Excellent. Dr. Hawes and his staff are friendly, and it is easy to communicate with them. I had a great experience. My surgery went well. And I especially liked talking to the staff. I would recommend Dr. Hawes to everyone. His qualification and experience is superb!
After giving birth to 4 babies takes a major toll on your body. I breastfed all my children so when I was breastfeeding I was a DD. My youngest is 7 months and I became a deflated 34c cup. So for me I was very self conscious about my body and boobs. Dr Hawes was amazing and he listened to exactly what I wanted and am beyond excited with my results. My stats are 5'2' 116lbs and I chose to go with high profile saline implants 460cc under muscle filled to 510cc max on both. Updated on 24 Feb 2018: A lot less pain more tightness than anything today. I did end up with migraine that had me in bed for couple hours. So happy with how great they look. Updated on 28 Feb 2018: Very little pain at this point more pressure than anything. Taking just 1 ibuprofen each morning when I wake up and right before bed. Had my one week check up today Dr said they are healing great. Go back in 6 weeks then he will teach me certain massages for them but not to do anything til then. Just need to let them heal at this point. Love them by the way they are big and beautiful. My right one is dropping a little faster than the left right now but that is normal the Dr said. Updated on 7 Mar 2018: I am two week and they are looking great. Steri strips just fell off yest and not really in any pain anymore. Loving my results!!! Updated on 31 Mar 2018: I am 6 weeks post opt. I have dropped and fluffed and loving my results. Got resized today and measuring at Victoria secret 34 DDD. Love how they look and how I can wear any bra without padding and have full cleavage.
After having 4 children and completely destroying my core and pelvic floor, I developed a curve in my spine that led to a disorder called POTS. I needed this surgery to move me in the right direction of recovery. My insurance completely covered this procedure, and I'm very happy with the results! I look and feel better already!
Well i have a review in mommy makeovers but For now i will only be getting breast augmentation. I am only a day away from having my surgery, i am so excited. I have to call the surgery Center tomorrow to find out what time my surgery is and so they can call my prescriptions in. I will be getting 550 mod profile under muscle. I am roughly 5'4" and 150lbs.Updated on 20 Feb 2013:I am to be at the surgery center @6:45am. I was hoping for early But i didn't expect it to be this early, i am so glad though. I got my scripts today an in Less than 24hrs away an i will Be a new woman:-)Updated on 21 Feb 2013:So i had my surgery at 8:30am...and so far it has been a walk int the park, hopefully i haven't spoke to soon. i did not get The size i want because 450/475 was all the doc could get in.. at least that is what he told me....but i Think i will be happy with this size As long as they don't shrink too muchUpdated on 24 Feb 2013:My progress has been amazing. I Believe my left breast has dropped and in the place it s going to be in, it is also pretty soft. My right breast still needs to drop and is not quite As soft. I am still quite comfortable pain wise. It s getting better and better every day
Well, I'm 9 days away from my surgery, and I have to say, I'm not nervous at all yet. I have a pretty significant amount of loose skin from my two 9 and 10lb babies. I lost all of the baby weight within a year of having them. (They were 16 months apart.) And ever since then, I'm just left with what I call "the bag they came in"! My skin stretched terribly, and despite my slender figure, I've been wearing loose clothing for 11 years to cover it. (I just turned 30.) Aside from the obvious vanity issue, it's been a major annoyance to have the extra skin always sticking to me, and always trying to tuck it into pants. It's something that bothers me every day of my life. I've finally decided to do something about it as other health issues arise in my life. I have pretty advanced endometriosis, a condition I'm stuck with until I decide to have a hysterectomy, which is something I won't be considering before 40. I also had to have my gallbladder out because it was being strangled by endo, and unfortunately the doctor made a mistake which almost killed me. I luckily made it through, but it's left me with a low/no fat diet for life. I'm at a point where to improve my quality of life, I need to fix the things that ARE fixable, and this is my final hurdle. Aside from being able to comfortably dressed without worrying about the skin, I'm most excited to go for a run. Even with the most supportive clothing, having this skin bouncing around makes it impossible to run comfortably for more than a minute. I work out over an hour a day, strictly on the eliptical/weight training/pilates. I really can't wait