I wanted to share my story because I have benefitted so much from reading other stories. I had 2 huge babies, both over 10 lbs, which left me with an umbilical hernia. I thought/hoped that over time and with enough exercise I could get my belly back. But, exercise can't fix a hernia. I also lost 2 cup sizes from breast feeding. I am now a 36AA with long nipples. I finally went to see a PS this past summer in Brussels, Belgium. It was such a relief to have my hernia properly diagnosed. I decided during this appointment that I wanted a BA. I never allowed myself to consider it before. I tried to practice "self love" and told myself to be happy with what I have. But to be honest, I really want to have breasts again. I hate wearing super padded bras and stuffing my yoga tops with mastectomy prostheses just to look normal. Once my mom commented to me that I had lost so much on top after the babies, and why didn't I consider wearing padded bras. I had to point out to her that I WAS wearing a padded bra. I am really looking forward to being proportional again. I am very active so I am nervous about my recovery. I am an avid runner and run marathons from time to time. I also teach yoga part-time. The studio where I teach knows about my hernia surgery. I will be back home and teaching again just 4 weeks after my surgery. I will have a teacher trainee assisting me with my classes so I don't have to do any demonstration. I am telling myself now that I will take a long time off of any physical activities, even though my doctor already told me that I will be fine to start up again after 6 weeks. I want to honor my recovery and not injure myself. We are currently living in Africa for my husband's work. I will be having my surgery in Brussels, Belgium where my husband is from and where we used to live. I would have preferred to have my surgery back home in the U.S. but our insurance doesn't cover us in the U.S. Some of my medical costs will be covered in Belgium, so that made the decision of where to have the surgery easier. Just a little over 6 weeks to go! I am so nervous, and excited. I appreciate all the support I have received from everyone on this site. Thank you! Updated on 6 Nov 2014: I have been having doubts recently about whether or not I want, or need a MM. I found this picture and reminded myself of how BIG I got during my pregnancies. Here I am at 200 lbs getting ready to drop my 10 lbs 9 oz baby boy. There is no way my tummy could have bounced back after that! I have resisted the idea of surgery for 5 years now. I am glad that I now have the chance to do this for myself. Updated on 24 Nov 2014: I have 23 days before my surgery and 2 weeks before I fly up to Brussels for my pre op. There is so much to do before I leave! I am starting to pack my bag today and I will be skyping with my doctor later this week. I am feeling confident about my decision to have the surgery. However I am not feeling comfortable about telling people about it. Since I am a yoga teacher I needed to tell the studio owner that I will be out for a few weeks. She is fine with that, but she does want me to tell all my students that I will be gone. When you teach yoga you get students who come specifically for you, and you create a community in your classes. My students will be expecting me, and I do have to tell them what will be happening to me. I have already told some of my "regulars." A few of them have had hernia operations themselves. But, I am not telling anyone about the full TT or BA. I am hoping no one will notice. I am not planning on going too big, so I don't think it will be obvious. I just feel very weird talking openly to people about a decision which is so personal and intimate. I am focusing on the hernia repair and the medical aspect. It is better to get the repair done now while I am healthy and in good shape, than let the hernia become a medical problem down the road. Updated on 2 Dec 2014: Last night I talked to my 7 year old daughter and 4 year old son about my upcoming surgery. They already know about it, but I wanted to make sure they understood that they will have to be very gentle with me after the surgery. I let them touch my rounded belly and play with the skin. I also laid down on the bed so they could see and touch the hole in my belly. I wasn't planning to do this with them. It just happened because my daughter kissed my puffy belly when I was about to give her a good night kiss and she asked about the surgery. I think they both understand why I am having the surgery and hopefully they won't be scared when they see me post op. This was so sweet, and I realized I am going to miss my belly. It is a constant reminder of my 2 beautiful kids. My son, the 10lb. 9oz. turkey, was