I had been thinking about a breast augmentation for about 10 years and had my first consult when I was in college. At the time, I couldn't really afford to do it and put absolutely zero time into researching docs, the procedure itself, etc. I'm so glad I waited and did it the right way. I could not be happier with the outcome. I had consultations with 3 surgeons before choosing the right one for me. I met with my general doctor and my OB-GYN to get their professional opinion. My concerns were mostly with screening after implants. My mom and aunt both are breast cancer survivors, and while there is no link genetically, I still needed reassurance that I wasn't putting myself at risk by making detection difficult. Every doctor I spoke with said the same thing - implants would not have an impact, or they may make feeling changes easier to find if the implant is under the muscle. I had other questions as far as scarring and anesthesia and all of the other scary things that go along with having any surgery. Ultimately, I believed the reward outweighed the risk and I was right. Pre Op: I met with my surgeon, Dr. Breit at Plastic Surgery Associates in Sioux Falls. I had met with him nearly two years prior, but decided that it was not the right time for me. I met with another local plastic surgeon and one regional surgeon but didn't feel as comfortable as I did at PSA. They kind of made me feel like I was just another set of [RS bleep], excuse my language. ;) I felt very comfortable with Dr. Breit and because I had done my research, including many helpful posts on this site, it was very easy to describe what I was looking for as on outcome and I felt like he immediately knew what my goal was. I scheduled my op appt. a couple of days later for Nov. 13, 2014. In the days leading up to the surgery, I was terrified. I thought so many times of backing out. I was lucky to have friends that had had the operation and that were so supportive and encouraging. The Day of the Surgery: I was scheduled at 2:15 - man, it was hard not to eat anything until then! I met with my nurse Ali who was super sweet and made me feel so comfortable. She went through all of the post op instructions that had been emailed to me a week prior, got me in a gown and booties and introduced me to the nurse anesthetist who would be putting me under. I was very happy with him and before I knew it I was heading to the operating room and that's pretty much all I remember! Waking up was awful - by far the worst part of the whole experience. I was so nauseous and threw up the whole way home and for hours afterward. Other than the pain from getting sick, I didn't have any other pain at all. My boyfriend helped me sit up that first night and the next morning but it was not painful. The next day I took the bandage off- wow did they look strange! I took a shower and had no problem lifting my arms to wash my hair. We drove 3 hours that day to a Garth Brooks concert - its GARTH BROOKS, DUH! - and I was back to work the next day! Post Op: I've had so few complications, well, I wouldn't even call them complications. I had a little bit of this morning boob thing I've read about. I developed Mondors Cord, a thrombosed vein that was kinda nasty looking, but it went away after about a week and a half. The worst pain I had was some really intense back pain, but I'm a stomach sleeper so it was most likely due to sleeping differently and has subsided as well. The last few days I've had some sharp pain near my incisions but I think that's just part of getting all of the feeling back and will see how the next few days go! I'm 40 days post op today.
I debated long and hard to write my review. Having surgery is something I had looked forward to for a long time I did my research and thought I went in with realistic expectations. I DO see an improvement but I still see a lot of flaws. After surgery I ate to protect my investment. I have been eating health. I consistently work my abs 5 days a week. I have lowered my body fat and increased my muscle keeping my body weight the same. My stomach is not flat though. There is a shelf where the top of my stomach protrudes above the bottom of my scar. I reached out to dr Miller but due to COVID I was told to wait until my 1 year apt. I did. At the appointment I was told he can do lipo for an additional 3,900 (in addition to the 8,200 I already paid)I just wanted my skin pulled tight. I can grab a LOT of skin yet. I would suggest finding a doctor that will either give you the results you want the first time or includes revisions in their cost. My reduction I have some pretty big scars. I Was excited to be able to wear tank tops etc but I’m still covered. Some with after my TT. I am still keeping things covered. I’m embarrassed for people to see my belly button. My kids said it looks weird (I agree) and the rolls are still there.
