I am so lucky to have found such an amazing Dr. I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Stadelmanns work... he is REALLY amazing at what he does. I would recommend him to anyone looking for this surgery! I am only 2.5 weeks post op but am already thrilled with my results. I plan to post pics soon.
I had really nice breasts until I hit menopause. Then,they got HUGE! I'm 5'7", 125 pounds, very small bones and frame. I HATED those melons - so 6 days ago I went from an E to a B! I am really thrilled with the outcome. I was a little uncomfortable Monday night and Tuesday - and afraid to flap my arms around, or sleep on my side, in case I "pulled" something and caused a hematoma - but I took only extra strength Tylenol. It wasn't painful - just "soreness". I'm a plastic surgery operating room nurse and have worked in Plastics for 25 years - so I know breast surgery well. I can't believe I finally had the chutzpah to do it! My surgeon was not the one I worked with for ten years. He was referred by my family physician. I had asked him if he would send his wife there - and his answer was "yes!". Today, my chest is purple, yellow, green and blue. I'm a stellar bruiser. But that's just me. I put on one of my old bras yesterday and gathered it all up in the front. Wow! Looking forward to having my jackets meet in the middle without gaping. A t shirt in summer without harnessing "the girls" - and still having them preceding me through the door. Hunching my shoulders, carrying big handbags and not having men ogling me as I walked down the street.
I have an umbilical hernia, and lots of loose skin after back to back pregnancies. I feel very guilty about spending all this money on myself. However, my husband is very supportive and understands how self-conscious I am about my "pooch."Updated on 21 Sep 2011:Well, here I am 5 days away from surgery and getting really nervous!! If I didn't have a friend flying in from out of town to take care of my kids I think I may have cancelled surgery by now. However, I know if I don't do this now I will never do it. My husband took some "before" pictures to help me keep my resolve, he knows how much I really want this. Sleeping is becoming more and more difficult - I had to take a valium at 3am so I could catch at least a few hours sleep this morning.Updated on 21 Sep 2011:I am currently 45 years old 5'4" and 142lbs. I workout 3-4 times a week and eat low-carb but, since having children I can't seem to get my weight to stay below 140. I'm really hoping that this flat tummy (to be) and it's maintenance will give me the boost I need to lose those last 10 lbs!Updated on 27 Sep 2011:My surgery was yesterday morning. It went very well. I'm resting comfortably at home and feeling much better than I ever expected! Getting in and out of bed can be a little painful but it's temporary and a small price to pay for a flat tummy!Updated on 1 Oct 2011:Today is day 6. Feeling so good it's hard to not start cleaning and tidying up today! However, I have learned from all those wonderful ladies who have gone before me that I will regret it if i overdo. Went for Post Op appointment yesterday and PS is very happy that my dressings are staying dry and that my drain output is so low (25CC per day). He moved my Thursday appointment to Tuesday next week so I could have the drain removed YAY!! I'm a little nervous because both my kids have developed a barking cough this week - I'm terrified that I'll catch it! I've only coughed twice so far but still remember the pain! Unfortunatly this means that I really have to isolate myself from the rest of the family for now ):Updated on 7 Oct 2011:Today I am 11 days post-op. All is well except I'm feeling very sore and tired. Getting sick of being sick. I can't wait until I have energy again and can play with my kids. We played monopoly today and every two hours I had to go lie down because I was exhausted!! Who in the heck gets tired from monopoly?!!Updated on 13 Oct 2011:17 days post op and I'm feeling great! I went back to work for a few hours yesterday and carried on with my normal daily routine. No lifting or exercise, but made dinner for the family, did laundry and picked up around the house etc. By around 8pm I was exhausted but so happy to be back to my old self again yay!! Mondays PS appointment went well, belly button stitches removed, wound cleaned and re-dressed with paper tape. Dr. emphasised not doing too much and keeping wound dry. Next appointment in two weeks!