to change it up. I'm not out to look like a swimsuit model, I just want to feel good, and learn to love my body again after it's done me wrong. My doctor is awesome, and really understands the simple results I'm looking for. No lipo or shaping of any kind, just the loose skin snipped. He didn't try to sell me on anything beyond what I'm looking for, and it was easy for me to book with him immediatly after my consult at the end of March. Well, I've been a bit wordy here, and I know how important photos are, and I will be adding them soon. Updates to follow! Updated on 11 May 2011: Added photos of my "before". That was HARD to do. Updated on 18 May 2011: Well, tomorrow is coming fast! I'm pretty nervous, and I'm just in this house cleaning frenzy right now. Trying to make sure the kids have everything they need to survive a week of minimal mommy-care. Laundry and all of that. They finish school next week, so this was a crazy time to schedule this, but the only time that worked. I have a 90mile drive to and from my surgeon (anyone else go that far?)so I'm worried about the long ride home. Hopefully my next update will be a good one. I'll take photos as soon as I'm able. My follow up appt is May 25th, so I'm hoping any drains I have will come out then. We'll see. Updated on 19 May 2011: Well, I'm about 6 hours post-op, and feeling SO releived. I'm uncomfortable, but the worst part was the nausea when I got out. Went on for hours and I could't get out of recovery for hours. Pretty sore now, but managable. Hard to walk, hopefully in a few days I can pick up my pace. Binder is super tight, and I have one drain. I won't see what anything looks like for a few days, but just knowing that huge fold isn't there anymore is enough to get by on until then. Thanks for all of the well wishes, I will post pics in a few days and keep up to date with progress. Luckily I came home to a mailbox full of magazines! Updated on 20 May 2011: One Day Post-Op, so far so good. Pain is managable. Itchy under my binder. Hard o get up and down, and sleeping was difficult last night since we don't have a recliner (I slept propped up in bed, which is not a position that is easy to get into or out of!) I keep a little bag of all of my things with me wherever I am, pills; celphone with alarm (to wake me to take the pills)and a little notepad and pen to keep track of when I'm supposed to take my pills and record dranage. I'm trying not to sit for too-long periods to prevent clots, but I may be doing a little too much getting up and down and shuffling around the house. I havn't found the right balance of rest and moving yet. Other than that, still not too bad. I'm just so glad it's done! Updated on 22 May 2011: 3 Days Post-Op: Pretty bloated and swollen. I was expecting that though. It's really uncomfortable with the binder being so tight. (After I swelled, I loosened it up about an inch, which is still tight, but now it's not hurting my back and ribs as much. I am still very much walking like an old lady! I don't see that improving for a while. I get up and walk every 1-2 hours. (Which means pacing around my living room and kitchen.) The drain annoys me, as I'm sure it would anyone. I keep checking to make sure it's not slipping out (which is just bored paranoia I think!) I never miss a pain pill, I set my blackberry alarm to my pills schedule. (I actually have a high pain tolerance and was sure I wouldn't need much as far as heavy painkillers, but boy was I wrong! When they start to wear off, I can really feel it. Other than that, so far, so good. Washed my hair over the tub, and made one call to the doc on call to let them know my legs and ankles were very swollen. (I hadn't expected that. She said that's pretty normal and would last a few days.) So tommorow I'm hoping to have a more normal day, maybe a little less sitting in the recliner and a little more keeping busy. I go back to the doc on Wednesday, which will probably be when I get my drain out. All discomfort aside, I can't believe I really finally did this. It's pretty surreal. Still feel like I am going to wake up from a dream. I know I still have a bunch of recovering to do, but it's such a relief already. Updated on 24 May 2011: As of now, I'm inclined to say that this wasn't worth it. It kind of feel like a bad dream I can't wake up from. The pain has been off the charts, and the pain pills started making me sick yesterday so I had to stop taking them. I wound up hyperventilating last night through all the crying and yelling for help, which made my draining blood red again. It's been really awful. Meanwhile, having screwed up my healing last night with my little jag, I don't know if this awful drain will be coming out tomorrow or not. I can hardly fathom the 90 mile drive and coming home with it still in. I'm really questioning why I did this. So I had loose skin, who cared? People have flaws. It's not like this makes me perfect anyway. I had the binder