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*Treatment results may vary
1 week post-op & Bra reviews
It's been 1 week since the surgery! Whoohoo! My (optimistic?) doc had told me this was about how long he expected I would take to recover. And right now I'm typing this on my computer so I guess he wasn't wrong, but not sure I am fully healed enough to type all day for work.
I'm really happy with my results so far. My poor boobs are still quite swollen, especially under my arms and around the tops. But I rarely have pain, and I am able to take just 1 or 2 extra-strength Tylenol per day. There are parts that are quite hard and hurt to touch, so I continue to ice the swollen areas. There is still a tiny bit of seeping coming from the underside incisions, about 2 spots per breast. I just wash gently with soap in the shower as instructed, and wear ABD pads to keep things clean / dry.
After post-op my doctor told me I had 750 cc taken off left side and 650 taken off right side. My most concerning experience is a kind of stream-of-liquid-coming-in feeling into my left breast, like a tiny faucet turning on, the one that had 100 grams more removed and I feel more pain / discomfort / swelling there. When I stop moving, the feeling goes away.
I'm trying to just take things slow and easy and trying to learn my limits. If I use my arms too much my breasts seem to get more swollen. The worst times for me have been waking up in the mornings, I haven't worn a bra to bed ever before and now that I have to wear bras 24/7 I wake up irritated and in pain from the compression etc. That's usually when I have to take Tylenol.
Bra review! I bought a variety of bras before my surgery, more than half skeptical that I would actually fit into any of them! (I mean, I was so pained by my old bras and so sick of the expense that I stopped wearing bras when at home and stopped buying new ones. My old bras fit over my boyfriend's head and completely covered his face!!) But the bras I was buying for post-op were so, SO cheap that I decided to take a chance. For reference, I'm a band size 34 and although I will probably be a B / C cup after swelling goes down, I'm probably a C / small D cup right now.
* Marena Surgical Bra (size Medium), $40 on Amazin
Wow! Just, wow! This is an amazing bra. I put it on for the first time during my post-op appointment 4 days after surgery, when my doctor took off the post-surgery bra I had been in and helped me into this one. I only knew about this bra thanks to you lovely ladies on RealSelf. It has been a total life saver. For one thing, the car ride to the post-op was truly awful and painful, but thanks to this amazingly supportive and compressing bra, the car ride back my breasts hardly moved at all. The one downside to this bra is that the compression never stops (hmm maybe that's an upside?), so wearing it at night is irritating because I have woken up in the morning feeling constricted. This was also the most expensive bra I bought (I mean wow!! My old bras started at $70 when on sale!).
* Fruit of the Loom Women's Front Close Racerback (Pack of 2), size 34, $14 for pack of 2
This was the bra I tried on after wearing my Marena for a couple days. I don't think I am really ready for the 34 band yet, I'm probably still too swollen for it! But it fit in a lovely stretchy way. Very comfortable bra, both for during the day and sleeping. I definitely recommend! I was really shocked at how small it seemed to be after I washed it before wearing, but it fit!
* Hanes Women's Convertible Wire Free Bra, size Medium, $13 on Amazon
This bra was probably my biggest gamble, but at $13 I didn't think I could go wrong. Let me tell you, all my expectations were completely blown away by this bra! It looked so tiny tiny in my hands when it came in, it was smaller than any bra I've ever worn since I was 12, but the moment I tried it on, wow!! It stretched perfectly over my poor swollen breasts and provided the perfect amount of support and compression even, and I have finally found my perfect sleeping bra. It's also the one I'm wearing in the photos because I just don't want to take it off, it makes me feel so comfortable. I honestly can't rave enough about this one. My favorite feature so far has been the convertible racerback straps. I have very bad posture thanks to my old breasts, and even a hump at the base of my neck, and putting this bra on and turning the straps to racerback, it's nearly magical how easy it feels to stand up straight and keep good posture. I am honestly in awe and I'm planning on buying another 2 or 3.
So far post-op bra usage has definitely had a complete improvement on what that used to be like. I am so thrilled and can't wait to try other ones. And to be done with healing!
