I have been desiring implants for years now....
I have been desiring implants for years now. Before I had children my breasts were awesome, perky full Cs. After 3 pregnancies and breastfeeding, they were left very small and deflated.
I had two consultations. My first consultation was close to home, the nurse was very nice and extremely informative. She made me feel very comfortable. The doctor was nice as well, but he didn't have as much experience as I wanted. At second consultation, about 2.5 hours away, the staff and doctor did not take as much time with me and I did not feel as "at home", but the doctor had much more experience and is quadruple certified. I was also more impressed with his before and after photos. He also mentioned things that would need to be done to correct my asymmetry, that the first surgeon had not brought up at all. In the end, I was looking for a good surgeon, not a new friend, so I went with the second surgeon.
I just had my pre-op appointment which went well. Everyone was very nice. I was re-measured and chose a final size after looking at different options on their vectra 3D imaging system. Originally, I wanted to stay conservative with size and was thing 375cc. After reading a ton of reviews and researching, I decided I didn't want to regret going too small. My surgeon said that with my height and breast width, he recommended larger implants. He chose style 15 moderate plus profile, partly because I was wanting a more natural look, and also because the style 15 are slightly wider, to match my current breast width. I will be getting 457cc in my right breast and 492 in the left. The fold of my left breast will be slightly lowered to match the shelf of my right breast. They briefly went over what to expect the day of surgery and afterward, and sent me home with some instructions.
I know my breasts will not be perfectly symmetrical, but I'm hoping they will be pretty evenly matched and my nipples will line up properly. I also hope they don't sit too low. A lift was never mentioned or discussed, so I assume I don't need one.
I work with children and am a mother and wife, so I'm hoping my augmentation isn't incredibly obvious! But I do want nice full C (or small D) breasts again. Hoping they will look more perky and I get nice cleavage. Feeling hopeful.
I'm nervous about recovery, as I only have 5 days off before my first day back at work. My surgeon said people sometimes return to work after 3 days, so I should be fine, but I'm just not sure. I also have 3 small children that require lots of attention and affection. We don't have any family (or even babysitters) in the state. My husband will of course be helping, but as moms know, sometimes Dad just isn't the same! I'm already sad about potentially not being able to grab my 1 year old pick her up for a big Bear hug for a while :( I'm also a stomach sleeper, so I'm wondering if that will need to change after my surgery. I love my sleep so this is a big concern for me!
I haven't done much to prepare for surgery yet. It's 13 days away at this point. I did purchase a couple zip front sports bras, but that's about it. They recommend I start showering with an antibacterial body soap, refrain from any drinking/smoking, eat healthy, and take a multivitamin until surgery. I'll have to buy some soap, but I'm trying my best at those other things!
I'll post some before pictures soon.
Surgery Day
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11 Mar 2016
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Day of treatment
(Mostly) clean house, fresh sheets, kiddos at daycare, just arrived at the surgery center and waiting to be called back. Since I wasn't allowed to use any lotions, moisturizers, deodorants, makeup, products of any kind, eat or drink anything... my skin is dry and uncomfortable and I'm dying without coffee. Ready to get this over with! A little nervous. Will update afterwards.
13 hours post op
Surgery completed as of 1pm yesterday afternoon. It's now 2am. Been sleeping since I got home, so in wide awake now. The pain is manageable, sore but not miserable (yet). Going light on the pain meds since Im not in terrible pain. I also have a pain pump in, so im sure that helps. I think I may have over exerted myself already by getting out of bed and down the stairs to use the restroom and get myself a snack. Next time I'm waking my husband up! I don't remember much from the surgery or the ride home. It was a 3 hour drive but i must have slept through the whole thing. Here is a picture of the results (still in surgical bra so can't see much. Nervous about attempting to shower tomorrow and seeing them for the first time. We will see how it goes!
Before pics
Just realized I never added any before pictures, so here they are. Deflated and small, also pretty asymmetric.
