I am scheduled for my breast lift with an implant. I am super excited. I wanted to get to a D cup, currently B and C. The doctor suggested 285CC max with the lift. Not sure if that will be big enough for my frame. I am 5'7" and 165lbs. I am also trying to lose 20lbs before the procedure in Nov. I wanted to avoid getting a second augmentation after the lift. Updated on 25 Oct 2016: Well today I went for my preop. I have decided to go with 400CC to 425CC Ideal implant above muscle, and a mini lift if even needed. My surgeon seems to think I am not going to need a lift. I am going with above muscle because I have enough breast tissue to cover the implant, above the muscle gives more of a lift and feels and moves more naturally, and faster recovery. I believe that the right candidate like me can really benefit from above muscle implant and like everything else , we are all different, therefore not everyone has to have the same exact implant procedure, even though some surgeons seem to believe that. My preop went really well. I tried on the 400cc sizer again just make sure. Got my prescriptions filled. I am very excited and ready for my new boobies. Updated on 7 Nov 2016: Surgery went very smoothly , no complications as of yet , and didn't get nauseated or dizzy after , just a little loopy and sleepy. Boobies look high and swollen, I would guess it's about a DD cup now but I know they will drop and the swelling will go down knknow knknow they Updated on 7 Nov 2016: They are high and swollen right now . Pain is not too bad , took half a Vicodin so far and keeping me comfortable . Can't wait to see them tomorrow when a take a shower. Updated on 8 Nov 2016: Doing great, took Vicodin at night and slept propped up on the couch. This morning I switched to ibuprofen. Took the bra off and took a shower and now into my sports bra, still very sore and swollen but love them already: Updated on 10 Nov 2016: Doing very well, I am off all pain meds completely. Boobs are sore and tender. Still very hard and high. Trying to massage them to soften. I am able to sleep on my back but waking up with a back ache. Right they feel heavy and unnatural on my chest, I hope that will all change. I hope I didnt go too big :-( Updated on 11 Nov 2016: Boobies swollen , high and hard, can't wait for the softening and dropping to begin, because right now I dont like how they feel and look. Also having backaches from hunching too much and not exercising. Missing my workouts ... Updated on 11 Nov 2016: Updated on 15 Nov 2016: I'm going back to see my PS today and have the bandages taken off from my incision. Curious what they look like . Boobies are still super swollen and sore and hard but haven't been taking any pain pills. Probably a DD right now, hoping for a D when the swelling goes away and drops. I love how they look in a sports bra. Updated on 18 Nov 2016: Well the doctor has cleared me to start exercising today. I am going to start out slow and keeping my heart rate under 140bpm, and only 20 mins. The swelling has gone down quite a bit but they are still pretty tender. I think I will end up a D cup at the end which is what I wanted. The incision looks great. Updated on 21 Nov 2016: I can't believe it has been two weeks already! They are looking a lot better and the incisions are healing nicely. Also for overs they look very natural. Updated on 29 Nov 2016: They are settling nicely and the swelling is almost all gone. I think the right is still a little higher. I think my bra size is 36d but I also fit into a larger 36 C. I love my new size . Not too big and not too small. Updated on 6 Sep 2017: I already got implants a year ago , but they are a little droopy , so scheduled my lift for December. Can't wait!
There's a lot that went into my decision to have this surgery. The quick version is that I've had a pot belly since I was about 14, which has stayed with me for the last twenty years, no matter what weight I was. I'm 5'4" and over the years have been at a variety of weights. I've spent the last five years or so around 155-160. I managed to shrink it at my lowest weight, but I've always had a hanging belly. Looking at family photos from the mid and early 20th century, I think it's just hereditary. The amount of energy I put into concealing my belly and hoping people don't notice it is staggering. I think I hide this all right with a veneer of faked confidence, but the truth is the best I've ever felt about my body is "less ugly than it has been." I have a husband who has loved me at every weight, but I'm in my mid-thirties and I don't want to hit my forties never having felt truly sexy. I want to feel uninhibited and less burdened about my body. And I don't want yet another well-meaning coworker to suspect that I am pregnant and ask other people in the office if they know what I'm having, or worse, ask me. There are clothes that I haven't worn in a couple