Both my husband and I have had upper & lower eye surgery by Dr. Harriman. We had tired eyes that made us feel older than we actually are (mid 50’s) Now it seems we have taken 10 years off our age. I would highly recommend him & his staff are excellent!
Dr.Herrmann is the absolute best surgeon hands down. My partner and I chose him out of a few others and I am so happy we did. I once weighed 305lbs and lost the weight over a course of 4 years. The day before surgery I weighed 147lbs and now 6 weeks later I weigh in at 155lbs, but I still have a ton of swelling and have been very limited in my exercise. I am so glad I decided to have both the tummy tuck and breast lift. I am just 6 weeks out and now starting to resume cardio. I love my results so far and just trying to go with the flow as my body heals. These surgeries were worth every penny. Updated on 19 Apr 2015: Updated on 29 Apr 2015:
I've wanted Rhinoplasty for as long as I can remember. I have read everybody's posts on this website who have had or are thinking about Rhinoplasty and have learned a lot and they answered a lot of my questions. So I wanted to post my experience and progress as it goes a long. I had it done on Friday December 19th. Updated on 24 Dec 2014: Updated on 24 Dec 2014: Bruises and swelling still there but feeling good. Updated on 25 Dec 2014: I get to take my splint off tomorrow! I'm so excited!! Updated on 26 Dec 2014: So I took the splint off today! Very weird feeling. There's still a lot of swelling so the frontal view isn't what I am looking for, so I really hope that changes. The side view is cute, even with the swelling. I can't wait to get the final result but I know from reading and Dr. Herrmann it can take months to see the results. Waiting game here we go... Updated on 28 Dec 2014: feeling hopeful that the swelling goes away a lot quicker then 6-8 months! I'm ready to see my new nose already!!! Updated on 30 Dec 2014: stitches came out today very happy I don't feel like I have long hairs coming out of my nose. I'm healing up right on track. Could be 6-8 weeks before I notice any big changes but little ones weekly. Now we wait... Feeling very anxious Updated on 4 Jan 2015: So since I took the splint off my face has broken out so badly I am pretty sure it's acne but it's so bad it almost looks like a rash!! Has anyone experienced this or heard of this? I'm acne prone but shoot not this bad! Other then that I'm doing good, still swollen. Little tender to the touch. Tip is still numb. All normal to be expected things. This week I am supposed to massage my nose twice a day, that should be fun!
Hi ladies! First I want to thank everyone who has shared their experience on here, you all have been so brave and your stories have helped me get through my experience. I am currently one week post op and I am so happy with my results. I'm 28 years old, 5'2" I was 179 pre and 172 post. I can't believe how different I look and feel now, I was a 42g and now once my swelling goes down I will be around a D. My doctor took 1500cc's from each side and that is roughly 4lbs each! My back pain was instantly gone, no more headaches or chest pains, and my clothes fit so much better :) If you are considering surgery but are scared, don't be! It's totally worth it! I went into this with lots of "what ifs" and worried about pain, size, shape... But I did my research, found an awesome surgeon, and didn't expect perfection. I know my results aren't going to be like some one who is naturally small ad perky, but they will be damn near close :) Updated on 8 Apr 2014: Today is day 11 post op. I am feeling quite great. I have had two post op appointments now, and my doctor is very happy with my healing, so I don't have to go back for one month. I guess the second week is critical for healing because it is really easy to over do it, so my energy is coming back, but doc says I'm only 12% healed and I still need to take it easy, so I guess no vacuuming or laundry yet. I haven't talked much about my experience yet so... My surgery day was intense, I was very nervous, but everything went so quick. I was given my anesthesia, started feeling woozy, then wheeled into the operating room and was told to take deep breaths. Next thing I know I'm being wheeled into recovery. It was done! Yay :) Then once my blood pressure and oxygen levels were stablized I was on my way home. Once home I slept a lot, but that night was uncomfortable. Sleeping in a reclining chair sucks. My husband has been great, the day after my surgery I was given the ok to shower so the hubs helped and I was so greatful because that was quite an experience. Seeing my breasts for the first time was rough. I turned ghost white and started getting really dizzy, then I started crying and had to sit down, poor husband :( So to avoid another traumatic experience like that I have been wearing a sports bra when I shower and I haven't had any issues since. I'm sure it's all in my head but it just makes me feel secure, so until I feel more confident I will continue wearing it. Other than the shower issue, everything has been going good. I haven't taken