off to adjust things this morning, and I was just completely underwhelmed by my flat belly. I just didn't care. I wasn't excited. It just made me want to cry. It wasn't worth this, not for what I've been through or what I've put my family through the past few days. I feel like I'm never going to feel better. For the few minutes at a time I can stand to move, I'm just pacing the living room like the hunchback of Notre Shame. If there is a light at the tunnel, I feel like seeing this flat belly is just going to remind me of a really bad experience in my life. I hope that feeling goes away. Right now, I just wish I never did this. Updated on 27 May 2011: Had my drain out today. (Holy SH*T.) Feeling somewhat human again. Saw my incision for the first time (8 days later! It's been covered.) and it's pretty hideous. It's completely uneven, very high, and my belly button is unnaturally low. (like, REALLY low.) Plus it still hangs above the scar! I'm hoping it doesn't stay that way, but I really have minimal swelling today, and I can't imagine it firming up any more. I compared my 8 day out incision to everyone elses on here and mine still looks like a bad before. What gives? I'm pretty worried. There's definatly no hope of a two piece suit in my future, which wasn't the goal anyway, but still. Did anyone else have a major lip over their incision over a week later? Updated on 7 Jun 2011: Okay, FINALLY added some after pics. I'm still pretty swollen. I'll be 3 weeks PO tomorrow. The arc of the scar and the new REALLY low belly button (not a fan) do give the illusion of a "gut" from the front, so that's not my fave. Under clothes it's fine though. Flat. The scar is really high on the sides, wasn't expecting that. I was expecting hip to hip, and got low waist to low waist. We'll see how it fades over time. I will never put myself through unnecessary surgery again, so whatever is, will be. I can't wait to start working out again, it's hard not doing that.
My fiancé and I made the decision not to have children and I've waited 9 long years to get rid of extra skin. I continue to feel self conscious despite losing 75lbs. I workout 5-6 days a week. I had my consultation Monday and I'm having a tummy tuck and breast lift in less than 30 days! After my breasts heal, I will then decide if I want some augmentation as well. Updated on 24 Mar 2016: So I'm 2 weeks pre-op and everything is paid for now. I'm getting a little nervous because I've never had surgery and don't really know what to expect, but so ready to feel happy about my body and the hard work I accomplished and have kept off. Updated on 24 Mar 2016: I'm trying to make a list of things I need before the surgery. So far: Wedge pillow Bromelain Arnica gel Peroxide & Neosporin Jello, pudding, crackers, soup Straws Wet wipes Laxatives What am I missing? Any must haves? Thanks in advance! Updated on 27 Mar 2016: This may be TMI, but... You know one of the things I'm most looking forward to? My panties not rolling down when I wear a dress. This is something I've dealt with for a long time, but kangaroo pouch seems to always make my panties roll down the second I start walking. Then I look like the weirdo trying to readjust them, because I can't leave them bunched up under my roll. I know I can't be the only one with this problem. Updated on 31 Mar 2016: I'm one week away! I'm excited and terrified at the same time. Started having dreams a couple days ago, both good and bad. In the end I know it will all be worth it, but the anticipation is killing me! Updated on 6 Apr 2016: It's official! I have to be at the surgery center at 6 am! I'm like the little duck swimming in a pond. All calm and cool on top, but swimming like hell underwater. I'm super excited and it feels so surreal I've wanted this for so long, but since this is my first ever surgery I'M FREAKING OUT MAN. Just kidding, it's not that bad, but I do have some butterflies! Updated on 7 Apr 2016: Today's the day! I'm here waiting and ready! Got my bed all set up for when I get home. Next post I'll be on the flat side! Updated on 7 Apr 2016: I will post pictures as soon as I can, but right now my fiancé won't let me take any of the binders off. This was my first ever surgery and I had really major nausea while trying to come out of the anesthesia. They had to give me 3 different kinds of medication to calm it down. Dr. Hawes started the surgery about 7:45 and I was at home in bed by 1:45. Getting out of bed isn't too bad, but getting into bed hurts like hell. My breasts don't really hurt, but my lower stomach is pretty rough. I didn't think I'd take my pain pills as much, but at the urging of the nurse and my fiancé I decided to stay on top of the pain for the first couple days. I'm dying to see what it all looks like though! I get to shower on Saturday, so I may have to wait until then. Updated on 8 Apr 2016: So I woke up about 3:30 am needing to pee and I've been in and out of sleep ever