The week after I got back from my honeymoon in October 1988 I had my implants put in. I was flat as a board as my older brother used to say. All I know about them is that they are 190 cc silicone Meme brand. I didn’t want giant breasts jut normal and my PS listened to me. After all that yearning to have breasts, I did my best to hide them ever since. Go figure. The only people who knew I had them done was my husband and my sister. Now both my daughters know too. I haven’t really had much issues with them that I know of. Who knows, maybe my random dizziness I get is something from them? Maybe the pain in my feet when I first stand up and hobble like an 80 year old is from them? All I know is that it is past time to get them out, and I don’t want any put back in to have to worry about. No future surgeries. I am opting to not do a lift, I just want the quicker recovery with minimal scars, so maybe they will look horrid and I will need a future surgery, a lift, we’ll see. But my PS (who isn’t the same one who put them in) said he has a lot of women who are quite pleased with their results and how their skin retracts. He also is doing a capsulectomy. I’ve read so many reviews on here, and I think so far I’ve only seen one case where I would think, oh no this is bad. My husband is in full agreement with me to have them removed, so that makes it easier. To me they look a little cow-ish now and I will walk by a mirror and think, cripes I look matronly. I don’t know what cup size I am, I think a C, I’ve only worn sports bras for years because they make my breasts look smaller in clothes. I was much much lighter when I had it done and have put on weight over the years, maybe that will help with my end result. I’ve already had my pre-op appointment on Thursday. I have a patch for behind my ear since I am prone to motion sickness and I guess people who are, are more likely to be sick from the anesthesia. Also I have Celebrex to take the day before, the day of and the day after for swelling and pain. I have not filled my prescription for the Oxycodone yet, I will do that this week, although I really hope Tylenol will be all I need. Also need to get some vitamin C. That’s my story so far, I will keep this updated as reading all your reviews have helped me so much in my decision to do this. Updated on 9 Feb 2018: Don’t ever tell a Libra pick your own bra out for after surgery. Very frustrating. Updated on 11 Feb 2018: I’m trying my best to not be nervous about tomorrow. If I let the anxiety get out of control I won’t be able to reign it in. Got the laundry caught up, made chicken noodle soup with bone broth and some green salads for lunches. Updated on 12 Feb 2018: I had them out earlier today. Ick I don’t like general anesthesia! I didn’t throw up thank goodness. I think the worst part was feeling dizzy and off balance. It’s 12:15 am and I don’t really feel sleepy. My husband and I are camped out on the couch for the night. Trying to drink a lot of water! Updated on 13 Feb 2018: I slept pretty well last night. I stayed on the couch and my hubby stayed right with me. Still have only taken extra strength Tylenol, if I can avoid the oxycodone I will! Still just peeking into the top of my sports bra, my right breast looks to have some sort of funky indent, but I’m not going to worry about it now. The drains are still producing but not very much. I hope to be able to get them out Thursday or Friday. My PS said the right implant was ruptured and the left was darn close. He was able to remove the implants with the capsules all together, and none of the silicone spilled out. And the implants were not under the muscle which was good he said because the pain would have been worse. Updated on 15 Feb 2018: Still just hanging around the house laying low. My drains have slowed way down so I probably will call the PS tomorrow and see if they want to take them out before the long weekend. Have not taken any Tylenol today, but I can feel the bottom of the bra on the stitches. They definitely are swollen still. Yesterday my throat felt sore on the right so I looked in there with a flashlight. There is a big bruise back there, must have been from the intubation. Updated on 17 Feb 2018: Drains were not removed yesterday, the nurse said she had to have a PA or the doctor there to take them out, and neither were there. So I’m stuck with these drains until my regular appointment on Tuesday. No shower since Monday the 12th ick. So my weekend will consist of hanging around some more. I don’t have any new pictures to show as I am still bandaged up. I think the bandages are holding up the little bit that is there. My husband has been so good, doing dishes and waiting on me. And telling me I look much better this way..what more could I ask for? Updated on 20 Feb 2018: Drains are out and bandages are off, except for the steri strips. I don’t know why but I think I was more nervous about having the drains out than the actual surgery! And as I laid on the table blathering about being nervous he had already taken the first one out. Haha, what a wussy I am. I definitely have more breast tissue than I thought, but they are still wonky looking at this point. The nips are hiding and just odd looking. He also gave me pictures of what he took out. Cutting into the right capsule, and the silicone just oozing out. Gross. The left was intact but he said just barely. I am so so happy I had this done and Dr. Stadlemann was a great choice, he’s very kind and gentle. I came right home and took a shower. After seven days I couldn’t stand the smell of my own hair anymore. I’ll update with more pictures if they change over time. Not that I have swarms of people reading my updates haha, but maybe some woman will stumble on it to read and it could help them. Updated on 24 Feb 2018: I don’t think I see much change, I’m wondering about all the flabbiness off to the sides? I hope that goes away! I also am still marked where the drains were pushed into my skin for 8 days. I’m wearing a sports bra 24/7, and I actually put one on that I wore before the surgery, it is very comfy and supportive. I can already tell that finding the right bra to wear after healing is going to be an issue for me. I feel like I picked a perfect time to have this done, the hustle and bustle of the holiday season is over and not much happens in February. Now it is almost March and Spring! Although in NH it doesn’t feel like Spring in March. Updated on 24 Feb 2018: I guess there is a change in their appearance, I had to put them side by side to see Updated on 28 Feb 2018: Yesterday I went for a follow up appointment and the steri strips were removed and the end of the stitches snipped off that were sticking out. My incisions are longer than the originals because he had to get the capsules out too. I’m okay with that, I think the incisions are looking very good. Still wearing a sports bra, next week I can start watching my granddaughter again, and slowly start back with my treadmill walking. Updated on 12 Mar 2018: Hard to believe that one month ago I was getting prepared to head to surgery. Knock on wood, I feel like I healed fairly quickly from this and it was definitely not the same as having them put in. Still trying to find the right bra, that’s really frustrating to me and I just keep going back and wearing my comfy old sports bras. I’ve gone back to jogging on the treadmill, but slowly (who am I kidding? I always jog slow!) and today started using my weights. Everything is pretty much a go that I need to do, I don’t really have any restrictions at this point. Updated on 9 Aug 2018: Not much has changed, I’m still absolutely thrilled I had the implants removed. And I’m equally happy that I didn’t go ahead and schedule a lift at the same time as I certainly didn’t need it.
