My Life Changing Journey to Become More of a Woman - Aberdeen, UK

So its been just over 3 weeks since i had my op and i cant believe how well i am recovering:)

I had my follow up appointment with Dr Tadros on Monday 13th of April,so my savoir my mum drove us through again as i wasn't sure when i was allowed to drive again.
I went in prepared with all my questions that i had been writing down over time as they popped into my head:)

Firstly i went in and he asked how i was doing and how i was feeling,so i'm feeling great,feel like i have a new lease of life as a woman and honestly cant put into words how happy i am:D i'm in love with my boobs,Dr Tadros has done an amazing job,they are perfect in every way and i don't say that about a lot of things because i know nothing in life is perfect but i honestly feel like my new boobs are:D they fit my body and shape so well,they aren't too big and they don't look fake atal which is exactly the look i was going for:) I am super delighted and cant thank Dr Tadros enough,he is a very talented man who knows what he is doing,has a great eye for detail and is super passionate about his job,anyone who knows or has met him will understand what i mean:D

It was time to get my dressings off which i was really happy about as they were starting to irritate me a bit just because they were starting to unstick and i couldn't wait to get a good wash in the shower:) So Dr Tadros as always was very gentle at taking them off and he also took the sterile strip on my right side off just because it had seeped a bit so he wanted to make sure my scar was ok. he left the other side on as it was ok. He said the scars were healing well and just to be careful when drying them and stuff just to pat dry and not rub to stretch it or anything esp because i have thin skin. Also no oils or moisturizer as they are still healing and things like this could still seep in.

So then it was question time;

1. What i can and cant do when it comes to everyday things like washing hair,putting hands behind my back,putting weight on my arms to get up from bed and stuff?

2.When am i ok to sleep on my side?

3. How long am i allowed my bra off at one time when it comes to taking a shower and stuff?

4.When am i allowed to drive?

5. Why is the left top part of my breast tender and sore to touch?

6. Why are my nipples really sensitive and almost feel stingy,as do the sides of my breasts,they feel really tender?

7. How hard or soft should i massage my breasts?

Ok so lets start with

1. I'm allowed to wash my hair and put hands behind back and put weight on them to a certain extent, basically your body will tell you what you can and cant do,i'm definatleley not allowed to lift or carry Carli(my 5 year old daughter) as this can cause the muscle to strain which may result in the implant flipping until there is a pocket healed around the implant i have to be really careful with these things esp because he went under the muscle with mine. So this rules out working for another little while as my job is very physically demanding and i have a lot of heavy lifting and carrying heavy bags over my shoulder with being a postie,so he has signed me off for another 6 weeks which might seem long i know but i am just not willing to risk going back too soon and cause damage. Because i know when i go back me being the independent person i am i wont ask for help if i need it and i would struggle on,but not this time no way!!!

2.I can sleep on my side now,as long as i'm not leaning on them or sleeping on my stomach and squashing them:) This is good news as to be honest one of the worst parts of this whole experience has been the sleeping,i haven't slept a full night through since having them done purely because i hate sleeping on my back anyway. plus i have been propped up by pillows so i can sleep sitting up right a bit and have gradually been making my way down to lying flatter but it has taken time as they have felt quite heavy,and just the whole being able to get up from a lying down position without using your arms to help can be hard sometimes. So yeah sleeping sitting up comes with its cons and that is the fact that my back and my neck have been killing me just because its so uncomfortable,doesn't matter how many pillows or support i had what i really needed was a hospital bed that i could control to get me to sitting position ha ha!!

3. Long story short Dr Tadros wants me to go bra less for 4 weeks so my implants can drop a bit now:) I'm happy with that cos they look fab in a tight little top:D Although it does feel really weird to start with but you get used to it. In bed still feels strange esp if i'm lying on my side as i feel like they are falling to the side but i guess this is normal. I'm just being careful. He said they are going to look great once they have settled and stuff,i love them already so cant wait to see the end result:D

4. He said he is happy for me to drive now. So i did drive my daughter to nursery the next day, it did feel weird and i still had to be careful as its a little harder steering and changing gear and stuff,plus wearing the seat belt isn't the most comfiest yet so i'm driving like a learner again,feeding the wheel and being extra cautious. So i'm only going to drive if necessary. i'm only just managing to pick up my pace with walking as i felt walking too fast (which i naturally do) was a bit uncomfortable,felt like i had to hold underneath my boobs:)