since. I feel WAY better than I did last night. I set alarms through the night to make sure I took my pain meds and have been putting ice packs on my belly. I'm laying on a heating pad for my back to help with being bent over. The worst part is getting back into bed because it's so high but I think we're starting to master that finally. My fiancé has been a trooper and I definitely don't know what I'd do without him. Every time I get up to go pee, I make a lap to the kitchen and back just to get my legs moving. The anticipation of seeing it is killing me, but I'm trying to be a good girl. Updated on 9 Apr 2016: Finally got to shower and see the big reveal! Unfortunately, after all the binders came off I got super nauseous and dizzy, thank god for anti-nausea medication. After that small bump in the road I finally got to see all of Dr. Hawes' masterwork. I really wasn't focused on my breasts that much before surgery, but now I'm obsessed with them. He talked me out of getting implants and now I'm so glad I didn't. That's when you know you have a good doctor. He listened to what I wanted and I'm elated with the results so far. I'm super swollen but I'm beyond happy with how it looks already. Today has been a rollercoaster of emotions, but it's definitely worth it so far. Updated on 10 Apr 2016: Just some more pics. I was getting really uncomfortable today and the binder was digging into my hip and irritating my skin. So we readjusted and I put my tank top on underneath the binder. It seems to be helping, feels a lot better. Been sleeping with a heating pad on my back to help with the lower back pain too. Still haven't had a bowel movement but I've taken a stool softener every morning and been drinking over 100 ounces of water every day. Lots of fruits and veggies and ate some Greek yogurt and drank some green tea with local honey today. Hopefully I'll get some relief soon. My belly is super swollen, the left side is especially worse. I'm in love with my boobies though! I know they'll go down a little, but I'm so excited about them! And I've gotten so many comments on how good my belly button looks. I'm beyond satisfied right now. Updated on 10 Apr 2016: I'm getting cabin fever but I know I have to rest. I decided to try a trip up our set of stairs. It's amazing how tiring that was, so I stopped at one. The nurse said to shrug my shoulders when I'm walking to increase blood flow. So today I've been doing it more flamboyantly while hunched over and can't stop giggling about it. We're getting slap happy and man it hurts so bad to laugh, but it's oh so funny. I'm having premonitions into old age. And for extra measure I included a pic with the tank under the binder and my fancy drain necklace. Updated on 11 Apr 2016: I was doing all the right things, taking stool softener since day one, eating really clean, fruits & veggies, protein shakes, Greek yogurt, green tea and I still could have a bowel movement. This morning I decided to take a women's laxative and finally by 10 am I had a BM. I immediately felt so much better. I took my binders off to be washed today and took a shower and even straightened my hair. My fiancé laughed that I was fixing my hair, but I told him it makes me feel better. My stomach is really swollen right now and mostly numb to the touch. The good news is I already have sensitivity in both nipples! Posting some more progress pics and my belly button. I'm impressed with how good it looks. Updated on 13 Apr 2016: Been feeling nauseous all day today, but I had my first Post-Op appointment this afternoon. Everything is looking really good, and I'm happy with the progress. My Dr. decided it was time to take the drain out. I was only draining about 25 cc all day and my skin was getting irritated from the stitches. Let's talk about the removal of the drain though.. Holy crap. I had NO IDEA the tube inside me was so long. Literally like 12 inches of tubing came out of me. She pulled it out so quick it didn't hurt at all, it was just very strange. Feels good to be rid of it though. I took some pics this morning before my shower, the swelling seemed to be a little better today. I'm beyond happy with the results already. I can't wait to see the next weeks and months. Updated on 15 Apr 2016: Well, I had a big long review done and then lost it and I don't really feel like writing it again. Today I drove for the first time. I've been off of narcotics for 48 hours now. My pain level is pretty low. I took 800 mg Aleve yesterday morning and then 800 mg last night and nothing today so far. I'm pretty excited how how quickly I've been healing. Yesterday was the first time I was able to get it and out of bed on my own too. Some more new pics of how it looks now and where the drain was. Still a lot of swelling, but I got a smaller binder at my dr's visit and I think that's helping. Updated on 16 Apr 2016: I'm starting to lose track of days, but I'm supposed to go back to work in 3 days. I