Brand new to RealSelf but it has been tremendously helpful thus far so I figured I'd repay this community and add my own story in case anyone wants to follow along.
My surgery is booked for Monday, July 6th. I have my COVID-19 test tomorrow, I'll get those results Saturday and then hopefully I am good to go!
Stats: 32 years old, 5'8, typically fluctuate between 135-140lbs. I have one child and I breastfed him. I have always been extremely small, sitting at a 32A, and it's been a source of insecurity for like 15 years. I would love to feel good naked, and not have such a struggle finding clothes and lingerie that fits nicely. I am pretty active and am looking for a result that won't interfere with moderate weightlifting, etc.
My doctor, Dr. Erez Sternberg, and I have decided to go with Natrelle smooth full profile, between 310-345ccs, under the muscle and inserted in the breast crease. I will need two different size implants due to my left being slightly larger than my right. My only request of my doctor is to not make them too big and to not exaggerate any nipple wonkiness. I am aiming for a full C but would be okay with a small D.
My dad is coming up to care for me for at least the first three days, and my son will be with his other grandparents during my early recovery.
Updated on 2 Jul 2020:
For anyone who hasn’t had one- it’s not as awful as I’ve heard. Maybe just my experience but I was dreading it. If I don’t hear from my nurse by Saturday around noon then I am good to go for surgery on Monday morning. I feel fine but heard asymptomatic positives are pretty common and Florida is insane for Covid right now, so fingers crossed I’m good. I will post my digital simulation pictures from my surgeon, they are through crisalix
Updated on 4 Jul 2020:
So, no call regarding my Covid test so I think we’re good to go! I spent the day cleaning up and getting some last minute things in order. My dad is coming up tomorrow and staying for about 3 days so I’m hoping I’m feeling decent by 3 days post op. Feeling mostly excited, with only a little anxiety. Posting my crisalix and some wish boobs.
Updated on 7 Jul 2020:
Went in for surgery yesterday at 11:30. Everything went smoothly. The doctor came in and asked some final questions, they had me take a pregnancy test and gave me some antibiotics through my IV and we were good to go. Only waited about an hour before i was in the operating room. Doctor wanted to stay at a modest 365 and 345 (two different size breasts, slightly bigger on my left). I woke up, pain and pressure was probably at a 6 with some light nausea. She gave me more nausea meds followed by some dilaudid. I stayed for about 30 minutes to get my bearings. Everyone was super nice and accommodating and they laughed at my ridiculous anasteshia (canny spell this word for the life of me, sorry). The ride home was okay, though I was dying to lay back down. Got home and started buddying up on tylenol, ibuprofen and my oxy and Valium. Got slightly nauseas for a few minutes but nothing overwhelming. Fell in and out of sleep. Started feeling really great with pain to around a 2 or 3, even after I was well overdo for more pain meds. I wanted to see if i could skip the narcotics and went to bed at roughly 1am, woke up at 4ish and felt pain was around a 5 or so so took them. I will wean off tomorrow and just take the heavy ones at nighttime. (Family history of RX addiction, important to me to get off of them quickly if possible). I love my boobs and am surprised about the lack of major swelling and boxiness. I have been icing for 30 min at a time a few times, will continue to do that. My only concern is that even though my left side is smaller by 20ccs, it still looks noticeably bigger than my right. I read that the exaggeration can be more prominent during swelling and healing, so I’m hoping they’ll even out a bit as they heal over the next few months. I see my doctor in a week and I’ll ask him then. Other than that, I feel pretty good overall and can’t wait to see the final result. I love that my nipples didn’t shoot off to the side like I expected they might. More updates soon, trying to be a compliant patient and leave my bra on.
Updated on 7 Jul 2020:
I am hoping to wean myself off of oxy today until bedtime, and so far the pain has been manageable. I went book shopping and to lunch and we ended up boxing up lunch because I think I overdid it and was starting to feel more pain. It’s subsided a lot since I laid back down and took more Tylenol. They’re starting to swell more and they’re starting to look more even which I am relieved about. I took a peek under the bandages and they look decent, with some mild bruising by the incision on the left side. Taking the bra off for a few minutes a day helps relieve a lot of the pressure I’m doing my best to leave it on and ice as much as possible. I’m so happy I had this done. I tried on some of my favorite button down work shirts that I was afraid would no longer fit and they still do, so that makes me super happy. So far so good. Looking forward to showering tomorrow.