5. The top of my left boob is tender to touch and i can still remember the feeling the sharp pulling pain coming from there when i was getting my drains removed. This is because before my surgery i had a lump on my chest which would have been in among'st breast tissue if i had any but because i didn't it stuck out a bit. So Dr Tadros said he would have a look while he was under the muscle and shave away the lump and send it off to get tested if he thought it was anything serious.. Turns out it was just scar tissue that had formed there due to me damaging it in the past through exercise or work, so that's good:) but he still shaved it down a bit so it wasn't sticking out even further when the implant was in and so both sides were even:) hence the pain and tenderness there although it is subsiding now.

6. The stingy tender nipples are what i thought it was and its just all the feeling and nerve endings starting to come back. I'm just happy that i still have the sensation there although wearing no bra is causing a constant nipple erection hehe;)

7. Its good to massage your new assets as long as your not too rough or hard, it helps circulation and keeps them soft and supple:) iv been kinda scared to touch mine just cos they are new to me i suppose and i have been tender,but the top part of my boobs are fine now i feel like the muscle is settling,its just down the sides and underneath that's still a bit tender. But in time my muscle will settle and get stronger:)

So as always he answered all my questions and reassured me with any concerns i had,was super polite and nice and made me feel like a patient and not just a number:D

Although im managing to do more i think i have been pushing it a little and doing too much because i have been experiencing a sharp pain in the right side boob, but i know its because of over stretching and stuff so i am going to listen the my body and put on the breaks and slow down a bit. i will just gradually build up my strength and iv been walking a bit more. But when it comes to exercise obviously no upper body exercises but hes happy for me to do lower ones like squats and lunges and stuff so i'm going to gradually start doing lower body exercise and just build it up as i get stronger. He said i can also go jogging but nothing too fast just a gentle jog but to wear a bra for support so i will try this when i feel ok too.

So yeah i see him again in another 4 weeks,by then my implants should be feeling more at home in my body:) But i can honestly say that i feel like a different person, doing my research and reading up on things have definatley helped. And i have no regrets what so ever and im quite proud and amazed how quick i'm recovering,i havn't need any sort of pain killers for 2 weeks now, even then when i was taking them it was only paracetamol and twice a day:)
Everyone is different i know but i think it helps when you have a fab surgeon and a fab support network behind it all like Helen who always checks in(his personal secretary)She is lovely and has been a fantastic help too. And Albyne hospital itself was great its like a little hotel and all the staff were lovely and very accommodating i would highly recommend it,iv had a great experience, Thanks to all:D
P.S One super duper happy customer:) :) :) [RS bleep]

Still not even a week after my op and I'm still feeling ok,only taking paracetamol now and again mainly at night as I'm finding it uncomfortable to sleep so my back and my neck r a bit stuff and sore,I'm still managing to get some sleep tho and I know it's not forever! My chest feels a little tight but I'm guessing it's jst everything healing and getting bk to normal and once I can move a by an do a bit more il lossen off.
The day after I got home the nurses from the hospital called just to check in and make sure everything was ok and if I had any questions,that's service for u makes u feel like ur not just a number to them???? Helen also called to c how it went and how I was and to giv me my follow up app which is a week Monday! It's so nice to know she's right at the end of the phone if I needed to ask anything????all these little things help so much with the journey!
I can do little things but I'm trying to really take it easy this first week after my op as I know it's important to rest up! I'm finding it hard tho coz I'm not used to doin nothing but my body wouldn't let me do too much just now anyway as I still feel a bit weak,but I'm managing to do what I need to do like pee or get myself a cuppa so that's the main thing????
My mum washed my hair last nite and I felt so much better after that too just felt a little fresher. I also had a proper look at my breast today as I had to order a smaller fitting bra coz the one u got was slightly too big so my mum helped me change it today. And I looked in the mirror and just feel over come with happiness????????????although they still hav to drop a bit and heal properly I'm super duper happy with them and Dr Tadros has done an amazing job they look so natural already????I also had a great anaesthetist coz I never felt sick or drowsy when I came round after the op????and the nurse that took my drains out was very careful the left side was worse than the right and I still get a shooting pain in the left where the drain had been now and then! It's hard to know what ur ok to do and what ur not ok to do so I think in bein extra cautious! I wiped my surfaces and thought hmmm mayb shouldn't have done tht also helped my daughter with some colouring in but couldn't do it for long,it's amazing how much u use the chest muscle without realising. But I'm definatley not over doing it if I do something and it's uncomfortable il stop! My body will tell me whn it's getting pushed too far!
Anyway can't wait to c Dr Tadros again to get dressings off and give him that huh to say thanks he has changed my life and I'm so happy and grateful????????????iv got a couple of before and afters so far??X

