I'm 23 and planning a BA for early next year,...
I'm 23 and planning a BA for early next year, haven't picked my date yet but likely January or February. So far I've been researching surgeons and interviewed and talked to several in various states even. I've known that I want to do transaxillary for awhile now because I want to avoid scars on my breasts. I know that later down the road if I need revision that it'd have to be inframammary incisions, but I'm not worried about that. The implants I get will last several years (10-15 even) from the research I've done, as long as I don't have complications. I feel like I'm a good candidate for this surgery because of my age and overall health, so that complications are highly unlikely. Basically, it's worth it to me to have boobs without scars at this time in my life.
I finally found a surgeon that I want to move forward with. My consultation at his office was great, he spend ample time with me and answered all my questions, plus their office had a Vectra 3D imaging system, which was so helpful to visualize my potential results.
I've decided to go with Natrelle Inspire round silicone gel implants in a moderate profile, and will be choosing somewhere between 375-405ccs. I trust my doctor to choose in the OR because he will use sizers to determine what looks best before inserting the final implants.
I want natural looking results above all. I'm currently a small 34B, and would like to be a full C or small D. I'm so excited to get this process going. I've wanted a BA for about 3 years now, and am so happy it's finally coming together.
Wish pics
These are some of my wish pics, again going to natural full looking breasts, but not to big.
Surgery booked
Today I booked my surgery and put the deposit down. My scheduled date is Jan 18th and my pre op appointment is Dec 29th. I'm so excited and hope my breasts will be looking great by Summer 2016.
What I'm currently working with
So here are some before pics, I'll post my naked breasts closer to the surgery date most likely. I'm a very small 34 B, and after surgery my PS says I'll likely be a 36 C or D because my rib cage is closer to 35-36 around. This made sense to me because a lot of my 34B bras feel tight, and I sometimes now often wear my Victoria's Secret Pink bra in 36B and the fit is better.
I'm 5'6'', weighing about 130-135 pounds.
Finally told the BF and got Labs done
I finally told my boyfriend that I'm having a BA. He knew I'd been thinking a lot about it but now he knows that I'm actually scheduled and have money down and everything ! Overall, he just said "congratulations" and is supportive. I just asked him not to share it with anyone since it's a personal decision but I know he wouldn't anyway. It's amazing to me how people have such different reactions when I mention BA because some people seem to think it's a reflection of not loving yourself but that's not it at all! I do love myself I just want full breasts to feel womanly and have a beautiful silohuette and look better in clothes and swim suits especially. I'm worried about what my boyfriend will think afterwards if he will look at me differently but I'm trying not to overthink it! I know he likes big boobs in a totally normal guy way but I just think it'll be strange since he will see me during the recovery process. I will just have to remind him they take up to 6 months to fully settle! Today I got my Labs done which I needed to do before my pre op appointment. I had a CBC and PTT done which basically is to make sure I am healthy and can clot blood well. My Surgeon said I didn't need to do any other before tests since I'm generally healthy :) so excited and anxious but mostly excited lol
Pre-operative complete, paid too!
Today was my pre operative appointment with Dr. Stephens. It went great overall. My mom also went with me to my appointment to be an extra set of ears since she will be taking care of me the first 48+ hours after surgery and helping keep track of my meds.
To start, I was given paperwork to start looking over, then met with the RN to go over everything in the paperwork and sign everything. The paperwork was essentially all the instructions for what to do prior to surgery, and after. Plus, getting all the prescriptions I need which will be: a pain med (oxycodone), a muscle relaxer, an antinausea med, and antinausea patch for behind my ear to put on the day before surgery, and an antibiotic to prevent infection. The RN was very friendly and thorough which was great especially since my mom was there asking tons of questions lol.
Next, I changed into a robe so the PS could examine me once more and confirm implant choices. I'm doing Natrelle Inspira Moderate profile. He will use sizers in the operating room (his office has its own surgery suite) to choose the best size for me, likely either 405cc or 445cc, I trust him to decide which looks better with my goals. I'm also doing transaxillary approach.
Then I had pictures taken and signed some more consent forms. I don't mind having my photos on their website and such for other women to look at who are considering BA.
Lastly, I paid the rest of my balance for surgery! And scheduled my 1 week post op appointment.
On the day of surgery, I will meet the anesthesiologist and go over the plan once more with the the PS and team.
They'll also give me instructions for the strap I'm going to be wearing post surgery, and other recommended items to get.
I'm so excited ! Very thorough and productive appointment. Less then 3 weeks til the big boob day haha.
Giving away several bras, bittersweet
So today I decided to do some organizing since my surgery is a little over 2 weeks away. I'm giving away most my bras because I know they won't fit post surgery. I have to say as excited as I am for this surgery, it feels bittersweet getting rid of them. I always bought the 34B push ups from VS and I'm so curious to see what my new size will be. My Boyfriend even got me a gift card to VS to use when I'm ready. I will have to get new pretty bras after and that will make me feel better lol. I've always loved lingerie so it'll be nice to start fresh. Trying to stay positive ! :)
3 days left !
