38-yr old Fit Mom of 2, Breast Fed both, BA w/ Lift, TT w/ muscle repair

So it’s been awhile since I last posted - life has been crazy but I did want to show my 1-yr results from my BA w/Lift and TT w/ MR.
Overall the year went by smooth and fast. Besides getting life threatening blood clots a week after my surgery I haven’t had any other issues (as if that wasn’t enough LOL). I went for my last check up in December and Dr. Kauffman thought I looked great and that everything had healed perfectly and that my breast had settled nicely.
When i first had the BA my left breast was drastically “longer” than my right. Even with the left it is still slightly “droopier” than the right even a year later but honestly it’s only noticeable if I’m standing perfectly still and you’re looking at me head on. I discussed this with my Dr and we both agreed it was so negligible that it wasn’t worth having a revision. I can’t even imagine going through any of this again especially for a centimeters worth of a lift!
My breast have fully softened and they actually feel “natural and real” to me. They are fabulous and to not have to wear a bra if i don’t want to is ahhhhmazing as is having shirts and bras fit perfectly now! Best money I’ve ever spent. My scars are also fading really well with half of them already being transparent.
My TT scar also healed nicely and the sides are already thinning out and becoming transparent. The front part is still dark and probably will remain so but my scar is so low that it doesn’t bother me. I can wear a very low bikini and it still covers the scar!
My muscles healed nicely and I’ve been fully exercising with zero restrictions for probably 9 months now. My only complaint is that I still have swelling even year later. I still wear a compression garment to sleep in and a wrap during the day when I’m just hanging out or driving in the car. It’s really annoying and hope it eventually goes away as I would loathe to have to wear a garment forever! I also still don’t have feeling in the lower part of my abdomen and my Dr said it may never come back. The surgery also left me with a scar in my belly button that I didn’t know I had until I got pretty lean and my belly button went from a sunken “innie” to a slight “outie.” It took me awhile to get used to the look of it but it is what it is and at the end of the day I’m not so vain that it will ultimately be an issue.
All in all having the surgery was the best thing I could haves one for myself. Even though I nearly died - it also lit a fire in me to get into the best shape of my life, to tackle my depression head on and to be a more confident person. To love myself inside and out. I now hold my head high and strut into a room instead of slinking to a corner! This alone is worth the cost and all the pain of those first few weeks.
So if you’re in the Sacramento Area go see Dr. Kauffman- the man is a genius and his staff is incredible!

I know I’ve been quiet lately but honestly not much has changed so I just wanted to wait for the 2 month mark. I saw my PA last week and according to him everything looks good. My breast are being really stubborn and I still have a ways to go before they’ve fully dropped and fluffed. PA said that’s common with muscular framed people so who knows. He said probably another 1-2 months. Ugh! Although I do have to say not having to wear a bra makes it all worth it! I never realized how much I despised bras until now. LOL
My TT scar also looks pretty good. I’ve started Embrace Scar Treatment (look for separate review on that) and so far so good. I’m still on my first 10-14 day strips so it’s too soon to tell or expect much just yet. But prior to putting the strips on my scar was still nice and thin and had not stretched or expanded in anyway so I’m hopeful for a very light scar this time next year! Plus I recently wore a It’s bitsy bikini and because my scar is so low - you couldn’t see a thing so I’m not too worried about he end result.
The swelling in my abdomen is still a pain in the butt. I know they tell you to expect swelling prior to surgery but you just can’t fully grasp how irritating it actually is until you’re in recovery. I’m tired of wearing my CGs (it’s hot as Hades here) but if I don’t wear them the swelling is so much worse come night time. It seems as if my stomach will forever be swollen and puffy!
All this being said and rants aside - I AM happy with the way things are turning out. I love being able to wear a dress and not have rolls when I sit down or when I workout having to “tuck” my stomach into my pants! Or no longer having to worry about falling out of my bras and tops because my breast just didn’t fill out the cups to stay in place. I’m definitely excited for the next few months to see how my breast actually will look once they completely drop and how my stomach will be once the swelling is gone (or near gone).
I’ve also completely resumed all of my activities presurgery and blood clots. I’m back in the gym lifting weights (although I’ve held off doing any chest exercises for now) and I’ve resumed running although my pace is so much slower right now ;) I’ve found when I try to sprint or pick up the pace too much it pulls on my upper abs and while it doesn’t “hurt” it also doesn’t feel quite right so I’m content cruising for now and slowly working on increasing my pace.

Not much to update. Still plugging along just waiting to be cleared to resume pre surgery activities like running and lifting! I’ve started walking but that’s about it. Definitely going stir crazy. My core is getting stronger daily but my breast have been really sore lately - hoping that means they’re dropping as I’m still riding pretty high and oblong! My TT scar looks great and is a nice pink - also can’t wait to start scar therapy treatment. Swelling is also drastically down and I’m finally back to pre surgery waist measurement! I’m also down 3lbs from pre surgery!