Breast Implants: Stories

Well I received a quote from Dr. Pantojas for $5500 for Cohesive Gel (Gummy bear) implants, lipo to my abdomen, waist and back, and fat grafting to my buttocks. I'll be honest, I haven't seen much of his work. I am pretty scared about what I am doing. But, I have heard good things. And he's the only one to have gotten back to me with a reasonable quote. I'm still waiting to hear back from Dr. Campos and Dr. Cardenas. However, I think I'm just going to do it and get it over with.

I've been hearing all sorts of things like stuff about foam, and garments and socks I'll need. I have no clue whatsoever about what things I'm supposed to bring with me. I've never really researched

Well I went and got some of my bloodwork done. I also scheduled my surgery for august 9th, bought my plane ticket and paid for my hotel. But I changed my mind. I'm going with Dr. Cardenas instead. As soon as I decided this I felt so much better. So now I'm honna make some changes to my plans. I'm getting implants on August 11th. Dr. Cardenas asked me how big I want them, and I honestly haven't given it much thought. I figured large C's I guess. I don't really have an opinion.

I've decided to go with Dr. Cardenas. I just feel a lot better about seeing her because she does great aftercare from what I hear. My surgery is in the 11th. I'm going alone and will be Itaying in a hotel.

Well my plane leaves on Wednesday. Im flying in to san diego, taking a bus to the border, then walking in. Then i will take a cab to Dr. Cardenas office and get my bloodwork done. I already got the major stuff done, HIV, hemoglobin and glucose. After that i will go to my hotel. I feel a bit bummed out that i wont be staying at Hotel Ticuan, it was cheaper and nicer. But, Dr. Cardenas wants all of her patients in the same hotel and i definitely understand that.

I still dont know what size boobs im getting or even where she is going to put them in at, like through the nipple or whatever. I hadnt thought to ask until someone asked me. All that matters to me is that i will be getting gummy bear implants. Those are the only implants i would ever consider. It sucks though cause my boobs will probably be all hard. Oh well.

I also dont know yet what im getting lipo on. Im thinking waist flanks and abdomen (are those all the same?) and inner thighs. Who knows what i will get?

My biggest concerns right now are making sure i get prescriptions from my doc up here. And figuring out what the heck to pack. Figuring out how to schedule lymh drainage massages both there and in the us. And how do i pay for things down there, do i just walk around with a ton of cash? Is there a certain place to go to change my miney? If you know the answer please tell me.

Keep in mind im traveling alone and staying in a hotel. I heard something about dog pee pads?

Well my plane leaves on Wednesday. Im flying in to san diego, taking a bus to the border, then walking in. Then i will take a cab to Dr. Cardenas office and get my bloodwork done. I already got the major stuff done, HIV, hemoglobin and glucose. After that i will go to my hotel. I feel a bit bummed out that i wont be staying at Hotel Ticuan, it was cheaper and nicer. But, Dr. Cardenas wants all of her patients in the same hotel and i definitely understand that.

I still dont know what size boobs im getting or even where she is going to put them in at, like through the nipple or whatever. I hadnt thought to ask until someone asked me. All that matters to me is that i will be getting gummy bear implants. Those are the only implants i would ever consider. It sucks though cause my boobs will probably be all hard. Oh well.

I also dont know yet what im getting lipo on. Im thinking waist flanks and abdomen (are those all the same?) and inner thighs. Who knows what i will get?

My biggest concerns right now are making sure i get prescriptions from my doc up here. And figuring out what the heck to pack. Figuring out how to schedule lymh drainage massages both there and in the us. And how do i pay for things down there, do i just walk around with a ton of cash? Is there a certain place to go to change my miney? If you know the answer please tell me.

Keep in mind im traveling alone and staying in a hotel. I heard something about dog pee pads?

Well last night I decided to look up and see if having a UTI would be a problem, and I read that most surgeons won't operate on you if you have one. I freaked because my plane leaves tomorrow. However, I got myself to an urgent care clinic and got a prescription for Bactrim, and the good part is that its only 3 days of antibiotics so my UTI should be gone by the 11th.

I still haven't packed or bothered looking for my passport. Im sure everything will be okay. I still don't know if I'm getting lipo or not.

Well im in Tijuana now. It was scary for me getting to the hotel. I am definitely going to try to stay in my room and not leave here unless i have to. My hotel is super nice though.

My surgeons patient coordinator hasnt gotten back to me in 3 days. I was supposed to get my lab work done today and start antibiotics, but she wont respond. I dont know what to do. Im really nervous.