of years because I was mistaken for pregnant in them and didn't want to get rid of them but was too self conscious to wear. I am curious what it will feel like if I come out of my recovery no longer being at war with my body. I'll talk a little more about my pre-surgery preparations and my doctor later. And I'll consider adding some photos. For now, I'm a little nervous about the procedure and I'm mildly stressed about preparing for everything, but I'm glad that the date is set and that I've decided to do this for myself. Updated on 14 Dec 2015: Things really started to get rolling today. I have to admit I was getting a little worried last week because I had a few questions and couldn't get in touch with the plastic surgery nurse. However, I called again today and learned that she was out of the office sick last week, which was a relief because, let's be honest, I'm on the neurotic side and was worried this meant the office wasn't good about communication and AM I RUINING MY LIFE AND MAKING A TERRIBLE MISTAKE THESE PEOPLE ARE CUTTING MY BODY AND NOT ANSWERING MY E-MAILS Uh, so anyway we got the communication situation sorted out so if I have any further questions I should be all set and I feel comfortable that anything I need will get taken care of. I asked her about nausea post-procedure, which is one of my main worries because I HATE feeling sick to my stomach (plus, who wants to throw up with sutured-up abs), and she reassured me and said they could arrange for me to have a patch that I would wear for several days. After I talked to the nurse, who was helpful, she explained that they do everything 7 days prior--surgery instructions, payment, etc. Which is why I hadn't heard anything. I hadn't been contacted for a pre-operative appointment, because I had my annual in late November and my primary care sent them over my information and said I was cleared for the procedure. So a pre-op wasn't necessary. Someone called and took my payment over the phone late morning. Biggest credit card charge I have ever made - kind of excited to collect the rewards points from this one! Late in the afternoon I got a call from someone with the surgery center, taking health history and other information for the anesthesiologist. I asked her about nausea as well because I'm determined that every single person I talk to should know how badly I don't want to throw up, so we discussed that and she said the anesthesiologist would talk with me again the morning of. My procedure is at 9:15 AM. I check in at 7:15 AM. Instructions: top taking fish oil tablets for the next week (fine with me!) and skip my Allegra that morning of. OK to take my daily omeprazole with a small sip of water that morning. Avoid ibuprofen (which I expected) and use acetaminophen for any pain relief needs for a week before and after my procedure. Wear comfortable clothing to the surgery center and check in at the front desk. After we hung up I realized I forgot to ask what was the cutoff for eating and drinking before the procedure. Also, am I allowed to take my antidepressant in the morning? Things to ask the nurse tomorrow: When does starvation begin? Are happy pills safe? Can I get the post-procedure instructions in advance so that I can review them and feel prepared? What about pain drugs? Do I have to fill a script or do you fill them there and send them with me? Thing I did not check on with the nurse but am actively thinking of: * JUST how constipating are narcotics? Very, is what I heard. Which is why I started being very fiber conscious a couple of days ago. My goal is to be all fibered up and NOT be one of those people who can't poop for like 5 days post-procedure and has to endure a humiliating enema. So basically I'm saying this whole thing will be a success on the basis of three criteria: * not dying on operating table * belly gone * no enema Updated on 15 Dec 2015: Standing at desk, dropped a potato chip and did not hear it hit the floor. Looked down to see it resting on my tummy. My belly is obviously in frenemy territory. Embarrassingly big, yes, but also saving me from eating floor food. Let's be honest, though. I'm fine with floor food. Goodbye, chip shelf! Updated on 19 Dec 2015: The last few days have been a flurry of activity and for my last week of work I had something going on every single night, so I haven't been on here much. In that time, I had my few remaining questions answered by the nurse, got the house picked up and the living room prepped for my convalescence, and my sad times foods purchased. Also my critically important poop help supplies. Tomorrow we're getting up for a 9:00 Star Wars showing and we'll keep our eating light heading into Monday. I'm nervous but trying not to get worked up. My husband helped me take some before pictures today. I have some with no underwear and some that show my full belly, but when it came down to it, I didn't