meal plan may help out..you will really feel great!

I am 3 weeks post op. Still very, very happy with my results. I will post new pics at the 1 month mark (in 1 week). I will include a full body photo so that you can see my improved contours of my entire physique. I still continue to shrink as I put on a pair of my pre-surgery size 4 jeans today and they fell down. The only place that I still feel a tiny bit sore is on my back where I have an entry site for lipo. This area will swell a little if I have the garment off. Otherwise, I am now exercising alot. Got my hair done and feeling good! Both breasts and body look very nice and I just hope it continues! I am almost afraid to get to excited!!!

Today is my 1 month anniversary since my fat transfer! Boy, am I happy to not be back to that evening 1 month ago, LOL! So, this weekend, I will post pictures with lipo site close ups and all! I have been shopping like crazy as my 1 month anniversary gift to myself. I had to consign my ENTIRE wardrobe at a local shop b/c I was a size 4 and now I am a 0 (zero)! I also got sized at VS & I am a 34 C. Got some nice sexy bras. Now here is the strangest thing of all, I am sitting on the sofa after dinner tonight with kind of a tight t-shirt on and my husband comes up and rubs him self all over my boobs (like a cat rubs themself on you!) and rolls around on them admiring them with his big eyes, LOL!!! Sorry if this is TMI, very sorry. But, he just seems fascinated by them, LOL. He tells me that I looked great before the surgery and now but hmmm...I don't remember this "cat like" behavior pre surgery!!! LOL Okay, pics to come on the weekend!

Here are pics at 1 mth . You can see a pic of what the lipo mark looks like at one month. Although, I understand that they will continue to fade. They are all hidden within the bathing suit line so that no one will ever see them. I pulled the skin apart so you can see a close up of my biggest lipo mark. I did not have my waist, inner thighs, inner knees or stomach done with lipo. I am hoping any future fat does not land in those sites. I did have my outer thighs, back thighs, flanks down to the butt and hips done with lipo. I hope these photos help.

2 more shots in my summer bathing suit this way you can see a full body leg/hip shot where I had lipo and side shot & I got a pic of my dog's water bowl, fun! LOL

Have 1 pic posted at 1 month out in blue bathing suit. Deleted some as I am getting a bad angle since hubby is so tall. So working on putting new pics up soon!
Everybody have a great week, Happy Monday!

Today is 5 wks out. Extremely happy with results. Breasts are the same, retaining fat. Lipo looks great. My friend that used my doctor is also willing to sell her Brava now if anyone needs it for a reasonable price.