So i have eventually found some time to get back on here to update my progress:)

i cant believe its 3 days since my op already!!
So fri 27th me and my mum left Elgin in good time to get to albyn for my addmission at 11.30,i drove as knew it would be my last time for a little while!
As u can guess all that was on my mind was where i was going and what for and although i was very scared,nervous and anxious the excitement of finally getting boobies out weighed it:)
What makes it worse is not bein able to even have a sip of water or piece of gum to chew to take the dryness away,but hey ho has to b done.
So we arrived at about 11 and it felt like i was checking into a hotel,didnt feel like a hospital atal which was good as it made me more relaxed as i hate hospitals(am sure a lot of peolpe do)
Everyone was very polite and welcoming too! I got taken to my room by a nurse room 4,and got left to settle in,it had everything i needed,en suite,tv and wifi;)
Then was just va case of waiting for things to happen,seen anesthetist he went through everything,got my tags on and got to hav a small glass of water with a few tablets for settling my stomach after the op with all the meds they give u!
got my gown on took make up off and just waited anxiously for the next step! Dr Tadros came in to c me and take some pictures and draw lines on me,he explained everything he was going to do and made sure i was happy with what was planned so then went through some forms and i signed on the dotted line!! EXCITING!!!
cant believe it was all happening finally! it was time to go so the nurse gave me my morphine tablets in my bed then i got wheeled down to the anesthetic room,by this time my whole body was shaking all over as i was so scared but everyone was very reassuring and the nurses and anesthetist really settled my nerves:) I just kept thinking of why i was going through this and how good i would feel when i woke up like a new woman!!
Next thing i heard was my name getting called and i opened my eyes and it had all been done,i tried to focus on the clock but it was a bit fuzzy i was still half asleep,the nurse told me to have a little sleep so i drifted in and out! next thing i knew i was getting wheeled back to my room,where my mum was waiting for me:) So when i came to a bit my mum told me what Dr Tadros had told her when he called her to say i was in recovery.
The op was more complicated than anticipated because i bled a lot,also my muscle was really hard to lift as it was stuck to my chest wall and every time he managed to get under a piece he would get to the next bit and it was stuck down too! so because of the bleeding i ended up getting drains in. I just feel bad i made Dr Tadros job more difficult(trust me haha) but all that aside i instantly felt happy and proud of my new assets i still cant believe it!!!:)
In the end he went for the size i chose which was 300cc round mentor under the muscle,he did try bigger but didnt look right with my small frame,anything bigger started to look a bit fake,im more than happy with what he went for i had every faith in him and he knows what hes doing and i trusted and knew he would do a fab job which he did:-D i just wanted to give him a massive hug(but couldnt coz i had 2 new tender bumps in the way) when he came round to c me and i seen them for the first time coz i was so happy and he has changed my life hes amazing at his job and i would highly recommend him!! And Albyne hospital as a whole was fantastic,the place was very clean professional and the staff were amazing even the catering staff and auxiliary's. food was great too!!
I got out after 2 nights as Dr Tadros just wanted to keep an eye and make sure the bleeding had stopped b 4 i left. getting the drains out wasnt great not gona lie but it was fine to get them out as they were uncomfortable being in. Im managing to control my pain with paracetemol and although i dont feel in huge amounts of pain im taking them regular so i dont get too sore. it just feels lijke iv done a mega chest day at the gym haha!! and doing things is a bit harder but i intend yo totally rest this week and take it really easy,im lucky i have great family and friends here to help me out,duno what id do without them. Anyway i have some before pictures which i will get up but its over and out just now as im getting tired. but il b back on to update soon.
one last thing,i cant tell u how amazing i feel,forgetting the pain and everything iv been through,not 1 ounce of regret has ever entered my mind,im totally happy and satisfied and so so glad i went ahead with it,i feel grrrrrreat:-Dxxx