feel up to baring it all. I guess I'm a little more sensitive about it than I thought! Updated on 20 Dec 2015: Feeling pretty certain now that I was out of my mind yesterday when I declared myself "ready." I'm excited, and looking forward to having this over, and curious about what I will look like afterward. But who the hell is ever "ready" to have a relative stranger literally slice open your naked body and rearrange things before installing drain pipes that will be part of you for at least a week? I could spend another month preparing and planning and still not be "ready!" I feel like this last day simultaneously WAY too long and also WAY not enough time to do everything I want and need to. For a distraction, I'll talk about some of the stuff I did to stay the terror of tomorrow's oblivion: Barf kit - A number of websites warn that you should prepared to be severely carsick on the way home. Fun! I put a Rubbermaid plastic container (with lid because I feel like it will help preserve my sexual viability to my husband if we don't have to drive home smelling my sick the whole way), a bottle of ginger ale, a small container of white cheddar Cheez-its, and a tube of Dramamine in a Dollar Tree tub. Keepin' it classy. Protein and comfort sicky foods - Nausea is like my absolute most hated feeling in the world apart from stomachaches and digestive pain, so I'm expecting my appetite could be delicate depending on how well the zofran works. Bought yogurts, protein shakes, jello cups, Kozy Shack rice pudding cups, ginger ale, crackers, ramen and other similar types of things. I've dreamt the last few nights that something happened to prevent us checking in on time and they canceled my procedure and kept my money. Or various other unlikely scenarios. Regardless, I'm definitely not looking forward to being up in time to get there by 7:15 tomorrow. Ran out earlier and did some just errandy stuff and now I'm just floating around the house getting last minute details ready and making clear instructions for my husband on a few things that I usually do, so he won't have to try to reinvent the wheel on everything. Picking up last minute stuff around the house. Experimenting with pillow configurations. You know, the usual crap you do when someone is going to slice and dice your very flesh early in the morning and you're not even a morning person. Updated on 20 Dec 2015: I'm doing my level best to truly, truly appreciate the freedom of movement that will be mine for only a short while longer. If I'm bending over to figure out what is sticking to the dog's butt, bending over is my privilege! If I'm trying to reach the constipation medication my husband put on a high shelf, reaching and standing up straight are my privilege! Sleeping on my side tonight is my privilege! My stomach! Flat on my back! PRIVILEGE! Updated on 20 Dec 2015: Just in case a comet hits the surgery center tomorrow and I die, make sure somebody plays "Into the Mystic" at my funeral. Cremate me but I want a monument that says "SLAIN BY HER ROBOT OPPRESSORS". Updated on 21 Dec 2015: Woke up at 2:00 thirsty as all hell even though I drank a glass of water before bed and decided that since they told me it was OK to take my morning medication with a couple sips of water, it was probably fine to have a very small amount now to cut the thirst. In my sleepy, uncoordinated efforts to drink only a little, I aspirated a bunch of it and have been coughing and clearing my throat ever since. I lay in bed for around 20 minutes and then decided that at that point my husband needed rest more than me, plus maybe being upright would help, so I got up and am now alternating between computer sudoku and resurrecting my search for "the" perfect meatloaf recipe. Status: Still very thirsty. Appreciating my ability to cough without pain for the time being. Fretting a bit about whether this will make the post-anesthesia throat irritation worse. Considering another sip of water because SERIOUSLY. No longer feeling very worried that my husband needs to know my funeral songs, or about much else. I was feeling anxious last night and now I feel pretty calm. I think I just want to be there and get started and stop this waiting. Also to drink water. Does IV fluid satisfy thirst? Must google this stat. Updated on 21 Dec 2015: Good news: my husband gets a free cafeteria meal! Updated on 21 Dec 2015: Too tired to do much of an update and wanted to get to all my RL friends. But I'm actually feeling better than I expected too, mainly just keeping my head up is exhausting so I'm going back to sleep again now. SO glad I bought the crutches for helping me walk. Updated on 22 Dec 2015: I'm feeling much better than I expected to, even for the first day. It's 2:00 AM and I woke up for meds and the bathroom around midnight and thought the percocet would make me sleepy again immediately but I was feeling alert so decided to update here and e-mail a few friends before going back to sleep. Preparations that really paid off: *forearm crutches. I can go as slowly as I need to, but they support all upper body weight and save my back from the extra strain. *convertible travel pillow I found on Amazon - can unclip it and use it behind my head, under my arm, etc. When I'm settling in to sleep I clip it around my neck to support it in whatever direction I want to lean my head. (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015562NJY?