my pain meds for two days now, so my head doesn't feel all heavy and I'm starting to feel normal again. I have had some pains in my left breast, kind of like a sharp pain that comes and goes, but I guess that's normal, so now I'm just anxious for my swelling to go down some more so I can start sleeping on my side again.. Oh to sleep on my side, how I miss that! Updated on 9 Apr 2014: I just want to say that I'm happy to have found this website. It's nice to share my story and read about others because my friends don't really understand. My husband knows because he has seen my breasts change over the years, but it's nice to talk with others about this :) Yesterday was a lot of firsts for me since my surgery. I went shopping, that was exhausting. I decided to wear a sports bra out for the first time ( don't recommend shopping and trying that out at the same time) And I drove my car. That wasn't so bad, my car is a manual, that wasn't a problem at all. I also attempted to sleep on my side, in my own bed. It was nice at first, and my breasts were fine, but I pinched a nerve on my right side. Ouch! Luckily some naproxen helped with that. I really don't miss back pains, so today I'm taking it easy and back to the surgical bra. Updated on 9 Apr 2014: Updated on 9 Apr 2014: I never mentioned my drains, or these phantom nipple feelings. So my drains; They were necessary, but they were kinda annoying, got in the way and irritated my incisions a little bit. They were removed by my doctor 4 days post op, and that wasn't as bad as I thought. Doctor pulled one out and his nurse pulled the other. I took a deep breath in and as I blew out they were yanked real quick. I felt a bit of pressure but no pain, burning or anything like that. So the phantom nipple feelings; I luckily have feeling in both my nipples, but when I touch them (they are way up high now) I feel it where my nipples used to be (way down low) doctor says that's normal.. Had anyone else experienced this? I haven't seen any talk of it. Updated on 9 Apr 2014: Here's my before. I took these the night before my surgery. My doctor has a topless picture of me in my file, he tried to show me my last appointment and I told him I saw them long enough and never want to see them again! Updated on 9 Apr 2014: Once again my picture is not uploading. Updated on 13 Apr 2014: It was brought to my attention that I never shared my reasons for having a breast reduction. As a kid I developed overnight. C cup in 6th grade, D cup in 7th, and DD all through high school. I grew to DDD at 18 and at 21 I had a child and ballooned to a G cup. When pregnant my doctor kept telling me to find a better supporting bra. It made me so mad because I searched for a bra that I could even fit into, so I started wearing 2 bras. I wore 2 bras for the last seven years, along with layering tank tops, tee shirts and hoodies to try and hide my very large breasts. Wearing a sports bra over a regular bra over the years kept me from getting grooves in my shoulders, but I started noticing my neck was getting hunched over even when I stood as straight as possible. I have suffered with back, neck, shoulder and chest pain over the years so I finally decided I was done. I have hidden my self and been in pain for far too long and I felt that this surgery was worth the risks. My doctor removed 8lbs and I now have no pain and I feel so much better about myself. Updated on 29 May 2014: If there was ever any doubt, I'm so glad I took the plunge and did this! My back feels so much better, in fact I didn't realize how bad my back was until the pain was gone. I guess I just got used to it over the years! Now that summer is here I can go do things and I don't have pools of sweat under my bra! That was a gross feeling and it's gone! Yay :) For a few weeks there I had a really bad rash that I thought was heat rash, turned out to be an allergy to nutraphor, a lotion my dr gave me, so I switched to Burt's bees lotion and the problem is gone. Haven't had any problems with healing or pain, just a little sore if i over do it. My incisions are healing well, I had some scabs that my doctor pulled off along with some stitches that were keeping my scabs from fully healing, but since then most everything has healed and I can sleep on my side! Yeah :)
I had breast implants 14 years ago, felt they were not as big as I'd like. For the past two years I've worn thick padded bras...you know the visitor is secret add two cup sizes. So I always knew I wanted to do it again so this year it was my husbands anniversary gift yo us. I just did it yesterday so can't see results yet, I am wrapped in an ace bandage...really really hoping they are big like I wanted. He did 710cc, I am 5'2, 121lbs...guess we will see. Photos to come when I unwrap later. Updated on 13 Feb 2014: Apparently yesterday I could not spell..should say Victoria Secret not visitor is:) I am very sore today and not feeling very well. Think I had allergic reaction to Percocet too cause my face, eyes and hands are swollen. Now on Vicodin hoping this will be better. I will unveil them tonight and post some pictures.