Well the patient coordinator Fatimeh got back to me today and said i could come in before 5pm to get my labs done. So i'm going to shower and put on some clothes. I really need to get a razor for my legs but im scared to go to the store. Also, i dont know how to get money? Theres a casino downstairs though so i bet they have ATMs. Im hungry and i hear theres a breakfast buffet but i dont wanna leave my room. I think theres a good chance though that the outside is probably different from just inside the border. I really wish i brought more conservative clothes. Dont get me wrong, i wore jeans and a long sleeved tshirt yesterday, but they were really tight. And probably im just being stared at talked to cause im blonde. It sure isnt cause i have boobs! LoL. Yesterday did freak me out though when i got into a cab snd the handles from the inside got broken off! He was really nice though, but it freaked me out. Female cab drivers and hotel shuttle only from now on. Yesterday could have just been a fluke, i sure hope today will be better! Now i must shower, figure out how to get money, and find my way to the clinic and back.... And find some leg shavers! And msybe a funnel.....

Well i made it to the store and to the clinic and got my labs done. Hopefully they turn out okay. Dr. Cardenas and Fatimeh were boh gone. No o e told me i had to fadt before my labs,chopefull they turn out okay. I sent an email to Fatimeh and Dr. Cardenas telling them i had no idea what was going on. Both got back to me and Fatimeh is picking me up from the hotel in the morning and Dr. Cardenas is going to meet with me. Im in tears right now because i feel so relieved.

Also i would like to add that the only cabs you are supposed to go in are red, orange and blue. Dont get in a yellow cab unless the hotel summons it. At least thats what the lady at the front desk told me. Also, what a difference a few blocks makes! The shopping center by my hotel is really cute, and unique. Also the room service guy said he used to live in everett, only ten minutes from my home in washington!

I really wanted to run home yesterday but my sisters told me to stay to at least meet my surgeon. It makes me feel a lot better to have their support. It seems like my sisters and girlfriends are the LEAST worried, and my male friends/lovers/family are the MOST worried. Kinda seems bsckwards.

Anyways im so thankful for Dr. Cardenas and Fatimeh getting back to me.

Well I met Dr. Cardenas today and Fatimeh picked me up. They both seem very nice. I just told Dr. Cardenas I wanted a C cup, and she said Ok I know what to do. So, hopefully I will be happy with the size. Im not even sure how big a C is. Right now I am not even an A cup.

One thing that sucks is that she said I have the typenof chest that is the opposite of concave, I dont know that the word is. Its not flat, or concave, its like raised up. For this reason she said my breasts cant be high up, and they will appear lower because the top part of my chest is raised and long.

In my email she quoted me an additional $1000 for lipo to abdomen, waist and inner thighs and flanks..... By the way what are flanks? And I dont know why, but I asked her again how much it would be and she said $1200. I told her that her previous quote was $1000, and she said she would honor that, which was nice of her. I hope I didnt make her mad though. Maybe I will buy her and Fatimeh a present tonight at the store. I dont know what though.

I forgot to ask Dr. Cardenas where she is making the incision. Fatimeh said she will probably go through the nipple. Fatimeh confirmed that they are using gummy bear implants. I forgot I need to see if I can get a lifetime guarantee on them. I know Natrelle offers a lifetime guarantee. I think she is using Mentor, which is another quality brand.

Dr. Cardenas said my stomach will appear saggier. But when I asked her if it would be less saggy with diet and exercise she said it would be the same, so I am going to go ahead and do it. It sounds like I will probably need a tummy tuck eventually. Well I dont "need" a tummy tuck, but you know what I mean.

Fatimeh set me up with a nurse who is going to come for 3 hours every day for $30 a day for the 12th, 13th and 14th. Im not sure what all she will do. I am just happy to know someone will be here to help me sit up and give me CPR if i need it. I was told that she doesnt speak English, which is fine by me. Maybe she could just watch TV and hang out, hopefully it won't be awkward. Also she will help me shower which is nice. I hope she doesnt mind.

The lipo I decided on is my abdomen, waist and inner thighs. I honestly have no idea what im going to look like. Hopefully I dont look like a freak. I dont know if it will be enough to make me pretty. May it will be an improvement though.

Dr. Cardenas said she could probably take 2-2 1/2" off my waist maximum. I think being big boned must be a real thing, because I think i am pretty wide. She said I had nice curves already when referring to my waist. I didnt know that, I thought you couldnt really see any definition with my waist.