might ask for more time, but I keep feeling better. I wore real clothes for the first time today, but only for about an hour. I've had major itching on my incision mostly on the hips, and today it's a little red near the tape. I'm gonna keep an eye on it and hope it gets better. Updated on 18 Apr 2016: I had a little issue with my incision this morning, it was partly open and oozy so I called my PS office and the nurse said she could see me. So I went in and she just cleaned it with iodine and took the steristrips off. She acted like it was no big deal and just said to keep it clean. I guess we'll see! The rest of it is looking pretty good though. Updated on 20 Apr 2016: So today was my first day back to work... I felt OK in the morning but by lunch I could tell I was super swollen and my pants started feeling really uncomfortable. I couldn't wait to change. I may have to make it a short day tomorrow. I was supposed to take all the steristrips off today too so I did. Unfortunately some of my skin came off with them too. The nurse gave me iodine to put on the incisions to clean them. I have a few spots that have some oozing a little bit but the nurse said to just keep them clean. I hope that clears up soon cause it hurts when they get stuck to my shirt. Overall though I'm still feeling pretty good. Not really any pain, the swelling was almost unbearable though. So now I'm laying in bed with my feet up and an ice pack on my belly! Happy hump day! Updated on 22 Apr 2016: Just a quick pic. Was feeling better today after only going to work for 2 hours. Feeling happy with how it looks with the incision covered. Updated on 26 Apr 2016: Man this weekend was rough.. Mother Nature came to visit Thursday and Saturday we decided to go to a little festival in town for a few hours. I got so frustrated with not being able to wear all my cute clothes because of the binders. I just felt emotional all weekend. I hate missing out on all the fun events and the beautiful weather. Not being able to workout is killing me too. Just trying to be patient, but there were definitely some tears this weekend. It'll all be worth it in the end, just hard to see in the short term. Updated on 28 Apr 2016: Well, here we are, it's already been 3 weeks! Time has just flown by. The worst part about going back to work is the awful swelling. I rub essential oils on my stomach in the morning, wearing my binder 24/7, taking bromelain, eating healthy, drinking lots of water but still by noon time I'm about double the size. Normally, the swelling will go down overnight and it's much better in the morning, but this morning I was still pretty swollen. I still have a few spots that have delayed healing, but I think the incision is looking pretty good. I'm looking forward to starting scar therapy. All in all I'm still really happy with it and I can't wait to see what it looks like months from now. Updated on 6 May 2016: Part of me is like I can't believe it's already been 4 weeks, but the impatient part of me is like why am I not completely healed yet?! It's getting better day by day. I still have a couple spots that are healing so I have to keep them covered so they don't get stuck to my shirt, but overall it's starting to look really good. I've been walking at least a half mile every day since week one, but I've been slowly increasing it. This morning I was able to walk a mile in 16:30 with an incline of 4.0 so I'll take that as a victory. I'm dying to get back to working out! I'm posting a few more update pics. I have iodine on my incisions so that's why they look kinda bruised or yellowish. Here's to another week down! Updated on 11 May 2016: Today I have my 2nd post-op appointment. I'm hoping he will release me for more activity, I'm ready to start working out again. We leave in a week for Florida to get married! Ahhh! I'm hoping it's healed enough to enjoy the ocean and sun on our honeymoon in Puerto Rico too. The incision is getting closer to being healed. Oh, I forgot to add that we started having sex again about 2 weeks ago. It's very gentle and have to be careful in certain positions, but that was a big concern for me so I'm sure others are wondering about it too. My fiancé can't wait to really get to enjoy all the newness. Updated on 1 Jun 2016: I can't believe it's already been 2 months. It's amazing how much better it has gotten in the last 2 weeks too. I got married on the 21st and enjoyed my new flat tummy and non saggy boobs on our honeymoon. I still haven't attempted running, but I started lifting upper body this week and I've been walking at least 2 miles a day. I'm ready to get back to my normal active self. I bought a new spin bike so I'm going to try that this week too. Swelling is still an issue by the end of the day, but not nearly as bad as it was. I found some waist trainers at Ross for $10 that really help with feeling secure without the bulk of the binder. Updated on 3 Jun 2016: I finally ran for the