Part 1: Capsular Contracture at 4 months post op- Houston, TX

Hello everyone! First off here are my stats. 5'5", 177 lbs., 38 yrs. old., No children- and no plans for any. Pre-op 36 small C, Hoping for a full C, small D. (and really, no more than that!) The plan is 371 cc in the left, and 392 on the right Cohesive Gel Silicone, Inframammary Incision, sub-pectoral, dual plane technique

HOW IT STARTED: I decided this January that I am not getting any younger, and I want to look as good as I can for as long as I can. I mean who doesn't right? I actually look younger than my age, and I am a returning college student changing my career about to graduate from college this May. During my time in college I moved to another state, been to three different universities and have gained 30lbs after moving to a hotter climate and sitting on my butt studying all the time. I really have been feeling like I have been wasting my youth, while feeling powerless to change it. I don't know if many other people have this issue before they get augmentation, so I am hoping my story might help some of those ladies as the majority of ladies getting BA's seems so to be in really good shape. I actually started out at 190 lbs, and have lost about 13 so far. When I get closer to my ideal weight I should be around a 34 B from the 36 C. I hope to lose another 10 pounds by the time I have my surgery, and will then continue to lose more. I need to lose a total of 37lbs to get to my "ideal" (140lbs) which is still on the high end of ok for my size. I will have to start job hunting after I graduate and I want to be more “presentable” weight wise while doing so as I feel really unattractive. So this is how this all started. I have been researching the web and creeping around in forums trying to learn whatever I could learn about these things. It has been wonderful to have that sort of reference and hear everybody's stories in order to compare my experience. And thank you everyone for posting pics! That is so brave! I am still trying to decide how I will as I know there are men who view these reviews, and it sickens me when it is for the wrong reason.

CHOOSING THE DR: The Dr. I chose seems to have hundreds of reviews that are just raving. The lowest rating I saw for him was 4.5 out of 5, but mostly 5's! Also I found a couple ladies on the forums that I roam who had their BA's with him and they are all happy confirming these reviews. I broke a cardinal rule by only having one consult- I hope I don't regret it later but I am sooo confident he will do a good job and his before and after pics look great. He is Board of Plastic Surgery certified and has many awards and been in many magazine reviews. (I hope I am repeating that right) So anyways, yadda yadda- he’s got the credentials and has been doing it many years.

CONSULT: Today I finally had my consult (3/20/12). His office is very nice and is located right next to a hospital. They have you fill out your new patient paperwork on a digital tablet which is really cool, and my husband asked them if they had any coffee- and they asked him if he would like espresso and “how would you like it sir?” They were all very nice and very professional. I didn’t have to wait any unreasonable time and was quite entertained by the tablet that had other things for you to look at. We were brought back to the exam room where the coordinator asked us some medical history questions and confirmed what we were there for.

The Dr. came in after she was done and spoke with us a little bit then had me change into a paper vest that opened in the front. When they both came back they took a look and took some measurements. After the measurements were taken, we went to another room (while I held the vest closed, but no one else was there anyway as I was the last patient). In this room, he had me put on a cotton-stretchy bra and asked me what size I was thinking. He placed some sizers into the bra and had me put on a form fitting white shirt and then analyzed their appearance in the shirt. Along with my husband and the coordinator/assistant (I’m actually not sure what her title is). He felt like my slight asymmetry was more obvious and decided to use different sizes which he and everyone else felt looked more even. I put on a couple of shirts I brought and my hubby took pics of me in the sizers. We sat down and discussed the pre-op, the surgery procedure, recovery, and post-op. He also answered any more questions we had, then took pictures with the sizers and shirt off for his records.

Once done there with him, we went with the coordinator to talk money, payment options, scheduling, etc. I booked my surgery for May 11th at 8:30 am!. FINALLY! But will need to be there by 6:30 am for pre-op preparation, I will be in surgery for 1 hour, recovery for 1 hour, then I will be free to go home. They will put an anti-nausea med in my IV to hopefully prevent any sickness when I come to. I am instructed to not wear any bras or straps or anything for 6weeks after, as well as dietary, alcoholic beverage, smoking, vitamin, painkiller, requirements before and after the surgery.

So that is where I am at right now, sorry it is sooo detailed! But hopefully this will help someone. When you have no idea it’s like a big black hole that your imagination can run wild in! LOL. I hope to have some pics posted soon. Until then…..! I'll change my "worth it" status once I have the Aug done and can truly determine.

I forgot to mention that these will be moderate plus profile, Natrelle implants

I just added pics of what I look like in my clothes normally. I usu. wear a slightly padded bra which makes me look bigger than I am. And then there are the pics with the sizers taken at the docs office with my own shirt and with their tight shirt. Real boob pics to come. I may have to wait until next week for that.

Well I was able to take better pics with my itouch today since the lighting is better, so I am going ahead and posting what I look like without clothes on. Interestingly, before this consult I had no idea that one breast was bigger than the other. They always looked pretty even to me, but funny when you take pics of them they look different. For some reason I thought my breasts were a little perkier than this too. Lol.

I am still a little worried these sizers are too big, but I am trying to have faith as everyone says they are smaller once in. I will try them again before the surgery as I am hoping to be at least 10-15lbs lighter by then.

I am wondering if anyone elses PS is offering "FREE" anythings with their new boobies?
I am getting Natrelle's and they come with $50 towards botox injections or other services, and a free chemical peel.

I really appreciate the input that was given to me on the size of these sizers. I think I am starting to feel better about them. Maybe I am getting used to seeing these pictures? I dont know. But I am going to have faith that I won't look like "Betty Basketballs" once these are in, although I will double check it at the pre-op and see how it fills out a size C and D bra and take those pics too.
I will def. post after photos with and without clothes so any newbies can be the judge of how it looks compared to what sizers look like. I certainly hope the implants have a better shape and sit better than what these sizers are looking like. =)
46 more days and counting.....