laying on my left side when I was pregnant with him. Even now you can see that my left side puffs out more than the right side. I hope I won't be too sad when I see my belly is smooth again. Updated on 8 Dec 2014: I fly tonight up to Brussels! The surgery takes place next week, but I have my preop in 2 days. I am now super excited, and I can't stop talking about it. I am telling everyone I am having surgery! My kids still have 2 weeks of school so I have arranged rides and play dates for them for all the days I am gone. I have had to tell their teachers, all the other parents who rely on me for car pooling, even the security guards at the school! Of course I am only talking about the hernia repair. I am still assuming people won't b able to tell I've had my boobs done too because I've been wearing my mega padded bras these past few weeks. And, I figure when people see me again in January I can tell them I'm swollen from the surgery. I'm not going to worry too much about it. The last few days have been so busy with end of year/holiday parties and packing. And, reading this website and obsessing over which implant size I should get. I stare at boobs all the time and check this site for reviews from women who are similar to me. Should I go for something modest, or should I give myself something sexier and bigger? My doctor knows I want a natural look so I will trust him to guide me. I can't wait for my preop! Updated on 11 Dec 2014: Today I had my preop. I met with the anesthesiologist, had a blood test, and sat down with my PS. We talked about the tummy tuck and scar placement. Unfortunately he will have to make a vertical scar which I am not thrilled about. I just hope it will heal well and won't be too noticeable. Then we tried on the sizers again. I told him I wanted to go larger than what we had decided on during my appointment this summer. But I actually chose the same size that I did this summer! I will be getting 280cc moderate profile Natrelle 410 anatomical implants.My PS strongly recommended that I not go any larger than this. I am super tiny on top. There just isn't a lot of "meat" on me and you can count every rib in my chest. Larger implants would be too noticeable. I thought I looked very natural and I trust his opinion. In Europe the trend is to use smaller implants. I think I will be very happy with a full B cup. When I left the hospital I went shopping for a sports bra to wear post op. I found a zip up sports bra, and then I wandered around the store looking at all the pretty bras. It's hard to believe that soon I will be able to wear a "normal" bra! I am really looking forward to getting rid of all my ridiculous padded bras. It is amazing to compare bra sizes in the U.S. to bra sizes in Europe. Here in Belgium you can find beautiful, sexy bras in A cups. I have never had such luck in Victoria's Secret! I know I am going to have fun shopping for my post op bras here in Brussels. I now have one more week to wait until my surgery. I am eating well, walking everywhere, and enjoying the beautiful holiday markets. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to have this surgery! Updated on 14 Dec 2014: I have been obsessing over my implant size since my pre op appointment. Yesterday I hung out with a close girlfriend and I showed her my photos wearing the sizers. She said I looked very proportional. She has a Spanish girlfriend who has implants which are also quite small. Her Spanish friend was very flat and only went up to a B cup. My friend showed me pictures of her in a bikini. I have to say this woman looked amazing! She did not look like she had implants at all. She looked so natural. That is exactly the look I want. In Europe the trend is to go for a more natural look. I need to stop thinking that bigger is better. If I can look as amazing and natural as this this woman does in a bikini then I will be happy. Updated on 16 Dec 2014: I am getting ready to go to the hospital. I am taking a breath to relax. There is no hot water this morning! Aargh! I hope the rest of the day improves. I will update once I am able. I can't wait to get this done! Updated on 17 Dec 2014: I got out of surgery a few hours ago. My doctor came in now to check on everything. He undid my bra and wow! First, I thought my boobs would fall off. Then, I got to see them. I asked my doctor to take the photo for me so I could really look at them. It is hard to believe they are mine! He also looked at my tummy. I thought I would fall apart when he undid the binder. I am so glad that here in Belgium patients stay for 3 days in the hospital. I can't imagine going home now with the way I am feeling. I haven't gotten out of bed yet, but even moving my arms is painful. I am looking