I'm scheduled 9/30/13 for augmentation and a lift on one side to address asymmetry. I was initially excited, then scared of all the risks. Now I'm back to excited. I've been wearing rice sizers to get used to the idea for the past few weeks. Only my husband knows, not planning to tell anyone else, though I'm sure some people will suspect. I'm going to spend the weekend planning out what I need for that week and make sure I'm prepared.
So worth it - So happy!
I'm scheduled 9/30/13 for augmentation and a lift...
Smooth round saline submuscular, a few more details
A few more details, I'm getting smooth round saline, sub-muscular with incision under crease. I have pretty significant asymmetry, so 300-325 right and 350-375 left and a breast lift on the right only. On the lift, he plans to do the incision that is just around the nipple, although he might have to make an additional vertical incision to give the best result and reduce puckering.
To be honest I think I could have gotten over being flat chested, even being out of proportion with my otherwise large frame, but the asymmetry has always made me feel like a freak, even though only I (and my husband) can really see it. (Think the chick on the movie Wild Orchid in the car scene). I recall being mortified that my girlfriends all laughed and said my name when that scene came up. We had seen each other while changing clothes in the same room and to be honest I really couldn't see looking straight on in a mirror how I looked. That was actually the moment that I realized I had a large asymmetry! I was devastated, I could only see it if I took a hand mirror and looked through the other mirror, not sure why. Now that I'm writing this, I'm getting kinda emotional as I realize how deeply affected I've felt my whole life - I feel disfigured, even though it's a body part I can hide from most of the world. I can't wait to have this done!
So I figured if I'm going to address the asymmetry, I may as well get them sized to fit the rest of my body. I'm hoping to have a set that makes me proud enough to partake in Mardi Gras next year - ha.
To be honest I think I could have gotten over being flat chested, even being out of proportion with my otherwise large frame, but the asymmetry has always made me feel like a freak, even though only I (and my husband) can really see it. (Think the chick on the movie Wild Orchid in the car scene). I recall being mortified that my girlfriends all laughed and said my name when that scene came up. We had seen each other while changing clothes in the same room and to be honest I really couldn't see looking straight on in a mirror how I looked. That was actually the moment that I realized I had a large asymmetry! I was devastated, I could only see it if I took a hand mirror and looked through the other mirror, not sure why. Now that I'm writing this, I'm getting kinda emotional as I realize how deeply affected I've felt my whole life - I feel disfigured, even though it's a body part I can hide from most of the world. I can't wait to have this done!
So I figured if I'm going to address the asymmetry, I may as well get them sized to fit the rest of my body. I'm hoping to have a set that makes me proud enough to partake in Mardi Gras next year - ha.
Freak show
I've never actually taken a photo of my boobs, so after writing my reveal intro, decided I wanted to see, so I'm sharing here on fakebook, so you can see why I'm desperate for a BA!
On the plus side, the photo makes me notice how great my waistline looks! I've lost 60 pounds and kept it off going on year 3. So funny to be getting everything in shape at this age - 48.
On the plus side, the photo makes me notice how great my waistline looks! I've lost 60 pounds and kept it off going on year 3. So funny to be getting everything in shape at this age - 48.
Before & Afters - I found my booby twin!
Believe it or not as odd as my shape/asymmetry is, I actually found a booby twin in the before/afters on this site! She had EXACTLY the same adjustments I'm having. Saline implants in both with lift and aerola reduction on the right only. She looks so even in the after. I can only hope mine turn out that well. I'm SO EXCITED NOW.
Only a little over a week left to wait. I have everything I'll need for afterward - prescripts, ice packs, cocoa butter, sports bra. We have several comfy recliners that I nap in all the time, so I'm planning to sleep in one of those instead of doing the wedge pillow.
I rarely tell even a little white lie, so when colleagues ask how I'm spending my week off, I feel so weird saying "Oh not much, just a stay-cation". I'm so afraid I'm going to trip up and say something about surgery or recovery, once I'm back. I figured if my stiffness/soreness is obvious in the weeks following I'll just say I've pulled another muscle in my back, since I've done that twice this year.