Ok, I keep going back and forth about size! I am so worried I will end up a DD which is bigger than I care to be!
I know I am starting out a C, but really they don't look like C's do they?
I've even seen other B's who seem to have more breast tissue/projection than I do. It's so wierd!
I have no idea what to do right now and am freaked out that they will be bigger than I want!!
WHAT TO DO???? ARGHHH!
I would rather be a little on the smaller side than the too large side........=(

Maybe I should have posted a full length pic minus my head so we could see how it looks on my whole body. I dont think currently have one though. Trying to figure it out is killing me!

OMG, I had a boobie nightmare last night.
I dreamed I had my BA done and when I was able to look at them to see how they came out, both boobies were lumped together like one long boobie and they hung really low and off center of my chest.
I looked at the doctor like WTH??
I wanted them back out immediately!
And he was like "oh, well...you know" and just kind of looked at them.
That would be horrible. I might have to clock him if he did that to me and said that. lol

I just tried a bra calulator since I am thinking I am not really a C anymore. I went to Linda the bra lady 's website and the measuremts said I was either a 38B or 36C. I know I don't fill a C cup and I could never find 38B's in stores. I think I am going to go to the mall and see if I can find a 38B to try on. Maybe that is my true size. This is measuring 34" ribcage and 37" across the bust, both with a semi-padded bra on.

http://www.lindasonline.com/bra-fitting-calculator.html

Creepy dudes on the site, so I took my "in the buff" pics off. For those that have been interested in my journey, I'll share pics with you after my BA in private messages.

I just found out that the hubbs has to leave for a work trip right after my surgery!
I go in on a friday morning and then he leaves the next morning! I hope I'll be able to fend for myself as I dont have any family or close friends there. =(
I am a little worried. How is it going to the potty or opening the door for the dog, or what else is there to worry about? I have no idea.

He thinks I'll be up and running around very quickly after. Argh! This could be very bad! He is going to see what our neighbors are doing and see if they can check on me that weekend. They are friends of ours, although I am not sure how "close" our friendship should be defined. I was thinking I'd need someone basically waiting on me hand and foot and stay in bed. But doesnt sound like THAT is going to happen if I need it.
Any suggestions??

Well ladies, I just had my pre-op appt. today.
I decided to stick with the 370 and 390cc's.
Got my meds, only costed about $30 as generics.
I have to shower with some special soap tonight and tomorrow morning.

I plan on cooking some foods tonight that I can just microwave over the next couple of days that are relatively healthy and low in salt and fat. I tried to figure out what would be easy to eat/make. I'm thinking sandwhiches, cottage cheese with fruit, bagels, reheat grilled chicken, steamed veggies, grilled veggies, steamed rice, sweet or reg. potatoes. Thats all I could think of.


I am having the darndest time trying to figure out what I am wearing to the hospital.
I was originally thinking pajamas, but now I am having second thoughts about that.
It is hard to find tops that zip up or button that are not hoodies or dress shirts.
Its flippin hot here, I dont want to wear a hoodie but I may have to.
House is still not clean, but I dont think i'll really be able to get that done tonight.
I sprained my ankle really bad last Sunday and have been trying to put stuff away since I just moved here.
Oh well, I wont worry about it. Doc thinks I'll be up and moving around same day. Lol
We'll see how that goes. =)

I am trying to drink lots of water today to get hydrated and figure out what I need to have on the end table in the living room next to recliner.
Oh, I also bought these two packages of "TheraPearl". You can freeze of heat it, and they are small balls, like little peas- molds to your body, yadda yadda. Check out the link if you are interested in seeing.

http://www.therapearl.com/our-products/

Hmmm, what else?

Dr. Vitenas and his crew have been awesome, and I have the utmost confidence in his skill and "eye in the art" that he won't let me down. I am "praying" for success! Give me pretty boobies please! Maybe I should make a note on my belly for him in indelible ink......LOL

I'll prob be posting some new pics, but these perverted dudes on the site have me paranoid and uncomfortable. So we will see.

There are a couple of other girls getting surgery tomorrow also. I hope we all keep in touch so we can commiserate together! lol

Hello Ladies!
Yesterday's surgery went fine. I got there at 6:30 am for an 8:30 surgery. Once I went to "pre-op", they had me gown up, stuck an IV in me, etc. I talked with the Anethesiologist and his assistant?, and 2 nurses, one of which stuck the IV in me. Dr. Vitenas came in and marked me up. Just 3 lines- then I was ready to go.
One of the anesthesia guys put in the coctail to the IV. I think I remember being wheeled into the OR, then I was out like a light. LOL

When I woke up, i was pretty groggy, and it was hard to talk. I tried to look at my boobies and I had thought they looked the same size as I was pre-op. After a while they put me in a rolling, reclining chair to another area where the hubbs came back.
They gave me crackers and ice water. I mostly ate the ice in it. They started my massage there and showed us how to do it. The hubbs had to do the first one. I almost threw up at the hospital right before leaving, but made it to when we got home. The car ride was a little bumpy- but not too bad.
I ate a bagel and fruit cup and was fine, but I slept most of the day. Hubbs made dinner and I only could eat a couple fo bites before I threw up again. Ewww, I hate throwing up!!
The anesthesiologist put an anti nausea med in my IV, and I have that anti-nausea bandage behind my ear. And as you can see I threw up anyway.
They did not give me a pain pill before leaving the hospital, and I didnt feel the need to take one later, but I did right before bedtime because i was afraid they would start really hurting while I slept.
I can sleep flat on my back, sometimes I prop up, I can raise my arms over my head, my pain is very minimal. I took 2 tylenol today and the antibiotics.I am driving my hubbs to the airport today. I think I can anyway. I'll be testing that out soon.
I have iced the boobs some and been massaging when I remember.
My right boob hurts when i massage. that is the boob I got the 397cc in. I have sharp searing pains when i do it on that side. Left side feels absolutely fine. Both are still pretty tight, and are numb. I cant really feel the cold from the ice at all.

When I get back from taking the hubbs from the airport, I'll take a muscle relaxer. I think it's valium. It is supposed to relieve any muscle spasms and help the muscles relax.
I have no idea how swollen they might be or maybe they really arent. No idea, but they do need to drop. My inframmary incision is about 4cm. Which is less than an inch long.

