4'11" 125 lb Weightlifter Silicone 371cc/397cc Moderate Plus Breast Augmentation

I just had my consultation for breast augmentation yesterday with Dr. Gervais. I researched him and the center thoroughly before the appointment. What a difference from the consult I had with the first PS I saw. Dr. Gervais is extremely personable, professional and relaxed. He immediately put me at ease. He explained what he could and could not do for me. I was worried I may need a lift due to some sagging but he said that I absolutely DO NOT need a lift. The first PS I consulted told me that I HAD to have a lift which added $2000 to the cost. I have waited a long time for this procedure and am already feeling some guilt over spending this much money on myself so that added cost was a very big deal for me...what a huge relief! He wanted to know my expectations and then explained what he could do for me - which was basically everything I wanted. His staff was also excellent! Nurse Kathy ran me through everything from start to finish and when we were done with Dr. Gervais, we got to the fun part...trying on the implants! She would not let me look at the cc's as we were trying them on so that I couldn't make a decision based on photos I had looked at online. She told me "when you get to the ones you think are too much, we stop there. I ended up really liking the 371cc silicone but went up to the 397cc and liked those as well. I am 4'11 inches, 125 lbs with quite a muscular build and I'm still unsure which I will go with come surgery day. She made it clear that nothing is set in stone until I go under. I can change my mind at any time. From there we met with Sarah (also wonderful!) who broke down the costs and explained the things I needed to do in the weeks before surgery, the day of and aftercare. We felt so comfortable here from start to finish that we actually scheduled surgery for 9-25-15 (only 2 weeks). Another bonus is that they have 3 of their own surgical suites in-house. The added cost of an offsite surgery center was another part of our decision. My husband and I are both very excited! I will try to attach before and after photos after the procedure is complete.

Three days to go and I can tell I'm getting nervous...I cleaned my whole house today! I hope I can talk with PS before procedure and get his input on the size I picked and make sure he thinks they are the right size for my frame. Again, I'm a 4'11", 125 lb weightlifter with broad, square shoulders. But my shortness worries me. I don't want breasts all up in my face, haha! I chose a 397cc moderate plus profile. I also liked the 371cc but from everything I've read most people say that if you're torn between 2 sizes, go with the bigger size. I'm not going to stress too much as I'm sure my PS will do what's right for my body. Fingers crossed!

So I had my BA surgery with Dr. Gervais yesterday. My surgery was scheduled for 10 but the recovery room nurse didn't show so the procedure was bumped back a bit while we waited. In the meantime, the CRNA was doing recovery for patients. No big deal. I'm a nurse and have to ask people to wait all of the time...paybacks :)

When I arrived, my pre-op nurse took my back to a room and took my pre-op photos. They had asked me to bring the meds I had picked up already (Robaxin: Muscle relaxer, Celebrex: Anti-inflammatory, Cipro: Antibiotic, Zofran: Nausea). She gave me 2 Celebrex and 1 Robaxin pre-op. I was then taken back to the pre-op room where I met with Dr. Gervais. He drew a bunch of artwork on my chest and we decided on size. I was very worried I was going too big as my husband and I are active weightlifters 5-6 days a week. He reminded me I have very broad, square shoulders and a very thick chest muscle and could pull off a bigger size than most 4'11" ladies (my implants were going under the muscle). I also have a slight asymmetry. We decided on 397cc on left and 371cc on right. He gave my husband the written prescription for the narcotic pain med so that he could go get it filled while I was in surgery. He was very reassuring and let me know I was in good hands! I had every confidence in him.

The CRNA then came in and started my IV and asked typical pre-op medical questions. He was very pleasant and personable. He was great about telling me what he was going to use for intra-op meds/anesthesia as he knew I was a nurse myself. There was a bit of a wait after that as we waited for recovery nurse to come. Again, no big deal. Things happen.

I was walked to the OR and climbed on the table. I was given Versed and Fentanyl and remember very little after that. During surgery I know that Propofol, steroids and nausea meds were given. Exparel was also used to provide longer-term relief post-op. Exparel is a Bupivicaine numbing medication that is injected into the pectoral muscle to provide pain relief for as long as 3 days post-op. Fingers crossed on that one!

The next thing I remember was waking up in the recovery room and them telling me they were going to get my husband. My vitals were being monitored and I was given some water to drink. As soon as I was awake enough I was wheeled out to our car.

I was pretty out of it all day yesterday. I found that the Robaxin did the most to help with my pain. I had eaten some crackers and drank some Gatorade and water but had very little appetite. At about 6:30 I took one Robaxin and 1/2 Percocet. The nurse from MPS called at about 7:15 to check in on me and I was feeling ok at that point. I let her know what I was taking and she gave me other recommendations as well. Well, go figure, about 30 minutes after that phone call I got really nauseated. I took a Zofran ODT. About 20 minutes after that I vomited multiple times. I'm not a puker so I'm guessing that anesthetic I had combined with very little food/drink I had and the Percocet did it. It was not a fun experience with big, sore breasts but I did feel much better after!

I have to say, trying to sleep has been miserable and it's not my breasts, it's my back! It was aching horribly from being propped up on pillows all day/night. I finally moved to the reclining couch but I could not sleep due to the back pain. I finally caved in and had to lay flat with a pillow under my knees. I do find that keeping up with the Robaxin every 3-4 hours has been the most help for me.

Day 1 post-op I'm feeling much more myself. My breasts are HUGE, tight and sore! But nothing that can't be tolerated. Ice packs are my best friend!! I'm rotating them on and off often. I'm finding today that getting up and moving around has been good for my back. I'm being very careful reaching for things and taking care to move slowly when doing so. They advised to keep my elbows in front of me vs. out to the side when reaching and that helps a lot. "If it hurts, don't do it" was the best advice!

I will update again with photos later today if I feel up to it.