Most of my anxiety is gone, I just feel anxious, can't wait to do this - will be a long week...
Only a little over a week left to wait. I have everything I'll need for afterward - prescripts, ice packs, cocoa butter, sports bra. We have several comfy recliners that I nap in all the time, so I'm planning to sleep in one of those instead of doing the wedge pillow.
I rarely tell even a little white lie, so when colleagues ask how I'm spending my week off, I feel so weird saying "Oh not much, just a stay-cation". I'm so afraid I'm going to trip up and say something about surgery or recovery, once I'm back. I figured if my stiffness/soreness is obvious in the weeks following I'll just say I've pulled another muscle in my back, since I've done that twice this year.
Most of my anxiety is gone, I just feel anxious, can't wait to do this - will be a long week...
Wish boobs
Pics of my boobie twin and her after shots. When I get nervous about Monday, I look at this picture. Been looking at it a lot this week :)
3 more days
It's so exciting to see "3 days pre" next to my post! All week I've been saying "this time next week I will have my new boobs!" and since I've been wearing rice sizers "this time next week, these will be real!"
I did wind up telling my trusted friend and neighbor about this, or more, she guessed. I accused her of being psychic. Not sure if she's judging or not, since she was gifted with a more than generous rack. Will be good that she knows though, since she offered to help if my husband becomes overwhelmed taking care of me and our crew, ha.
I did wind up telling my trusted friend and neighbor about this, or more, she guessed. I accused her of being psychic. Not sure if she's judging or not, since she was gifted with a more than generous rack. Will be good that she knows though, since she offered to help if my husband becomes overwhelmed taking care of me and our crew, ha.
Lift chair for recovery!
Oh yeah, forgot to share that I had an epiphany one morning about my recovery "bed". We bought my mother-in-law a lift chair/recliner when she started having mobility trouble. RIP, she passed away almost a year ago and we still have the chair - were trying to sell it. I was agonizing over how hard it is to lower the foot on our regular recliners when I remembered that we still have the lift chair, so I won't have to trouble hubby to get up and down in the middle of the night.
It will be for sale again after my recovery, if anyone is interested for their recovery, ha.
It will be for sale again after my recovery, if anyone is interested for their recovery, ha.
Tomorrow is the big day
I've had lots of chores planned out ever since I scheduled the surgery, to make sure I got the autumn chores requiring a lot of exertion done prior. So those have been going as planned. But today, I guess partly because I was trying not to allow myself time to think, I just kept thinking of more and more things to be done. So I worked myself silly and now completely exhausted, but things are in order, my recuperation station is ready.
Don't have to be at the surgery center till 12:30, so hopefully I'll feel like sleeping in since I don't have much left to occupy my time. Planning to listen to my meditation tape on the way there, taking a new book that sounds really interesting since my surgery isn't until 2:30, not sure why I need to be there 2 hours early.
Getting out of the shower tonight felt the need to give my boobs a little pep talk, hoping they'll accept the new additions gracefully, ha.
Don't have to be at the surgery center till 12:30, so hopefully I'll feel like sleeping in since I don't have much left to occupy my time. Planning to listen to my meditation tape on the way there, taking a new book that sounds really interesting since my surgery isn't until 2:30, not sure why I need to be there 2 hours early.
Getting out of the shower tonight felt the need to give my boobs a little pep talk, hoping they'll accept the new additions gracefully, ha.
Back home
So super uper out of it. Hard time staying awake Hubby is fixing chicken noodle soup,then more pain meds. Will post again when more with it.
Day two feels so much easier than I had imagined!