I'm really happy with my results so far. My poor boobs are still quite swollen, especially under my arms and around the tops. But I rarely have pain, and I am able to take just 1 or 2 extra-strength Tylenol per day. There are parts that are quite hard and hurt to touch, so I continue to ice the swollen areas. There is still a tiny bit of seeping coming from the underside incisions, about 2 spots per breast. I just wash gently with soap in the shower as instructed, and wear ABD pads to keep things clean / dry.
After post-op my doctor told me I had 750 cc taken off left side and 650 taken off right side. My most concerning experience is a kind of stream-of-liquid-coming-in feeling into my left breast, like a tiny faucet turning on, the one that had 100 grams more removed and I feel more pain / discomfort / swelling there. When I stop moving, the feeling goes away.
I'm trying to just take things slow and easy and trying to learn my limits. If I use my arms too much my breasts seem to get more swollen. The worst times for me have been waking up in the mornings, I haven't worn a bra to bed ever before and now that I have to wear bras 24/7 I wake up irritated and in pain from the compression etc. That's usually when I have to take Tylenol.
Bra review! I bought a variety of bras before my surgery, more than half skeptical that I would actually fit into any of them! (I mean, I was so pained by my old bras and so sick of the expense that I stopped wearing bras when at home and stopped buying new ones. My old bras fit over my boyfriend's head and completely covered his face!!) But the bras I was buying for post-op were so, SO cheap that I decided to take a chance. For reference, I'm a band size 34 and although I will probably be a B / C cup after swelling goes down, I'm probably a C / small D cup right now.
* Marena Surgical Bra (size Medium), $40 on Amazin
Wow! Just, wow! This is an amazing bra. I put it on for the first time during my post-op appointment 4 days after surgery, when my doctor took off the post-surgery bra I had been in and helped me into this one. I only knew about this bra thanks to you lovely ladies on RealSelf. It has been a total life saver. For one thing, the car ride to the post-op was truly awful and painful, but thanks to this amazingly supportive and compressing bra, the car ride back my breasts hardly moved at all. The one downside to this bra is that the compression never stops (hmm maybe that's an upside?), so wearing it at night is irritating because I have woken up in the morning feeling constricted. This was also the most expensive bra I bought (I mean wow!! My old bras started at $70 when on sale!).
* Fruit of the Loom Women's Front Close Racerback (Pack of 2), size 34, $14 for pack of 2
This was the bra I tried on after wearing my Marena for a couple days. I don't think I am really ready for the 34 band yet, I'm probably still too swollen for it! But it fit in a lovely stretchy way. Very comfortable bra, both for during the day and sleeping. I definitely recommend! I was really shocked at how small it seemed to be after I washed it before wearing, but it fit!
* Hanes Women's Convertible Wire Free Bra, size Medium, $13 on Amazon
This bra was probably my biggest gamble, but at $13 I didn't think I could go wrong. Let me tell you, all my expectations were completely blown away by this bra! It looked so tiny tiny in my hands when it came in, it was smaller than any bra I've ever worn since I was 12, but the moment I tried it on, wow!! It stretched perfectly over my poor swollen breasts and provided the perfect amount of support and compression even, and I have finally found my perfect sleeping bra. It's also the one I'm wearing in the photos because I just don't want to take it off, it makes me feel so comfortable. I honestly can't rave enough about this one. My favorite feature so far has been the convertible racerback straps. I have very bad posture thanks to my old breasts, and even a hump at the base of my neck, and putting this bra on and turning the straps to racerback, it's nearly magical how easy it feels to stand up straight and keep good posture. I am honestly in awe and I'm planning on buying another 2 or 3.
So far post-op bra usage has definitely had a complete improvement on what that used to be like. I am so thrilled and can't wait to try other ones. And to be done with healing!
Surgical bra off for the first time!
I love my amazing boobies!!
They are swollen and hard in some spots. Icing the tops every day for now. Any advice on what else is good?
They are swollen and hard in some spots. Icing the tops every day for now. Any advice on what else is good?
On the other side now!
Wow! Surgery went really well. I can't say enough good things about it!
