Thank you all so much for sharing your stories, worries, wit and of course pics! When I think back about making the decision to get BA I'm aghast at how little info I was armed with. I was a 32B+ with some sag and wanted to have the option of going braless. In no way did I want to be bigger, higher was my goal. After BA of course I was bigger but not higher and much to my disappointment still had some sag...never did get to go braless :( Even so, up until age 52-53 I kept with and was pleased with my stable dimensions...5'3, 105, 32C+...and then, hello menopause! I do need to back tract and tell you that my husband and I (at age 50) adopted a special needs baby. Between 50-60 I was so busy with MD appointments, arsenal of therapies, home schooling, ...one day I just noticed that my breasts were enormous! Thankfully, I've never experienced any illness or problems with my implants but 7 yrs ago I had MRI which showed right had beginnings of a leak. I thought, no problem they're saline, and I was always under the assumption they were, even my friend who was with me for the procedure remembers me assuring her they were. Well a month ago I found out that was unlikely...so that, coupled with the problem of a progressively worsening cc (baker 3 now on right only) was what started my research on explant. I might also add...In the past year my right breast has really hardened and shifted upward to the point where it's obvious even with clothes on and I'm talking big sweaters and the like. I'm an RN and probably more neurotic about finding the right PS but reading the blogs and seeing some of the explant results has my radar on full alert...5 consults over the past two weeks and still undecided. I live in Southern NJ close to Cherry Hill so any recommendations on a PS would be much appreciated. I'll close for now but will return later to discuss more about these consults.
Updated on 6 Mar 2015:
It was a banner day!! I received a call from PS office...insurance approval for explant and...I have an OR date set for March 25th. My husband picked up my scripts for EKG and CBC which I've scheduled for next week. This weekend I plan to give the house a good cleaning and make a few more meals I can freeze. Bone broth is simmering on the stove top. I decided on Dr. Brett Garber who although does not possess the coveted ABPS was the PS recommended by my PCP and a breast specialist I had recently seen. He does a lot of breast work...50% cosmetic, 50% reconstruction. His nurse assured me that he has a lot of experience with baker III cc which I have on the right side. I also called 2 of the surgical centers he is affiliated with and was able to speak with an OR nurse supervisor at one and a scrub nurse at the other. Without mentioning his name, he was the one both of them recommended for technique and expertise. He was the only one out of 5 PS that recommended the staged approach ie...explant...wait 3-6 months for healing, restoration of blood flow, settling /retraction of breast tissue...lift. Among the advantages are optimal lift results and decreased risk of infection/complications. In addition, this methodology allows for opportunity to determine if lift is necessary. There's plenty of discourse on both sides of the explant/lift vs explant/wait/lift debate but I'd rather err on the side of caution and proceed in a more conservative manner. Okay, enough bantering for one day!
Updated on 15 Mar 2015:
Oh dear, I've been having second thoughts about the staged approach and plan to speak to my PS during the pre op tomorrow. The reason is because I'm seeing so many of you coming out of your duel procedures looking great and free of complications. Also, as I have ample breast tissue I'm thinking this might work in my favor for a good result. I really don't know if I will be able to justify the risk of general anesthesia again for something that's not a necessity (even if I end up deformed). Just concerned about my right breast as there is probably going to be less tissue left by the time he finishes excavating that scar capsule! Any thoughts ladies? Let me switch gears to lighter subject matter...I wanted to give a review of sports bras... I bought several different styles, high end to low end, including Armour, Champion, Danskin Now, Fruit of the Loom and several others (names?). Brought them home so that I could do a good comparison, left all the tags on of course...in my estimation hands down the Danskin Now was the most comfortable, provided the best compression and was the least expensive at $12.94. For sleep, Fruit of the Loom...perfect! It has a front hook closure, 95% cotton 5% spandex providing just enough compression, and at $7.94 it's a steal! Purchased both styles at Walmart (gotta love Walmart!). 10 days to surgery and the jitters are setting in! Please keep me in prayer regarding aforementioned decision, thanks so much!
Updated on 23 Mar 2015:
I have a healthy diet but in the last few weeks I've all but excluded anything with sugar and white flour in prep for surgery...then my in-laws asked us to meet them for dinner at their favorite restaurant...they don't know about the surgery and how do you say no to your in-laws anyway. So I figured okay...last hoorah for theses fake breasts I've been sporting for the past 28 years! So with the exception of Saturday evening's backslide I've done everything I can to prepare my body for explant with general anesthesia on Wednesday...note my arsenal of ammunition in the pic...green smoothie's with cinnamon, Kefir, yogurt, bone broth with cayenne and turmeric, probiotics, and cabbage soup...but alas...will it be enough to battle 7 days of oral antibiotics...ouch!...overkill!!...but I plan to follow my PS instructions to the letter! Also, I thought it might be helpful if I took some before explant pics in a few of my bras, after explant I will dawn the same bras to give an idea of loss of volume. I don't know about you but it's always been anyone's guess as to what size bra I wear. It depends upon the manufacturer and has been that way forever. Some of my bras are over 20 years old and no longer fit...case in point...the grey underwire bra which is a 32D...I'm hoping to be able to wear it again post op...only time will tell if I've completely deluded myself! Upward and onward!!