26 hours Post-Op
Still taking it very easy, spending all my time in bed. It was getting difficult to keep track of when I was able to take certain medications (Currently on Hydrocodone (pain), Diazepam for muscle tightness, Cephalexin (antibiotic), Colace (stool softener), nausea tabs when needed, plus my regular vitamins (Women's Multi, Probiotic, and Fish oil).. some can't be taken at the same time, and they all have different directions as how often they can be taken. I quickly became overwhelmed, so I downloaded an application on my phone, put in the med information, and it alerts me when it is time to take a certain pill. That has helped a lot!
My pain is hardly noticeable with the medication, but when it starts to wear off its very tender and sore near the incision site (breast fold), and around my underarms (Which I didn't expect). I have been sleeping most of the time. I don't have much of an appetite but I make sure to eat a little something every time I take the meds. Luckily I haven't been nauseas at all so far, so I haven't had to take the nausea medication.
I still haven't removed the surgical bra or taken a shower. My paperwork says I am able to shower after 24 hours, but I just don't feel ready or up to it yet. So I plan to wait until tomorrow morning. I'm nervous about seeing them for the first time. I'm also nervous about removing the pain pump, eek.
They don't look a big as I thought they would, considering they are 457/492cc, I was assuming they would on the larger side. Of course I know I'm only one day post, and I do have a tight surgical bra on, so I'm really not sure. I am happy so far that I did it. It didn't really hit me until today that I actually went through with it... I will actually have boobs again!
The only people that know about it are some of my coworkers and my husband. I haven't told any family or friends yet. Mostly because I did this for myself, and I don't really think it's anyone's business to be honest! If they ask me, I will tell the truth of course, but it's just not something I feel I should shout from the rooftops.
Anyway, that's all for now. I will post a new update tomorrow, hopefully with some pictures of the new boobs after my shower adventure.
2 days post op
So far so good! I don't want to jinx myself, but recovery so far has been pretty easy. Not too much pain or discomfort with the meds and taking it easy. Late morning today I took my first shower (my husband helped me tie my hair back) and removed my pain pump (I should say my husband removed my pain pump). It didn't cause me any discomfort and he did it while I was still in the shower so I could rinse off any blood or discharge that came from it. Afterward he put a small bandaid on each side to absorb any extra leakage from the pump areas. After the shower I felt even better. I was able to get myself dressed, make myself some food and get up and down on my own, just being careful not to overextend my arms.
Got my first look at my new breasts today. They are a but high but not way up to my shoulders as I have seen in many post op photos. I am experiencing a bit of bloating but nothing too bad. I havent had even a touch of nausea either, which i am thankful for. I have been drinking lots of water and making sure to eat something healthy (ish) whenever i take my meds. It got to be a little overwhelming to remember when to take everything, so i downloaded an app to remind me when i am able to take a certain med, and that has helped a lot.
My breastsbaren't exactly even in size or symmetry right now, I'm hoping they will match up a bit more as they heal, but I wasn't expecting perfection, given my previous asymmetry, so I'm not surprised by that. I'm glad I went with the larger size (457 and 492), as I wouldn't want them any smaller than they turned out. I'm excited to see what happens and how they change over the next few months. Will keep posting with progress.
Day 3 post op update
Today is my third day after surgery. Not posting any pictures because they haven't changed much since yesterday :)
I am feeling great. Slight tightness in my breasts but no pain at all, even with very little medication. My only pain is in my lower back, which is quite uncomfortable. I seem to get a shooting pain down my lower back when I lower my chin to my chest. I think this has been caused by sleeping inclined on my back. I am normally a tummy sleeper, so I'm having a hard time with this. I may try a heating pad or icy-hot patch to help with my lower back pain. But I can't get to sleep in this position without meds. Hoping at my 1 week post op appointment, my doc will tell me I can at least shift to my side! :/
I have no issues with arm movement, I can lift them above my head to tie my hair up, and have taken a t shirt on and off with no issues. I'm trying to restrict my arm movement as much as possible just for safety sake, but comfort wise I can do basically anything. Today I was up in the morning making coffee, getting my son ready for school, picked up a bit around the house, and even (carefully) swept the floor and folded some laundry. Thankful for all my husband's help with our 3 kids, but he's not the best house keeper :P
Trying to take naps and drink lots of water, as well as keep up on my vitamins to aid in the healing process. I still have 3 days until I return to work (for one day, then I will have 4 more days off). Starting to think maybe I was over cautious and I won't need so much time away from work. But I'm going to enjoy it anyway!