Hi everyone! I'm just getting started on my BA journey! I have been reading many reviews and stories here at RealSelf.com for a couple of weeks now and it has really taught me so much. I appreciate everyone who has posted and commented! Thank you! I have scheduled my first consultation for July 18th at Plastic Surgery Associates in Sioux Falls, SD with Dr. Miller. I currently live in South Dakota so it made the most sense to me to start here. The downside is that I do not, personally, know anyone that has gone here so I do not have any personal experiences except the ones posted on here and reviews on Facebook and Google, which makes me a bit nervous but what I have seen has been positive. I am 29 years old, 5'8" tall, and weigh between 115 and 118 lbs but tend to stick around the 118 lb mark most of the time. I love to workout and have been doing a lot of it lately. My favorite are BeachBody workouts so that is what I do mostly along with some running, Zumba, dance, and elliptical work. I'm really interested in BA and workout success stories because working out is very important to me and and something I am worried about. I am a mom to 3 littles ranging from 6 years old to 18 months old. <3 <3 <3 I am also a full-time nursing student going towards my BSN and I work as a nursing assistant at a local hospital, soooooo I lead a pretty busy life you could say! I have an amazing husband who helps me tremendously and supports me in everything I do! I couldn't ask for more! Ever since I was in high school or early college and realized "the girls" stopped growing I have wanted to get a BA done at some point in my life because I have always been smaller chested and uncomfortable with how I looked in that area. I think the highest I ever got was a 32B while pregnant/breastfeeding and now after breastfeeding 3 kiddos I have literally shrunk down to nothing (pictures to come!). I wear my 32B bras still because I am too cheap to go shopping for new ones yet and they actually make me look like I have SOMETHING there when I wear them due to the padding. I would guess that I am actually probably a 32AA or maybe even less (I have not been sized in years) and I would like to go a to full C cup. My husband thinks I am perfect the way that I am and he's more of a butt guy anyway, but he's not arguing the BA procedure either. ;) As I mentioned, BA is always something I wanted done but I could wear padded bras and enhance my cleavage so I got by. Now that I have shrunk down to nothing and cannot even create cleavage I don't even feel like a woman anymore let alone feel sexy... so I feel desperate to get the procedure done now! So, here I am... on the BA journey! Hoping to get my BA scheduled for either sometime in September or October or maybe waiting until December when I am done with finals. I do have some questions for anyone out there who has opinions or experience: 1. Has anyone breastfed after BA? What are the recommendations and risks involved? I plan to do more research online about this also but I was hoping someone here had some personal experience. We are planning to have at least one more child within the next year or two and I don't know if it is best to wait to get my BA done until after we are done having children or if there will be no issues so I can continue as normal. I am willing to wait if everyone recommends that and plan to ask my PS his opinion as well but I just feel so unhappy right now so I was hoping to get the BA done sooner rather than later if there are no big contraindications. 2. I have the summer off but I will be continuing as a full-time nursing student this fall. My semester runs from August 21st until the first week or so of December. I was considering doing the procedure during the semester if there is a time I have a few days off of class. In your opinion, do you think this would be okay or should I wait until December when I am done with finals and have a month off of school? I'm not sure how long it takes to "feel normal" or how much the procedure will affect my schoolwork and ability to go to class. Opinions and experience greatly appreciated! 3. Considering my lifestyle, height, weight, etc. what would you all recommend for me in terms of type of implant, CCs, profile, saline vs. silicone etc? I'm curious what you ladies think! I am sure I will think of more questions to ask you all but for now those were the big burning questions I have! Responses are greatly appreciated! Updated on 6 Jul 2017: I do have some questions for anyone out there who has opinions or experience: 1. Has anyone breastfed after BA? What are the recommendations and risks involved? I plan to do more research online about this also but I was hoping someone here had some personal experience. We are planning to have at least one more child within the next year or two and I don't know if it is best to wait to get my BA done until after we are done having children or if there will be no issues so I can continue as normal. I am willing to wait if everyone recommends that and plan to ask my PS his opinion as well but I just feel so unhappy right now so I was hoping to get the BA done sooner rather than later if there are no big contraindications. 