Also, they ordered my anti-biotics and someone brought them over. They were 30dollars. They must get them from the hospital next door. I was told that I will need to bring about $340 tomorrow morning. I think its broken down like this:
Bra: $80
Compression Garmet: $120
Band: $30
Pills: $?

Shoot, maybe it was $240?

I dint remember. I wasn't planning on this expense. But, I dont think I want to stay til the 21st, so I wont be spending as much money. Also, the nurse care is a lot less expensive than I thought it would be. But im spending more on food than I thought I would. Like $50 a day. But since I discovered the store yesterday im gonna walk there later on and stock up. I dont have a refridgerator so dry stuff and maybe fruit only.

I'm really happy I chose Dr. Cardenas, she seems like a good surgeon and a good person.

I have only only seen one other white person here so far, I heard her checking in infront of me at the front desk. I overheard her say she was getting a procedure. I wanted to introduce myself and latch on to her and be like omg we're twins come hang out with me!!! She was even wearing leggings and converse and a jean skirt which is totally my style. But, I was too shy :-(

Oh well.

As a side note, I have yet to see a black or asian person either.

Im ok

sorry for not updating! I will give you a full recap!

August 11th Surgery Day!
Fatimeh picked me up from my hotel. I left my debit card/license/phone and tablet with the front desk to keepin the safe. I left my bra home i figurec i wouldnt need it. So first i filled out some paperwork. Then i got in a paper gown and Dr. Cardenas marked me up. Then they put stockings on me. Then took vitals. Someone put an IV on me. Then um then wheeled me to this room and had me lay on a table then scoot onto another table. The the anesthesiologist injected something into my IV and he asked me if i could feel it and i said no. Then i waslooking at the ligt above me and part of the ligt looked like it was swirling and i wondered if that was the anestethia or part of the ligt just swirled. Then i fell asleep.

Well apparently i woke up doing surgery and started screaming bloody murder, which scared everyone. I guess none of them have ever seen that before on a patient under anesthesia before. Dr. Cardenas said that occaisionally patients might moan a little but go back to sleep, but i was full on screaming. She said as soon as she said "mindy, mindy youre having surgery youre okay" i just said "ok" and went back to sleep. I get night terrors when im really stressed out, so im guessing thats a possibility of what happened. Although i do vaguely remember tnis feeling like i was under water and trying to get to the surface.

Anyways i dont remember much after surgery. I guess Fatimeh came in to tell me she called my dad and my sister, but it gives you amnesia a little bit. I guess i asked about my dad like 5 times.

The pain the first nigt really sucked. Eventually at night i just started crying and this nurse Angelina is an older mexican lady just kept drying my tears and rubbing my arms and legs and saying "dont cry baby" until i fell asleep. She was really nice.

Day 2:

Well i barely slept night one because i kept getting scared that i would swallow my tongue or die from a blood clot. Day two they had me sit up for the first time and stand to get ready for Fatimeh to take me to my hotel. But let me tell you, i was NOT ready to leave. I was hurting so bad i haveno clue how happymom in washington was able to hop on a plane the next day. I was also so scared to leave. I kept thinking i was going to have a blood clot or something. I think Dr. Cardenas sensed this because she told me that i could stay another night therr. THANK GOODNESS SHE DID! I dont know how I woukd have been able to make it.

When i first sat up it felt like my lower abdomen skin was being ripped away from the muscle, which it probably was, from sleeping in a someone curled up posiition. My nurse had me walk around a bit.

Also i should note that i did not urinate for the first day and halfnof the 2nd day. I attributed this to my body holding on tye fluids, and i was so scared of having to get up and walk t the bathroom that i limited my water intake, but guess what?? I had a cathetrr in! I had no idea they put one in. I certainly wasnttouchung my body or screwing withte bandages to notice a peepee bag attached to me. Had iknown this i would have been chugging water lol

Dr. Cardenas let me know everything looked good and had a talk with me about being positive or else we attract negative things to us, so i adjusted my attitude so that i wasmt being so fearful, and focusing on the positive instead.

Day 3 - 4, I went back to my hotel and I asked for beauty care services and so I had a nurse with me at all times. Sarah was sweet and so was Carmelita. They were so incredibly kind to me. They bathed me, helped me with everything, and were a joy to be around. We basically just read and watched tv and hung out.

Dr. Cardenas came and saw me at my hotel and checked up on me and removed my upper drains on the fourth day, it felt so weird! Even Dr. Cardenas husband Ronnie came and checked on me twice. They are all so educated and so kind hearted. Ive never encountered such a big group of kind people. Carmelita even made me flan from scratch for my birthday!