Anyone else about 3 days post today?
4 days post
Surgery was midday Friday, it's now Tuesday afternoon. I'm still feeling very well, off the medication for the most part, up and getting around, doing most things on my own. Getting pretty good at getting my 20 month old into her high chair/ crib / my bed by balancing her on my leg and lifting her up that way... haha. She even knows to latch onto my leg when she wants to be lifted up somewhere. Kinda funny. Had my first outing to go out to eat with the family. Heavy SUV doors are rough to close once you're sitting in the seat, so it's a good idea to have a gentleman be chivalrous and open and close your doors for you ;) other than that things have gone pretty easy. Just taking it slow, and trying to be careful. I feel like I could go back to work and be fine at this point, but I just don't want to yet ;) my boss said she may not need me to come in on thursday, which would mean another 6 uninterupted days off. That would be awesome! My only concern is gaining weight. I haven't been active at all this week and have been eating every time I take meds to avoid stomach upset. My job keeps me going and active, so I'm getting lazy just relaxing all day.
After wearing a comfy zip up sports bra for a day, I put the surgical bra back on for today, and it is super tight and uncomfortable on my incisions. I'm dealing with it for today but might have to stick to the sports bra after this.
As far as the boobies go, they're still very hard, not extremely high but definitely have some settling to do. I'm seeing that my left breast (which was smaller to begin with, so has a larger implant) is sticking out to the side into my underarm area, as if it is too wide. My right side is not too wide, but seems much "taller" than my left side. So, while my nipples are even, the circumference of my breasts are totally different. I'm holding out hope that they even out more as they settle. But we will see.
6 days post
Yesterday was the first day I stayed awake all day without taking any naps. I was supposed to go to work today, but I decided to wait until next week as my job is somewhat physical. I debated taking my kids to the St Patricks Day parade today, but my husband wouldn't be able to come with, and I definitely don't feel comfortable wrangling all 3 kids in public by myself yet. So we will have to settle for playing in the yard instead, or maybe a walk to the park. I'm feeling good, about 80% myself, just a little tightness and trying to limit my arm movement as much as possible. I mostly notice it when I'm trying to open a jar, carry a plate of food with one hand, close a car door, or open this one drawer in our fridge that sticks and you really have to yank on it! Unloaded the dishwasher successfully but I haven't been able to switch laundry from the washer to the dryer because of all the reaching and stretching. So I have my husband do that part and I handle the folding. He also did our grocery shopping yesterday for the first time EVER. With 2 of our kids in tow. I was very impressed. If only I could milk this surgery a little longer ;)
(TMI alert) yesterday my husband and I decided to be intimate. He needed it and I gave it a shot for his sake. In hindsight I would have waited a few more days. We took it very easy but I was still so concerned about the boobs that I couldn't focus on enjoying anything :P
Tomorrow is my post op appointment (3 hours away) so I'm still stressing about how I'm getting there as I'm nervous to drive that much on my own.
I know I need to stop resting so much and start getting up and being more active so I don't gain a hundred pounds. Thinking daily walks as of today and eating much lighter. I can already feel myself getting fluffier after 6 days on the couch (although it has been great!) But I didn't spend all this money on boobs just to let the rest of myself go. I've never been a gym person or someone that "works out" but I do typically run around all day at my job and at home. So it's been a change.
Anyway, I'll post more pictures tomorrow.