I'm 5'3 and weight 100lbs. My background is comprised of Asian, Caucasian and Puerto Rican. I can get small, but I have the latin hips when I do gain even as little as 5lbs. I wanted to contour my inner/outer thighs and the only weight my upper legs get small is if I drop below 100lbs which is really unhealthy for me and I look sick everywhere else on my body not to mention a pronounced jawline. I got my legs done this past April and ABSOLUTELY LOVED my results.. My doctor took out less than 5lbs and if your not happy he has a 1yr guarantee and you can go back in. He completely understood what I wanted and didn't think I was crazy. Many people my hubby included are ignorant to what lipo is actually for and think you just have to work out. I loved the contouring o my legs and not to mention it took away the lines on the back of my legs. I literally saw a difference in less than a week. I couldn't wait to get into my bikini and right after 6 weeks I didn't have to wear my garment anymore and my legs looked so smooth on the back. I didn't have cellulite, but I had those hamstring lines before and Hated them. I still like to wear my garment when I sleep, just because I feel it will keep my legs contoured, especially since I don't really workout in the winter. I say this is the 3rd best procedure because I could get my legs thin, but I had to be on a strict diet. My other 2 were Breast Augmentation 15yrs ago and Tummy Tuck to cut out all those Nasty Stretch marks after my 2nd daughter 5 yrs ago.. Never regretted ANY of them. Oh and my Dr. gave me a military discount for being a Veteran. He was Fantastic and so were the women there too not to mention the only good price here in Colorado. Everyone else wanted to charge me almost 6grand, and I thought I was going to have to go back to my Doctor in Las Vegas, but lo and behold I found this Doc here and close to me too. My questions were answered and they took the time for basically everything! I'll be going to back to him for other stuff in the future for sure!
Well I'm finally less than 2 months away from my surgery and wanted to start a review to help others on their journey since reading RS ladies' journeys have been SO helpful and comforting for me. Unlike many women, I haven't been set on having a BA my entire adult life...I have always had pretty small breasts but always said that I would "maybe someday get a BA". For 1, I knew that if I ever did, I wanted to wait until I was done having babies and breastfeeding. And 2, while I always thought it would be nice to have bigger boobs than what I was given, it also didn't really bother me that I didn't...I loved my body regardless and can't say I was necessarily 'insecure' about it. But now, at 32 years old, I've finally decided to take the plunge. I finished breastfeeding my 2nd (and final) child about a year ago and, while my breasts really hadn't changed after breastfeeding our first (for just 3 months due to low milk supply) they definitely never bounced back from breastfeeding our 2nd for a year...not only did they shrink in size, the skin around my nipples is also sad and empty now :( lol. What's funny is that I naively didn't really think my breasts would be affected negatively from pregnancy or breastfeeding - but the "maybe someday I would get a BA" was there just in case :) Anyway, here I am, going through with it in less than 2 months and am both super excited and also super nervous (what if I hate them, what if they're completely uneven as I have a bit of asymmetry pre-op, what if I end up too small or worse, for me, too big)...while I was never insecure about my breasts prior to babies, what if I go through this all only to be disappointed and end up being insecure about my breasts post-BA? That's what scares me the most but I guess all can do is be as thorough as possible throughout this process and then pray for the best outcome...so we'll see! Here are my stats again: 5'7" 124 pounds 12.6 bwd 32A..? I use to be a small or med B before babies and always wore a 34 band but I was never professionally measured...my surgeon measured me and said I'm technically a 30C now which is hilarious to me because i guarantee that NO woman dreaming of having a c cup is picturing my size..lol. Oh, and I almost forgot! I'm hoping for a med to full c, not bigger, and thinking of going with 350cc silicone under the muscle. I'm worried that 350 might even be too big for what I'm going for but the 350 mod plus measure 12.5 diameter and I really want to fit the width of my natural breasts as closely as possible and the next option down that would fit is 300cc, moderate profile at 12.8 diameter but I think 300 might be too small (and l'm not sure how mod would look as it seems difficult to find women with mods)! Needless to say, the size decision is killing me... That's all for tonight, I'll post pre-op and wish pics soon! Updated on 30 Dec 2015: I'm being brave and adding my before pics...I didn't REALLY know how unattractive my breasts are post babies until I started taking selfies of them..lol (ok,I knew, but a photo shoot really does make it worse!) What's funny is I never even noticed my asymmetry before I started going to consults and neither did my husband...my left fold is higher than my right..my surgeon will lower the fold so hopefully they'll be as symmetrical as possible post-op! Updated on 30 Dec 2015: Here's my wish pics.. I have a ton on my phone but these are my faves - and I think most are from other RS ladies so excuse me if I'm using your pic :) I like the fullness in width here which is what I'm