I believe that because of the technique that Dr. Vitenas employs, my recovery has not been too bad at all. I expected it to be worse today, but it really isnt bad. I couldve refrained from taking the tylenol too.

I wonder how my other May 11th surgery buddies are doing?

In my last post, I said scar was less than an inch. Correction: less than 2 inches! 2.5 cm=1 inch.

I now know what "morning boob" is.
Man, that is sore first thing in the morning but I immediately started jiggling them around and they feel better once they've loosened back up.
Previously i said my scar is less than 2 inches. I may not be saying the correct size.
My huband said the doc said 4mm, i am thinking it mustve been 4cm. Either way, i really dont know as i have small bandages covering them.
My Boobs dont seem as stiff today, but they are in fact still stiff.- just not as much as yesterday.
I keep banging my boobies on things like doors. I forget they stick out further i guess and with them being numb i better be careful i dont hurt myself! lol
I am pretty much only taking the muscle relaxer and the antibiotics. If it starts to hurt I'll have to decide between the pain pill or tylenol- but until then i will wait to take it.
I found that i have a bruise in between my breasts. I push on it and it seems to depress some. I hope that is not the beginnings of symmastasia. (SP?) I am going to bring it up to PS when I go in on Monday.
Everything else is going good My poor dog wants me to play with him, but i cant throw any balls. I tried walking him yesterday off leash and that was uncomfortable just walking.
I may try to take him to a doggie daycare center tomorrow so he can run around and play with other puppies.
Also I just took off the anti nausea patch a few minutes ago and now i feel a little dizzy. I have no idea if they are related or something else.
so anyways, I continue to ice and jiggle my boobies around and massage them.

I just went in for my first post-op appointment. I am on day 3.
I gotta say, I wondered if my massage technique wasnt quite right, b/c I really couldnt get them to quite hit my collar bone.
Well I went in today and Doc popped them up to my collar bone and right back down- multiple times in rapid movements.
I gotta say, I was kind of in shock. I didnt know what the hell was going on! And it felt SUPER wierd! LOL
So they had to show me how to do it again.

So anyways, everything looks good- I am to go back in 1 more week and he'll take the bandages off the stitches and check to see if I am massaging correctly again. At that appointment it shouldnt hurt or feel odd.
SIGH! I got a long week ahead of me. I am going to try doing it lying down, maybe they'll slide up easier.
He said the bruising and tendereness in between the breasts are fine.
So I will just continue icing my incision areas and that spot when they are sore.

Sorry if you got a bunch of email that i updated. I had to add only 1 pic at a time. Fore some reason it wasnt liking me . So anyways, 3 new pics are up.

BTW_ I dont think my boobs now look much like the sizers!

***DAY 7****
Well yesterday was day seven, and OMG i guess i overdid it.
My girlfriend and I went to the outlet mall to get some shopping in and by our fifth? store, I was ready to pass out.
I wasnt even the one trying on clothes too much either.
I dont know if I was dehydrated or what was going on buti just had NO energy left. I had to drive us home and I felt like I was going to throw up on the way back. That would have been interesting to drive and throw up at the same time. (just kidding)
When i got home I slept for two hours and iced my boobies. I felt better after and then we went out for dinner.

Today we are going to the pool, where I will stay out of the sun and not go into the pool except for my legs.
And I will prob just wear a tank instead of a bikini top.

******DAY 9******
I wasn't going to post until Tuesday but I've had some changes today, so I thought I would update.

Today was a good day. I am finally not so exhausted after doing some running around.
My boobs are feeling much better when I bend over- I no longer have to hold the right one when i do. It did not feel good, and holding it BARELY helped. And if you've forgotten or didn't know, I have to go braless for 6 weeks.

I was actually able to shop for 5 hours today, take a light bike ride (I have to run my dog, i dont have to expend as much energy this way, but he does), i even cleaned the house a little (sweeping, picked up some stuff) and took out the trash.
And I feel really good!

Massaging has gotten much better for me. Its still is a little uncomfortable on the right breast, but it has definitely gotten much better.
My doctors appointment is on tuesday, where i get my bandages off. I still plan on asking him why that side is uncomfortable where the left side is no problem at all.

The numbness in my breasts continues to diminish. My nipples never got hard when my boobs were numb, but i noticed they did today at one point.

I think they've dropped some, I will take pics on Tuesday and post those without bandages.

So anyways, I'm making progress and that's a good thing! Yay!
One thing I changed since I've been so tired is that I started taking the multivitamin again and had gotten off of drinking as much water, so have picked that up again.
As a suggestion to anyone on the way to surgery, you would be better off maintaining a healthy and nutritious diet both before and after surgery in order to ensure the quickest recovery as possible.

But anyways, Life is good!
Now if I can find me a corset tomorrow, and a dress for a wedding, I will be doing SUPER FAB!

***Day 12***
Well I wish I could say my boobs feel better. Today they are horrible! So sensitive to the fabric rubbing on them and the jiggling is uncomfortable. I cheated today and bought a stretchy tube top bra thingie. I got the biggest one poss to try to reduce any compression. It helped significantly, but i took it off when i got home so will only wear it when i just cant stand it anymore. =)
So i guess that means the nerves are continuing to rgenerate and the numbness is further disappearing. Hence the unbelievable sensitivity and soreness. I actually took a muscle relaxer today and was debating the pain pill. Which one will reduce any feeling? lol

Also, while trying on clothes today, I was flexing my pectoral muscles in the mirror. I wanted to see if I had any rippling or distortion or anything double bubble-ey. I couldnt tell if what I was seeing was my own fat or anything with the implants. lol
I am chomping at the bit to go work out. Now that I have new boobies, I'd like to slim up the rest of me to compliment each other. Shopping for clothes has been depressing due to it.
Well, it is what it is and hopefully that day will get here soon enough.