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage) *lap desk Obviously I was pretty doped up for much of it, but I do have a few memories. Dr. Korentager was great, went over my list of questions with me and accommodated a couple of last minute requests to slim down my inner thighs and removal a few moles, and was just very comforting and reassuring. The recovery nurse said later that the procedure went so smoothly that they only had to keep me under for about 90 minutes, which would likely make this week a little easier. Apparently they removed 6 pounds of fat and skin from my abdomen, which seems like a lot but I have no idea what a "standard" amount would be. I haven't seen myself without the compression garment and am not in a hurry to, but looking down and not seeing a pregnant looking belly is amazing. Dr. Korentager told my husband while I was in the recovery room that I could take a shower the next day, but I'm not sure I'm even going to mess with it. I might wait a day or two longer, depending on how I'm feeling. I really want to minimize my time having to shower with drain bulbs in The recovery nurse gave my husband all the post-procedure instructions in detail. What I can tell: my thighs and sides are pretty swollen where he did some liposuction contouring. Bruises have begun rising. To my surprise, my lady bits are not black and blue like I thought they would be. I'll be curious to see if they stay that way or if the bruises just bloom in the next few days. Other random stuff: The pharmacist came in pre-procedure and when I explained that my anti-nausea accidentally went to Express Scripts and that they hadn't been very helpful, she called for me and bullied them into canceling it. I must have told her thanks like 3 times for working her pharmacist magic for me. I also talked to her about the last time I had surgery for my wisdom teeth and was so sick I couldn't eat for days. She said something funny about how oral surgeons typically suck at patient care. I loved her--great patient advocate. I talked to everyone about my fears of nausea so they gave me IV antinausea, the oral one and also a patch that goes behind my ear (part of why I don't want to shower - don't wanna lose that thing!). I have only had one moment where I felt queasy, which was when I had to sit still perched on the toilet seat so my husband could untangle one of my drainage tubs that had gotten smashed up in the compression garment and wasn't draining. Other than that it's been great. I have a foggy memory of the recovery nurse laughing and asking my husband, is this what she's like when she has a couple drinks? "Yep. Very chatty and loves to narrate everything." LO Think I'll turn out the light again now and go back to sleep until my next pin meds at 6am. Updated on 22 Dec 2015: All BYYYYY mysellllf I just went pee... all by myyyyself https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o22i_gqAf_o Updated on 23 Dec 2015: Yesterday was pretty tough - at first I was doing mostly OK - but by evening I think the local injections had worn off and at that point the last 1-1/2 to 2 hours of each of my 6 hour Percocet windows became really painful. Pretty much my whole body (and even my calves, my formerly thinnest feature!) were very puffy and swollen. The recovery room nurse on procedure day said to wait to take more of the pain killers until the actual scheduled time, but by the end of the day I was in tears as I waited for each new dose to kick in. So I messaged my doctor's nurse at the clinic early this morning and asked if I could supplement the Percocet with some ibuprofen. The internet seems divided on ibuprofen after surgery - most everybody agrees that you shouldn't have it BEFORE, but it seems very subjective when it comes to after. Anyway, hopefully I'll hear back from her quickly. And meanwhile, I'm feeling better today so far. I was able to sleep a little more last night and I think that helped. Had my first real meal yesterday - husband made some burgers and tater tots and I had some of that. Worked on knitting and crosswords in my windows of non-pain and watched TV with my husband. Got a little weepy when he went to bed - I really miss our own bed and sleeping next to him. But I was able to rest through a bunch of the painful stuff during the night so that's a positive and I'm hoping maybe that rest helped me heal