1 week post op appointment update
Just drove 2.5 hours to my post op appointment, the drive went surprisingly well. I think that week of doing nothing was a good idea. Appointment was very quick, and I didn't see the surgeon at all which was kind of annoying. I'd figured he would come in to see how his work was coming along and so I could ask about how I can expect the asymmetry to work out over time. However, I only saw a nurse for about 5 minutes. She removed my steri strips and told me to start massaging my breasts and stretching my muscles. I kind of wish my breasts would stay as perky and high as they are now, but I know they will settle lower. I am looking forward to them softening up, though. Saw my incisions for the first time, so posting some pictures I took in the bathroom after my appointment :P
Left breast is still a bit larger and sticking out more to the side. I'm convinced this implant was too wide for my bwd on that side, but I'm being patient and waiting to see how they settle. Over all I am happy with them so far. I am also happy that even though they seem rather large in just a bra, I can hide them very well in clothes and not draw any unwanted attention. So included some pics in my zip up hoodie to show that :)
Dreading the "drop and fluff"!
Most people can't wait for their breasts to come down and fluff up. I definitely wouldn't mind them getting softer, but I don't want them to head any further south! They were never super high into my shoulders post op, just a little tight up top. They are starting to loosen up a bit, I'm just sad that they probably won't stay as perky as they are now! It's nice to try on cute nighties and have nice perky boobs to fill it out, that stay up and have cleavage without a bra! If I could pause the process right now, I think I would!
2 weeks post op... a little wonky :/
Well it's been 2 weeks on the dot now, and what a week it has been. Since I've been back at work, it's just been go-go-go. I didn't realize how physical my job was until now. All I do is run around, lift things, drive, moving, pushing things, drive some more, lift some more things, and run around some more! Then having 3 small kids and a house to take care of, there's no shortage of physical work going on at home either. It doesn't cause me any pain, usually, I just know I'm not SUPPOSED to be doing a lot of these things, so it worries me. But unfortunately i have no choice. I have to work, and I have to parent!
As far as boobs go, they're still hard as rocks. Really impatient for them to soften up! They're also pretty wonky. I don't expect perfect symmetry, as they were different pre op, but I'm really hoping they heal more symmetrical than they currently are.
My left breast (which was the smaller one, thus has the larger implant and the fold lowered) is sticking out more into my arm pit, and has a bit of a visible line on the bottom (seemingly from my old crease, like a slight double bubble). I can feel the left implant on the bottom and toward my armpit. This breast does not jiggle at all if I bounce around a bit. No movement whatsoever!
My right breast, which started larger and lower, and has the smaller implant and unaltered fold, is much more full up top. I don't know if this one needs to drop, or if the muscle swelling is worse because it's my dominant side, or if I need to stop using my right arm so much or what. But the upper pole volume difference between breasts is quite noticeable. I can not feel the edges of the implant in this breast, and the bottom of this breast still seems to have some of my natural breast tissue "hanging" off of it. This breast is much more "jiggly" and moves more when I bounce.
Overall, my nipples are not even, and one breast seems to be larger horizontally, while the other is larger vertically. This is quite an annoyance to me right now. I'm hoping things even out over time, but I'm trying not to focus on it and just be patient with the healing process.
My incisions are still often sore. My right incision I have always been able to feel several quite large bumps underneath it, while my left incision is mostly smooth. Not sure if this has something to do with the fact that the crease was moved in only one of my breasts. Im sure I should be massaging more than I do, but unfortunately free time is hard to come by. I usually try to do it in the morning and in the shower at night. I may call my surgeon, as I don't feel the nurse was very detailed in describing what I'm supposed to be doing when I'm massaging. I have been wearing a sports bra 24/7 the last two weeks, so tonight I'm being bad and sleeping braless. I miss sleeping on my belly, but they gave me the okay to sleep on my side, so that helps slightly.
Ok... getting tired from a long week at work, time to crash. Will try to post some photos with this.