2. I have the summer off but I will be continuing as a full-time nursing student this fall. My semester runs from August 21st until the first week or so of December. I was considering doing the procedure during the semester if there is a time I have a few days off of class. In your opinion, do you think this would be okay or should I wait until December when I am done with finals and have a month off of school? I'm not sure how long it takes to "feel normal" or how much the procedure will affect my schoolwork and ability to go to class. Opinions and experience greatly appreciated! 3. Considering my lifestyle, height, weight, etc. what would you all recommend for me in terms of type of implant, CCs, profile, saline vs. silicone etc? I'm curious what you ladies think! I am sure I will think of more questions to ask you all but for now those were the big burning questions I have! Responses are greatly appreciated! Updated on 6 Jul 2017: As promised, here are some current pictures of what I am dealing with. I apologize for the poor lighting. I will take some better ones before my BA! Updated on 6 Jul 2017: After looking around and seeing some people's results I'm considering going with.... *drum roll please*... Mentor Memory Gel Smooth Round High Profile Implants somewhere between 350-450 CCs Of course this depends on what my PS thinks. I'm not sure what he typically uses or what he will recommend for me considering my lifestyle but just by the looks of some results on here that's what I keep gravitating to. Updated on 19 Jul 2017: I had my consultation yesterday and it went well. My PS seems extremely intelligent and that makes me comfortable. He's lacking a little when it comes to the bedside manner side of things but sometimes the best surgeons have trouble with that part but their work is impeccable, so I feel good about things. His nurse came in later with the forms to try on and I asked her questions and she was very helpful and made me feel much more comfortable. I have been worried about a link between pregnancy and capsular contracture but he did not seem to think there was any link there. He did say sometimes people have trouble breastfeeding after so I should maybe wait if I have my heart set on breastfeeding another baby but if I am okay with trying it and going to formula if necessary he said there was no reason to wait for the BA. I also decided (with his and the nurses help) that it would be best for me to wait until December instead of trying to do the procedure during the school year. He does not want me to lift more than 10 lbs for 6 weeks and even suggests you do not put your arms over your head until 6 weeks is over. The nurse said 4 weeks was more reasonable but he always suggests 6 weeks. It doesn't seem like it would work for me to do it during the semester since I am nursing student with clinicals etc. so I chose to wait even though it will be so hard! After playing around with the implants and the forms yesterday I have pretty much decided on 400 CC Mentor Silicone Gel Smooth Round High Profile implants. I am going to double check with my PS on the day of surgery but that is what I am leaning towards! Updated on 19 Jul 2017: I decided to make some rice sizers today and try it out a bit. I'm actually wearing them as I type this just to get a feel for it all. I made 375 cc rice sizers using a tad more than 1 1/2 cups of rice in a pantyhose. The 375 cc rice sizers should simulate a 400 cc breast implant under the muscle from what I have heard. I sure like what I see! What do you all think?! Perfect? Go smaller? Go bigger? Updated on 25 Jul 2017: I did some measuring (with my husband's help) the other day! Here's what we found from what we can tell but we could be a little inaccurate with our measuring because it's kind of challenging: BWD = 12.5 cm Current bra size = 30AA/A (it was kind of hard to tell if I was right at an inch or just under an inch) Height = 5'8" Weight = 118 lb. Updated on 25 Jul 2017: Deciding on size is such a struggle! I'm pretty much set on the fact that I would like to have at least 400 cc Mentor Silicone Gel Smooth Round High Profile implants BUT lately I've been wondering if I should do the 425 cc because the diameter for the 400 cc is 