a little more and that I'll have less pain today. I may attempt to take a quick little shower today if the pain isn't too bad. It would have been completely out of the question yesterday. We'll probably open up the compression garment and change my dressings about an hour into my next pain dose, and then see if it's time to change into the other spanx-style garment they provided. Husband just informed me that on Monday when I came out of the anesthesia I apparently had "The Final Countdown" in my head and wouldn't stop humming the opening bars to him and the recovery room nurse. Awesome. That's dignity, folks! Updated on 23 Dec 2015: They got back with me and yes, I'm allowed to supplement my Percocet with ibuprofen. Feeling much relieved and it helped me get though this last couple of hours. Almost time for a Percocet re-up and once that kicks in I'm going to try showering. If I'm feeling brave that is. Updated on 24 Dec 2015: Had my first shower yesterday and my husband was a big help. He put a metal folding chair in the tub for me, and then held the curtain partially closed and handed me each item as I needed it. Everything went pretty fast since all I wanted was a quick rinse and to wash my hair. Afterward he helped me pat myself and remove the wet dressings and replace them with new. Which is when I learned that my reconstructed belly button is about the most disgusting thing I've ever seen on my own body. Gack. Creepy and gross. With its gross swelling and creepy little stitches. My belly button should be starring in its own Tim Burton film. Corpse Navel. Bride of Navel. Franken-navel. But I think it hates me talking about it that way, because as I'm typing this I had a sudden flare of abdominal discomfort. Sorry, belly button! I'm sure you'll heal into something that looks like it belongs on a human body, because photographic evidence suggests that my surgeon knows what the hell he is doing. I was sent home with a surgical binder that they put around me in the OR, and also with a second nicer looking compression garment, which we decided to try after my shower. I wore it a couple of hours and then decided with the swelling that it was a little too snug and that I was still a bit tender and sensitive for that one. Also, here's the deal with the regular compression garments - they are crotchless, which seems super convenient except that having spent 32 years NOT peeing with clothes on, it's super hard to sit down and will yourself to pee when your body insists you need to remove something before doing that. Anyway, I wasn't sure if the snugness of the CG was triggering a little of my IBS (I have? had? a weird pressure point on my left side that hurts if it gets pressure in the wrong way from pants or a belt or whatever) OR if I was just too swollen and it hurt because of that, OR if it was menstrual cramps. Either way I went back to the surgical binder for the rest of the night because I couldn't picture sleeping in the other. I made an effort to walk more on my crutches yesterday (mostly in the form of taking the "long" way to our small home's single bathroom, so hopefully that'll help me feel less stiff even if it doesn't bring the swelling down immediately. Couple things that have interested me thus far about all of this: Immediately post-surgery I noticed that I had to concentrate hard every time I want to pee. I think it's because my kegel muscle is sort of all wrapped up in signals to my abs, or something. We've gotten into a routine where my husband gives me 5 minutes or peace or so before coming in to inspect my drains, so that I can try to get started. It's just a weird sensation and I'm not worried since I've been able to go each time even if it takes a few minutes. It's just weird peeing with only gravity to help you! The drains are better than I thought they would be. Yes, they're disgusting and it feels a little subhuman to be walking around with hoses coming out of me and emptying fluid into little drain bulbs which have to be pinned to my CG and are free swinging at all times - GROSS. But here's the deal - much as the concept of drains seems completely foul to me, every time we empty them out and document their volume I'm like, yay, glad that gross pink liquid is no longer inside my body! Yesterday my husband went and picked up a holiday dinner from Hen House, a local grocery, and we're going to tackle that today. I say we, but all my kitchen contributions have been in the form of offering advice/instructions/opinions. He has been a real champ this week with everything and that even extends to cooking. The stuff he hasn't specifically made on his own before, I've simply explained and he has done great so far. I am so grateful for his help and companionship during this time, as well as for his reassurances that in the history of carbon-based life, more disgusting things than my belly button have happened. Achievable