Updated on 26 Mar 2015:
I was the dreaded late case yesterday with an 11:15 arrival time. I was taken back promptly by a nurse who gave me ted stockings, footies, gown and a robe...which is where her level of expertise ended as I have great veins and she missed, not only that but she kept up with the piercing, poking, and probing of that harpoon...finally I said ok that's it as I knew she was bound and determined. The next nurse got my IV straight away. Went in for procedure at 12:35 and out by 1:15 (35 minutes) had general anesthesia with LMA (less invasive), left the center at 3:30, home at 4pm. Even though it was pretty much a cake walk it did make for a long day. I have one drain (don' even know it's there) which is on the right where I had the baker III capsule. Last night I had minimal bilateral incision discomfort (inframammary), with the right breast feeling kind of raw, hard to explain but nothing that ice didn't alleviate (no pain meds, not even tylenol). Today my pain scale on a 1-10 is 0, only when I use my pecs...pulling or pushing mildly, feels like I've been working out. The biggest surprise was...my PS told my husband my implants were not silicone after all but saline (just as I always thought!) the downside is that insurance may not cover my explant now, so the PS says. I didn't see my PS before I left the center but I asked why my binder was so loose especially as I didn't have a drain in the left (and I've read it should be tight especially in the absence of drain)), the nurse assured me that my PS doesn't wrap tight...feels like it's so low it could slide down to my waist and doesn't give my breasts any support whatsoever...really annoying so today I tied two sweat shirts up under my breasts to give some support. I go back tomorrow to have my drain discontinued and sports bra will replace binder. My drain put out 20cc last night, 5 this am so I don't think it'll be worrisome that he's taking them out so quickly...comfort wise I still can't even feel it's there. Now I know what you're all waiting ladies!!!... results of course!!!! I was instructed to leave all bandages and wrap in place until my follow up but they said nothing about peeking which in my case with the wrap so loose is pretty simple...I peeked yesterday after I got home and 57 times since then...first the good news...to my shagrin I have a good portion of upper pole fullness even when I pull my ensemble away from my chest so it's not the binding pressing my breasts upward...I'm hoping that it's not just swelling that ends up dying a slow death. But overall at this juncture, my breasts are full and appear (from what I can see) to have nice shape. Now for the bad news...pretty sure I'm going to have some dreaded asymmetry...smaller on the right but it's hard to fully assess at present. Also my right nipple (not the areola) is caved in slightly, I'm hoping this will correct over time. All in all, not a bad report and if I retain what I have and then "fluff" afterward...there is no way I'm going to do a lift!!! Yesterday, although I wasn't tired, I just felt blah and lounged around and drank tons of fluids (flushing out all the meds I was given during anesthesia). My PS instructed me to stay above a 30 degree angle while resting/sleeping in bed (to curtail swelling). My dear husband brought a chaise lounge in from our patio and set it up in the bedroom but I wanted to give the bed a try first with all the pillows arranged...not too bad but I'm going to try the lounge chair tonight for a comparison. Had trouble falling asleep last night (finally crashed at 2am), not sure why, up at 7am today as we start school here at 8:15am...did a full day of school with my kidlet and now I'm feeling like a little nap. I just want to give credit to the Lord first...I am so thankful to Christ, my Lord and Savior, for this site and all the info I garnered in prep for this procedure. I feel that I went into this fully equipped in all that I needed to know...thanks a million ladies for all your encouragement, support and fun!! Will follow up with pics at a later date, still a little nervous about the complete unveiling!
Updated on 28 Mar 2015:
I'm 3 days post and I have to tell you I'm having a really hard time with this loafing around thing. Zero pain, Zero change in energy level. However, I'm adamant about caving into the temptation to do housework and such, all in an effort to avoid seroma. I had my follow up yesterday (Friday) the nurse pulled my drain...painless. Still had some upper pole fullness but was informed that it was all swelling...hey maybe she's wrong...after all...everyone of the medical "specialists" were wrong about my implants being silicone! Okay, I can dream can't I. Even though my drain was only putting out 10cc's or less in a 9-12 hour period I was concerned about it being pulled within 48 hours of explant so staying true to my neurotic tendencies I wrapped the ace around my sports bra for added pressure. One thing that I wasn't prepared for...I can't go without my sports bra as it feels like my breast muscles are being pulled downward...anyone else experience this?? As far as my "prognosis" thus far...let's just say...while it's not 'critical', they're probably going to need some sort of rehab. Definite asymmetry, slight depression of right upper pole...but on the upside...no skin tethering (yet)! To be continued...