***DAY 18****
Ugh my boobies are killing me!! Lol
Not enough to take anything, its just the skin and/or nerves. So I hear this will go on for a while. I am really excited about that. NOT> haha, I fully enjoy my skin feeling like its sunburned with my shirt constantly rubbing on it. haha Also jiggling and bumps are still bad. Maybe if I was allowed to wear a sports bra, compression bra, or whatever- it might feel better.
Hmmmm, maybe I will cheat and wear a sports bra tomorrow! I wonder if that would feel better?
I had been using the tube top, but now the corner where my boob and armpit meets on both sides is sore. So I guess I gotta change it.

I am still getting morning boob, I have discovered dry spots on my boobs, so had to start moisturizing.
I do the prescribed massage where i have to push the implant up to the collar bone- this is no longer uncomfortable anymore, and I also have added my own massaging technique. I basically just grab my breast in my hand and jiggle up and down as far as they'd go quickly, then left and right and then in a circle.I also push them together from the bottom, middle, then the top. That really helps when my boobs are sore in the morning or anytime really.

I was in Washington DC recently and we walked around and the temp was around 90 degrees , after walking for a bit we went back to hotel room. I was tired as I still dont have full endurance and energy, i looked at boobs in mirror and noticed they were a blotchy red which alarmed me. I immediately iced them. I hope that wasnt a bad sign for anything.

I have been eating out a lot lately, not taking the multivitamin or drinking as much water, so i am wondering if my boobs are kind of swollen from it. I need to get back on track.
When I lift my arms and look at my incisions, it looks like its pulling some. I am trying to take it easy more to reduce any undue stress on my inner stitches.

I just posted a pic of me in my old bikini. LOL. I still fit into most of my stuff. Yay, I guess that'll save me some money.
Doc said I can go into a swimpool now as my incision sites are completely closed and healed shut, no gaps or anything. I need to make sure they dont get exposed to the sun though and to wash them really good after being in a pool. For bacteria reasons I assume.

The funny thing- while I was on vacation I had actually thought the girls will laugh at this, the ones who heard me freaking out about size anyways. But sometimes I think I COULD HAVE GONE A LITTLE BIGGER!!! LOL
And other times I think I'm fine. hah, i thought someone might get a kick outta that.

******3 Weeks******
Well Ladies, today is week 3.
Sorry if you got tons of emails with me updating my post. I basically added one pic at a time, then took them off to add titles, and so on. So sorry if you got tons of notices. I post them one at a time b/c it usu. wont let me post more than one pic at a time. Today was a little different for some reason, but i didnt find out until a few pics in.

Morning boob has gotten better. Is only slightly sore now in the morning.
My skin sensitivity has gotten better also. It isn't killing me anymore, but it is still there and a little uncomfortable. But def, better!
I noticed my incision site looks like its being pulled when i lift my arms, so I am trying to not do that so much so it wont pull on them.
I still haven't gotten any scar stuff. My main issues with the scar is that it is darker- but I am asian, I expect it will be until fading, and that it is raised. I am not sure if the scar stuff can really help me with any of that. How has it been for you? Any of you feel like you are getting good results from it?

What else can I report?
I think I could've gone bigger. LOL I never thought I'd say THAT as I was seriously worried about being too big with these cc's!! Especially based on how the sizers looked. I didnt think they looked very flattering. But now, I am like they aren't much different although my hubbs says they are huge. I am not sure they are so huge if I can still wear old tops. lol I can't forget that i have lost weight. Maybe that is why- but i am not sure.

Differences in how my breast look after the BA:
I think my nipples look larger and there are bluish colored veins visible. So be aware that this could happen to you on some level after BA. Could be more or less obvious in diff. people.
I don't mind either one on me as my nipples were on the small side before anyway and the veins aren't too bad.
I am just happy to have boobies now!! I think i look more even/proportionate.

So now I am just waiting to heal up and get to the point of working out so I can lose my flub!
I was thinking I could do squats very slowly without raising my heart rate too high or get too heated but still work the muscles.
I could even step into a squat and hold it for a while.
I will wait to work out my upper body until they say I can as I don't really feel comfortable doing it anytime soon still.

I am still not wearing a bra. I got 3 more weeks to go. So i am either wearing a fitted tank, the tube top, or going boobie commando! It depends on the shirt when I leave the house. Numbness is still progressing a little at a time.

I guess that's all i got to report for now.
How you all are having a good day and recovering well if you are in that stage!
Cha-ciao!

I posted a question to the docs on this site about over-doing it after surgery. My question is what could happen?
So far an answer I got was a hemotoma. (sp?)
I have recently begun to hear a "wheezing" sound in my chest- I am assuming it is fluids like I had also experienced when I first had surgery. But I better find out if I've injured myself.

I guess I better call the doc up.
It is so nice of these doctors to donate some of their free time to help answer some of our concerns.

As a side note, I just bought some Bali bras that are made out of the same stretchy material that tube top is ( a microfiber). I got them at Kohls, and so far- very comfy!

*****4 weeks****
Today I woke up just sick, sick, sick!!
Sick and tired of being bored!! I cant go work out, I cant golf, my hubby wont let me go spend any money, its frickin hot out (90degrees)
WAAAA

WTH?? Where did the rest of my update go???

Well you didnt miss much. I am whining about how bored I am. =)
My 4 week report is:
Boobs feel pretty good though. I am getting closer and closer to being normal again.
I have roughly a 2 inch patch under my boob that is still numb, and my sensitivity is pretty mild now. It doesnt feel like a bad sunburn anymore in a really big patch. Just a slight sunburn in a much smaller patch- mostly towards the center of my chest between my boobs and includes inside portion of my nipples.
My incision sites are not as raised as they were, feels a lot better.
I will prob go get the scarguard from CVS soon. I have been procrastinating. Its $30 for a 0.5oz bottle.Its the same product my PS sells, so they must really believe in it, and i've seen really good reviews on it- and some bad ones. But mostly good, so I guess i will give it a try if I can ever get my butt down there.

I gotta find something to do today. I am going crazy. Hubby went golfing so I am on my own and my mind is going loopy!
I hope you guys are having a better day than me. 2 more weeks before I get released. I need to start working soon!! I envy those with a daily direction....

