Breast Implants Removed After 20 Years

I'm 60 years old and got breast implants (silicone, under the muscle) over 20 years ago. My boyfriend at the time relentlessly pushed me to do it, and after seeing so many nice photos online, I decided to go for it. I went from an A cup to a B-C cup, which might not sound huge, but my body is tiny. I really didn't like them from the very first day. All I saw in the mirror was "fake!" I usually felt self-conscious and actually more insecure than I felt with my A cup. I did enjoy having a good bust at times, but most of the time, I just wanted my old body back. My clothes never fit right like they used to. The implants never physically bothered me, but psychologically, they did. I was constantly aware of those rocks on my chest, and I felt ashamed when someone felt them for the first time. They were surely harder than normal breasts, and I was afraid it was a turnoff. So when I turned 60, I thought, it's time.

Thanks to all of you for your nice comments. I wanted to first say that the photo looks a little better than me. Specifically, I'm a bit saggier and flatter than I look. But I am thrilled nonetheless. All I wanted was to be my old self again, and I'm truly not far off, which surprised me. I was envisioning all kinds of things I'm sure you can all relate to (deformities, asymmetry, nipples caved in, etc.). Nope, didn't happen.
And you know what? When I first peaked at my chest right after the surgery, I did not miss having a chest one bit. Quite the contrary. I thought, "I'm back, baby!" And wow the clothes I have now! I went through my closet and have a whole new wardrobe. There were so many things I didn't wear because I felt self-conscious with these ridiculous things popping out, or the clothes just didn't fit right. I also bought some really nice padded sports bras at Walmart. Guess how many? 12! Ha ha. They fit so well, and I just couldn't stop myself. I think having a little padding is good for the transition period (I don't want people at work to notice).
I should also mention that my boobs are looking better each day. I had lots of wrinkles under the nipples right after the surgery, but they are subsiding over time. I noticed a big difference in just two days. I was instructed to wear a sports bra 24/7, so maybe that's helping.
I will probably always be more saggy than I was, but hey -- I'm 60! So maybe I'd be this way anyway.
I hope anyone planning to do this has a wonderful surgeon. I just loved mine. He is bedside manner personified, and when someone cares like that, I feel they're more likely to do a good job. Just my opinion, but it would have been a lot harder to go through this with some robot just doing his job. I'll post more photos after my doctor removes the strips under my nipples tomorrow. Fingers crossed the scarring isn't too bad. Am I getting too greedy now? Ha ha.

My doctor removed the strips and band-aids under my nipples today. As he was taking them off, he told me, "We were able to remove those ugly scars. It's true. My last surgeon left slits that looked like knife wounds. I had asked him if there was anything that could be done before the surgery, and he said he thought this was possible. So I still have black stitches there, which will dissolve, but I can tell that the ugly slits are gone or at least greatly minimized! I'll have a better look when the stitches dissolve and will post photos then.
He also told me the sagginess (from the stretching all those years) might improve over time, depending on my own body's elasticity, and he told me I might go down half a bra size once the swelling goes down, but that everyone is different. He said I healed remarkably well and had no sign of infection (fluid build-up under the breast, etc.).
And then on the way out, I ran into someone whom I will call Miss Bummer. I met her during my first consult two months ago. To protect her identity, I won't say if she was a nurse or a physician's assistant, but she seems to know her stuff. When I first saw her, she looked at me sympathetically and said, "How are you?" It was as if I had a limb amputated or was just diagnosed with a terminal disease. I told her, "Great, and the doctor said I might even improve over time." To which she emphatically replied, "No, you won't." She even said I might look more saggy after the swelling goes down (I don't even see a whole lot of swelling). Then I started to worry, just a bit, that the wrinkles I saw under my nipples on Day 1 were my end result. In other words, maybe the swelling is smoothing out the wrinkles. We'll see. My follow-up appointment is in 6 weeks, and Miss Bummer told me there will be no improvement after that. In other words, what I see in 6 weeks will be what I will look like forever. I sure didn't get that impression from my doctor, and why would he mislead me? He already has his money.
Okay, what to make of Miss Bummer. She actually seemed a bit angry. Why? All kinds of thoughts went through my head. Was she angry with the doctor for giving me unrealistic expectations? Was she angry just because she's against having breast implants removed without a replacement (she kind of hinted at this when we first met)? She told me she has breast implants, so maybe the whole idea of removing them is foreign to her (what? you want to be flat and saggy!). She's young, too (30 something), so maybe this has something to do with it. Well, I like to think people have good intentions, so maybe she felt I needed to hear this.
I was a little bummed for about 10 minutes afterwards, but then I was happy again. I thought, "Come what may. I am still very happy I did this." To be continued...