32AA, 325 cc HP, 30 yrs old, 5'3", 110 lbs, Petite, Active

To summarize in the interest of time, I got 325 cc's, high profile, Mentor silicones via an inframammary incision and submuscular placement. I'm attaching profile-ish photos from before and after (6 days post-op). I'll have to save the detailed day-of post for another night.

So as you can tell, I am writing this retrospectively. However, I wanted to blog in a way that would be thorough and helpful for others reading this chronologically. Hence, why it says X days post-op above for the date, but I'm still talking about days leading up to the surgery.

That said, let's get to preparations for the big day. I cannot stress enough how important it is to plan ahead. Even with my mom around to help during recovery, my preparations made a great difference. I'll try to tackle this in categories:

1) Physical prep: for months leading up to the surgery (my usual physical fitness routine), I did yoga (vinyasa, hot vinyasa) 2-3 times a week, dance (ballet, hip hop, or lyrical jazz) once a week, jogged and/or walked with the dog daily, brisk walked a mile (part of my commute to work) 5 days a week, and hiked or stand up paddleboard-ed on the weekends. I am in decent shape. But in hindsight, I still feel like I could have done more to prepare physically, particularly with strengthening my back muscles and gaining more flexibility in my back and arms. So if you're wondering about exercises/a focus area that would benefit recovery, I'd suggest the back. After all, my back wasn't used to supporting an extra, combined 650 cc's in front.

2) Food prep: Stock the fridge and pantry so that you and/or your caretaker will not have to worry about groceries. I'm a big Costco fan -- so I bought everything from coconut water and quinoa to baby cucumbers and prunes. Also, pre-bag your smoothie mixes and freeze them.

3) Home prep: Get all your chores done, and I really mean ALL. Clean/dust/disinfect your home from roof to basement, laundrify everything, give your dog a bath, drop off and pick up dry cleaning, wash your car, fill up the tank, pay all your bills, etc. This will make life post-op much less stressful and orderly.

4) Being handicapped: Even with all this, I wasn't prepared for just how physically limited I would be. I didn't think I'd need a rolling bag to commute to work (because carrying my tote bag on the subway and walking a mile was causing my chest muscles to spasm); as many button-up work top options (with loose sweaters thrown over to try and conceal the new girls for a while) (because I couldn't raise my arms to get into and out of other types of tops or couldn't zip up the back); a step stool (because I couldn't reach for things in closets or cabinets that I used to be able to grab with ease); or even that I couldn't really scoop my dog up to give him a squeeze. I over-estimated how slowly I would recover and all of these things (rolling bag, button-up tops, step stool, etc.) helped me function more normally.

I'm an obsessive planner. For vacations, I usually start packing at least one week in advance. I start purchasing stuff on Amazon a month prior. So prepping for this surgery was no exception. I ordered Arnica Montana (a natural remedy to help with bruising) and Biocorneum (silicone-based scar gel) on Amazon a few weeks ago. I figured I'd also save some money that way too. I also stocked up on fluids (sparkling water, pineapple juice (see discussion below re. pineapples), coconut water, ginger ale, and green juice). I also purchased a whole pineapple. Pineapples contain bromelain, which is believed to have anti-inflammatory effects and helps with swelling. I'm all about natural remedies. Anything I can do to avoid taking drugs that have a myriad of bad side effects, I'm all over it. On those same lines, I bought a huge bag of prunes to help with constipation due to the medications I will have to take. Again, I'm trying to stick with natural solutions instead of buying laxatives and stool softeners.

I am fortunate enough to have my mom be my caretaker while I recover. Since my nurse recommended not eating anything heavy the night before the surgery, my mom made a beef, cabbage, and carrot soup to eat that night. I couldn't get to bed early even though I had to be at the dr.'s office bright and early at 6:30 am (First operation of the day. Best time in my opinion. I wouldn't be starving, and the medical team would be fresh). I was still agonizing over which size to chose -- 300 or 325 ccs. I went to bed still undecided.