33 Years Old, No Kids, Significant Weight Loss - Raleigh, NC

I love my breasts! Never, ever, in a million years, did I ever think I would utter that statement! But it has finally happened! Are they perfect? Absolutely not. Are they perfectly symmetrical? Nope! But considering they technically had two different procedures (augmentation/lift on Lefty, augmentation/reduction on Righty) I think they are absolutely amazing. They have their little imperfections, but I wouldn't go back to what I had for anything. I have a beautiful, natural look, which is EXACTLY what I wanted. They're finally getting soft and beginning to jiggle and move like natural breasts. I can sleep on my stomach (YAY) without any problems, and (hallelujah!) 2 months marks when I'm allowed to start "full effort" exercise in the gym with weights and my wonderful, heavenly doctor is even allowing me to start running again at 2 months instead of 3 months. I'm having to swear to myself I'm going to take it easy this first month of running since there is a compromise going on and I don't want to muck anything up. I know I still have a lot of healing going on and I know things are going to continue to change, especially for the next 3-4 months. I'm excited to see how it is all going to settle out!
Ladies, I cannot encourage you enough, if you have been wanting this, thinking about this, just go for it! Don't spend years hating your body. Recovery without exercise has done a number on my physique (darn you, couch!) but I'm finally beginning to see glimpses of my old body back, only now I've got a killer rack to go with it! In a few months I'll be back to my old self, I know it. If you can make it happen, find yourself a wonderful surgeon (Mine, for example) and do it.

Time flies when you're having fun, let me tell you! This has been a bi-polar two weeks! It seems like it has been dragging by but it is also hard for me to believe it has been that long. This has been more of an emotional roller coaster than I thought it would be, I'm not going to lie. My job requires A LOT of heavy lifting, so I cannot work at all. I'm not used to all of this sitting around, and to be honest it is driving me a bit nuts. Plus, when you are used to working out 6 or 7 days a week and suddenly you can't, that takes its own emotional toll. I've had, what I feel, an unusually bad problem with bloating. Maybe I just didn't do enough research to find out exactly what is normal, but I was shocked and horrified at how badly I bloated, and how long I stayed bloated, even after the constipation passed. Sometimes it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when, in the days before your surgery you were in the best shape of your life and looking fantastic (except for boobs, of course), and then a week later you are so "fat" you can't get any of your pants on. It's disturbing. I've had a couple of pretty rough days, and one mini break down, but they didn't last. The good news is that is finally begging to go away. I'm finally able to get into most of my pants without looking like a stuffed sausage and more or less just look like a slightly pudgy and un-toned version of myself rather than Violet Beauregarde after she chewed blueberry pie gum. That has probably been my biggest complication/complaint to date, honestly.

Pain wise, I basically haven't had any. I stopped taking the Tylenol after a couple of days. I've had discomfort, sure, but not what I would consider outright pain. I took Tylenol as a prophylactic for the long haul back for my one week check up since it was going to be 8 hours driving and they were taking stitches out, but that is it. I learned the hard way how much chest muscles you use when vacuuming and mopping but got through it. My right side has been more tender, and I actually have a little bit of pain on the right side of my chest when I bend over (?) and my right upper back, but I'm going to guess it is because I am right handed and am using it a lot more than my left side.

I did notice probably about 5 days ago that I've developed these cords or lumps in the inframammary fold. They were not present at the 1 week check up. I have no idea if what I am seeing are internal stitches now that swelling has gone down, or if I have developed some sort of adhesion or even Mondor's. I noticed it first underneath the left breast, and it is more notable there, but it has since developed under the right breast as well. I tried to get some good pictures for you guys, but it is a little bit of an awkward angle, so I apologize. Since yesterday was a holiday my 2 week check up wont be til Thursday and it is a phone call, but I will update you guys as to what they think. The spots that had blistered on my areolas have scabbed up and are healing nicely, I think. Speaking of blisters, apparently one of them was covering up a stitch when they were removed at the one week check up. I had one suddenly appear next to the blister on Righty a few days ago. I'm assuming it appeared after the blister healed up some and that area was no longer a blister. It was TINY and there was absolutely no way I could get it out. It is now mostly grown over. I'm going to have to address that as well on Thursday. I have some nipple sensation in Lefty, but can really only feel pressure with Righty. However, yesterday I had some tingles/crawling sensations on the R side and I noticed that I now have a point of sensation on the underneath of my nipple, so here's hoping and keeping my fingers crossed it improves. The right nipple also has turned out to be lower than the left. I'm still waiting to see how off they end up being before I jump to any conclusions about a revision. The only other complaint I have is I do appear to have some rippling on the left lateral side, but it isn't bad. I'm hoping it will even itself out once scars heal up and everything softens.

But now for good news! Yesterday was the first day I was allowed back in the "gym"! I can only do elliptical, stationary bike, stair climber and "walk faster" but I'll take it! It felt fantastic to get a little sweaty and I was over the moon happy afterwards! I think I've been missing my endorphin fix! Ha! I'm finally sleeping pretty darn good. For the first week or so I was waking up many times through the night, but the last several nights I've pretty much slept straight through. I'm finally pretty comfortable rolling onto my sides, which is a HUGE improvement for me over sleeping on my back, which I hate. I still sometimes stuff a pillow under my boobs for support when I roll to a side, but not all the time. I caught myself trying to roll onto my stomach (how I usually sleep) last night as I was drifting off, but stopped that disaster when my brain caught up with what I was doing. But that lets me know that I'm most certainly getting more comfortable and they are becoming "me". I feel like I'm probably at about 90% now when it comes to range of motion and being able to move how I want, stand up straight, etc without it pulling or being uncomfortable. I was killing time in a store the other day while I waited on a friend and I was idly browsing through clothing and saw some cute summer dresses, which were spaghetti strap and strapless. It hit me like a fright train that I can actually wear these now! I have never, EVER been able to wear that type of clothing. I probably looked like a fool, grinning like the Cheshire Cat to nothing and no one in particular in the middle of the store, but I don't care. I catch myself staring in awe in the mirror, clothed or not. I'm hypnotized by my own boobs! To me, I already have the world's most beautiful breasts, even if nothing changed from here on out other than scabs and scars healing up. They are such a vast improvement over what I had before. They are absolutely amazing and I love, love, LOVE them!

Slept fairly decent for the first time last night. I've only taken two doses of tylenol today. The discomfort is very manageable. The NP called to check on me this morning and I told her I was doing great. It wasn't until later this afternoon I discovered I've developed blisters (?) on my areolas. Interestingly both of them are located at the same spot. Bilaterally on the lower lateral portion of the areaola. The doctor's office will be closed for the weekend and my 1 week check up is Monday morning so I guess I'll just try to keep the area clean and protected until my appointment.

Speaking of protected, I can't seem to decide what is more comfortable. Wearing a bra makes them feel more supported and comfortable but it rubs on the incisions and makes that part uncomfortable. I've been finding myself taking bras on and off through out the day to try and find a happy medium. I'm still miserably and almost unrecognizably bloated. It has gotten a little bit better, but not much. And my breasts itch. But other than that, things seem to be going well.