We got home about 5 pm and was in great deal of pain through the night. At one point I had put the trash can in my lap thinking that I might be sick, though I didn't get sick after all. Apparently I fell asleep with it in my lap though. My husband woke up and saw me like that and got really worried, so woke me up, got more pain meds. At one point in the night I had a huge amount of pain behind my left eye, of all things. So put a hot washcloth on it. This morning I woke up feeling very little pain at all! Have not felt nauseous again. Didn't think I needed pain pills but my husband insisted. Ate chicken noodle soup and cracker before bedtime and had scrambled eggs and grits for breakfast. Couldn't believe how quickly I felt full - never been an experience for me :)
The Dr recommended taking lots of deep breaths and get up to walk at least once every hour, so that seems to help as well. I hope the worst is over, though I've read other posts that a good day is often followed by a bad day, so we will see. No significant swelling so far.
I've actually been afraid to look at them, but Hubby checked out the lift side to make sure there was no evidence of fluid buildup. So apparently he isn't grossed out, thank goodness. I had warned him the the lift side would not look good for quite some time.
Very thankful to be feeling this well on day after! The pain was my biggest fear. I'll post pictures when I can bear to look them, ha.
Thanks so much for all the warm thoughts and well wishes. This a wonderful support group resource?
The Dr recommended taking lots of deep breaths and get up to walk at least once every hour, so that seems to help as well. I hope the worst is over, though I've read other posts that a good day is often followed by a bad day, so we will see. No significant swelling so far.
I've actually been afraid to look at them, but Hubby checked out the lift side to make sure there was no evidence of fluid buildup. So apparently he isn't grossed out, thank goodness. I had warned him the the lift side would not look good for quite some time.
Very thankful to be feeling this well on day after! The pain was my biggest fear. I'll post pictures when I can bear to look them, ha.
Thanks so much for all the warm thoughts and well wishes. This a wonderful support group resource?
Day three even better!
Today I just feel a little tightness but no actual pain. This is where I have to watch not overdoing it, as I've read from other posts. Did finally take a good look after shower yesterday. The side that had the lift looks horrendous as I knew it would, but have faith that once healing is well underway it will look much better. Hubby has been a wonderful caretaker, so thankful for that. Sleeping on the couch to stay close, since I'm sleeping in the recliner.
I had an anti-inflammatory about 4 am and don't feel like I need anything else at this point, hoping I can be done with pain pills already.
I had an anti-inflammatory about 4 am and don't feel like I need anything else at this point, hoping I can be done with pain pills already.
Day 4 even better
I swear I wrote 4 paragraphs and posted already, but don't see them, so I'll try to remember what I wrote and give it another shot.
I wound up having some pain late yesterday and wasn't sure if it was spasm or pain so took both pain med and valium. This morning felt really swollen, like double D's, but once I started moving around felt better. Haven't had to take any meds yet. My goal was full C and pretty sure I reached just that, they feel very similar to the rice sizers I was wearing, only not as squishy, ha.
I've been sleeping like a log in the recliner, highly recommend it!
Sticking to a combo of colace softener, benefiber mixed with apple juice and a few prunes every day, so haven't had any digestive issue in that area. I do normally take prilosec for acid reflux though and the valium says not to mix with that, so my indigestion is actually my worst complaint at this point! I can't believe it!
I'm able to lift my arms a lot better than I thought I would be able to and my overall mobility improves each day.
My post-op is tomorrow and looking forward to getting the tape off so I can see what the incisions really look like, the tape squishes them around so much, I'm sure they are less hideous than that. I'll probably post a pic once the tape is off. Very little bruising, yay! The bruise on my hand from the iv is actually worse than any bruising around my boobage.
My neighbor just called to check in on me, got me laughing, which hurt. We were talking about my husband picking up all my chores while I recuperate and she advised I "milk" it for all it's worth, no pun intended, ha.
Even though I know the girls haven't settled into their final position, they already look so much more in proportion to the rest of my body and I am SOOO thankful that they look the same size and appear to be dropping at about the same rate.
THANK YOU DR. MOORE!!!!!
