Breastlift with Implants

Before I share my story, I've got to say that the Real Self platform was just a genius idea! I've been contemplating a breast lift for over a year and I desperately wanted to talk to people who had experienced the procedure first hand. I wanted to know and see the good, the bad and the ugly of what it entailed and what I should expect and watch for. This was something that was very private for me, so I wasn't going to just hop onto Facebook and post - "Hey, who out there got a boob lift w/ implants and wants to show me all of their recovery pics from start to finish, oh, and let's talk about infections... necrosis.... asymmetry ... bloating?!" ...asking for a friend.
So... having Real Self as a tool for research was invaluable to me. There wasn't much of anything I experienced before, during or after my surgery that caught me off guard. Between Real Self and podcasts (I'm a podcast junky) I was well armed and prepared for all that I've experienced so far. (Daniel Barrett / The Natural Plastic Surgeon and Rady Rahban/ Plastic Surgery Uncensored were the most helpful & informative podcasters).I am almost four weeks post-op and wasn't planning on sharing, but it's only fair to give back to this great community. And I want to say thank you to all of the women on here who shared. You've been so helpful. :)Here's my story: In my youth, my breasts were fine, but never spectacular. I've never had children; never been overweight. But age and gravity don't care - they made my breasts quite UN-spectacular! Plus I recently turned 50. Between the ongoing drooping of my breasts and the psychological effect that turning 50 had on me, I started to really think about getting some help for my sad little body and started saving up the money. Here are my stats:Age - 50Weight at time of surgery - 128Height 5'7"Pre-surgery bra-size - Victoria Secret Lace Demi 34C (should've been a B; the 34C had gotten very loose in the cup)Implant brand & size: Allergan Natrelle Inspira SoftTough 345cc on both sidesBody type & lifestyle:  I guess you'd call me slender or lean. I'm long-waisted and have OK muscle tone. In the past I did extreme exercise like HITT and Crossfit; bit only running in the last 5 years. Non-smoker; non-drinker; no drugs or prescriptive meds; I eat healthy 75% of the time; run 3x a week but currently am not doing anything with weights.Well before surgery - choosing a doctor:I scheduled consultations with 3 surgeons (all outside of my local market because I couldn't find any before/after pics online from local doctors that I liked). However, after meeting with Dr. Ulm, my husband and I both felt so confident and comfortable with him, I cancelled my other appointments. He took time with us and never made me feel embarrassed or uncomfortable. He is kind, meticulous and compassionate. He listened and made recommendations while letting me explore all of the options available for my size.  His credentials are 2nd to none; he's double board certified and did his fellowship at Harvard. Dr. Ulm is the man! I am lucky to have him as my doctor. 2 weeks prior to surgery:I usually eat fairly clean when possible, but stepped up my game prior to surgery. I comfortably cut back on bad carbs like sweets and cut out breads; trying to reduce inflammation. I also took HealFast pre-op supplements in the days before surgery.I purchased a couple surgical bras and sit-up bed-pillow prior to surgery. I picked up my med prescriptions prior to surgery. It's also a good idea to buy a pack of 5x9 abdominal pads because your doc may recommend using those post op. I am a germ-a-phobe and rather than use the dial antibacterial soap my nurse recommended, I used Hibiclens pre-surgery antibacterial cleanser for 2 days in a row prior to surgery as well as the morning before.

The day of surgery was easy. We scheduled an early afternoon appt and I was well rested and calm. This surgery took about 1-1/2 to 2 hours and I don’t remember a thing til we were checked out and walking into our hotel room.
My hubby showed me a video he took after coming out of recovery. He asked me who he was, and I was calling him Brad Pitt, lol. You know he liked that!!
As my head got clearer I started to feel discomfort - I guess from the swelling, but really didn’t feel any pain all evening. I took my pain medicine so that I wouldn’t start to hurt, and muscle relaxer. I never felt nauseated and slept pretty well. It was a little uncomfortable to sit up tall or cough.

The follow up visit was the next morning. This was my first time seeing the twins since the surgery! To me, they looked ENORMOUS!!! I had heard of breast greed and immediately thought “I won’t be experiencing that!”

We had an easy drive home and I chilled out the rest of the night. I didn’t feel much pain, except my ribs were sore and when I breathed in deep or sat up, that was uncomfortable. I took an afternoon and evening pain, plus my antibiotic and muscle relaxer. I was thankful that I wasn’t in extreme pain. The meds were doing their job! I slept most of the evening.