Almost 3 weeks post op
20 days PO... it's kind of an emotional roller-coaster! Physically I've had a pretty easy recovery so far. I'm hoping they will even out more and I am starting to wish I went bigger. The boob greed is setting in. The idea of going above 500cc just sounded like way too much, but I'm realizing that on my larger frame the 457cc/492cc definitely aren't anything massive! If I could go back I think I would have gone to the next size up. I'm not unhappy with them, but they definitely disappear in clothes! My breast with the lowered fold is sitting lower and has more lower pole volume, while my right has more upper volume. They've been this way since day one post op, but I'm holding out hope that they will even out more.
Sometimes I get down and think about how they aren't perfect and I'm not feeling awesome about showing them off to my husband yet. Then the next minute I'm seeing a review of someone that had terrible complications or was botched and I feel very lucky. Then the next minute I see a review of someone who looked amazingly perfect right out of the operating room and I'm self conscious again!
I also find that after surgery, I'm more critical of other parts of myself. I find myself wondering about lip filler or asking myself why I didn't ask my PS to liposuction my arm pit fat. I can see how people can become addicted to plastic surgery. Luckily I can't afford any more, so I just need to work on being more accepting of myself!
My incisions seem to be healing quite well, although they are still sore. Morning boob is a little rough, and being so active at work with my arms has its challenges every day. I am trying to use my left arm more, hoping my right side will drop... but it's not as easy as it sounds. I massage once or twice a day, probably not as much as I should, but I'm a busy lady and don't get much alone time for boob rubbing!
They are still quite hard. I'm looking forward to when they feel more natural. I do notice a very slight double bubble on the side where my fold was lowered. It's nothing major and I don't think I am bottoming out, I just notice the old fold on top of the new one, I guess. I've read that this can blend over time. So I guess we will see.
I'll try to upload pictures, although that seems to rarely work for me!
4 weeks PO
4 weeks and 2 days post right now... still wonky and asymmetrical. Still a slight double bubble on the left. Right still riding high. Trying to be patient and less critical.... but that's easier said than done.
So far I've only had one post op appointment, and it was with a nurse, not my surgeon. My next appointment is on the 21st, not sure who I will see that time. Must say im not impressed with the time they've taken with me, but I will withhold judgement until after my appointment.
Morning boob is very real and it's not fun. Wondering how long that takes to go away. My breasts are still quite hard. They have softened slightly but are definitely not natural feeling yet. They don't move much at all either. So hopefully they will continue to soften. I have been massaging since week 1 but I'm not sure it's helping.
I like the way they look in a bra or t shirt, but am still self conscious when naked. So that's disappointing considering I spent all this money to feel more confident naked. But, I'm staying positive and being patient, and not expecting perfection. I know there are others who weren't loving their breasts at 4 weeks but improved with time. I do find myself wishing I had asked my PO not to lower the fold on my left breast. I feel like that is the cause of the slight double bubble, as well as the difference in shape of my breasts. Im hoping that my right breast will come down more and fill out the lower pole, and that will help them match better. Time will tell.
They don't feel like "part of me" yet. Doing some tasks is still difficult and uncomfortable. Looking forward to when I don't notice them anymore.
Still in a sports bra 24/7 although I have slept braless a few times.
I'm finding it difficult to pick outfits. I almost feel like I need to dress more conservatively or downplay them... and since my body is just a different shape, some things I used to wear don't work anymore.
I have gained about 7 lbs since surgery... yikes. I would like to start running but I know I'm not supposed to, so I'm waiting until my next appointment to ask about that.
All in all, even though this post has been negative, I am happy I did it. I'm just looking forward to the end result and hoping it's a little better.
6 weeks post op
6 weeks! Morning boob is finally starting to subside. Cleared of all lifting restrictions and I can start working out (not that I'm going to, though I should!) Also cleared to wear regular bras, but I don't have any yet, and with 3 kids it's hard to find time to get to a lingerie store to be measured. Hopefully soon. I have one bra from when I was pregnant and my breasts were larger. It's a little snug but it works if I'm wearing an outfit not conducive to a sports bra.
