25, No Children, Very Small A's with Athletic Build - Minneapolis, MN

day 5 post-op in bra photos {will be able to take surgical bra off hopefully at day 7 post-op check up

Here are some of the photos I went in to my consultation with to show Dr. Gervais the look I was going for. My natural breasts were fairly close together {not as east/west as most women} so I felt it important to look for women who had a similar anatomy to mine. I was pleasantly surprised to find that after the procedure, my breasts looked fabulous already! I had some notion that they were going to be so close together that I would have a uni-boob all the time.

Recovery has been generally a breeze. I do have to say that I had to quit my high strength pain killers a little early {day 3} because I was really backed up. I hadn't gone to the bathroom for four days and was having severe stomach cramping. I bought an over the counter laxative and now {day 5} am pretty much back to normal. On a scale of 1 to 10 for pain, and minus the bathroom issues, I would give this surgery {in my case} a 1 or 2. There has been so little pain that sometimes I forget its even happened. I will say that my skin is SO tight. Other than tightness, everything has been wonderful.

All for now! Will try to get ahold of a before picture :)

Preparing for Breast Augmentation::
Mentally preparing for my BA was the most difficult task. I found myself stress cleaning my house every other day, shopping for just-in-case products I knew I would probably never use + worrying about how I was going to pay for such an expensive surgery in the wake of student loans, car payment, rent, etc. 

However, in my case, it turned out to be totally worth it. I am 25, have a full time job, have no children, and have been waiting for this opportunity since middle school when all of my friends started developing breasts and mine seemed to be a no show. I found posts like this on RealSelf to be extremely helpful. This community has a lot of first hand knowledge to share and I decided if I used it, maybe someone could use mine as well. 

Things I *bought* before the big day::
•  tiny round ice packs from Amazon - these are wonderful! They came in a pack of 5, are about 2” in diameter, and I just switch them out when they get warm. They fit perfectly in my surgical bra and have a soft side {which is like wrapping an ice pack in a paper towel} as well as a plastic side that is akin to just putting an ice pack directly on your skin.
• Miralax - I’ve always gotten backed up with the heavy medications they give you after surgery. I’ve found stool softeners to be life savers. I chose this one because its a powder you mix into your drink that is truly tasteless + colorless. Its like you’re not even using it!
• A bathrobe and slippers - I do have an amazing helper who’s been carrying things, lifting me out of a laying position, doling out medication, etc. But it is so nice to be able to put on my own bathrobe. I got mine at Target since their prices are right.
• On that same Target trip, I got a body pillow. I’ve read wedge pillows are life savers but to be honest, by the time I read that, it was too late to have one shipped and I needed a quick solution. The body pillow has been great. I have to lump other pillows on there as well since it is pretty soft and easy to just slump into. Again, have that helper of yours slide a hand down your back and help lift you up. Really helpful. 
• Entertainment - I am a Netflix-er and Amazon Prime-er. These have been ah-mazing. I get so bored just sitting around recuperating. Have magazines, an iPad, word search, *something*! 

Pain levels day of and day 1 post-op:: 
I had 391cc Silicone Unders put in through the inframammary crease.
• day of - I didn’t even think that I’d had the surgery. Seriously! I had like NO pain. A little soreness, maybe trouble getting out one yawn, but other than that, no pain whatsoever. So of course, me thinking I’m now some sort of muscle woman with a pain tolerance through the roof…. and completely overdid it. My parents came over to have dinner with my boyfriend and me. I was up, clearing dishes, getting the cat off the counter, walking around a ton, just doing way more than I should have been. And it was like that from about 1pm when I get home to about 7 or 8 pm when the day started to catch up with me. I got really sore on my ribs from getting up and down so often, bending over to pick things up, and generally doing things I had no business doing. This pain on my ribs was worse than the soreness in my new boobs. 
• first night - I slowed WAY down. I let my helper do their job. Retrieving things for me, handing me bottles of water, etc. The pain in my ribs was still there but much less pronounced. I also was staying on top of my medication. I am supposed to take this muscle relaxant every three hours while I’m awake. Its so so so important to stay ahead of the pain. Set alarms on your phone if you have to. I also keep a little notebook near me to write down what I took and when I took it. This will be helpful when my helper needs a break and I have a new helper. 

• day 1 post op - I’m only about three hours into my day but so far, I’m feeling great like I did yesterday. But knowing what I know now, I’m laying on the couch, moving very little, and keeping those meds and ice packs coming. I have no pictures to post yet {sorry! I know they’re the most exciting part of these posts}.

Will keep you all posted on progress and tips + tricks as they come up! Thanks!