going for. Updated on 1 Jan 2016: Happy New years everyone! I thought I would briefly go over my consultations just in case it's in any way helpful to anyone else. I went to a total of 6 consultations! From the beginning I knew I wanted to have at least 3 consultations just to feel like I wasn't make a rash decision, but I kept going to more after 3 because it took me that long to find someone I was 100 percent comfortable with. At my first consult, the doctor seemed very knowledgeable and nice enough, but I just felt like it was a "wham bam thank you ma'am" kinda thing...very impersonal and very little time given for me to ask questions. He had me try on 325cc and 350cc which I liked, but I ultimately left knowing that he would not be my surgeon. I was really excited for my second consult because I thought his before and after gallery was excellent. He was very professional and made me feel like more of an individual, not 'just another BA.' So I liked him and probably would have used him...BUT, when he measured me, he said my bwd was only 10.8 and that I would need a high profile implant to get the volume I needed for a C cup. I had already decided I didn't want high profile...and, I knew that the previous doctor had measured me at over 12bwd. I don't know if this doctor just had a preference for high profile so intentionally told me my bwd was smaller than it is or if it was an honest mistake, but it just didn't sit well with me so I moved on. This doctor was also the only one of the 6 that charged a consult fee (50). The next doctor I saw I also really liked...very professional, thorough, knowledgeable, personable. And I ended up scheduling my surgery with him! I was planning at that time to go 400cc mod+...in hindsight I'm sure this would have taken me way bigger than the c cup that I want so I'm glad I didn't do it (although I'm sure it would have looked great, I really just don't want to be that big in the long run). Anyway, I went to the pre-op and everything and the next day decided I needed to keep looking. What made me back out was the fact that my left fold is slightly higher than the right...At my pre-op, the doctor said he would NOT lower the fold but that he thought I would have a nice outcome anyway. I was just worried that the asymmetry would be enhanced with larger breasts and, while I had never noticed it before it was pointed out to me at consults, I don't want it to be super noticeable to me post BA...so I wanted a doctor that would be willing and able to adjust the fold. I can say that this doctor was very generous and, when I cancelled, he returned my 500 deposit that was supposed to be nonrefundable without me even asking. The next doctor I saw was the only woman I met with. I did like her but she also said that she would not lower the fold (I think many surgeons would rather not mess with it because it can lead to other complications..) My fifth consult, the doctor was nice, very nice office etc and said he could lower the fold no problem... but he just didn't seem quite as knowledgeable as the others...He had No idea what the warranty is on the different implants which all others had explained to me in detail. Also, this office had different sizers which was weird...they were not the actual implants, but rather they were kind of flattened out (he said to be more like it would be under the muscle)..they had me try these on without telling me the volumes and 500s looked like 375s had at other offices! I told them I definitely did not want to go over 400cc but they were encouraging me to go with the 500 since I didn't think that sizer was too big. Anyway, that rubbed me the wrong way...but I almost booked with him...but just before I called to book, I went online and double checked one more time to make sure he was a board certified plastic surgeon...And I couldn't find him at all! I had only been going to board certified plastic surgeons for consults and I swore that I had liked him up before but I guess not. I asked the office sms they said yes, he's board certified, but since I couldn't find the proof and a coupe things had already bothered me,a I decided against him too. So finally! I met with my surgeon...he does alot of reconstruction work so has a ton of experience with adjusting the breast fold. And there was absolutely nothing wrong I could find with him or his office/staff (I'm a pretty tough critic when it comes to doctors lol)..although I feel really good about him,I know this doesn't guarantee that things will be perfect...but if anything does go wrong, or turn out not quite so perfect, at least I'll know that I did my due diligence and didn't jump the gun on anything...all I can do now is keep my fingers crossed and pray! Updated on 6 Feb 2016: So I had my pre-op yesterday and now I'm just 11 (s#!