Day 30, healing, changes and what to be prepared forl!!

I will begin by saying that I found this website just 2 days prior to my explant surgery date of March 15th 2013. I read and soaked up all the reviews I could only to find my feelings confirmed and reassured by the many women who have had the same feelings and experience with implants. I am now 24 hours out (I had my surgery 8 am yesterday morning!) So here is my story in an effort to hopefully help others, support others and answer any questions that I can to help those who are about to go through this same experience.

I am 47 years old, had my implants at age 34 after having 3 children. I was a 34 B and a good one at that! However breast feeding (40 months total) and being pregnant in between breast feeding with my next child in a 5 year period left me at a 34A or AA and less than confident with my body and the changes it went through. I have always been a very confident individual, health conscious and fit, an avid exerciser, runner and in the past three years a 'yogi'. (Let me tell you when I was doing yoga poses I became disgusted that I ever even got these things!) After I made the decision to get implants I had many years where I was ambivalent about the decision I had made because of the way I felt about healthy habits. To think I went and electively allowed someone else to put something in my body that wasn't very healthy.
Over the course of the next 9 years I started to experience things that never happened before I had the implants like, rapid heart rate out of nowhere, for no apparent reason, pounding heart rate, optical migraines, and non-optical migraines, and about 2 years ago I started to notice my hands and feet becoming very cold (I was not diagnosed with Raynaud's). I also started to experience anxiety attacks. After many years and tests I began to think that it may be related to my implants (that was at about 9 years) even though both my primary care doctor and my PS did not think it was related, but did say that they couldn't be 100 % sure that it 'wasn't'.

I had my first consultation in September 2009 to discuss my explant, but chickened out because I just couldn't bear the thought of going under anesthesia (To top it all off I am a nurse and know way too much!). So I waited, I prayed, life happened and the kids kept me busy with sports, school and work. I dealt with migraines ( I was put on prescriptive meds at this point ) and the other ailments I stated above, however I kept focused on doing everything I could to remain healthy( eat right, exercise, get my sleep, etc.)

In August of 2011 I started a new full time job which consumed me (learning this new position for about a year), and in September of 2012 after much prayer and thought I made my appointment for my consultation to do the explant. I went back to my same doctor as I trusted him and felt he would listen to me and honor what my decision was. HE did! He asked my reasons for wanting them out (all those listed above) as well as telling him, I just don't want them and don't need them. A bigger reason I conveyed to him is that I have two daughters who are not very big in that area and then there I am, not being a good role model letting them know that they are beautiful however God made them. We all come into this world and whatever God gives us we are in our own right all 'beautiful'! I started feeling embarrassed and ashamed of them I told him. He really truly conveyed his understanding, which made me trust him and his expertise. He told me all the risks, the possibility of being even 'droopier' than before the implant and warned me about the potential for psychological distress from the appearance. He did ask me if I would think about smaller implants or a lift, but as he knew my reasons and my wishes I was adamant about not having anything foreign in my body anymore or anything else being changed ( a lift) with my breast. He did not push the issue and was very responsive to my desire to be implant free. Then came the examination: Upon examination of my breast tissue he did say that I had good elasticity still at my age and that giving myself a few months after the surgery he felt optimistic that I would have very good results and bounce back to close to what I was before the surgery. He said I may be a bit boggier from the stretch of the implant however he felt that I would have excellent results. I was so happy to hear that and so we scheduled my surgery date.

My first date was scheduled for Nov. 8th but wound up being cancelled as my husband had to go out of town. I did not want to do anything around the holidays so the first date I could schedule between my work, my husband’s work and the kids schedules was March 15th. And so girls here I am on March 16th! 1 day post op explant and I feel fabulous and empowered!!!! I am so elated that they are out and 'gone'!! Granted the first 24 hours were rough (nausea, no vomiting, little headachy...side effect of the anesthesia...but kept up with the pain meds and pain was the least of my worries) I will not lie (I am only 28 hours out right now), but ladies I am feeling better and it is so good to welcome my old friends home! I am still having tolerable pain. Keeping up with my meds, didn't sleep the greatest, but am feeling better each hour that passes by.

Surgery Day: March 15th 2013 8:00 am
Yesterday my nurse that welcomed me into the pre op area was great; she and the nurse anesthetist who started my IV were wonderful and very reassuring that everything was going to be ok. The doctor came in and spoke with me prior to the surgery. My intentions in our consultations were to go under the breast to remove the implants. I had the 'undies' or under the muscle saline filled Mentor implants with 400 cc's each that was originally done with a peri-areolear incision. Since I lost some sensation in the right nipple, I feared the chance of losing sensation he left nipple going in through the old incisions. He at that point told me that because we were creating a new incision ( infra-mammary or under the breast) to remove them there would be a better 'chance' of the possibility of losing of sensation in the new area rather than going through the old incision. This is the only decision I changed prior to my surgery (again because I trusted him). Then it was time they walked me to the OR, gave me a bit of versed after they placed me under a warming blanket, said breathe this oxygen Karen, and next thing I remember was waking up.

