31 Time for a New Me! - Miami, FL

An answer. I also started work yesterday at exactly 3 weeks. Thankfully, everything went well. I was pretty busy and had to do lots of walking but felt pretty good the whole night. At the end of the 12 hour shift my tummy felt really tight though. I'm glad that in my scrubs you can't really see too much of a difference because I still think my boobs are huge! I'm glad, I don't think anyone noticed. Now at 3 weeks I can finally see my stomach flattening out and I'm starting to see some shape. I just have to try to be patient and trust that my decision to go out of town was a good decision for me. I really have to try to ignore the negativity. I'm sure everything will work out like it should. Dr. Ortega did a great job and I'm better than I was before. Just have to continue the healing. Hope all you ladies are healing well! And good luck to all the ladies going through with it. It's really worth it!

Wow, what a journey! For some reason time seems to be going so slow. I can't believe it was only 3 weeks ago I had this done. It just seems like it's taking a long time to see final results! Patience is not a virtue I possess! lol. I had been somewhat depressed. It seemed like every other girl was already looking better by their 2 week mark and I just seemed to swell even more and looking bigger than when I started.
I took my own drains out at 13 days. I was draining less than 20 cc's a day. Thankfully it went just like most people said it would. No pain at all. Just an odd feeling as they are coming out. Everything was going good but pretty much that night felt a lot more swelling in my upper Abdomen. It looked like I was pregnant. I started doubting that I took the drains out too soon. My breasts also looked very uneven. My left breast had dropped and was a nice round shape. The right was a mess! It was up to my clavicle, hard and oddly shaped. The lower part of my breasts was saggy and my nipple pointed downwards. I was starting to regret getting them done or not getting a lift. As always , coming on here always makes me feel better because I guess it's pretty normal for the breasts to drop at different rates. I'm usually not the type to get nervous about things like this. It just doesn't help when your family starts to doubt your decision to go out of state to get something like this done. I live in L. A. So there's plenty of plastic surgeons in the area. I just never really saw work that compared to what was coming out of Miami or the Dominican Republic. So week 1.5 to 2 certain family starts saying " I think they messed up" " they shouldn't be looking like this by now" "what if you have complications?". It just makes you doubt your decision. To top it off about 5 days ago my left breast started leaking. Having very white fluid coming out. I'm actually lactating! My breasts aren't red or inflamed so I knew it was not an infection. As soon as I would take my bra off I would have let down like when I used to breast feed my kids. Never had I hear this could happen! I guess I never really heard about a nipple reduction either, I wish I would have so it prepared me for this. I called Dr. Ortega's office on Friday mid day and didn't get a call, also filled out the online post op questionnaire and nothing! I figured, ok its the weekend but still, shouldn't they have someone answering questions for post op patients?!? Ugh! I was mad and sad thinking what if something does go wrong? I hear some doctors won't even touch you. Still it comforted me to know there's no infection. Being in the medical field I at least know that. But what if it's something that needs more surgery?. I tried calling again Monday, front desk gave me a vm. Called again told them I really needed to speak with someone. Only this one person can help. Frustrating!! I finally got up extra early and was able to speak to the nurse Tuesday. And I suspected they say everything is fine. Since they messed with my milk ducts at the time of the reduction it is normal to stimulate hormones in to producing milk. Don't know how normal it is but I'll take their advice and just let it dry up. I was advised to just keep a maxi pad over the breast and to let it drain. Just to change it out frequently to prevent infection. I was told if infection does start I will be prescribed antibiotics. I hope she is right. But just frustrating to have to wait so long for a

So it's been 10 days since I've had my surgery. I flew home 2 days ago and thankfully it was a smooth experience because I requested wheelchair service. Must have been the 5 hour fly home but I was extremely swollen these past two days. Drains are still in, Dr. Ortega recommends for them to stay in at least 14 days. I've been draining less and and fluid is lighter in color. I think this is a good thing. They don't bother me or hurt, just annoying. It's been difficult to hide them under clothes lol. Other than that I'm feeling so much betterms. The night I got home which was day 8 I was finally able to sleep on my back. Oh! What a relief! I was nervous lying back but I didn't really feel too much tension and my back needed it. I'm almost now standing completely straight up. I don't really feel too much tension on my incision so I feel pretty much comfortable doing it now. I feel a burning sensation sometimes if I lie on my side or really stretch but other than that, I'm feeling pretty good. It hurts a little when I cought still but not nearly as bad as before. And my belly button is completely dried up. Hopefully, the scab will fall off soon so I can start scar therapy and stretching it a little because it's super tiny. I love it though! Not like the big crater a had before. Dr. Ortega is amazing! Scar looks nice and thin and completely covered by my underwear. I just started wearing a breast band yesterday to help the implants movery to their proper positiom. Still kind of high up but they look pretty good. I still wish I would have gone smaller but hope that when swelling goes down and they are where they are supposed to be they look better. But I still love looking down and actually seeing cleavage. I had forgotten what that looked like. And Dr. Ortega left my nipples super nice and little. This is a big deal for me. I hated my nipples before. They were huge! I'm so grateful he was able to help me with something I was so self conscious about. I didn't even know it was something that could be done. I'm so happy I got this done and that I'm on the road to recovery. Everyday it's a little better and can't wait to see the end result.