12.0 cm and the diameter for the 425 cc is 12.5 cm. They both have a projection of 5.0 cm, which is decent I think so there's no change there but since I think my BWD is 12.5 cm I'm thinking that little bit of diameter may be beneficial. Ultimately, I'll have to talk it over with PS and see what he thinks my body can handle and what is best based on my wish pics. It's just frustrating because I guess I do not have another consultation with him until the day of the surgery. I could schedule another one but I believe I have to pay for it. I'm so impatient! It's time for school to start to distract me until December! Any input you ladies have before then would be awesome! =) Updated on 26 Jul 2017: Well... I think I may have found my breast inspiration... the gorgeous Dilya Diaz! Compared to what I currently have... what cc's do you think I will need?! Updated on 24 Aug 2017: I moved my surgery up a whole 17 days! It was first scheduled on December 8th to avoid classes because I am currently a nursing student but I found out clinicals are done before then so I rescheduled my surgery for November 22nd! The unfortunate thing is it is the day before Thanksgiving so I might not be up for stuffing my belly with turkey and all the fixings BUT we do have 5 days off from classes so that will be nice! =) I went to my PS's office to try on sizers again so I will have to post those pictures at some point! I'm feeling very torn between 400-450 ccs but I'm just nervous 450 cc will be too big on me or I'll end up with symmastia so that sways me back to 400 cc. I like the look of 450 cc on others and with the sizers though! Tough stuff! Updated on 4 Sep 2017: I just can't seem to nail down just ONE "boobie guide", so here's some more wish pics! Updated on 6 Nov 2017: Only 16 days until surgery! I bought 4 Coobie scoopneck bras and 2 Fruit of the Loom front closure bras for after surgery. I also bought Jenny Eden's recovery kit so I will have all those goodies for after surgery. I'm starting to think about what I will need after surgery but I haven't worried about it too much yet since I'm busy with school and my kiddos! Time flies though! After lots of messaging with the nurse we have come to the conclusion that my PS will measure my BWD the day of surgery and that will kind of be my deciding factor on which size of implant to go with. I have done quite a bit of research and have found that the BWD measurement the best way to get the result I want. I plan to choose the implant with a diameter of around 0.5 to 1 cm higher than my BWD so I have good cleavage and side boob. I'm guessing I'll end up around the 350-425 cc point like I planned from the measurements I have done myself. After I know the measurement I'll run it past my PS and see what he thinks then go and get it done! It's a little nerve wracking not knowing what size I am going to get before I go in for the surgery but I did not want to pay another fee to go in or travel if I did not have to, so this plan will work. I also found out that I am receiving twilight or conscious sedation for my procedure. They typically use Versed, Ketamine & Demerol to do this. I'm not SUPER pumped about the side effects but my PS has nearly 30 years of experience so I will just have to trust him! =) I'll update again when things get closer! Thanks for following my journey! Updated on 13 Nov 2017: Oh my! We are down to single digits now with only 9 days to go until surgery!! I definitely have moments of excitement but the last few days I have been going through such fear and cold feet feelings! I've been looking at my sweet babies and worrying about if something were to happen to me over an elective procedure that I did not NEED to do. My little almost 2 year old daughter is such a mama's girl and I would never want to put her in jeopardy to lose her mama! I know these are crazy thoughts and everything will go fine but they have been quite crippling at times. =( So any wise words or encouragement that you have, lay it on me!!! Updated on 16 Nov 2017: Today I packed up all of my old bras except the bombshell bra I am currently wearing to hopefully not make it so obvious after surgery! It made me feel excited and less nervous to replace them with my post op bras! 6 days until the big day! If anyone knows what I can do with old bras please let me know!?!? Some of them have hardly been worn! Updated on 22 Nov 2017: I'm nervous as all get out! I will keep you ladies posted! I'm going to put one foot in front of the other and remember how long I have wanted this and think about the end goal! Thank you for all of your support! See you on the other side!!! Updated on 26 Nov 2017: Today I am 4 days post op! Everything went really well and is going well as far as I can tell! Thank you for