Physically I'm feeling mostly back to normal. When I do something that flexes my chest muscles, it feels weird and makes my boobs look strange. Still getting used to that.
It's hard to tell in some of the pictures, but they still aren't quite symmetrical. My left breast has dropped down (arguably too far down), but my right is still riding a bit high. I can tell the difference in upper pole volume, and the bottom of my right breast doesn't have the 'filled out' look just yet. At first I was concorned that my left was bottoming out, because it does have a very slight double bubble (fold was lowered on this breast) and it seems to have more lower than upper pole volume. But PO says since the incision is still sitting in the crease, it's not bottoming out, I just need to wait for the right to come down and match it. Since the right has been slightly higher since 1 day PO, I'm not confident that it's going to come down. I'm waiting 3 months, and if it hasn't worked itself out, PS will go in and lower it. Time will tell!
I haven't stepped on the scale in a couple of weeks, but I'm going to guess that I have put on 10 lbs since surgery. My jeans barely button and I'm definitely looking fluffy. I think this is partially from 'taking it is easy' and partially from my own recent bad eating habits. Definitely time to get back in shape for summer, but easier said than done! Hopefully on my next update I can say I've lost weight.
They do seem larger to me now that they're dropping, and my boobs greed is starting to subside. I think once I lose weight they will appear larger as well. Overall I am happy with the size.
Hope everyone else is doing well!
First bra purchase
I have yet to be sized or buy an underwire bra, so I only have sports bras. Today I wore a dress and decided to just go braless... it was nice to have that option! I have 3 kids with me 24/7 so I haven't had a chance to go to VS or anything, but while at Walmart today I picked up a couple bras to try out. I assumed I would be a large C, but the 36C was laughable. To my surprise, i was even spilling out of the 36 and 38 Ds. One that I got was a fuller coverage bra, so that one worked out okay because it covers and contains them a little better. But the others will be going back. Next time I will have to look at DDs! Hard to believe, they just don't look that large to me.
9+ weeks post op
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17 May 2016
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2 months post
So here we are over 9 weeks post. Can't say I'm satisfied at this point. These pictures don't show the full extent of the issues. Left breast has a double bubble and seems odd shaped in the upper pole to me. Right breast hasn't dropped all the way and doesn't seem to be moving. Not feeling confident topless like I was hoping to be at this point. I know I will want a revision and hoping my PS will make it right. I definitely don't expect perfection, but I'm not comfortable with them being this different in appearance.
Finding bras has been hard. My breasts are not the right shape for most bras. My breasts are more wide than projecting, so when I find a bra with wide enough cups, I'm sometimes leaving space in the nipple area. Hard to explain. I have found 1 or 2 bras that fit alright. Posted a picture of my current 36DD bra.
Appointment scheduled in August, hoping my surgeon will help :/
11 weeks post op
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28 May 2016
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2 months post
Right breast is starting to come down slowly so they are looking a little more even. Left breast still has some double bubble and different shape. The difference in position is post obvious when I raise my arms. Overall I am starting to get a little more satisfied with them, or maybe just used to them. I've gained about 10 lbs since surgery so I'm trying to motivate myself to lose that, as I'm sure it will make me overall more confident again. I sleep on my belly a lot, which isn't uncomfortable but worries me that it makes my breasts flatter. But it's also the only way I can sleep! I flip that way while I'm sleeping even if I try to fall asleep on my back. My scars are still quite red. Hoping they will begin to fade soon. Other than that, things are going well. Hope everyone else is doing great!
Progression pics
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29 May 2016
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2 months post
From preop to 3 months post.
3 months post
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19 Jun 2016
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3 months post
3 months but seems like longer. Finally started working out a bit. Running is perfectly fine, they don't get in the way. Push ups are a struggle, it feels really uncomfortable so I have just been avoiding them. Not sure if that will change with time. Still don't love how my left has a double bubble thing happening and sits lower than right, but not sure if it bothers me enough to go back under the knife.
Hope everyone else is doing well!
