Recovery Concerns - Bozeman, MT

I am very grateful for this site! I am 52 with saline implants under the muscle for 8 years. I am sick of them. I have recently resumed running and though not huge (34 full C) I feel top heavy as the rest of me gets smaller. I weigh 118 lbs, athletic build at 5'3". I don't like the feeling of so much on my chest. My concern is I'm training for a half marathon in Jan. I can't afford time off from training. I have not met with my surgeon yet but do know that he would intentionally fail the implants, allow them to "leak" naturally then remove them some 2-3 months after the pin-prick procedure. I'm concerned about how the leaky or empty implants will look/feel. Should I wait to have that part done after the race in Jan or would it be feasible to go ahead and have the intentional failure done, train, then have the surgery. I guess my biggest concern is how long I'll have to wait before I can run again. Any other runners out there? Thank you so much!

I saw my PS today.He placed my saline implants in 2005. I trust him to do the best job possible. He wants to wait until after the race in January to perform the "intentional failure" of my implants. This consists of applying a numbing agent to the skin then puncturing the implant with a 22 g. needle. They will leak slowly over 3 months or so. This allows me to have a realistic idea of what things will look like and my skin will adapt to the change. I then go in and have them removed. By doing it this way it will be apparent if I need a lift or not. He was doubtful I will. I was thrilled that the cost is $2000. He didn't try to sell me more implants or pressure me in any way. He was optimistic that my breast tissue would rebound nicely, but of course admits it's not something he can know 100% in advance. I just wish I didn't have to wait until the end of April. He will do it all at once with no delay if I opt to do so. The good news for me is very little down time from exercise post-op. Couldn't be happier!

Well, it turns out the surgeon who placed my implants 9 years ago has accepted a position out of state. I was pretty devastated initially. However, I went to see a recommended surgeon today and was thrilled to learn he will remove them under a local. He is booked until the end of March except for next Friday...so I scheduled! This will give me less time to stress about it. He said no running/skiing, etc for a minimum of two weeks but I can do the bike, stepper, walk, etc. So, this time next week I will get 2 lbs off my chest and hopefully love the old me again. I will post pics. Thank you all!