Love My Explant and Breast Lift!

I have had breast implants since 2000. The first pair were Mcghan 550 CC. In 2012, I switched them out for Mentor, under the muscle, natural shape 450CC.
Over the past year I have dug deeply down the rabbit hole of all things breast implant related. While this was mostly a private and personal journey exploring the psychological reasons I wanted (and enjoyed) breast implants for the past twenty years, the more recent months have been dedicated to the medical process of their removal and their possible negative impact in my body.
Like all alterations to our appearance, there are endless layers of reasons, desires, and outcomes for our choices. With that being said, I have no desire to change or pathologize anyone’s choices for their body. Our bodies are best celebrated and decorated in whatever way brings us satisfaction.
Since turning forty, many of the ideas I had surrounding my body, its worth and my love of it, have evolved. Becoming pregnant was the first time I truly began a healthy and loving relationship with my body. I said gratitude prayers for every part of my body and saw its changing shape as the most beautiful experience I was blessed to witness. I adored every inch, pound, and curve.
After my daughters birth, my life focus became raising a little person, being a loving partner, taking on professional obligations, speaking at professional conferences, and leading a start-up company.
The implants in my chest began losing their importance at that time, they had been declining in personal value for years.
They became heavy. They were hard to hide in professional clothing.
The implants did not feel like me anymore.
My hair was also falling out at a rapid rate.
My face and eyes were always swollen. Every day. My eyes were never white without Lumify drops.
I was battling inflammation, pain in my left hand and neck, and a couple times a month wicked headaches invaded my space. In this past year, abdominal cramping had waged war on my body, bringing me into emergency rooms and multiple doctors visits. On a few occasions, I have awoken in the night with severe sharp pain in the cavity of my right-side chest, which lead to a midnight emergency room visit.
My intestines were swollen.
Are these experiences just part of ageing?
Is this the long term side effect of all the vitamins, supplements, and proteins I ingested in the early 2000’s?
After years of seeing various doctors, having blood panels, detoxing, MRI’s, ultrasounds, and X rays, no one knew. I was am in perfect health with the exception of uterus fibroids and unexplained inflammation on my entire body.
To what extent is hair loss, headaches, muscle aches, and inflammation a natural part of being forty-five and living in Southern California?
This past year I dedicated time to researching and meeting with doctors to explore what is happening in my body and the validity of breast implant illness.
I do not know if the symptoms I experienced will end with removing my breast implants. However, eight weeks post opp and no neck pain or headache yet!
More importantly, I was ready to let go of a well-lived season of life. In that same awareness, I also honor the journey of every women and her experience with her body and her environment. There is no room for judgement or shame when it comes to our bodies.
I am thrilled with the results!
Looking at the before photos, my implants were too big and sagging. They were uncomfortable and did not reflect what is important to me at this point in life. They could also be the culprit for the many inflammatory health problems these past five years. Curious if those symptoms continue to dissipate over time.
Dr. Park of North County Plastic Surgery created the small, natural, and perky look I was hoping for. I didn’t appreciate this natural look at age 25, and now love this look twenty years later. I hope my daughter appreciates her natural beautiful body as it is. This whole process has lead to meaningful body-loving conversations with my little girl. I am sharing these photos to show that it is possible to be content and happy with our natural breasts after explanting. This was a concern of mine prior to explanting.
As the tissue settles, they continue to change shape and fluff out! I had a fitting at Soma last week, I am a size C. Dr. Park took about 50 CC's tissue from the larger breast to balance out the size and symmetry of the two.
They are perfect to me!
Everything fits and feels better!
Best decision I made in 2020.
Dr. Park exceeded the expectations of this surgery, recovery, and end result. I had an easy recovery, felt great the next day, and only took pain meds over the first two days.
The lift makes all the difference in the world.
I am happy to answer any questions and to continue to share how positively the explant impacted my overall physical and mental well- being.