$) days away from having boobs!! I'm mostly excited but if you can't, tell I'm definitely a little nervous still. First, although I've had a couple surgeries and anesthesia before (varicose vein removal in left leg and umbilical hernia repair, both of which my children blessed me with in pregnancy...but no stretch marks so I'll take it :) it never fails to give me a giant knot in the pit of my stomach when they tell you what 'could' happen in surgery such as blood transfusion, heart attack, and DEATH! I'm sure nothing like that will happen but I still hate to talk about it and sign that paper that says I'm 'ok' with such risks.. ;) But really, what I'm mostly nervous about is still size...agghhh! We decided on natrelle 339cc mod+ and I'm still so worried this will be too big for me but the smallest I would go down to is 325cc which is know is basically no difference and I'm being really ridiculous about it to even stress. But I guess what has me nervous is that, when they measured my bwd again, this time he said 12.2 whereas at my consult he said 12.6. So I thought 339 would be slightly less than my bwd (I wouldn't mind a tiny bit of side boob but don't want a ton) and now it's slightly larger than my bwd! Also, my doctor did my pre-op since I wasn't sure on size yet and he spent a TON of time talking with me about the look I want, I showed him pictures, and he did give me feedback...he was really great, answered all of my questions and concerns, didn't rush me at all, and I really like him alot...BUT, what I really wanted was a firm "I think you should go with this size" which I couldn't get him to do. He did help 'guide' me but basically left it to "anything from 320ish up to 345 mod profile will be good, you won't visually see the difference and it's really splitting hairs one way or the other" I just wanted him to say "I think THIS one will be the best for your goal." As it seems like so many of you ladies have had your surgeons do :( So I spent half the night tossing and turning that maybe I should call back and go 325 because I'm just so scared of going to big (I think would have to be mentor or sientra or inspiras for 325) which again I know is ridiculous to stress about 14cc difference and .1cm diameter difference (please someone just tell me I'm being crazy ;) Anyway, I am really excited and I'm sure all will turn out fine...I just want it to be over with already so I can move on with my life and new boobs lol. I did make rice sizers a long time ago and have spent many days wearing them around town (I've wondered if people I see regularly like at the gym and my daughter's school have noticed that I'm bigger from one day to the next haha)...I'll post pics later just for reference although I think I'm a pretty awful selfie-taker. I've also spent the last couple weeks slowly but surely buying things to try to prepare which I'll post about in a bit in case it helps anyone else with preparations...my kids will be up any minute so I've got to go for now. Oh, and on a side note...since the superbowl is just one day away, I can't help but add... GO Broncos!!! ;) Updated on 7 Feb 2016: Over the last couple weeks, I've been slowly but surely trying to prepare for my post-ba needs, so I thought I would post about it in case it's at all helpful! First, I thought I should get a couple zip-front sports bras as I've seen other RS ladies mention them. My first stop was VS...I was going to just buy one online because they were having a "buy a sports bra, get a pair of workout pants free" promotion, but I'm sure glad I didn't! I went into a store to try them on and couldn't even get one zipped...not because it was too small by any means, I just couldn't zip it at all past the initial, 'hook the 2 sides of the zipper together'! So next I purchased 2 genie bras on Amazon because I had seen a couple girls mention these. And I was excited about them but immediately as I received them and tried them on, the zippers in BOTH of them busted! (Again, not because I was at all too big for them lol). So then i bought a danskin bra from Wal-Mart for $10 and it surprisingly zipped fine, although still not super easy the first time, but it has got easier to zip after the first few days of wearing it around with sizers. I also bought the 'la isla' bra on Amazon and it is super easy to zip on the very first try.woohooooooo!! But it's for extra strength support which I don't anticipate needing so may send back. And finally, just today I received the sky blue Encounter sports bra from Amazon which is actually super comfy and zipped easier than all others except the la isla, so I'm definitely happy with this one! I don't know why I've had such troubles with these zip front sports bras, but it was starting to give me a complex lol. Next, I'm pretty concerned about post-op constipation cause being through a couple previous surgeries, I know that it's pretty sucky! So my mother in law had randomly told me about Kambucha and the fact that it 'goes right through you' and cleans you out. So I bought one from target last week (in there food section but it has to be refrigerated so by the refrigerated section, not with the other drinks) just to try and see if it really 'cleaned me out' (sorry if tmi) and it did! so I bought another for post-op :)...it's a raw, organic drink and has a ton of probiotics. The taste is a tiny bit vinegary but not bad at all to me. So lastly, I thought I could really use a pillow to sleep upright (Again, I've seen women on here post about...Thank you! :) so I bought the 2 in the pictures...the wedge from Amazon -it's 11 inches tall but they also have a 7 inch and 12 inch- and the one with arms from target. So far, from sitting in bed, I think I like the one with arms better but won't make a final decision til after-surgery sleep! Anyway, that's all for tonight, good luck to all other pre-op ladies! Updated on 18 Feb 2016: Had my surgery yesterday, but I just didn't have it in me to update last night. So here are the details! My doctor brought three sizes - mentor 300, 325 and natrelle 339 - to the operating room as I had been SOOOO annoyingly indecisive right up to the last minute, and I ended up going with the mentor, smooth round 325 mod plus. I was very seriously considering the 339 up to the last second but just felt the most at ease with the thought of 325...and as my