goals for today: verbally guide my husband through making dressing and gravy, begin Lord of the Rings extended director's cut marathon for all 6 movies back to back. Tentative goal for today: review post-procedural instructions to see if today is the day I'm supposed to start using milk of magnesia. Yes, for pooping. I'm not feeling uncomfortable or anything right now, so I'm just sort of playing it by ear for the moment. Don't want to let this not-going thing spiral out of control, though. I'd rather take care of it while pooping still sounds like a good thing to focus on, rather than letting it become the ONLY thing I can focus on. Good luck, me! *trumpet fanfare* Unrelated: Why is my neighbor up? It's 4:30 in the morning on Christmas Eve. Stop revving your Dodge Durango and go back to sleep. Updated on 29 Dec 2015: So I didn't update for a few days, and part of it was that the site was down over the weekend, and part of it was that I got kind of depressed and bummed out over the weekend. It was a combination of things--having drain tubes installed in my body meant I couldn't take off my clothes to get a little relief from the compression garment, without having to hang them around my neck. The drains made me feel pretty much less than human. I'm not saying that the drain-in procedures aren't good and I'm expecting good results, but from a psychological perspective the drains were a lot to handle. My removal appointment was today and looking the barrel of that long weekend seemed like an eternity. They made everything just like about 20% crappier--going to the bathroom, sleeping, moving, getting up--at one point one opened up and dumped...body...stuff...all over the maxi dress I was wearing. I'd say my misery was about 70% feeling like a sci-fi experiment because of the drains, 20% worrying about my grotesque belly button situation, and 10% just general surgery discomfort. I guess there isn't a lot to say about the drains except that I hated, hated, hated them and there were a couple of nights I may have wept hot tears of despair because I still had to keep waiting and being 100% hyperaware of their presence. A few things possibly worth mention - Saturday (5th day post) I was feeling fairly OK and was excited about that and tried to do a few things against my husband's protestations. I washed a few dishes, got some snacks for myself, tried to walk around the house as much as possible--and I really, really paid for this on Sunday. I slept about 12 hours that night and then a good chunk of Sunday and was pretty much wiped the hell out. I felt a little better yesterday, but let's just say, lesson learned. Let's see, what else? Friday (Merry Christmas!!) I had my first successful poop and I'm not gonna lie, it made me feel like a god. I got my period Sunday and was miserably bloated, which was HORRIBLE with the compression garment. Not to be crass, but just saying - imagine spending a night extremely farty with abs too weak to fart effectively. Yeah. It sucked and I was definitely well into the territory of questioning my brilliant decision to get this done. However, I made it to my appointment today and it took only minutes to get the drains out and the nurse answered a few questions such as whether my belly button was even kind of normal looking - apparently it was. I'm pretty swollen but she again reminded me that it being only a week out, everything looks good. I'm going back to work next Monday the 4th and the plan is to just try to enjoy the next few days and rest as much as possible. The nurse gave me a valium prescription for the muscle tightness and stiffness in my abs and said that would help, so I'm looking forward to sleeping much better tonight than I have the last couple of nights since I ran out of percocet. The crutches have been well worth the $45 or so dollars I paid for them. Especially that first few days it was very hard for me to get around and even a quick trip to the bathroom was tough and wiped me out. Having them has really saved my back because I'm not having to support my full weight while hunched over. So, having the drains out definitely counts as one of the better experiences in my life to date and we're celebrating tonight with a pizza. Up until tonight I'd worn only loose, soft maxi dresses for the last week. Earlier when we had to run out to pick up my valium prescription, I tried on a pair of the maternity pants I bought from my favorite thrift shop so I'd have some work appropriate stuff to wear post surgery. I picked up one pair of jeans, and the swelling had gone down enough that I was able to put them on. I found them very comfortable because the denim only went to about my hips and the rest was stretch material that went right up to my bra. On a lark, I tried on a sweater I have never worn with pants before because it would have looked just WAY too pregnant. Looking at myself in