****1 month 4 days*****
Hello Ladies!!
sorry it has taken me so long to update my pics- I am on a procrastination kick. I have been in a funk, and I dont necessarily think its just because of the BA, but rather because I have no direction in my day. Hopefully next week the doc will release me so I can start working out, and also hopefully I will start working my new job- (unless he's changed his mind for some reason b/c I havent heard form him in a week), and my life will find some new kind of normal since I just moved to a different state as well. =)
As far as my boobies go- well quite frankly, I dont feel like they are very big, and when i take pics of them they look a little lopsided. Meaning one side is bigger and lower than the other. My left boob could have been another 10cc's bigger- it might have helped, but I'm not really sure. But anyways, it doesnt really matter and I realize that it would be hard for a doc to tell if they are exactly even once they go in. I dont think anyone can tell as much as I can tell. And who sees them anyway but the hubbs and I? And the girlfriend or two who i show my boobies to. =)
Boobs are feeling pretty good. I previously said I only had a 2" numb patch on the bottom...well i guess thats not completely accurate. I have "feeling" the rest of the way around, but it has a numbness to it too. Hard to explain. Maybe I should say it has partially feeling?
Certain positions are a little uncomfortable still. I went "swimming" today. I put that in quotes b/c I actually am not much of a swimmer. I had a kickboard, and I didnt like the feeling of my arms all the way extended. Felt like it was pulling on my stitches- and I am not thrilled with that idea. When I lift my arms straight over my head and pull down on something heavy from there, that doesnt feel good either (like garage door). So anyways, stuff like that.
Morning boob is pretty much gone. I still have a little achey something going on, but better than before.
As you can see in the pics, i've dropped some more.
Overall I am doing good and have been doing more, biking is no longer unconfortable.
My focus this next week is to get my ass to the gym at least 3 x's. When working out is not part of your normal routine, it is a pain to make it a new habit- but I am going to work on that and losing weight in 15 pound goal increments. I am about 175lbs right now, so then I'll get to 160, then to 145, then to my final goal of 140lbs.
I need to get focused!
I hope you all are having a good day! It's nice out over here. Hot, but nice. =)
Ciao chicas!

Oh and btw, my hubby had a thought which may have some merit.
I was saying to him that i didnt think my boobs looked very big, esp compared to ther girls with the same cc's.
He pointed out that if I lost my belly weight, they might stick out further. So, hey- it's worth a try!! I need to anyways! =)

Something of interest to note!
Pre-op, my bust line was 37" (with a 35" rib cage), at around 2 weeks it was 39" and now after 4 weeks it has reached 40-41".
I do not know how much more dropping I have to go or how much this number may change. I thought this might interest some of the girls who are pre-op or just post-op and are wondering if they get bigger or not after surgery. It really isnt that you got BIGGER, it's just that the the upperpole fullness has now moved "downtown"! (as you can see in my right side pics) lol

So far based on on-line measurement guides I am a:
36 DD, 38C, Another site said I am a AA ( Bwahaha!) WHAT-evah!, and VS says 36 C on their website.
We will see. another 2 weeks before I can wear a bra although I have been cheating and wearing a Balie microfiber bra and been putting swimsuit cups in there to cover the nips when i go out in public. I will post a pic of that. Its the pink thing.

***Week 6*****
Well hello Ladies! It's week 6.
Today was my first day at the gym and the first day I am legally allowed to wear a bra so I got fitted at VS.
VS initially determined I was a 38C based on my measurements, but once I actually started trying them on- It became apparent that I was more like a 36D or 34DD depending on the bra. I can still wear certain C's depending on the bra.
Sadly, I also found that no amount of push up for me will give me the lovely cleavage you ladies have. I think I will have to literally use duct tape to get it. How annoying and sad! =( No boobilicious boobies over here! I am not without hope though. I am going to start working towards losing my 35 lbs and see if they are different when I am skinnier. Maybe I will have extra skin which might allow my boobs to move. Who knows as they have never moved in my life like that. lol Maybe they arent meant to. You guys are so lucky!!

First day at the gym was good. I probably am not hitting it as hard as some of you gals- but i havent been on a workout regimen in 6 years while in college and have gotten badly out of shape. So the fact that I am in the gym is a good thing in general and I think it is ok to take it slow initially. I did upper body today and some cardio. I have actually always liked to lift weights so I enjoyed that part more than the cardio part. The only exercise I did that I felt my pecs was bench press. I just used lighter weights on that exercise and took it slow. No hurry here, I am just glad I can work out everything else like normal. I have been having pains in my ankles and knees lately, so I hope that doesnt affect my new potential workout schedule.

I did kayak some last week and paddling hard made my pecs "tweak" some. I need to make sure I am careful with that one too and dont plan for any long trips any time soon, I want to though! I bike through the neighborhood and at a nearby state park. I have a mountain bike, so I "off road" some with the dog. He loves chasing squirrels. =) Nothing too hilly, and big bumps still jostle which doesnt always feel too good still. But much better than they used to!!

This morning I did have a strong sharp pain here and there throughout the day. Kind of weird as I've never had this "pain" before.
I am sure it is normal and will just keep my eye on it and make sure it doesnt get worse or show some other symptom.

Hope all you ladies are enjoying your new boobies and your cleavages! I am soooo jealous that I dont have any and cant even make any without duct tape! LOL
I will try to post a pic of the VS kockout bra I got. I look nowhere as good in it as some of the other gals....sigh!! I would've thought that by getting bigger boobs, it was a shoo in. I guess not.

6 weeks cont.
Maybe I should mention a couple more things

1) I still have some numbness on both breasts, It is still a partial feeling/partial numbness feeling. I am sure it will fully come back
2) I am using scar guard. Putting it on 2 x's a day if I remember. Scars are still colored, but definitely flat now whereas they were big bumps before.
3)Massages dont hurt at all.It actually doesnt feel like much at this point. But I make sure to move them around
4) I can sleep on my side no prob. stomach still feels weird still, buts it do-able. Maybe i should try it on the floor of my living room soon and see what that feels like.
5) I went swimming again today and having my armns extended using a kickboard felt less straining on my incision areas. I cant swim laps so I have no idea what that feels like at this point. I am paranoid someone might see my scars in my bikini top- You know, in case it slips up.