Day 5: I felt well enough to be on my own. Carmelita left her personal contact info at the front desk to give to me incase i needed anything. She is friends with one of the front desk personnell Fabian, who also checked on me a few times lol. Sarah and Carmelita even offered to come back for free to help me bathe if i needed to, which was so incredibly sweet.I had a lymphatic massage. The lady was so smart and is even a teacher. Her name escapes me now, but she was great. She came to my hotel room. LYMPHATIC MASSAGES ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO HURT. Mine didnt hurt at all, and I felt better after it.

I should also add that I was walking 5-10 minutes after each time I ate, and walked around my hotel room and hobbling back and forth around the hotel.

Day 6: I got another lymphatic massage. She noted that i had fluid retention in my ankkes and worked on that, but I always have fluid retention there, it wasnt surgery related, but nice to have it worked on! Went great. Dr. Cardenas came and checked on me that night and let me know everything was looking good and gave me the Okay to remove the tape around my breasts. She is so smart and so nice and clearly cares. She said I didnt need to stay and could go home if i wanted to and could give me instructions on how to take out te drains myself. I thanked her but my ticket was already set. Fabian asked if I would like it if hemtook me shopping in the morning and i said yes!

Later that night I was contacted by one of my roommates with an emergency, my brother was also hit by a car and had to go into surgery (hes okay!), so I bought a new plane ticket for the next day. I cancelled on Fabian :-( and I wrote Fatimeh telling her I needed more antibiotics and epifoam early the next morning if possible.

Day 7: Fatimeh was on it! She had someone deliver my antibiotics to the hotel, brought me the epifoam herself, and made a phone call and had a driver Gabriel from beauty care come pick me up and take me to the airport. He showed up right on time, and one of the nurses Carmen came with him and gave me and big hug and saw me off.

Gabriel was so nice. He is studying law, and I study criminal justice so we had an awesome discussions on crime. He also used to be in a punk band and gave me one of his CDs for free, and it is really good!

I got to the airport and had requested wheelchair service thanks to happymoms advice, and they wheeled me past the long line and through security to my gate in under 10 minutes.

I just asked a male passenger on the plane who had a military bag if he would help me put my carryon in the overhead bin, which he was happy to do, and took it down for me. I asked a passenger cause the flight attendent acted annoyed wheni told her i needed assistance with my carryon, and just walked past me on the loading plank area where u walk on tonthenplane and never checked back with me.

The wheekchair service sucked in salt lake city. The kid left me sitting there for 15 minutes before i gotnup and walked myself so imdidnt miss my flight. By the time i got to my gate i was in so much pain and feeling faint. Apparently you swell more when flying too. I know i couldnt have looked that good cause a guy kept turning around and eyeing me. I was sweaty and felt faint. But once i got some juice on the plane i felt better. I read some bible scriptures in my tablet I borrowed from a friend for the trip and felt better.

Wheelchair service at SeaTac was awesome. The guy was waiting for me right outside the plane door, and wheeled me all the way to baggage claim where my best friend was there to greet me with open arms!

I felt a lot of pain in my keft breast all that day/night so on day 8 i wrote to Fatimeh and Dr. Cardenas about it and sent like 3 other emails with other questions and they both got back to me right away.

Day 9: well its only 1am so not much to report lol, but i am in way less pain and feeling much better each day!

oh yeah, i forgot to add! Dr.cardenas put 545ccs in my breast and something else inthe other one. She said my muscules were so tight that she was surprised to find that 440ccs looked like a B on me! Also, she removed nearly SEVEN LITERS of fat from my abdomen, flanks and inner thighs (she was conservative on the inner thighs). This amazes me because i look the same and im even heavier. But I guess its going to take weeks to begin seeing results and months to see 100% results. Wow! I though results were instantaneous. Im confused cause it seems like other women have instant results and others dont. I put in a question to the real self doctors.

Day 9: i really need to stop reading so much Q&A on realself because it makes me so paranoid lol. I noticed a dent/bump in my right breast but Dr. Cardenas says its normal swelling and to give it time. My left breast is still hurting on the bottom right on the cleavage side but only when im standing for awhile. Only 5 more days I have to wear this awful band. Yay!

Well here's my pic I just took. I've gained weight and unfortunately my nipples are crooked and I still have hard lumps under my skin on my abdomen. Oh well, I'm still happy with my results.

Also I'm a 34DD. It's so annoying how you can't delete pictures or posts once they're up. I guess my two sideways pictures are stuck, stupid RealSelf.