forward to my recovery! Updated on 18 Dec 2014: I was so uncomfortable last night that I couldn't sleep. I was miserable for most of the day. I have a catheter in so I haven't gotten out of bed yet. At lunchtime the nurses got me to stand up and sit in a chair. It was so painful. They couldn't figure out how to get me back in bed and they pretty much hauled me in. I was crying out loud and I couldn't breathe I was in so much pain. I begged them to give me something stronger for the pain. They have been giving me just paracetamol which obviously wasn't doing the trick. My doctor told the nurses to give me something stronger and now I am starting to feel human again. I will need to be more aggressive about getting strong pain meds. I am hoping things will be better tonight and I can sleep. Updated on 18 Dec 2014: The stronger pain meds kicked in and the rest of my day got better. I had 2 girlfriends come to visit me. They were wonderful and instantly brightened my day. Otherwise I have just been laying in bed reading. My tummy and my boobs are numb. I knew this could happen so I am not worried about it. I want to see under the bandages but I am telling myself to be patient. Tomorrow I hope to do some exploring. Updated on 19 Dec 2014: Today has been rough. This morning I felt really nauseous and lightheaded. The nurses put me back in bed and a few hours later I started feeling human again. I got 2 drains taken out, one from my breast and one from my belly. I told the doctor I was disappointed with my TT scar. I have a low horizontal scar and a vertical scar, which the doctor told me about. The vertical scar goes up to two inches below my belly button, and it is crooked! She said it s a fine line and there is nothing we can do now. It has to heal. If I am unhappy with the scar after 6 months we can consider a scar revision. I am so disappointed by this scar. This is not what I was expecting to see. This afternoon I have been getting out of bed and using the toilet with little pain. This is a big accomplishment for me! I hope I have turned a corner and things will be improving every day. Updated on 20 Dec 2014: I am on day 3 post op and feeling so much better. I can shuffle around by myself, I had my first BM, my last 2 drains are out and I am leaving the hospital. My bandages were changed, waterproof bandages were put on, and now I can wash myself. I saw my nipples for the first time. I am delighted with how they look. I also think my breasts look great, too. My TT scars scare me. I think they look awful. The doctor and nurses keep telling me it will heal nicely, I just need to be patient. I am posting pictures of my scars. My hope is that months from now I will be able to compare pictures and say, they were right, everything did heal nicely. Updated on 23 Dec 2014: I am feeling so much better today! The last few days have been really rough and i am amazed at how much more energy I have today. I went to see the doctor this morning. I am delighted with my results. I think my breasts and nipples look great. I am still not happy with my TT scar. It is just plain ugly to look at. The doctor put my mind at ease after he explained how the scar will change over time. I just need to be patient. Also, today I don't have any pain in my chest. I switched to wearing a larger sized sports bra and I feel actually comfortable. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I am so glad! Updated on 25 Dec 2014: Every day I feel a little stronger. I am still not walking upright yet, but I know it's coming. I am very swollen below my belly button so it is hard to enjoy my TT. I am still loving how I am looking on top. I plan to post a photo every week to document my healing. Merry Christmas! Updated on 1 Jan 2015: Two days ago I had my 2 week follow up appointment. I am very happy with my breasts. I think once they drop they will look very natural. I am wearing a band to help them go down. We did talk about my disappointment with my belly button. It is flat! I wasn't expecting this at all. The doctor said it is swollen and should go down with time. He put a wad of gauze in it and taped it down. This is something I can do to encourage the belly button to sink in. I just need to be patient with the healing. I am feeling much better now that I have had my appointment. Today I tried on some bikini bottoms and underwear. My TT scar is above everything I own. I was hoping my scar would have been lower. I thnk it will be hard to find bottoms that will cover it. I hope it heals nicely and I will be comfortable in a bikini again. Updated on 15 Jan 2015: It's been one month since the surgery. I am finally walking upright and have all my energy back. Yesterday I went for a 20 minute walk around my