51 years old, I have now begun my journey to correct some of the things that generally come with aging. For me, that meant having a breast lift. I traveled to Istanbul in April for a hair transplant & learned of their world class care & training of their physicians & surgeons - equivalent to what we experience in the U.S.
I'd wanted a breast lift & after consulting with several plastic surgeons in the U.S. many were overly priced & recommended implants. I did not want to introduce anything foreign to my body so kept shopping doctors until I could find someone who was confident in the results they could provide with a lift & fat grafting. I found that surgeon in Istanbul - Dr Onur Akman.
The journey began on yesterday - October 28, 2024. So far - so good.
I will chronicle my path to looking my best as I age over the next year with photos & details of the experience I had via ClinicHub in Istanbul.
This is my story....
Updated on 30 Oct 2024:
The procedure included an overnight stay @ the hospital. I was released the following day to return to the hotel. I have had lots of swelling, and there was pain immediately after the procedure. I was given medication for pain and made comfortable.
Arriving back at the hotel, by private car, I was tired, but I’m still very happy with the results I’m seeing so far. I am especially pleased with Dr Onur’s willingness to lipo a small area of fat under the armpit to give me a smoother look overall. They obtained the fat for the grafting from my Inner thighs. 100 cc of fat was transferred to the left breast, and 60 cc of fat was transferred to the right breast because breast tissue was more dense in the right breast, so required less fat.
My ultimate goal is perkier and more firm breasts overall.
Updated on 31 Oct 2024:
I count the Day of Surgery as Day 0
I was discharged from the hospital the morning after surgery. Back @ the hotel, a nurse & a doctor visit your room to do a check-in each morning. Nurses visit again in the evening to check/change your dressings & address any medical concerns. They will also give you something to help you sleep if you need it.
Day 2 is a hard day. It’s better than when you woke-up; better than Day 1; but you’re tired, still pretty swollen & kinda groggy & irritated
Updated on 31 Oct 2024:
I opted to have a lymphatic massage 2 days after surgery. The cost was 50 pounds. The nurse focused on my thighs, which is the area they lipoed for the fat graph. It was PAINFUL It did help with the swelling in my thighs though, & I felt some relief afterwards.
Because of the pain, I don’t know that I would recommend doing it so soon after surgery. If you decide to do it, take the heavy duty pain killers they provide 1st so you can endure the massage.
Updated on 31 Oct 2024:
Day 3 is SIGNIFICANTLY better. You have a lot more energy. Still sore, but not quite as swollen & you feel less like lying down. I actually left the hotel for 3 hours today & went into the city to walk around. When I returned, I had Vitamin B & C (Beauty Elixir) IV Therapy. I felt sooooooo good after the drip. All of my soreness went away for about 3 hours & I was very calm & relaxed. I highly recommend the IV Drips
The faja is becoming more difficult to wear while sleeping @ this point. The water & gas is trying to find its way out, & so the compression just gets tighter & more uncomfortable.
It’s a Catch 22 in a way of sorts. If you don’t wear it, you’ll experience more soreness & pain. If you do wear it, it’ll squeeze the life out of you
Sleeping is still kinda tough - a mix of jet lag & being uncomfortable, but I manage to get a few hours here & there.
Updated on 4 Nov 2024:
Approaching the time to return home, Dr Onur suggested Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy to accelerate recovery & help with some of the inflammation before the long flight home.
https://www.anadoluhiperbarik.com/
The hyperbaric clinic I went to in Istanbul is shown in the photos. I was treated well. The treatment lasted 2 hours. ClinicHub provided transfers to & from the clinic & covered the cost of the treatments.
I feel like it was worth it. I noticed more sensation in my nipples almost immediately & started to see my lipo bruises turn from purple & blue to brown - healing.
Updated on 4 Nov 2024:
The flight home was uneventful. Yes, I moved a bit more slowly, but made it just fine. No pain or increased swelling. It is IMPORTANT to wear your faja for every hour of flight. It will make your flight more comfortable & help to ease stiffness. Make circles up & down the aisles of the plane. I walked about 8x. Drink water also! Water is key to pushing the edema out of the body!!
Updated on 4 Nov 2024:
Today makes 1 week after surgery. I made it back last night around 10 p.m. I was tired to say the least. I slept the entire night with no pain killers or sleep aids.
This morning, I’m moving cautiously - fatigue & jet lag - but drinking water & able to do chores as usual.
I applied antibiotic cream to my incision sites, ate breakfast, & took my morning antibiotic.
I am VERY pleased with the progress so far!
1 week down - a lifetime to go!!
Note: Including a few pics from my room @ Academic Hospital in Istanbul.
Updated on 18 Nov 2024:
Still have quite a bit of swelling in the breast itself, but a lot of the inflammation is going down. My breasts are starting to look more like they should.
The area lipoed is still healing. I find that I feel better if I wear my faja during the day. Appetite is slowly picking back up.
Updated on 26 Nov 2024:
Feeling far better
My inner thighs are still feeling numbness and a tiny bit of soreness from the Lipo, but overall, most of the swelling and soreness is gone.
My nipples hurt sometimes, but only for a few seconds. And my breast and whole body itches as I continue on my healing journey. But each day it’s getting better and better.