doctor said when asking me to make that final decision, if I end up feeling too small, the 339 is such a tiny difference, invisible to the naked eye, that it wouldn't have been enough to satisfy that feeling, I would have needed to go larger. And now that they're in me, I know I COULD have gone 339 and been fine, but at least I can take comfort in the thought that it would have been just about the same result :) Anyway, as of right now I'm very happy with the size! Exactly what I wanted. I just hope there isn't tooooo much swelling going on to where I end up disappointed when it goes down...fingers crossed. But honestly I'd say right now it's on the mid -large side of my goal so when swelling goes down I'll hopefully still be in at least the small-mid range of my goal. So a little about the surgery, I went in at 1230, the surgery was scheduled to start at 2 but my doc was running a little behind so after talking with him and all, it ended up being about 3 before I was wheeled back to the OR. For some reason I was INCREDIBLY nervous...heart racing, knots in my stomach, and all hot and sweaty lol. I've had 2 prior surgeries (varicose veins on left leg and umbilical hernia from pregnancy) and was so calm with both of those so I think it was just the idea of changing my body forever that was getting me... and not knowing what the outcome would be. But everyone there - the nurses, anesthesiologist, my doctor - were so great and calming/reassuring and friendly so I was grateful for that. I had an IV sedation which I hadn't had before and was slightly nervous about because they told me it's more like a sleep rather than a general anesthesia and that there was a possibility I could start to wake during surgery, but that I would be numb and they would immediately give me more to make me fall back asleep. Anyway, as soon as they gave me the drugs, I was totally out and didn't wake up until recovery. My PS did lower my left fold about 1cm to match my right and so far that looks great..he does a lot of revision surgeries and has a lot of experience working with the fold - one reason I chose him in the first place - so I'm hopeful that he did a good job and I won't have complications, but we shall see! PAIN: I would rate it at about a 3 with pain meds (I've been taking just Tylenol and ibuprofen alternating every 4 hours and have taken only 2 prescription pain pills, dilaudid which does NOT have any acetaminophen or ibuprofen in it, in the 14 hours since I left the hospital) and maybe about a 6 in pain as they wear off. I would describe it as pressure, tightness, soreness and a little bit of burning at the incisions SLEEPING: sucked! I maybe got 3 hours last night. For one, I just didn't feel tired at all which is weird because I took a dilaudid about an hour before getting in bed and then couldn't fall asleep for another 3 hours! And the pharmacist told me they would make me extremely tired.. But for 2, I wasn't super comfortable. My 'setup' of pillows and stuff was comfy but I'm just not a back sleeper at all and on top of that my right shoulder blade feels like it has a pinched nerve and the right side of my booty was tight all night like I really needed to stretch. Weird, hopefully tonight will go better! I think that's everything! Oh except I am pretty bloated already too...hoping that won't last long. Posting a pic in my hospital bra...haven't had a chance to take pics with it off yet although I did get to see when I showered this morning :) I'll take some to post later today! Updated on 19 Feb 2016: These are from last night...i think I'll be happy with the sizeadd long as they don't shrink too much, but I do hope they close the gap as they settle so there's more cleavage. I noticed that my (I think sternum?) In between my breasts is extremely swollen and my sides below my armpits. Also,I was thinking, they don't seem to look too super high or flat right now, which is great, but I'm hoping that doesn't mean that when they d&f they'll end up way too low or maytronly looking.? I guess I'll just have to wait and find out. And I realized yesterday that my ps hadn't given me a strap to wear like I've seen many other ladies wear to help the boobs settle...not sure if that has to do with placement, or that I didn't get that big of an implant, or that my doc just believes in letting gravity do the work...if anyone knows why some people get a strap and others don't, please let me know! Hope everyone's doing great! :) Updated on 4 Mar 2016: I really love reading everyone else's reviews and updates so I'm sorry that I'm such an awful updater! I just haven't felt up to it until now as I've been busy as usual every day. Anyway, I'm feeling almost back to normal pain and mobility wise...I still just have to be careful with reaching too high, turning my upper body too fast, or doing things that might use too much chest muscle. My mom came in from out of state to help out with the kids and was here until 8 days post-op...I'm typically a very independent person and I don't know what I would have done without her! I have to admit, it was pretty hard emotionally after about 4 days when I still couldn't come close to picking up my 2 year old or driving by myself..I hate not being able to do things for myself and especially for my kids...And i like to be in control of my body and my health and I wasn't with a full 8 days of bloating (I think from ibuprofen which I don't typically take) and lack of mobility so all combined it definitely wore on me emotionally...which I didn't really expect because I'm also generally a pretty