I cant think of anything else- so ta ta for now. =)

*****week 7****
Hello Ladies!
As I was cropping and editing my pics I just noticed that I look lopsided in my bikini.
NO BUENO!!!
That means that others can see how one is bigger than the other.
I may have to say something to PS.....=(
I have an appt this next week I think.

oh, and I just posted pics of me in my new VS bras. Not much cleavage. =(
Knockout bra really isnt very sexy on, but i like the other one. It's cute and comfy!

***WEEK 8****
Hello Ladies!
At week 8 I feel great!
5 days ago on 4th of July, I went kayaking, and didnt have a problem loading/unloading my kayak or the actual kayaking.
Workouts are good, but I still avoid pushups and will only do light chest exercises. I might be able to do more but am being a wienie. I haven't really tried. I don't like the way it feels when those muscles contract.I should prob. push myself a little more in that regard.
Well, I will work on it.
But they feel soft, I think they are fully dropped, and I do think they are still "lopsided" with one being visually bigger than the other.
I am not dwelling on it, and will re-evaluate them closer to the 6 month mark as they supposedly can still change.

I just my bike tuned-up, and fixed a few things. I am going to try to get some longer distance biking in and get my speed up.

I do still have some numbness around my nipple area on my skin. It feels funny with only partial sensation, partial numbness- but its all good. Small sacrifice! =)

So my theory is that if I can lose weight, my boobs will look a little bigger. lol. I need to lose weight anyways as I dont look as good as I could. So that is my main focus right now other than trying to find a job.

Hope all you ladies are doing good !!!
Thanks for following my story and being my support through this journey~~~

***Week 9****
So just thought I would update by saying that although I have some feeling in my breasts and nipples, it still feels numb-ish. Certain things that used to feel good have yet to get back to feelin' good if you know-what-I-mean. Sorry if thats TMI. lol

Also, my left incision was hurting yesterday under my bra. I thought that had gone away, but I guess its still there.
Also If I lay a certain way, it doesnt feel back to normal yet. (i.e. laying on my side with my arm above so you can rest your head on it.)
One of my surgery buddies asked me if my size has been continuing to change. I didnt think it was changing anymore but I've noticed more of a boobie bubble over my bras recently. I dont know if those bras shrunk or my boobs changed.
Prob the boobs changed.

I haven't lost any more weight. I am gonna try again over the next couple of weeks. I would be interested in seeing what my boobs looked like in a skinnier body. So am going to try again to be focused by eating cleaner and getting my butt to the gym more consistently.

Hope you ladies are having a good day and enjoying your ta-ta's!

****3 Months***
Well ladies, here's my 3 months pics. I dont think they are looking much different.
Scars are still dark, but I am half Asian so that might be how it's gonna be regardless of the scar treatment. I have no clue without seeing another Asian and comparing.

My boobs are definitely uneven. It bugs the hell outta me when I see them in pics, and I think you can tell in my bikini too.
I am not sure if I am going to consider having it revised. I am going to talk to my doc at some point about it- maybe my next appointment. Whenever that is, i dont remember. I dont know if its worth risking another surgery and whatever the cost is.

Everything feels fine. Certain exercises are still odd feeling, and I avoid them. When I jog, my left boob feels odd as it bounces. Makes me feel like holding it, so maybe my sports bra isnt tight enough. I bought the zipup Danskin one at Walmart and that one holds things together pretty good.
I also got the "Perfect Bra" from H&M for $14.99, which does more for me cleavage wise than any of the VS bra's did. The biggest size they have is 38D. Luckily, I am a 36D.

As far as feeling goes, still a bit numb-ish feeling on the nipples and around it, but I still think it is slowly getting better. The skin around the nipple still feels warmer than the rest but no as much as it used to. They used to feel really hot. I am assuming this is the case for some of the other girls too, but I havent heard anyone mention it.

I still massage them daily. But certainly not 10 times a day or anything. Maybe once or twice.

I guess I dont have anything else to report. I hope my boobie buddies are doing well, and anyone considering it, I hope my pics help you out. I probably wont keep the frontal ones up forever, so dont be surprised if they disappear one day.

Ciao ladies!

***3.5 months***
Well I just wanted to say that my boobies still dont feel like my natural breasts.
I am wondering if they ever will. But I guess it doesnt really matter.
I notice when I wake up in the mornings that there is a "strain" in my breasts and during the day they feel a little funny too.
I have been massaging more and trying to be aggressive in moving them around just to make sure its not CC. I would like to think that it is not and I am just being paranoid. But either way- i am making sure to move them around.
My incision sites are still uncomfortable at times. My bra sometimes feels like it's digging in there.
But i guess everything else is going good.

I attempted to do a pull up the other day, and it was def. better than when i previously tried but I have to keep my arms close to my body. Doing a wide pullup is a NO-GO. Push ups are ok if I can keep my elbows in also
Haha, not that I do many of either of these.

I had a chiro appt and a professional massage last week. I am happy to say that a chiro adjustment didnt pop my boobies and laying on the massage table face down was fine too. I know a few weeks after surgery I was not comfortable laying on my stomache, esp on a hard table.

Maybe after 6 months, these uncomfortable things will be gone. I have been having pains and haven't worked out in prob a month or so. Chiropractics and a massage has def. helped and I hope to get back to that soon.

I hope all you ladies are enjoying your new girls.
And I hope you are having a good day!

Hello Ladies!
Sorry, I have been missing on the site. I finally started my new job and have had waaay less time and internet was down for a couple of days too. I will be taking pics of my scars as an update for my 4 month anniversary on the 11th. I am not sure if i will post updated pics of everything else as they prob dont look any different. But I will take them and see. I hope you are all healthy and happy and loving your boobies!