I wound up having some pain late yesterday and wasn't sure if it was spasm or pain so took both pain med and valium. This morning felt really swollen, like double D's, but once I started moving around felt better. Haven't had to take any meds yet. My goal was full C and pretty sure I reached just that, they feel very similar to the rice sizers I was wearing, only not as squishy, ha.
I've been sleeping like a log in the recliner, highly recommend it!
Sticking to a combo of colace softener, benefiber mixed with apple juice and a few prunes every day, so haven't had any digestive issue in that area. I do normally take prilosec for acid reflux though and the valium says not to mix with that, so my indigestion is actually my worst complaint at this point! I can't believe it!
I'm able to lift my arms a lot better than I thought I would be able to and my overall mobility improves each day.
My post-op is tomorrow and looking forward to getting the tape off so I can see what the incisions really look like, the tape squishes them around so much, I'm sure they are less hideous than that. I'll probably post a pic once the tape is off. Very little bruising, yay! The bruise on my hand from the iv is actually worse than any bruising around my boobage.
My neighbor just called to check in on me, got me laughing, which hurt. We were talking about my husband picking up all my chores while I recuperate and she advised I "milk" it for all it's worth, no pun intended, ha.
Even though I know the girls haven't settled into their final position, they already look so much more in proportion to the rest of my body and I am SOOO thankful that they look the same size and appear to be dropping at about the same rate.
THANK YOU DR. MOORE!!!!!
Oh, the details
Realized I never shared the outcome, since some of the details were to be determined during surgery. Did get the lollipop lift on the right, I was hoping for donut only, as I hate that vertical scar, but I'm sure the puckering would have been worse without it, he said he would only do if he had to. Got 325 cc on the right and 375 cc on the left. Haven't done any official sizing, but pretty sure I got the C that I wanted.
Day 5 post op pic - real one
It's still hard to look at the lift side, but viewing all the pics on this site from months after I can visualize how much better it's going to look.
I had my follow-up yesterday and everything looks good, they changed out the tape and cleaned up, so doesn't look as bad now. I had her let me take a look at the incisions before putting the new tape on and I was really pleased that the incisions are nice and thin, should heal nicely. Just a little bruising not too bad.
I haven't had any pain pills since day 3! Showed me the massages and said I can wear the strap at night only as long as I do the massages several times a day. Definitely still have some dropping to do. He said the nipple will fill out as the dropping occurs. In fact, I can already tell a difference in that since yesterday! Nipple sensitivity is good, that's exciting too.
Yesterday I think I overdid, went to the follow-up appt, got a pedicure, shopped for bras (I'm a full 36C - my goal!), then came home to take care of critters, then back out to a see a show. I was ready to fall over on way back to the car, it was all really too much. So plan to do very little today, just the laundry, maybe go out for a quick dinner.
I just put the after photo right next to my before and I am just so pleased!
I can definitely say I'm not suffering from boobie greed. I would feel very uncomfortable with more and love what I now have! 110% worth it and much easier than I had anticipated!
I had my follow-up yesterday and everything looks good, they changed out the tape and cleaned up, so doesn't look as bad now. I had her let me take a look at the incisions before putting the new tape on and I was really pleased that the incisions are nice and thin, should heal nicely. Just a little bruising not too bad.
I haven't had any pain pills since day 3! Showed me the massages and said I can wear the strap at night only as long as I do the massages several times a day. Definitely still have some dropping to do. He said the nipple will fill out as the dropping occurs. In fact, I can already tell a difference in that since yesterday! Nipple sensitivity is good, that's exciting too.
Yesterday I think I overdid, went to the follow-up appt, got a pedicure, shopped for bras (I'm a full 36C - my goal!), then came home to take care of critters, then back out to a see a show. I was ready to fall over on way back to the car, it was all really too much. So plan to do very little today, just the laundry, maybe go out for a quick dinner.
I just put the after photo right next to my before and I am just so pleased!
I can definitely say I'm not suffering from boobie greed. I would feel very uncomfortable with more and love what I now have! 110% worth it and much easier than I had anticipated!