Updated on 7 Jul 2020:
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Updated on 9 Jul 2020:
I was allowed to shower yesterday which was nice but I didn’t wash my hair as I’m going to need help with that. I only take my oxy and Valium at night and so pain levels during the day are around 4/5 I’d say. Nothing crazy to report. Weirded out by how boxy my lower poles appear, but hoping/assuming that will go away as they come down. Emailed my nurse just in case. My post op appointment is 8 days after my surgery which I find to be on the long side but I’m sure it’s fine. I have been doing my best to stay super hydrated, to keep the compression bra on and to ice throughout the day. Still very happy with this decision and looking forward to how they change in the coming months. Stats again are: 5’8, 135, 365cc and 345cc silicons unders.
Updated on 11 Jul 2020:
Hello! Moving along, getting more used to my boobs every day. Pain has been minimal and so I haven’t been taking very much OTC pain medication. I have reserved my oxy for nighttime so I get decent rest. My boobs are still boxy and high but swelling seems to have gone down a little. I notice my boobs changing ever so slightly every day. I have tried on a few old tops/lingerie just for fun and it’s so great to be able to fill them out :) still waiting for my lower poles to round out, nurse said everything looks normal thus far (emailed her pics a few days ago). My post op appt isn’t for another 2.5 days- looking forward to that and hopefully being told I can stop wearing my surgical bra. At this point I just feel like I’m super engorged, like i felt when I was overdue for breastfeeding. Still very happy with my choice :) I’m having a hard time uploading all of the pictures I want, RealSelf keeps rejecting them.
Updated on 15 Jul 2020:
Had my post op appt yesterday, Dr. Sternberg is happy with my results thus far. He cleared me to start low impact cardio and lower body exercise, so I started that today and it feels good to be exercising again. He also said I can now sleep however, no need to be propped up on my back. No need to wear my surgical bra anymore either thank god! He said to wear light bras, and to even go bra-less for a few hours a day to help them settle. He wants me in a light bra overnight though. They looked at my incisions and covered them with new steri tape. I took a look and they seem to be healing well. No pictures since they’re taped back up. I asked him about massage and he doesn’t recommend it, as he says there’s not really any solid evidence behind its effectiveness, and that he feels a majority of women are active enough/get enough movement in so he doesn’t see the need. I trust his judgment so I’ll skip it. He is seeing me in 3 weeks for another follow up. I am really happy with my new boobs! I think I went with a good size and I’m excited to see them drop and fluff, and to feel that they’re more naturally a part of me. Not much pain, just still some pressure. Will report back with my progress soon :)
Updated on 16 Jul 2020:
I entrusted Dr. Sternberg and his team and they have done a great job thus far. I had Breast Augmentation on 7/6/2020 and I am pleased with my results, and look forward to seeing my new boobs continue to heal and settle to look more natural in the coming months. Dr. Sternberg and his team have been extremely attentive, caring, and considerate toward me. Dr. Sternberg helped guide me to the right choice for me, and did not try to push me to go bigger than I wanted. He is easygoing, down to earth, but extremely knowledgeable and professional. If you live in north Florida and are looking to get cosmetic surgery I highly recommend him. I will be back to upload pictures when my boobs drop and fluff completely.
Updated on 18 Jul 2020:
All is well! Swelling has gone down a bit and I think they’re starting to settle a little. Sleeping is easier though still not able to sleep on my side without some discomfort. They still feel somewhat foreign to me but every day gets better. Nothing crazy to report :) I hope everyone is healing up nicely!