**4 months**
Hi Ladies!
Well I am posting a little late for my 4 months (was on the 11th)
Here are some updated pics. The lopsided-ness does drive me a bit crazy and I can see it now outside of pics.
Still trying to figure out why it looks lopsided. i.e. pocket cut lower on one side, i was originally lopsided, b/c one implant is bigger, etc. I am not sure what is causing it and not sure if I am willing to go through another surgery to try to fix it.

Also, I cant say they feel like my normal breasts at this point. In fact it is hard to not be aware of them. especially when i am laying down or running down the stairs. I cant explain how they feel, but its definitely not "natural"
But whatever for now.
So here's my new pics. I hope you are all doing well!

Ok, now I know some of you will think that I am be SUPER anal. =)
But without measurements, I couldnt know for sure if my lopsided-ness was jut a trick of my eye, or what.
SOoooo I took measurements on my picture. By using a rectangle shaped box, I could see if I was also standing crooked or leaning, etc.
The tops of my nipples are even, but you can see by the measurements, that the width of each boob is off as well as the length of each. So although it may not seem obvious to you, they are off, I can see it, and my bikinis arent sitting straight b/c of it either.
Ya ya ya, I know i shouldnt be wearing a bikini. Lol
But Its the point of the matter dammit. =)

Just for shits and giggles I am posting an xray of what our implants look like inside. LOL

**4 months and 2 weeks**
Uh Oh!
Something weird is going on with the left breast.
I just noticed that all of a sudden, i have more upper-pole fullness in that breast when looking from the side and it feels firmer when i lift my left arm straight over my head.
I hope its not the beginnings of CC. I will see if I can get in to see my doc.
I tried to massage to make sure its moving up, but it doesnt seem to be going up as high as the right one does.
=(

My appointment is this Monday.

I listed that I was worried about my left breast and that I thought it could potentially be 1) CC or 2) tumor (hope not!) and now my third idea is maybe the implant got pushed UP somehow and is STUCK. Is that possible???
I say this b/c the bubble on top is more prominent and firm, and the bottom feels softer than the other side.
I don't have any other theories, but I thought I would run that one by you as well.
Oh, theory number 4 is paranoia. LOL

**4.5 Months**
Hi Ladies!
Well I went to see the doc today. And looks like I DO have CC. (Capsular Contracture)
He is classifying me as stage/phase 3.
There are 4 phases he explained to me.
Phase I is normal breast tissue, Phase I normal breasts but you can feel the implant, Phase 3 some hardening, Phase 4- something like hard as a rock.
I have 2 options.
I can try Ultrasound therapy which has a 33% success rate, or I can have surgery 1 of 2 ways. With Strattice or without.

So ultrasound is $134 for initial visit, then $22 a session on ONE boob, for 3 sessions a week for 6 weeks.
Surgery without Strattice, only removing scar tissue and replacing implant is a little over $3K. With a 33% chance of recurrence, and if I get another surgery after that my chances go up to 66% or so.
Surgery WITH Strattice is arounf $7,800 K, but will reduce my chances of recurrence to 1%.
And this is just one boob we are talking about. =(

Soooo, we are going to try the ultrasound route, and hope to God I am one of the lucky ones as that will total around $500 for that time frame.

If it doesnt work, I can either choose to wait for whenever to get my CC fixed or do it soon. I am thinking if I wait and it gets hard as a rock, he may have to remove more tissue. I dont know if that affects how much tissue I will have left over. If its the same as my original or much less. I forgot to ask about that.
But anyways, that is a lot of money. NO bueno!
They said surgery takes longer, and I will prob have to drag a "drain" around as it will be hanging out of my boob for about a week. =(

I did take pics, although I dont think they'll help too much as they still look squishy in the pics.
The only visual thing you can see is the bubble on top of my left breast is bigger.
But maybe this will be a learning experience for others as well.

Just to add to my last post.
I asked my PS why this happened since I am massaging, and he said that sometimes it just doesn't matter what you do. When you have CC coming on, nothing will stop it. He had tried Singulair for patients for about 5 years and did not notice a decrease in the amount of cases that would get it. It kind of sounded like your body is rejecting the implant. Although, I dont know why it didn't happen to the other side. He says there are many theories out there about CC, but noone really knows anything about what causes it or how to prevent it. How depressing is that? loll
I may be getting my first ultrasound treatment on Wednesday.
And I will post pics of my mostly still squishy breasts tonight, and you'll prob be as confused as I am. =)

Ok, I am adding my pics.
If you were like me, you would think that if you have CC, your breasts won't move.
Amazingly mine still do, although I can feel a hardness when I am laying down, or upright at the top of my breasts. yadda, yaddda.
So I posted these pics in case it happens to someone else who doesnt think they might have it b/c their breasts still move.
Again, this is Phase 3 Capsular Contracture (CC).

So I went for my first Physical therapy appointment today.
The good news is that I am catching mine before they turn into rocks so my chances of success are very good.
They fully believe that I will totally benefit from the ultrasound treatments and have told me about the progress of others.
The have noticed significant improvements after treatments, but patients who have had mastectomies are the hardest cases b/c they have even more scar tissue than someone who had an augmentation. They expect to notice a difference by 3 weeks.
So if any of you are starting to get CC, or find yourself in that position at a later date- I would recommend considering the treatments as a conservative measure.
I will report back after my 6 weeks of 3x's a day and let you know my results and if I would still support the idea.
BUT i would make sure it is a PT center that deals with many of these kind of cases (not just every once in a while), and of course only has female PT's who apply the treatment.
Who knows what a guy would be thinking while he was doing it. Eeee.....
Oh- and it is the same kind of ultrasound wand that some chiropractors use for breaking down scar tissue. It is not painful at all.

I meant 3x's a WEEK for 6 weeks.
It wont let me edit the post.

Oh, I forgot to mention, the PT also recommended not wearing bras during this time either.
So I may be going back to my tube top or a cami tank w shelf bra. I havent worn the TT in forever. I wonder how it fits now....