neighborhood. I went very slowly. It felt so goo to finally get some exercise. I will increase the time tomorrow when I go out again. I am now using silicone tape over my scars. I am confident that all my scars will heal nicely. My BB is still a concern. It is just so fugly! I told a friend about it and started crying. She had a TT 6 months ago and said her BB finally dropped just a couple weeks ago. I know, I have to be patient. Otherwise, I am happy and looking forward to getting more active again. Updated on 14 Mar 2015: I haven't updated in over 2 months. I guess that means my recovery has been going so well I have stopped thinking about it. I took some photos at 5 weeks and at 7 weeks which I will post now. Updated on 14 Mar 2015: Here are my 7 week post op photos. I must have been very cold because my nipples look purple! They normally look pink. Tomorrow morning I will take my 3 month photos and give an update on my recovery. Updated on 15 Mar 2015: It is hard to believe it has been 3 months already. I feel completely back to normal and don't even think about my surgery most days. I started walking and slow jogging at one month. By 6 weeks I was doing a lot more activity, and was teaching yoga classes again at 8 weeks. I credit my yoga practice with helping me with my recovery. I have been wearing my binder constantly and only stopped wearing it about a week ago. Now I feel perfectly fine without it. I have been wearing silicone tape over my scars since week 3. My TT scar is looking purple. I am unhappy about the "dog ear" on my left side. I hope it is something that can be fixed in the future. My belly button is looking more normal. I am putting a silicone ear plug into my belly button and taping it in. It seems to help keep my belly button in, but it pops back out after the ear plug is out. I think my boobs look natural. No one, except for my 7 year old daughter, has noticed a change. I think my boobs are still riding too high. I don't think they are going to drop anymore, so I will try to not obsess about them. I love the way my nipples look. My nipples are still over sensitive to touch. I am hoping with time this will stop. Overall I am very pleased with my surgeries. I have a lot more confidence and really enjoy the way I look. I even modeled in a fashion show a couple of weeks ago! I would never have done that before because my body was so out of proportion. I am glad I took the plunge and went ahead with the surgeries!
Hello, From what your pictures show, I would say this is indeed synmastia. when synmastia occurs after breast augmentation, it is most likely due to too big implants places too much towards the midline, with excessive release of the tissues on the midline. Repair is not always easy, in my hands the use of barbed sutures has proven to be efficient, strattice could also be helpful. It is hard to see your scars on the pictures you've posted, I assume you have scars in the fold under the breast. A repair can be performed using these old scars. I wish you all the bestDr Hendrickx
Dear Martha, Some nerve dysfunction is quite common after extensive facial surgery. Considering your two concerns, I can assure you that it is highly unlikely that the muscle that lifts your eyelid is affected. That problem is most likely caused by some dropping of your left eyebrow, due to some dysfunction of a nerve. A recent survey on a large number of face lift patients showed that this type of temporary nerve dysfunction recovers spontaneously in 95% of the cases within 6 months, without any treatment. Permanent lesions to nerves are very uncommon (less than 0,1%) and even if that would be the case, it can often be repaired. I completely understand your concern, but I would advise you to be patient; it will almost certainly recover within the next months. If it is the asymmetry that bothers you most, you could also get a botox treatment on the right side of your forehead, this will result in a more balanced appearance. I also advise all patients who underwent nerve damage (of any kind) to take vitamin B supplements; it won't harm you and it stimulates nerve regeneration. I hope I managed to reassure you somehow and I wish you a good recovery!dr Hendrickx
Hi Umsmith, It's actually a very valid question. Compression garments and binders are useful to support your tummy muscles should they have been sutured back together (after they were gapping, due to pregnancies, ..). It might also help to make the skin and subcutaneous fat attach to those muscles, especially if the skin has been detached extensively.Therefore it mainly depends on the exact procedure that has been performed; your surgeon should know best what you have to do. I wish you a good recovery!Dr Hendrickx