Updated on 29 Jul 2020:
All is well! I was hoping that side-sleeping would feel comfortable by now but it still feels like it puts too much pressure on my boobs/incisions. I can sometimes get comfortable if I hug a pillow and use it to prop up my boobs but it doesn’t always work. A few days ago I noticed a new bruise (albeit small- like the size of a dime) an inch or so above my incision, on my lower pole. It freaked me out so I contacted my nurse. She passed it along to my PS and he says it’s normal- possibly residual bruising coming to the surface from the surgery or I may have broken a capillary over-doing something. I think it was the latter because I vacuumed/carried in groceries a day or two prior to the bruise showing up and felt some new soreness/pain that I wouldn’t have expected at 3 weeks post op. So- the takeaway here- try your best to avoid ANYTHING that requires you to push/pull/lift more than 10 lbs, even if it’s just for a moment, this early on. I know this is common knowledge but it’s a lot easier said than done when you return to your normal day-to-day routine.
At my first post-op appt my nurse replaced my steri strips and my PS advised me to leave them on as long as possible, but I could take them off if they started to peel. He cleared me to be in a pool ( not for swimming laps). I figured my strips would be gross if left on after I went into the pool so I took them off and replaced with 1” 3M Micropore surgical tape (also called paper tape, for sensitive skin, it’s white, I couldn’t find the steri-strips). I googled around and saw a lot of research/mentions of paper tape for scar reduction/healing and since my incisions seem to be closed up I feel comfortable using something other than the strips. Tape over scars has been proven to reduce the puffy appearance of scars, and helps with healing overall. It applies pressure to the scar which helps flatten it, and the tape reduces tension pulling on your scar. Some suggest you use tape over your scars for up to a year. Just something to consider :)
I have another week until a follow up and I feel okay with my progress. They still don’t feel like they are a natural part of me. It’s hard to notice a difference in drop and fluff day to day, but I know I’m still early in my recovery. Only 1.5 of my nipples get hard; there’s a line down my left nipple, and the lower portion has no feeling/does not get hard. I’m hoping it comes back but won’t be too heartbroken if it doesn’t. I’m still very happy in my decision and know that things will take more time. Anyone reading to do research and still on the fence: do your research and go for it. I already feel so much better about my body despite still being a few months from having more normal looking boobs. Everybody who has seen them says that I picked the perfect size for me. I originally thought 365 would be too much and then I scoured this site and realized it really wouldn’t be. I can’t wait to see how they drop and fluff, and for them to become more comfortable.
Recap: I am 5’8, 135lbs, breastfed 1. I was 32A, and went with 365 & 345cc natrelle soft touch silicone unders. Good luck everyone :)
Updated on 4 Aug 2020:
No real news! They’re getting slightly more comfortable each day. It’s hard for me to tell if they’re changing much but I think the lower poles are starting to fill out a little. I was slightly concerned with my incisions, as they were kind of bumpy/raised, but they have smoothed out a lot in the last few days. I’ve heard two random pops at my incision sites (usually when i replace my tape)- I read that could be scar tissue breaking up or a dissolvable internal stitch breaking apart, but it didn’t hurt, my boobs seem fine and the scar smoothed out almost immediately after the pop. So weird. I see my PS in two days so I’ll ask him then. I’m getting kind of impatient about how firm they still feel but I know it just takes time. Took some braless selfies, feels great to feel more womanly :)
Updated on 17 Aug 2020:
Slowly but surely seeing them drop and fluff. They finally feel a part of me, and I’m more comfortable sleeping on my side now. My doctor is happy with my results and I won’t see him until November. He cleared me for all exercise last week, and I’ve slowly started getting back into it. Anything that uses my upper body freaks me out though. I’m hoping I’ll start to feel less fragile about working out soon. One weird thing- my left boob squeaks when I massage it, and feels weird when I workout and make certain movements. It freaks me out but I’m reading that it’s not super uncommon. I think it’s cool to see how much they’ve changed in just the last two weeks. I am going to get fitted this week to see what size I am. My best guess is a 34C, we shall see :) I get mild morning boob still and a weird burning ache the day after I exercise but nothing drastically painful. Excited to see how I continue to heal. Extremely happy with my size.