first time post-op this morning! I had a thin binder on and it was only a quarter of a mile at a time, but it actually felt good. My breasts felt the most sore while running. My scar feels a little tight this afternoon, but nothing bad. I'm excited to get back to my old routine and maybe get some abs finally! Updated on 11 Jul 2016: I can't even remember what day we're on. I think we're at 13 weeks this week. I've been back to running about 6-8 miles a week and walking another 8-10 throughout. Still dealing with a lot of swelling, especially in the afternoons, but I deal with it. Been having a lot of burning and itching, especially on my breasts because of the healing. i have another follow up next Tuesday with my PS and will probably take after photos at that appointment. Updated on 11 Jul 2016: Sometimes I forget what it looked like before. Puts things in perspective Updated on 19 Jul 2016: I had my 3 month follow up today and we took "after" photos. I'm in awe at the difference it has made. The nurse even noted how much better my posture is now. I still struggle with body image issues, but I love my new body. Totally worth it. Updated on 14 Apr 2017: So I've been MIA for a while but I thought I should update. There have been ups and downs through this whole process and I still struggle with body image issues, but I hadn't seen the old pictures in a while then look at what I have now and I can't believe the difference. The scars are a little worse than I expected but they have definitely faded over time. I've been considering getting a tattoo to cover the one on my stomach. Either way I'm still glad I did it and I've very happy with the results.
I had a consultation and I really like the dr. Although I was in prepared. I did not ask a lot of questions. We talked about size and placement. I'm 5 foot 8 inches and about 130 lbs. I decided to go with 500cc silicone over the muscle. My boyfriend and I talked and decided to over would be nicer since they would feel more natural and move more like natural breasts. But after reading all these I'm kinda having second thoughts. Almost no one goes over. Does anyone have experience with that size and over the muscle they could share. Also wonder if size would be to big for my frame but I don't want to pay all this money and go to small. I'm exited and want this but I have so many questions about the right thing to do. Updated on 12 Nov 2015: 3 weeks away and I'm very excited and nervous too. I have never had any kind of surgery in my life so that aspect scares me too. I do think I'm leaning more toward subglandular , but I'm told I can change that up to the day of my surgery. I just worry about the saggage. My boyfriend thinks that is hot! He said he would rather them look like they were not just sitting on the top of my chest. He said but its my body and asked what I wanted and I was like I don't know I have never had boobs. What are big boobs supposed to look like? I mean I have looked at hundreds of pics and everyone is different. I think that is one of the scariest things. Just really not knowing. What will they look like? Am I going to big? (500cc) Should I go under muscle? Am I taking enough time off work? Everytime I think I'm resolved I second guess myself. Ok well scary insecure rant over. I will post my before pics shortly along with some wish boobs! Updated on 12 Nov 2015: Here are before and wish boobs sorta. Updated on 17 Nov 2015: Well I'm just shy of two weeks away. I'm so up in the air on what to do. I go from saying yes I want 450-450cc but then I'm afraid they will be too big. But then I'm afraid if I go down to 400cc I won't be happy. I also am still up in the air about overs or unders. the pics I see of overs I like because they kind of hang with with your natural breast and from what I understand they move more like your natural breast BUT I'm concerned that they will sag too much. I mean Im paying for pretty boobs and as much as I want them to be somewhat natural I also want them to be pretty. Unders pose a problem for me because for one I don't want them just sitting on top of my chest and with hundreds of reviews I have read there seems to be more problem with them dropping right and being uneven and more problems with recovery. I can't have a long drawn out recovery. Very busy single mom with 3 kiddos all involved in sports and other things plus I work full time. I'm also very active and work out 5 days a week and a friend who works out says when she does arms she can actually feel the implant move. BUT the ones that drop right look AMAZING! My doctor basically said what I stated above so the choice would be mine. He believes they will look good either way. But I guess he is supposed to say that. ;) My boyfriend prefers they hang and move like mine do now just bigger of course. Choice is mine I just don't know which one to make. I'm feel like I'm constantly whining about it but I really really just am confused. I just