following my journey and for all the good wishes! You are all amazing! I got up Wednesday morning at 5:00 am and took a few before photos and showered with Hibiclens. I washed my upper body 3 times with it after shampooing and conditioning my hair. Then I got dressed in fresh clothes (Coobie bra, zip up hoodie and sweat pants). I dried my hair a bit and we headed out on the 1 hour drive. I actually felt super nervous but at ease at the same time. I knew I was just going to go through the motions and get to the other side. I arrived at my PS office at around 7:30 am and went inside. I had to have an IV placed and vitals completed right away. The nurse also gave me a shot to dry up my secretions due to the conscious sedation I was having. She gave me IV antibiotics via a syringe and then I also got Zofran. I had to do a quick urine pregnancy test before I went back as well. My PS came in and he measured my BWD which he said was around 12 cm on each and I decided to go with 400 cc and he agreed that would be a good size for me. I said my goodbyes to my husband he went off to pick up my prescription for Norco and wait in the waiting room. They told him I would probably be ready around 11 am or 12 pm by the time the surgery was done and I was awake etc. I went back to the operating room and laid down on the table. I was shaking so bad!!! The nurse put on warm blankets and warmed the bed I was laying on also. They gave me some Versed in my IV and followed shortly with Ketamine. I remember talking to them for most of the procedure. I had my breasts done and also a scar on my neck revised. I know I said multiple times that I thought we were going in different rooms... it really really felt like we were moving and going into different rooms of different colors and textures etc. It was really weird. That was the Ketamine talking though because the nurse and the PS assured me multiple times we were not going to other rooms. Haha! I did ask towards the end if he was done and I was starting to get restless. I remember feeling some tugging and discomfort at times but nothing too bad. Then it was over and when they sat me up I felt so much pain and I was so groggy. They took me to recovery and had to give me Tramadol and a different type of anti-nausea medication because I dry heaved a few times. After that I was able to rest in recovery for a little bit. The nurse woke me up around 12:30 pm and told me it was time to go. I was pretty unsteady and groggy but a lot better than when I arrived in recovery. They went over discharge instructions and I thanked everyone. They rolled me to my car and I got in and on the way. I go back Tuesday to have the stitches in my neck removed and my breasts looked over. I got home around 1:30 pm, ate a little bit and went to bed for a couple of hours. After I woke up I felt like the Ketamine had wore off pretty good but the pain was pretty intense. I took my Norco but I was trying to wait and take it every 6 hours which was not working well. The next day (1 DPO) I did take it every 4 hours and it helped so much. Friday (2 DPO) I took the Norco once or twice then switched to extra strength Tylenol. Saturday (3 DPO) I took the extra strength Tylenol once in the morning but that is it and today (4 DPO) I took it just once this afternoon after getting home and unpacking etc. I feel like I am kind of getting used to the pain and tightness so that is why I am not taking medication as much. It is still there but I just really haven't wanted to take any medications. I am still taking my antibiotic which I think I finish tomorrow but that's about it. Ohhhhhh I can't forget how baddly bloated I have been!!! Yesterday was the ultimate worst but I'm still feeling it today! I hope it goes away soon! My breasts are looking pretty awesome honestly! I'm very happy with things! My PS told my husband he could not have fit much bigger if any bigger at all because the skin was so stretched and I have such a small chest. I'm looking forward to my appointment on Tuesday to see what he has to say about things! My left side is higher and tighter and just feels bigger overall so I'm not sure what that is about? My sternum area in between my breasts is really tight and actually numb so that's kind of weird too. I'll be asking him about all of that on Tuesday! Let me know if you have any questions!!! Updated on 28 Nov 2017: I'm actually 6 dpo today but here's a picture from yesterday morning, so 5 dpo! I'm having minimal pain now but lots of tightness and shiny skin! It feels like if I breathe too deep they will fly off of my chest! Also my sternum area between my breasts and the lower part of both breasts are pretty much numb at this point. The last few days I've only taken extra strength Tylenol once a day. I have my