positive person and I don't really get down easily. Anyway, I'm feeling a thousand times better in that sense. As far as my boobs go, I've had every feeling about them too. "They're perfect, I could have gone bigger, oh wait maybe I should have gone smaller, no they're perfect." And my current feeling is that I love the size, it is what I was wanting, but I do feel like I could have gone just one size bigger and been happy. So annoying lol. I also had the fleeting thought over the first few days that I didn't like the idea of having a foreign object in my body and that I might want them out...But that quickly changed once I tried on some bathing suits and my husband felt my up without me feeling self conscious lol. In clothes it's only a minor change from me with my super padded 34B bra that I didn't come close to filling out to now with a zero padding zero push up bra. And I'm good with that because I never had a problem with how I looked in clothes, and now if I want a little extra oomph in some outfits, a lightly padded bra will get me there ;) overall, in real life, they feel pretty perfect for me but then when I see them in pictures, they look TINY unless it's selfie mode! Has anyone else felt like their boobs looked smaller in pictures than just to their own eyes? Or is my perception really that off that I don't see them how everyone else sees them? Or pictures are deceiving? I don't know, it's just crazy to me. As far as progress goes, my left boob (the one that had the fold lowered) has been just about perfect placement from right out the gate. I didn't notice until a couple days after surgery, but my right is kinda high and has that rounded look at the top when you see the side profile. I haven't notice it dropping at all yet so hopefully that works out on its own and it drops and rounds out at the bottom more. I don't know how much d&fing I really have to go but I definitely like the left better than the right at this point. They are starting to get softer but don't have much movement yet. Oh, and I'm still sleeping elevated on my back...it sucks, but I have a fear that I'll mess something up if I start sleeping on my side. I think I need my doctor's reassurance so I'm planning to ask him about that when I go to my 3 week post op next Friday. I'm posting a couple pics from 8 days post as well as pics from yesterday (15 days post) since I was so bad at updating ;) Hope everyone's doing great!! Updated on 13 Mar 2016: I had my 2nd post op on Friday which was 3 weeks, 2 days post. My right is still higher than the left, they said it should move down on its own but I can do massage down and in to help if I want so I've been trying to do that throughout the day when I get a chance. My doc would prefer me to sleep on my back, doesn't have to be elevated, until 3 months since that's when the pocket is fully healed, but said I can sleep on my side some if I want as long as I'm sure I don't roll to my stomach in my sleep. They also took off glue that was used on my incisions (I think she called it dermabond)...I hadn't even realized there was glue, I thought the lumpiness was either scabbing, tape, or from the internal sutures, but now the scars feel much smoother. I also asked about scar treatment and they said I could start in another week...They gave me a whole jar for free but I think I'll buy some too if anyone has any suggestions? Oh, and they said I can get back to the gym! I can do light cardio/elliptical as long as it doesn't hurt my breasts and legs, just no arms yet which I'm fine with. Anyway, I'm very happy with my boobs this far and no longer think maybe I should have gone a size bigger...They're the exact look I wanted in clothes and bathing suits and I feel proportionate like I could have been born with them...They're actually just about the exact size as my nursing boobs...now I just need righty to get moving but I'm being patient :) also, they are feeling much softer no...I can't say they feel totally like my own yet, but I think I'm getting closer to that point. I've attached pics taken over the last couple days since I'm not good about just taking them and then posting! That's all for now, hope everyone's doing great! Updated on 23 May 2016: Well I'm just over 3 months now and I love having boobs! I still feel like myself which is one thing I really wanted...I'm now a full 34c which is about the size I was while nursing my babies. The funny thing is, in clothes you can barely tell a difference from after I finished breastfeeding and wore my padded bras that didn't fit...going into surgery, I thought I needed to tell everyone because "everyone was gonna be able to tell anyway", but if I hadn't I really don't think people would notice when I'm clothed. They're super soft now and feel much better than I expected implants to feel. My husband tells me all the time that he loves them, they feel amazing, and he "underestimated how badass they would be"..lol. The attached pictures are actually from a couple weeks ago. Every now and then i still think i could have gone just one size up for more width, but i do love them still and was more worried going into this about being too big than too small. Anyway, I don't regret my decision for a second! Updated on 21 Oct 2016: I took a couple pics for my husband the other day and figured i would post them since i havn't updated in FOREVER (so please excuse the fact that I'm not wearing pants...nothing is showing lol). Things are great, i love having boobs, especially in the bedroom and in bathing suits. Hope everyone is doing well in their journey!