want to make the right choice. Anyhoo Boobies paid for and pre-op on Thursday so I better make that choice soon! Thanks for sharing your stories I love hearing them and looking at updates along the way. Hopefully I will be able to keep up with them after too! Updated on 17 Nov 2015: I meant I'm going 450-500cc Updated on 18 Nov 2015: Well this week as been sort of an roller coaster for me. I have just been so uncertain of what am I doing and if I'm doing it for the right reasons. I know for sure I have made up my mind that I'm most certainly going under the muscle. I think maybe I was just afraid of the recovery and pain and thinking overs would be less pain that I let that cloud my judgement. In the end I realized that under would look better in the long term and I gave birth to 3 babies naturally so I think I can deal with a little pain. Now the next thing is deciding on size. I see so many on here say if they could go back they would go bigger. I'm taller and long waisted so I think my body could handle bigger implants without it looking to large. I just really think 500cc may be a bit to much. If I decided to go 450cc what if it does not look as big as I want? Meet in the middle 475cc maybe? I do believe my doctor will do what is right at the time. He said you can only fit so much in the pocket so I guess I will talk to him about it more. Well just two weeks away and I will be either crying OMG what did I do or screaming from the rooftops look what I did! I really am excited but wow I did not expect what an emotional journey this would be. Updated on 1 Dec 2015: My surgery is a day and half away and I'm so nervous I'm sick to my stomach. I have never had surgery so I'm so scared. I also worry they will be too big. I have not told many people so I wonder what they will think. Oh my gosh I'm just having a mini freak out. Im sure this is very common but wow yeah... Updated on 3 Dec 2015: Well my surgery is in a couple hours. My emotions range from scared to death to excited to nervous from can't wait to oh no!! I just keep telling myself it will all be done in a few hours. Well it's my in a few hours I will no longer be a member of the itty bitty [RS bleep] committee. :). I will try to update my progress as much as I can. I know this site really helped me and I hope my updates can help others. Talk to you soon! Updated on 3 Dec 2015: All done. Feel great just pressure a little pain. I think I love em! Ended up with 425 cc Updated on 3 Dec 2015: On my way home. Feel great. Must tons of pressure. Can't take a real peak until tomorrow. Boyfriend making me follow the rules :(. Ended up with 425 CCs he said that was all he room I had. Excited to actually look them. We'll time to relax! Updated on 4 Dec 2015: Day 2 update. Well I really do feel great. I mean the intense pressure is constant and there is slight pain but nothing that can not be handled. I have seen in here that people have trouble moving arms and such but my range of motion seems to be good. I kinda keep waiting for the ball to drop but so far so good. Fingers crossed The pain meds don't really work at all. I think I'm just going to stick to Tylenol. I get to shower in a few hours and finally see the girls. Excited. I'll post pics when I can. But in peeking they seem to look great. I'm really happy with my decision Updated on 4 Dec 2015: Wowza! Updated on 4 Dec 2015: Ohhhhh I think I like em Updated on 4 Dec 2015: Dr Hawes did a great job. I told him what I wanted and he did what was in my best interest. I at first wanted 500 cc overs but after doing research I decided to do under the muscle. He gave me 425cc he said that is what fit in the breast pocket. I'm glad he did that and not over do it. I love that he did what was going to best for me and my recovery. If your really wanting to stretch your limits he may not be the guy for you. He knows what he is doing and is going to make sure his work looks good and is fine right. Updated on 5 Dec 2015: so it's the end of day 3. Today was good. I went to a couple of my kids games and lunch with my sister. The pain is pretty much gone and the worse is when I have been sitting a while. When I get up they just feel ReLly heavy and tight. I will say that today I did experience some of the depression I have read about. It was not really bad. I just felt kinda blah and sad and not sure why. Day 2 was by far the worse. It started off good but slowly got worse. I was just so tired and hurting and the pressure was intense. I went to dinner and it was a little much and I threw it all up. But all and all the recovery has not been terrible. I mean it has it moments but for the most part feeling pretty good. I love my new boobs and can't wait for them to settle and get softer. Day 3 pics Updated on 6 Dec 2015: I guess it's my 4th day with new boobs 3 days after operation. Anyhoo. I really feel good. They are of course still tight as hell and when I get up after laying it sitting down they