I was placed in a bra similar to the ones they give (sports bra type) when you get implants, and a triangle of tape around the areola with gauze over the nipples. So there you have it. It is a new day...a new beginning, the old me...but then the new 'natural' me...I already feel empowered, happy and yes I have looked at them several times and know they will be what they will be and I will be okay with whatever that is!

March 23rd, 2013
Hello everyone, it is day 9 and I am healing well! I apologize for not getting on this site everyday, but I have journaled everything and taken pictures so I will catch you up to date now and throughout the day.

Day 2- Saturday March 16th
This day was pretty much a loopy day, some off and on nausea, not much pain, however towards the end of the day, I started to get a bit of a headache. My doctor had me on Hydrocodone 7.5/325 mg ( for pain); Promethazine 25 mg as needed every 4 hours (for nausea) and Cephalexin 500 mg 2 times/day for 5 days ( propholactic antibiotic). I did take 1 1/4 mile casual walk (which I do not recommend) I was annihilated (but that is the fitness nut in me). Please 'REST' the
whole first four days. By Sat night didn't rest real well proped up on pilows so neck and back were sore by Sun. morning.

Day 3 - March 17- Sunday

Sunday was no picnic, I will not lie to you, I had a worse headache upon waking up this morning which had clearly turned to a migraine. I have a history of migraines so I did have my migraine medication on hand. I was taking the other meds so I was not real fond about taking any additional medications, but for anyone who has suffered from migraines you know they are horrific, and nausea was coupled with it, which was not fun. Needless to say I was down and out most of Sunday and I was praying for the day to be 'done'. I took my migraine medication at 2 pm when the promethazine finally kicked in enough for me to be sure I could 'hold down' food and water. One bad thing about this day is I did not get as much water in as I probably should have and I felt dehydrated. In the stages before and leading up to the migraine I was only able to hold down sips of ginger ale. In my defense, water couldn't have gone down because I couldn't drink or eat! By the evening and after dozing in and out all day, I felt better, migraine was 80-85% gone and I was at least coherent.

Day 4- Monday March 18th-
At 2:00am in the wee hours of Monday March 18th, I woke up because the migraine had returned and was unbelievably painful. I wound up taking another round of migraine medication, threw ice packs on my head and prayed to fall asleep again. My husband was very supportive in helping me get comfortable again, thankfully... Pain from surgery was under control as none of the medications I was taking had interactions. Most of the times I was told that the anesthesia can trigger a migraine, because of the nature of anesthesia causing vaso-dialation within our bodies. By Monday afternoon I was feeling 75% better, however still very tired and feeling drained from dealing with not only the surgery, but also the migraine.

Follow Up Post Op visit:
At 4pm I saw my PS and he said that I was healing beautifully and that I could resume normal activity over the next two weeks gradually!! He asked me to leave the tape on for at least a few more days and until Sat. or Sunday of this week- which I will. Next week I will see him again so he can take final pictures of before implants, after implants, and after explants. I have asked him for a copy so I can track my progress, and I will see if I can share when I get them. :-)

Day 5- Tuesday- March 19th

Tuesday was a decent day, tired but woke up without a migraine or much pain, although I did start back to work today ( against my wishes). If you have the opportunity I recommend taking the whole week off!! By the 5th day, I was in a normal push up bra, I am between a size 34 A-maybe with a hope and a prayer a B !! My right breast is smaller than my left breast, but it always has been. Tape is still on and I am feeling pretty well. I am only taking Acetominophen 1000mg (OTC) for occasional pain. I was tired by end of the day Tuesday but at least NO migraine and I was finally getting an appetite back!
More to come ladies!!!

Hi all I am healing well! And still so happy with my decision!! I am healing well, some 'puckering' beneath the nipple to the right breast ( the smaller one), however I am confident that it is going to work itself out according to what my PS said today. I am going to begin massages as it feels kind of 'lumpy' where the incision line is ( nipple line) from the healing of all the 'layers'. I really feel like it will work itself out, and I am prayerful and hopeful!! Today I did my first full 'jog' of 2.0 miles and no pain!! I felt great!! I look forward to getting back into the ful swing of my exercise routine ( yoga, jogging, speed walking) soon. I am set to run my first 5K this Saturday post explant, so wish me luck!! I will post pics soon!! I promise ladies... Talk to you all soon. Heads held high ladies!!