the mirror, it was the first moment of feeling like it was definitely worth all the misery and cost. My middle, despite the swelling, isn't pudgy and baby-bump looking any more. I looked just like a normal person wearing a sweater and jeans. I showed my husband and excitedly exclaimed, "I look OK in pants!" He corrected me, "No, you look GOOD in pants!" I'll try to get some pictures sometime this week. Sorry, but I'm still just majorly creeped out about my belly button and I don't really want a picture commemorating this thing that looks this gross. I mean, it is VILE looking even though I was reassured it's normal. GACK. Updated on 29 Dec 2015: For some perspective, this is how I felt when the drains were out: https://youtu.be/Pl6wKsGSNqk?t=47 "Celebrate! Everybody celebrate!" Updated on 30 Dec 2015: So last night I slept in our bed for the very first time since the procedure, and it was incredible to no longer be sleeping alone on the sofa bed and to go to sleep next to my husband. Our bed is pretty tall so it would have been mostly impossible for me to get up from on my own when I still had the drains and when my abs were still pretty wrecked. Last night I busted through a whole lot of milestones - I was able to sleep longer at a stretch because I wasn't limited to a single position that made my back tired, I was able to sleep on both my sides as long as I was gentle with my incision and drain wounds (put a small pillow behind my back so my full weight didn't go on them), I woke up feeling fully rested, I didn't wake up multiple times in the night feeling vaguely lonely, and perhaps most exciting - I gradually ended up sleeping flat on my back, so when I finally got up I was able to stand up almost straight. It felt incredible and I was so well rested. I was examining my tummy in the bedroom mirror because it was much less swollen above the incision, and suddenly realized my belly button looked much less grotesque from a distance. I decided that as long as the things that look gross now heal up OK, and even if they don't, Dr. Korentager seems like a kind soul who wouldn't consign a patient to going through life with a mutant navel, everything is going to be OK with the belly button sitch. I went in the kitchen and told my fabulous husband who happened to be washing dishes, this is the best I've felt since before the surgery. Then I decided I should take a shower while I was still able to stand up mostly straight, so I went to the bathroom and did that and then told my husband, correction, NOW I feel the best. I realize this is WAY TMI, but I'm going to say it anyway: When you've spent a week during which you can't take things like the comfortable, reliable performance of basic bodily functions for granted, the little things like putting on pants by yourself, or having a really satisfying visit to the bathroom, make you feel [RS bleep] invincible. I texted my best friend about this (because I'm the sort of terrible friend who does things like that) and she replied: "Conan, what is best in life?" "TO CRUSH YOUR ENEMIES, SEE THEM DRIVEN BEFORE YOU, AND TAKE A REALLY [RS bleep] GOOD POOP." So like, she gets it. Today has been my first really good day. My friend came over while my husband went to a movie, we had some toast and tea and chatted and worked on knitting, and I am feeling much more lucid. I'm going to save the valium for sleeping, since it made last night much more comfortable, and tomorrow I think I can get back to a few normal activities such as some writing work I've been procrastinating, and mentally preparing myself to go back to the office next Monday. Things I want to talk about here later: * My ability to eat has dramatically changed. It takes very little food to fill me up, and eating anything near what would have been a regular portion for me before makes me uncomfortably full. I have some thoughts and remarks about this and I'm curious how this will progress as my abs settle and stretch out a bit. * Want to take some of my first "after" pictures and post them. * Thoughts about medication and things that worked well for me, that I would have would have asked for differently if I had it to do over. * My general comments about the physician's office and how I felt about Dr. Korentager and his nurse (preview: have generally been very happy, with only a couple small points of minor constructive criticism). Updated on 30 Dec 2015: I forgot to share earlier - I wish I'd thought of this on like day 1, because peeing was very difficult for me in the first week post-procedure, both for reasons of weird muscle stuff going on, and also because the crotchless compression garment REALLY FEELS LIKE CLOTHES AND ADULTS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO PEE WITH CLOTHES ON. Anyway, I figured out at some point over the weekend that if I turned on the sink and put my hand in warm water, peeing became MUCH