I know it's too soon to tell, but I think the two US appointments I've had, are already showing an improvement.
Today I go in for my 3rd appointment, so that will make 3 US appointments in a row.
Also, the night before my first appointment, I really dug in there trying to loosen the scar tissue. And yes, it is a little painful.
But I am going to do what I gotta as I cant really afford the revision. Not at what he's charging me anyway.

I just found an interesting post on someone who beat CC, for those of you interested~

"HI,
This was posted on the other forum, but I thought I would bring the good news over here. C.C. stands for Capsular Contracture. I offer the following advice and what helped me. Please, before you do anything, consult your P.S. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

I was diagnosed with C.C. at 6 weeks, my P.S. said I had early signs. I was devastated, but then determined to fight back. Every chance I got I was touching my boobs! lol. I massaged vigorously, which actually means I would squeeze them together and separately. I would take the right one ( the one with the C.C.) and with each hand on either side and push as hard as I could. I would do this all the way around the circumference of the breast. I would move it around all the time, kind of out, in, up, and down. I didn't do this once in awhile, I did it ALL the time.

My doctor also prescribed Accolate and I started taking 800 vitamin E.
Try to take them on an empty stomach, the body absorbs them better. You can get pure vitamin E at a health food store which in not synthetic.

If your chest muscle feels tight, try to do any type of exercise for your pec muscles. One that is good is you stand straight and put your hands behind your back so your hands clasp together (by your waist) and pull up and hold. I also did a Google search and got some other ideas for exercises to stretch those muscles.

The next direction will sound strange, but I think it helped a lot. I would lay flat on my stomach on the floor and kind of rock back and forth. Doctors say its good to lay on your stomach to keep the pockets open. Then my daughter would sit on my back and push down by applying pressure. At first it kind of hurt to do this and there was some pain in my rightie, but as time went on it got better. I think the pain came from the scar tissue restricting the implant. My daughter kept saying, "mom we are going to beat this and everytime I push down we are breaking that up."

After a few days of doing all the above, I really hurt and was crying to my husband. Then suddenly it started to get a little better at a time. The pain wasn't as bad and it seemed like rightie started to soften up. I really think that the pain was part of the healing process. In the beginning since my right one hurt so much; i had a tendency to baby that side so I don't think that was such a good idea but i didn't realize what was happening.

Finally the last thing to happen that was a good sign to me was the fact that the tightness in my chest went away. I thought it was going to be there forever. I knew that both boobs were feeling good, and my husband said that my right was just as soft as my left. I kept having to ask him for his opinion because I was touching them so much I wasn't sure of the difference.

The best day was last monday when the doctor said they were perfect and beautiful! I now have giggly, wiggly, and jiggley boobies! WE are going out tonight to celebrate. I have an awesome bra and a low-cut shirt! lol.

I believe that you can get rid of early C.C. Take a pro-active attitude and tell yourself you can beat this thing. If it doesn't feel like you are making progress in the early days, remember it didn't develop overnight, so it will take awhile for it to go away. But you can do it!"

So it's almost my 5 month anniversary ( the 11th).
And I am employing a few techniques to try to break down my scar tissue for the CC.
I really hope something works!
I am
1) trying to massage deep in there. Weird thing, is that it feels "stuck" closest towards my ribcage, and doesnt want to budge. The top does not want to push down either.
2) Laying on the floor, and laying on a rolled up camping mat (I dont have a roller- should of bought the one I saw a little while ago, cuz now they are out). I try to lay at differnet angles and to move left and right or forward and back. Talk abotu awkward!
3) And Ultrasound treatments

I am considering taking the Vit. E, although I have heard it doesnt really work, and my other thing was to take a hot bath and try to massage deep in there to rip up the scar tissue.
I dont know if any of these things will work. I can only hope to God at this point. The surgery is just way to expensive to consider. I am very disappointed my doc doesnt give a price break for the complication- even if its not his fault. Just to help his patient out, you know?? And he doesnt beleive any of those meds help,like Singulair.
So what's a girl to do?
I can only hope it doesnt get worse, but it might regardless of what I do. I will post a question to the docs about it.

I think the ultrasound has been helping- but hard to know for sure at this point.
Well I hope all you laides are doing well and enjoying your new girls! =)
Hopefully I can get this figured out and get back to enjoying mine too!

I recently read a post from a gal who suggested Aspen Rhabilitation for CC treatment (main facility is in Florida), so I looked it up. They have conducted studies on this rehabilitation technique (patent pending machine) that they have created and have really good results. And it seems that they treat tons of CC cases. Lucky for me, there is a doctor here in Texas (Dallas area) who has the system, been trained in the technique, and does the treatment
It would cost around $1500 for one boob (or $1600 for two) for my choice of 1wk, 2 wks or 3 wks of treatments. Of course, I would consider the 1 week as the costs of staying somewhere other than home will increase my costs. 1 weeks requires 1 hr treatments twice a day. The study looked like it really helped people, and the website showed pictures of before and after. So I am considering it and will talk to the hubbs about it. They dont like to treat if you have Bakers stage IV, I am stage III so it might be the way to go.
They also take care credit with the promo of no interest if paid off in 12 months.

That particular doc charges $4-5K for capsulectomy for one breast, so I guess my doc is charging me less than him. Imagine that.
But anyways, that is what I have found out recently.
If anyone has any information about someone they know who has tried it, please let me know.

As a follow up about the Aspen Rehabilitation Center and treatment for CC.
I found the the Center in Florida is not BBB accredited, but other doctors using the system (as in the one in Dallas may be),
and I have not found ANY reviews of anyone who had CC treatment using this system.
Needless to say the little skeptic here is not jumping on THAT wagon until I find out more.
If you know of someone who has gone through it, I would to hear about it!

FIT LUV IS coming into Houston today!!! (She's getting her revision)
Any other RS girls who we have been talking to (NO STRANGERS PLEASE!) want to meet up with us either tonight (thursday) or friday, let me know!
I believe that RENEW will be joining us on Friday also!
( i am not sure who else we talk to is from Houston area)
I am so excited!! =)
WOOOHOOOOO!!

You can read Part 2 of my journey here.