Well Tuesday morning I woke up with a cold. Figures! So frustrating since I've been trying to be careful, using hand sanitizer like crazy and taking 1000mg vitamin c each day. My main symptoms are congestion and runny nose but I'm scared of it going to my chest which would mean I'd have to postpone surgery which would be awful since I planned my work schedule and time off around this! Doing everything I can to get better, medicine that doesn't have ibuprofen, as well as tons of fluids and emergenc-e.
This is one of the pics from my vectra preop consultation. Picture shows 405cc mod profile Inspira. I'll post the rest when I've edited my tattoo out. Also the gap between my breasts looks more dramatic in the image because of the lighting and flash so I'm hoping it'll look much more subtle after my surgery.
Can't believe it's almost here ! Nervous and excited :)
Night before... Last thoughts
So today was quite the emotional roller coaster and thankfully my boyfriend has been so supportive. I don't have to remind myself why I'm doing this but I don't have to remind myself that it will all be okay. I can't keep over thinking "what-if" about EVERY little thing or it will just bring me stress and negative vibes. I need to stay positive :)
I think another big stressor for me is that I'm a full time student, taking 3 online classes this quarter in a bachelors program and just want to make sure I stay caught up so i did several assignments this weekend ahead of time so I won't have to worry about them in the coming week.
Phew! I'm supposed to shower tonight and tomorrow morning using an antiseptic skin cleanser called Hibicleanse I think. And my check in time is 7am! Which means I'll be up early!
My cold is mostly gone and I feel 85% back to normal. The anesthesiologist even called me tonight and reassured me that I'll be ok.
Tonight I'm also supposed to put a nausea patch behind my ear that lasts 48-72 hours.
Here goes !
Goodnight xo
Post op day 1
So it's about 6:30 am on my post op day 1. The surgery went well according to the surgeon. He ordered 3 sizes, 405cc, 445cc, and 485cc. He used sizers in the OR to determine what would look best and he ended up going with the 405cc moderate profile Inspira implants in each breast because he said the breast pocket was relatively small and tight. I'm in a post surgical bra and have a compression strap on. He said I can shower after 48 hours but I'm not sure if I'll want to that soon, maybe will wait another day.
My moms been helping me with keeping all my pain meds on a schedule and my surgeon gave me a day & time log so it's easier to keep track of when meds are being taken. Unfortunately I gave both my parents my cold..
I'm at about 4/10 on the pain scale, the oxycodone, Tylenol and muscle relaxers help the most. I'm just being really careful cuz I can't to much on my own cuz my incisions are in my armpit so I can't use my arms for anything really.
My bed is all set up with tons of pillows, it helps to have one under my knees too and I'm using an ice pack on my chest. The only sucky thing is I'm still at the tail end of my cough so every so often I do have to cough and I hope that's not going to affect the healing process too much.. Can't wait to take this bra off to see what they look like, he said they'd be high and tight at first which I already could guess would be the case.
My boyfriend came and visited me yesterday which was nice and it was in the evening so the anesthesia had worn off by then and I wasn't super groggy.
I'll post pics as soon as I'm able to.
That's all I can think of for now :)
So glad it's done!
Day 3/4
Implants are very high and tight so I can't wait for them to start dropping and fluffing. Pain is a constant 3-4 unless I get behind on a pain med then it goes up to a 5-6. Luckily that's only happened once. I took my bra and strap off today for the first time and got to peak. It hurt really bad when I took the bra and strap off though so I put both back on after just a few mins.
On the first and second day from surgery I did have nausea and vommitting which was awful and I still have a lingering cough which is uncomfortable. I was considering trying to go to target with my mom but now I think I may just stay home and rest. Also having bloating really bad so taking stool softener to help !
That's all for now! :)
9 days post op
So far I'm happy with how quickly I'm feeling better and not needing pain meds and such. I only use Tylenol occasionally but no more pain killers which means no more constipation and constant pain. I had my 1 week post op appt yesterday and met with a nurse who took of my steri strips (didn't hurt too bad) and told me some massages and movements to start doing as I heal.
I still have a lot of dropping and settling to do which is testing my patience but I know the results aren't instant so i know hanging in there is just part of the process.
I ordered a couple post surgery bras so that I have options. I've been able to stay caught up with school but I can't wait for the quarter to be over. I also went to my primary care doc yesterday and got a prescription for my lingering cough but she said to try and let my body keep fighting it and if it's not gone by the weekend to get it filled. Apparently antibiotics can cause yeast infections so I'm hoping my body will do the work and I won't need more meds.
Yesterday I took a shower by myself which was great, just took it slow. I'm self conscious of my boobs in front of my boyfriend but we both know they won't stay looking this way over time.