feel real heavy. But no pain. Mostly just tired of sitting around. I wanna go do stuff like Christmas shop or shop for the new car in getting but my boyfriend said I still need to take it easy. Just because I feel good don't over do it. I know he is right. I did some laundry and dishes and wrapped some presents so I hope I don't pay for it later. I love my boobs but not crazy about the big gap between them. I kinda hope once they fall imthey may come closer together. Of course that is how my natural boobs were so I don't know. Another concern is I had initially told my dr over the muscle but decided to do under and we even discussed it again day of surgery. But I fell like if it is under he muscle it should hurt more like when I move my arms and stuff. The only time it really hurt was the 2nd day since the. Not really at all. Anyone else have it like that. I do it know I started thinking did he do it right? I mean they look fantastic but I feel like I should be having a little harder time. Trust me I'm not complaining this is great but it does not seem normal. The main issue is just being tired a lot. Sorry for rambling!! Updated on 8 Dec 2015: Hello! Went back to work today everything was great. Still feeling good. Keep waiting to like wake up and be in like uber pain. But I'll take this anyway. Boobs still numb in some spots and tingley in others. But I do love them. Right one seems a little bigger but I know they have lots of changing to do. Anyway. Day 6 pics. Not much difference that I can tell. Updated on 10 Dec 2015: My incisions are really sore today but other than that. Doing good still kinda stuff and hard. I want them to be soft and squishy. I know. I know in time. I still don't see much change in them though. But I still love em! Updated on 18 Aug 2017: Its been a while! First I want to say I love love love my boobs! They look fantastic! But my left breast still feels some slight pains now and then and the nipple is super sensitive, sometimes painful to touch. Has anyone else experienced this? Most of what I read says it can take a long time for the nerves to repair. I have not talked to my doctor yet because it is not un bearable and they are still soft and squishy. Anyway I will post some updated pics to show how they look almost 2 years later. It was cool looking back at how different they were after surgery. Updated on 18 Aug 2017: After 20 months. Not to bad!
Hello Ladies, I've had 350cc, saline, sub-muscular implants for 8 years. I am much like the rest of you in that when I decided to get implants I wasn’t informed of all the possible complications. I should have researched more, but at 26, I wanted badly to have a ‘sexy’ physique. I went from a small B to a D. I don’t consider myself a small-framed person, however, the edges of my implants are visible and can easily be felt. I developed a lump on my upper left breast and it has continued to worsen over the past few years. I have recurring back pain, persistent bruising around the edges of my implants, and general discomfort. My PS has recommended a bilateral capsulotomy and implant removal, no lift, no drains. My other options were to get the same size of implants or smaller implants with a lift. He was very straightforward and told me that if I chose to have my implants replaced that I’d likely have to have them replaced several more times. No thank you! I’m nervous about how I’ll look without implants, but I’m excited to feel well again. Thanks to everyone, that has posted their stories. I’ve found this site very helpful in finding a doctor and I feel that this time around I’m making an informed decision. I’ll be posting ‘after’ pics soon! Updated on 29 Sep 2014: I've read about different vitamins, in addition to diet that are supposed to help with the healing process. I've added a daily vitamin until surgery. I've read many on this site have taken 1,000 mg of Vitamin C following surgery. I thought about adding it, Vitamin E a few weeks after surgery of course, zinc, and silica. Any thoughts? Updated on 17 Oct 2014: Hey Ladies! I had my pre-surgery interview. When I had the implants put in I don't remember having this many guidelines. Like not shaving your armpits for a few days before surgery to avoid any open cuts before surgery. She did say I could use an electric razor. Thank Goodness! Still trying to find some bras that fasten in the front and have good reviews. But, I'm ready to do this. The dull ache is so annoying. I can't wait to get them out. I've caught a cold, can't take anything since it's close to surgery. Hoping water and chicken soup do the trick! Updated on 23 Oct 2014: Hi Ladies! The surgery went great. I feel great! Dr. Hawes and the surgery staff are amazing. I can't put into words how fantastic they are. I'll post pictures soon.
Muscle repair is not always needed. I usually assess laxity of the abdominal wall at the time of surgery and will selectively plicate(tighten) only if necessary.
