From 32C to ?? Brand New 345 CC Silicone Unders for Age 29 Athletic Type- Chicago, IL

I had a great post-op appointment yesterday. My surgeon actually said that he had read my posts here, and was very thoughtful about proactively addressing all my concerns. He said that this course of progression during the week immediately post-op is extremely typical, and this is why he doesn't see post-op patients around day 4, but waits instead until a week afterwards. Of course, by this time I was feeling much better myself about the progress of my breasts. He was delighted with how they were looking.

My surgical tape came off (no more itching!) and I was allowed to switch from the surgical bra to a bralette (no more discomfort!) In addition, my surgeon told me that I was cleared to do light exercise with my legs only, as long as I didn't engage my chest muscles in any way (gripping stabilization bars, etc.), and as long as I paid close attention to my body and stopped at the sign of any discomfort. This was great news for me, because I hadn't expected to be able to do anything at the gym until 3 weeks in, and I was really missing it. Now I can use the machines to do leg press, calf press, inner and outer thighs, quads, hamstrings, etc.

From what I had read elsewhere, I was expecting to have to do chest stretches and breast massages, but my surgeon said that he doesn't use those in his practice as the science behind them doesn't seem to be there. Only time will allow the skin to slowly adapt and the implants to slowly drop and settle. However, I'm really happy with how they're looking already! My scars already look less gnarly than I expected, and even though they're a bit above my crease, you can't see them at all from the front. I'm massaging them frequently with aquaphor to moisturize them and promote collagen production, and will be getting some silicone gel for them later today. Of course, once I'm no longer wearing 5 layers outside, I will be using sunscreen on them religiously as well.

No photos for this one, but I wanted to document that for me, the most difficult stages of post-surgery were 1) the night immediately following surgery, and 2) days 4-5. This might seem counterintuitive; after all, I was no longer in pain and I was back to work. However, during days 4-5 I still found myself getting massively exhausted over the slightest exertion. Normally I go to bed between midnight and 1; during this time, I was too tired to do anything but read in bed by 6 pm, and I was ready to pass out by 10. I also found it difficult to walk more than a couple of blocks, or do simple things like open doors. Of course, in conjunction with limited mobility and feeling tired all the time, I was also concerned about how my breasts would turn out. Days 4-5 was when they were at their most swollen and slightly strange-looking, even though they had started to get softer. Altogether, this was frustrating to me, especially not knowing how long it would last - I was worried I would be like this for weeks. Luckily, this wasn't the case.

Starting on day 6 and fully on day 7, I felt like my regular self again. I was alert in the mornings and comfortably awake until my normal bedtime. I could walk around the block at a normal walking pace (instead of a grandma pace), and what's more, I didn't feel like I needed to sit down afterwards. The stiffness and soreness in my chest also faded rapidly until I no longer needed the occasional tylenol. I also started to feel much more comfortable with my new breasts - as the swelling went down, they hung more naturally and looked and felt much more like "mine." Being able to push them together also made them feel less far apart than when I couldn't. I no longer felt "top-heavy," but rather wonderfully curvy.

It's now day 4 after my surgery. I'm happy with the progress my breasts are making, but also can't help being impatient to see how they will look in the end. Just last night, they started to feel a bit softer and squishier - before then, they had been really tight and swollen, especially on the sides and underneath. They're definitely starting to feel more like breasts, even though they're much firmer than they will be in the end. They're also starting to take a more definite shape and losing some of that "snoopy" or "torpedo" look they had at first. I'm especially happy to see a defined line start to form around the outer edge of my side boob - before, it was just swollen and puffy over there.

However, I can't help feeling a bit concerned that my breasts seem too far apart. I know that I started out with a gap between my breasts - my doctor warned me of this - and that to look natural, the implants have to sit centered behind the nipple. Even so, though, when I look in the mirror now I find it a bit disconcerting. I somehow feel broad-chested or unnaturally wide up top. I'm trying to remind myself that my doctor knows what he's doing and knows what will look proportionate on me; that I was more of a pear shape before, and now will be more of an hourglass; and that as my breasts continue to drop and soften, they'll hang in a way that makes their spacing look more natural than it does now. Plus, if I want more cleavage, that's what push-up bras and halter tops are for! I just really want to like the way my boobs look without a bra - that's why I got the surgery.

On the other hand, I am really happy that my nipples look very even, and that they're both pointing front. The size also feels great to me - they're just about exactly the size that my push-up bra was before, which is precisely what I was going for. I had a friend come over who knew I had gotten surgery but didn't know what for, and while I was dressed, he didn't realize that my boobs were in fact what had changed. That makes me happy, because I want to look the same at work.

I still have some upper pole fullness or swelling that should subside, and of course plenty of dropping and fluffing to do. Based on the markings my surgeon made before surgery, I can tell that my crease has lowered just a tad (perhaps a quarter inch), but this new crease hasn't really formed yet since everything is too perky/tight for the time being.