easier. So I guess that old slumber party hack is a real thing. Thankfully, this is my first experience peeing reflexively due to warm water, and I did it by choice. So if you're struggling and berating your body for refusing to release its nitrogenous waste, try running some warm water for yourself and see if that helps. Updated on 5 Jan 2016: I waited and waited to take these because until my second follow-up today I still had the original dressings on and they were looking, uh, pretty dingy and gross. I think these already look like a huge improvement on where I was pre-procedure, but I'm told that things will get smaller as swelling goes down over time. Notably I'm pretty swollen over my belly button and right at the top center of the incision (which today was the first time I actually SAW the incision!). I'm sure everyone who has followed this will be vastly relieved to learn that my belly button has stopped looking like a horrific science experiment. Yesterday most of the weird scab thing fell off on its own and then suddenly it was looking much more normal, I'm happy to report. I inquired about the at my appointment today and Dr. Korentager said that contrary to its alarming appearance, my belly button should turn out looking pretty nice after it heals more, because it was very deep and narrow, which apparently means the scar is completely hidden and it will look like a normal human navel. Good to know! I went back to work yesterday and was WIPED THE HELL OUT. My coworkers pressed me to go home early and I did leave a couple of hours early, then crashed hard early in the evening. It was really tough getting up today, and a couple more people expressed their doubts about my ability to take it easy enough. So I asked the doctor about it today and it was decided that I should work half days into next week. I was partly worried (plenty to do and this adds some paperwork I wasn't expecting to have to do) and partly relieved (every time I've closed my eyes since yesterday morning I feel them burn with fatigue). I plan to spend my extra time from working half time...sleeping! Updated on 10 Jan 2016: The people who warn you that stuff like excess activity can cause swelling are NOT kidding around. My in-laws were in town yesterday and I walked all through IKEA with them and I was like...VERY QUITE PUFFY. Sort of related: we went boot shopping and I lost a fight with a pair of tall black rear zip boots and finally my MIL suggested maybe these boots were not meant to be since she'd noticed I'd broken a sweat trying to put them on. After a brief rest to calm the labored breathing of my defeat, I bought a pair of tall brown boots instead (side zip yo!!!) and I'm all set now to rock leggings in tall boots with a tunic.
I'm have the cookie cutter story! Two kids, breast fed each for 1 year. Pumping and nursing sucked me dry! Contemplated BA for a couple of years but didn't feel comfortable with the idea of silicone (MRI check-ups, and just uncertainty of the material itself). I liked the idea of saline and had several friends with. Saline. But after two consultations I was advised that Celine probably wouldn't provide me with very good results because of my lack of breast tissue...and because of how thin I am. So I did tons of research...and stumbled upon the Ideal Implant. There were only two doctors in my area that even had access to the Ideal Implants because they were so new to the market. I researched the two doctors and made an appointment with the one that seemed to have the best reviews and overall experience. Fast forward with me...I decided to go with it! Annnnd I was his Guinea Pig with these implants...THE first one he had done with the Ideal Implants! (Woah, can't believe I agreed to that!) I'm now 9 days post-op. Feelin good! I also had a mini tummy tuck to repair a really bad diastasis gap (4-5") and umbilical hernia. I can't offer much of a review yet since I'm only 9 days out, but they look great so far! I went with 370cc which I'm hoping will take me to a full C cup once I'm all healed up. I couldn't find ANY info or post-op pics of the Ideal Implants, so I hope this helps someone who is considering them!
There are a number of things that need to be taken into account when one is considering breast augmentation and especially in revision surgery. The implant size (width, height, volume) need to be appropriately sized for the individual taking into account their chest wall measurements, body height, native breast tissue volume and skin quality. You would certainly need to evaluated in person before making a definitive recommendation but a shaped, tall height implant in the submuscular plane along (likely) with a mastopexy either at the same time or as a secondary procedure would likely be the most appropriate procedure. The space between the breasts will likely continue to be moderately wide based on your anatomy.