That's it for now :) trying to stay positive. Can't wait to get back to exercising, like walking my dog and doing yoga.
2 wks post op
Can't wait for them to start dropping more. My range of motion is improving and I'm doing exercises like stretching my arms over my head as high as is comfortable so that it gets better over time. I think my scars are healing fine, I'm still happy with my incision choice. I'm at 14 days PO but my 2 wk post appt with my surgeon is this Wednesday so he'll let me know how I'm progressing. I drove for the first time today and did fine just tricky taking sharp turns and such. I could've sooner since I've been off pain meds awhile but just didn't feel comfortable yet and now I feel like I've gained a little independence back. Like I said, just want them to drop, but I know it's a slow process.
16 days post op scars
Had my 2 wk post op appt today. Got approved to start using scar treatment, so I ordered bicorneum because it's the only FDA approved scar treatment and it was on Amazon prime so I'll start it this Friday when it arrives. Silicone scar sheets by scaraway are supposed to be good too but he said because of my incision location it's hard to have the sheets stay since the armpit runs against it and is also an area more prone to moisture.
Doc said everything looks like it's healing great and I'll notice more dropping after the 4wk mark. He also said to start taking vitamin E 1200 iu a day, for 1 month, to help prevent capsular contracture. Even though it's not strongly proven to reduce chances of it, I'll do anything I can to prevent it and my PS has a very low rate for CC.
Their office even gave me a gift for my surgery, either 1 Botox session or 1 box of Latisse, so I think I'm going to choose the Latisse.
That's it for now! Going back to work this weekend, maybe even sooner, tomorrow or Friday if they need me. Ttfn!
3 wks post op
Still a long ways to go but I can tell a difference mainly when I look at myself from a profile perspective. The left is a tad higher, that was the tighter pocket.
Still massaging at least daily if not a few times a day. Practicing exercises to increase motion range of arms and it's getting much better I can just about put my arms straight over my head.
I had to go back to work which isn't too bad so far just have to make sure not to over do it and wash my hands like crazy to avoid getting sick or anything.
Still taking vitamin e daily as well as the supplements I got from makemeheal.com and I think they're doing me good. Also trying to remember to drink lots of water.
1 month post op appt next week. Still wearing compression strap basically all the time minus a couple hours a day. Also using biocorneum so I'm excited to post results with that too :)
Best to all!
Lingerie!
Ordered 2 lingerie sets from adoreme.com because they were having a BOGO sale and free express shipping at the time. Ordered size medium and absolutely love both of them. Even though my breasts haven't fully settled yet, i can't even explain how amazing it feels to wear something totally unlined with no padding and feel like I look good in it! It almost brings me to tears. For years I was so dissatisfied with my breasts and always had to wear tons of padding and push up and felt like I didn't even wanna take my bra off in front of my bed because it was just false advertising so to speak and I hated the way my breasts looked naked. I feel like when they're settled they'll look very proportionate with my frame. I'll update again after my 1 month post op appt.
best to all!
5 weeks post op
Today I'm 5 weeks post op. My scars are already flattening and I'm hoping they'll keep fading and flattening as I continue to us the biocorneum.
The bra I'm wearing is a low impact sports bra from forever 21 that's lightly lined. I still have a lot off dropping to do, I know the real results aren't until the 3-6 month range so I am being Patient. You can tell I still have a lot of dropping to go because it essentially looks as if I'm wearing a push up even though I'm not at all my boobs are just high still.
Anyway I've been massaging scar tissue each day at least 10mins a day on each side, but I try and do more if I can. The compression band only needs to be worn at night now but I still wear it during the day sometimes if I'm just at home. Only pain I have is if I over use my arms or do a quick steering wheel turn or something.
Best to all !
Little update and scar pics
I'm 6 weeks and 2 days post op.
So glad time is flying by as it always does because I'm liking and enjoying my results more as time goes on and as I heal. My bfs mom is a very experienced massage therapist and helped me break up scar tissue today which wasn't bad. I've been massaging regularly so that's really helped my range of motion.
Scars are looking okay for where I'm at, been using the biocorneum 1-2x a day. Still only doing lower body exercises like crunches, squats, lunges, etc and I go for walks often. Plus stretching as yoga helps a lot.
Still have a lot of dropping and fluffing to do. Size doesn't seem that big but hopefully will look modest/natural when all settled in :)
Best to all!
7 weeks
Still enjoying them.
Tried on a zillion bras at Macy's the other day and 36C fits like a glove so I'm pretty certain that's my new size, which is fine with me. Again they're not that huge but I do admit I think they look proportionate. Even as I continue to drop and settle I don't see myself going up any size further as far as cup size or anything.
Been massaging but need to keep on it!
That's all for now!
15 weeks wow time flies
Just wanted to post and updated pic. My new boobs aren't super big but I think they look proportionate and will continue to drop nicely. Loving them!