I, like so many of you, have had back and neck pain for years. I have wanted to have a BR for so long I cannot remember when I started thinking about it. I checked it out about 10 years ago and my insurance at that time said no! I was, of course, discouraged after that. I figured that if I just lost weight they would subside. Didn't happen. Gained a lot of that weight back in pity eating, too. I am a 42H right now. I am hoping to go down to a 42C, although my PS first recommended a D at consultation. I go in for my pre-op this Thursday and I plan to discuss this with him further until I can get him to understand that smaller is better, although I know he can only do so much. At my consultation I believe he guesstimated that each breast weighs about 7 lbs right now. Wow!! He plans on taking half of that off. I am also going to find out how much extra it would be to get lipo on the sides of my breasts (under my arms). I am anxious to get rid of this back and neck pain. I cannot wait to feel this weight lifted off of my chest. I cannot wait to be able to walk around the house braless and not worry about smacking something off of the table. Maybe even just wear a tank top in the summer and not worry about sagging. I admit that I am nervous about the surgery itself. I have never had surgery before. I am lucky enough to be able to take 4 weeks (and two days) off from work and receive full pay. I thought I was going to have to work from home quite a bit, but now have someone covering for me in full while I am out. That has been such a relief. I will be recovering for the first two weeks at my mom and dad's house. This will enable me to do nothing but heal, and also save me from the pain of my cat or one of our three dogs jumping on me while I am sleeping. My husband will stay with me in the hospital after the surgery. They are keeping me at the hospital until Saturday morning since the surgery is so late in the day. My husband will also be with me at my mom and dad's house on the weekends. Unfortunately, he does have to go to work, but with me staying at my parents’ house, he will not worry about me being alone all day. I feel like I am ready, although I am sort of "nesting" around home to make sure that I haven't forgotten anything. I know that my belly will be more noticeable after this procedure, but I know that I can get that back under control again. I have been doing 5K’s this past year, one each month. But with these boobs bouncing around everywhere it has been hard. I cannot wait to do my first 5K with my new girls. Tomorrow will be 11 days to go for me. The countdown has begun. I plan to post on here as much as I can to not only get helpful advice and needed support from all of you wonderful ladies that are sharing with all of us, but also to hopefully be able to help anyone else that is considering this procedure or that is waiting to have theirs done. Updated on 20 May 2015: I am ready to get this done. My emotions are all over the place now. The 29th cannot get here soon enough. I have my pre - op tomorrow morning. My recliner is being delivered tomorrow afternoon. I trained my backup at work today; only four workdays left. My mom will be my primary post op caretaker, so she is coming to my appointment tomorrow to find out what she needs to do and what I will need for optimum recovery. I feel so lucky to have her here. Other than some packing, I can't think of anything else to do but wait. We are taking our last clamping (glamorous camping) trip this weekend. At least the last trip for a couple of months. Come on surgery date!! I am ready!! Updated on 30 May 2015: I am home! Surgery went well. I don't have the official numbers, but I think he tool a total of 7 pounds. My back pain is gone. Neck pain is done. And, although I don't like it, I can see my belly! Lol. Updated on 16 Jul 2015: Hi all, I have not been on here for awhile. Been dealing with some issues as well getting laid off from my job 6 days after returning to work. As far as the surgery, I have had a lot of issues, but I still would do this again in a heartbeat. I wanted to post photos of what has been going over the last 7 weeks. I have been seeing my surgeon every two weeks for the last month so this situation has been followed closely and I just want to say that other than the first infection during week 2, none of these pictures are showing an infection, although it looks like it. Updated on 18 Aug 2015: Quick update. Getting closer to being fully stitched!!! Not pretty, but I feel much better about it. :-).
Tissues expanders can be one form of breast reconstruction after a mastectomy. The goal of the tissue expander is to gently increase the volume within the remaining breast envelope to the desired size. "Expansion usually does not cause pain per se, but it is possible that the expanding of the tissues (Muscle, nerves, skin) can be an uncomfortable experience. Most women will notice the tightening sensation, which usually improves within the same day of expansion. Open communication between the patient and the surgeon, office and staff is important. If expansion is performed too rapidly, the patient can experience pain, and should immediately bring that to the attention of the medical provider. A gentle decompression can often alleviate this pain or discomfort. External beam radiation to the breast can cause a loss of elasticity of the tissues, and the potential for expansion might be affected. In brief, if expansion is performed on a regular schedule with proper fill volumes, pain can normally be avoided. It is important for the patient to openly communicate with the medical provider, how she feels during the process of expansion."
