Breast Lift with Implants - Carpe Diem! - Miami, FL

First of all, I'd like to thank all of you lovely ladies who have shared your breast lift/implant stories here on RealSelf. Your experiences and advice have been a tremendous help to me, and so I am going to share my journey in hopes of helping others.

I am 32, 5'4', 116 lbs, 32dd, never had children, and have wanted- NEEDED- a breast lift ever since they developed. Genetically, my breasts have always sagged. Additionally, over the past 10 years I have steadily lost over 40 lbs, adding to the sagging problem.

I have put off getting a lift, because everyone seems to recommend waiting until after childbearing. However after 15 years of wishing for beautiful breasts and doing a TON of research, I have decided "Carpe Diem"- to seize the day! If I do have children, and I have to have further work done in the future, then so be it. I am ready to take a leap and enjoy beautiful breasts now!

After so many years of research- much of it here on RealSelf, I chose to entrust my breast lift, with implants, to Dr. Krau. I like his technique, artistry, and level of experience. I will be flying in from out of state next Wednesday, Feb 25 for my pre-op appt, and will have surgery on Thursday, Feb 26. I will have 2 post ops while I am there, and will fly out Monday, March 2. My husband will be traveling to with me and taking care of me.

I am nervous, but not really for the surgery or the pain. I am pretty tolerant to pain, and maybe this is naive of me, but don't think it's going to be that bad. I think I am so excited for the results, that the pain doesn't overwhelm my thoughts at this point.

"The pain passes, but the beauty remains." -Pierre Auguste Renoir

The part that makes me nervous is hoping that the results are as near perfect as possible. Symmetry is a must for me, as well as a nice rounded shape. Again these are some of the key reasons I chose Dr. Krau. I know I have to have realistic expectations, but I still want perfection :) From the before/after photos on Dr. Krau's website and on here, I feel confident in his work... I just hope that I can be one of the cases he can proudly add to his portfolio.

I will keep you all posted on my experience! Any thoughts, comments, advice, and/or recommendations are warmly welcomed and appreciated!

XOXO!

Yesterday was the big day! The entire time leading up to my surgery was surreal! And now that it's over, I look down and it still seems surreal! I told Dr. Krau that I wanted to remain a 32dd after my lift. He removed breast tissue, lifted me up, and i ended up with 400cc Mentor Memory Gel, Smooth Round High Profile implants. If you had told me prior to the surgery that I was going to end up with 400cc's, I would have thought you were crazy! And although I am still swollen, I think they will be just right :)
Ok, so yes, I am pretty sore, and I want to touch on a few points:
1. Waking up from the anesthesia- I've read several posts stating that waking people feel freezing and are shivering profusely. My anesthetist advised me ahead of time that I would shake. He said it is a reaction that we have to the anesthesia, and because we are typically cold coming out of surgery, we feel like we are freezing to death! But really the shaking is unrelated to body temperature. Knowing this helped when I was going through it, because I was mentally prepared and I just tried to take deep breaths.
2. I also read that many people get nauseous from the anesthesia. I felt a twinge of nausea on the drive to the hotel and a little into the evening, but I never threw up. I had ginger ale, saltines, when I got back to my hotel that helped. For dinner I ate some chicken noodle soup so that I could take my medicine.
3. The pain- At first it was a burning soreness. Now it it is mostly just sore- the burning sensation has gone away. But the soreness is no joke. It feels deep- like when you've had a bad cough for several days, and your chest hurts deep inside- that's how it feels. And then also it feels like muscle soreness- like I just killed it at the gym!
4. The unexpected pain- my back! For the first 5 nights, you have to lay at a 30 degree angle. I was not prepared for what this would do to my back! I went out this morning and got a heating pad. And as I have napped today, realized that a heating pad is a game changer! If you are going to have this procedure, I highly recommend a heating pad- ONLY for your back though, not your breasts!
5. The bleeding- As you can see from the pics, I definitely bled through the bra last night. I had a follow up visit today and they gave me a fresh one. The other photos are from the follow up appointment. They said everything is looking good so far. Bandages will be changed on Monday.
Dr Krau and his staff have been truly amazing. Again, I flew in for the procedure, so my consultation was via FaceTime. When I met Dr. Krau in person, it felt like we were old friends. He has a way of setting you at ease. He is confident in his work, but is humble. The entire staff was warm and welcoming.
Again, this feels completely surreal! I look down and they are so high and tight! I know that they are far from the final product, but I'm already so grateful!
XOXO

It's day 3 post op and I am still sore, but am feeling a good bit better than the first 2 days. I am not one to try to be heroic, so I shamelessly took my pain medicine like clockwork the last 2 days. But today, I've been able to back off of them a little. Still taking them, but I can go longer without needing them today.

I am posting a few update photos, but apologies in advance, I was taking selfies and it was with an iPad, so super clumsy and the lighting is bad!...so not great pics! Hopefully they will suffice for my update though :)