First day back at work - doing well
I couldn't believe that just one week ago today I had this procedure, because I felt so great today! The sports bra felt like it was keeping me held in and protected, I felt great all day. However, when I got home and took it off - ouchy! where the band at the bottom had been on my incisions. I'm going to see what my other bra options are for putting less stress on that spot. Maybe that one is just too tight.
I didn't wear one most of last week since I was home all week and my doc said it was optional as long as I wore the band. When I did wear one it was the surgical bra which wasn't tight at the bottom band.
They have definitely dropped some just over the last couple days. However, the filling in at the bottom on the lifted side is causing SERIOUS stretch marks. So I'll be battling that - always something. Hey, at least I have boobage now, and they're symmetrical!! And I feel great!!
I didn't wear one most of last week since I was home all week and my doc said it was optional as long as I wore the band. When I did wear one it was the surgical bra which wasn't tight at the bottom band.
They have definitely dropped some just over the last couple days. However, the filling in at the bottom on the lifted side is causing SERIOUS stretch marks. So I'll be battling that - always something. Hey, at least I have boobage now, and they're symmetrical!! And I feel great!!
Tried a softer bra today - bralette?
This bra was perfect, another one I bought pre-surgery. The sports bra from yesterday, left huge bruises around the incisions. This one today felt like wearing nothing, and hubbie liked the way it looked as well ;) I don't know if this is considered a bralette but it will become a regular for me.
Updated 13 days post op pics, waiting for lefty, thoughts on photo lighting/angles
I've never had any interest in photography, so some of these details are probably second nature to others. But I only included so many pics because it was amazing to me how different things look based on natural lighting vs indoor lighting and based on the angle.
I was not feeling so good at day 13 about how they were progressing (as compared to other photos on here ) until I started playing with lighting and angles and then I realized they're coming along better than I thought.
Can't complain, need to go think about/do something more productive....Ha
I was not feeling so good at day 13 about how they were progressing (as compared to other photos on here ) until I started playing with lighting and angles and then I realized they're coming along better than I thought.
Can't complain, need to go think about/do something more productive....Ha
3 weeks PO
3 week post-op exam is tomorrow. Have a ton of questions about how much I can start doing. It's been nice to have a break in the workout routine, but I need to get back at it. Most of my workout videos involved weights, so probably not ready for the weights, but thinking I can do them minus the weights, I need to do those squats, feel my thighs turning to jelly! I alternate those with running on treadmill, so definitely need to do that. Found a sports bra that isn't as tight around the band, gotta remember to wear that! Never was much of a problem to go without before, ha. It's gonna feel weird to actually have something up there that moves when I run!
Updated photo 7 weeks PO
Noticeable dropping finally, lefty still wants to point off to the side, but has been moving in slowly. Huge improvement from where I started, still.
Go easy when getting back to the workout ladies
I found the hard way that after taking several weeks off, you really can't expect to jump right back in. I started working out again at week 4 and added weights back in last week (week 6), but I really think I overdid. I've been literally limping around since Saturday, just found out I strained my adductors, basically a groin pull. A little overzealous on those squats I guess. I had not taken that many weeks off from regular workout in years so guess I didn't properly gauge how to ramp up the intensity, or something.
Not just a strain - a tear
I had self-diagnosed my strain via internet - ha, bad idea. When the pain got worse, I broke down and went to the Dr. After xrays and MRI find that I have two small tears in the labral tissue around my left thigh. Oh boy, now I'm off exercise for a few more, who knows how long. Was it the exercise or better sex? Not sure. Sorry TMI
The entire experience with the Dr and his office has been great. They are all very nurturing, informative and responsive. I'm so impressed at how much more symmetrical I am now and the size is exactly what we discussed. The entire staff has been great to deal with.
5 out of 5 stars
5 out of 5 stars
5 out of 5 stars
5 out of 5 stars
5 out of 5 stars
5 out of 5 stars
5 out of 5 stars
5 out of 5 stars
5 out of 5 stars