first post op appointment this afternoon so I'll have more info for you then!! Updated on 29 Nov 2017: I can't believe it's been a whole week! Crazy! My left is still riding a little higher and tighter than the right but I'm okay with that for now. I know they have a lot of changes to go through yet. After 4 hours of class this afternoon I was having the weirdest feeling in my right side. It was like extra numb or something but it felt like it was down past my belly button (when it really wasn't). Just really odd! I saw my PS yesterday and he said things were looking good. He told me to start his "massage" now. I am supposed to push from all sides for 15 seconds 3xs per day to push the implant against the opposite capsule wall. I don't feel like it is really "massaging" but that's what he said. I have some pain on and off... mostly in my left side but nothing unbearable. I'm using extra strength Tylenol once per day and doing most of my normal routine! Excited for them to chill out some more and settle in! Updated on 1 Dec 2017: Free the girls!!!! Haha! I have been living in my Coobie bras so putting on this (actually very soft) Fruit of the Loom bra I just can't have it hooked all the way. The girls need their freedom! I've been doing pretty well... it seems like every day I feel the best when I wake up and as the day goes on I get more sore. Last night we had a light parade outside with the kids and I was very sore after I got home but this morning I feel great. I have always been such a do-er so it's been hard for me to try to take it easy and heal. I have been feeling some pain around my incisions that is more than normal but also my nipples are EXTREMELY sensitive and painful... oh man! I think it's all from nerves coming back because it kind of feels like some of my numbness on the inside and lower part is going away. I guess that's a good thing but I hope it passes soon! Otherwise, just taking extra strength tylenol once a day and then doing my little massages 3xs per day! Let me know if you have any questions! I'm here to help! Updated on 6 Dec 2017: Here's some pictures for the week! I'm only 2 weeks post op so there isn't a ton of change but I can see some little differences there. :) I'd say I feel 80-90% normal for the most part. I am still cautious and try to take it easy but I tend to forget most of the time and just do my thing then I have to remind myself to take it easy. I have SUPER sensitive nipples still, which is awful but I know it's part of the process and I'm hopeful it will go away soon! Cold is NOT my friend... things will feel comfortable and then I get cold and everything hurts. We went out for a bit the other night and I truly felt like I needed to tell my husband it was time for me to pump! Haha! It felt just like early breastfeeding where you're engorged and have sore nipples. Such a flashback! I'm keeping up with my massages, taking it somewhat easy, and enjoying the boobs! Can't say I haven't experienced some boob greed but I know this is the biggest I could go at this time. It will be fun to get an upgrade 5-10 years down the road! ;) Updated on 6 Dec 2017: I always enjoy looking at people's progress pics! It really puts things into perspective! It's only 2 weeks but I decided to do some anyway! Enjoy! Updated on 22 Dec 2017: Everything is going really well! I feel like they have dropped a lot lately and almost felt smaller but the pictures don't seem to show that (except maybe the side view) so that made me feel better. I have really started to feel like they are a part of me and are not foreign anymore too. That may be the reason that they feel smaller to me... I'm probably just getting used to them now where before they felt so big and different. I have some pain between my incisions and nipples still but it's not too bad just kind of naggy-ish pain. My nipples are also still sensitive but it has let up a little bit. I know this is all normal due to the nerves coming back and it has improved since 2 weeks post op, so I know it will just keep improving. I have my next check up on January 9th. I emailed the nurse yesterday to ask about some of my restrictions. She said I could pick up my 2 year old (24 lb) daughter and go back to exercising however I want but if I feel sore I need to stop or take it easy. She said no hot tubs or submerging the incisions until the 6 week point and to avoid underwire bras until the 6 week point for the most part. She said I could wear them if I wanted but if I notice any soreness at the incisions that I should not continue. I don't have any plans to start working out yet with being busy for the holidays but after that I may start something. That's all I can think of for now! Love my new additions! Let me know if you have any questions! <3