I had my surgery at MEETH / Lenox Hill Hospital on 64th street in NYC. First of all, we weren't made to wait at all, the pre-surgery process of getting me to meet with my surgeon, anesthesiologist, and various nurses was started right away when we arrived.Every single person I interacted with was kind, took their time, extremely attentive to my concerns and questions, and consistently put me at ease. It was a great pleasure! The way the staff cared for me immediately put me so much at ease that I actually felt relaxed enough to fall asleep a little bit before the surgery. My amazing surgeon (Dr Hyman) and anesthesiologist (Dr Warren) were a superb team! They treated me like a partner in my health rather than being imposing and treating me as only a patient.
I remember being walked into the OR, getting hooked up to various machines etc. I felt very nervous. But honestly I don't even remember going under the anesthesia. The next thing I knew, I was in a large room for 1st phase recovery (phase 1 out of 2 phases). I had quite a lot of pain when I woke up and the nurses immediately gave me some medication and the pain dropped away very quickly. They made sure my boyfriend was with me within minutes of my starting to become lucid. Most of all, and I have no idea why, I was in the BEST mood! I was so excited and happy to have gotten through the surgery. It's day 2 now and I am still in this amazing mood, full of gratitude and smiles.
Then when I was ready, the nurses brought me and my boyfriend to the 2nd stage of recovery, a small private area on the first floor of the hospital. I felt very lightheaded coming out of the anesthesia and they jus let me take plenty of time. I was also very thirsty and at least a bit hungry, and they kept me very well supplied with water, apple juice, and applesauce, which I asked for. It was really nice!
I expected to come out of anesthesia within an hour of surgery being complete, but in fact it took me nearly 4 hours before we all felt that I was ready to go home. The ride home was actually just fine, my dad picked us up. There were unfortunately tons of potholes on the road, but when I stopped leaning against the seat I stopped feeling any potholes jarring me. When we got home I tried to skip out on the Percoset that Dr Hyman had prescribed, but found that the pain was coming back and just outside the range of comfort. So I waited the appropriate amount of time and took Percoset and Ive been taking a double dose since then, on my doctor's orders.
Speaking of Dr Hyman, wow! He had this amazing bedside manner and laughed along with us when my boyfriend and I were making jokes ("Doc, you're really taking a weight of my chest!"). He was also super accessible afterwards! I woke up this morning at 5am and shot him a long email with lots of questions, and he wrote back less than an hour later. His office patient coordinator also called me to check up on me and confirm our post-op on Monday. I feel so very well cared for by Dr Hyman and Shirley!
Of course, my #1 caretaker is my incredibly loving boyfriend!! He has been doting on me hand and foot, making me feel deeply loved and at the same time making me feel like I totally can get through this. It's been such an amazing time for us <3 All I have to do is voice the slightest request or complaint, and he immediately comes running with blankets and water with straws and food and lovely painkillers! He tracks when I need to take my medication, lets me know when I'm acting loopy or sober, takes care of our dog and our home, did all the dishes and more! I can never deserve him and I am boundlessly grateful for him <3
Have had lots of swelling today on the tops of my beautiful new breasts. I haven't had a chance to see them yet, Dr Hyman doesn't want me taking off the surgical bra or anything like that until he helps me with that on our Monday appointment. I've been putting iced gel packs (Colepack) tucked right into the tops of the surgical bra and that's been really helping.
I've also had some bleeding from my left breast at the far lower corner under my armpit. I'm not too concerned with it.
Dr Hyman told me to rest but also walk, so today went for a bunch of lovely small, slow walks. I'm so thrilled to have this chance to truly be kind to my body, to be tender and gentle and treat it softly with love.
Can't wait to see my gorgeous breasts out of the surgical bra on Monday!!
I had my surgery at MEETH / Lenox Hill Hospital on 64th street in NYC. First of all, we weren't made to wait at all, the pre-surgery process of getting me to meet with my surgeon, anesthesiologist, and various nurses was started right away when we arrived.Every single person I interacted with was kind, took their time, extremely attentive to my concerns and questions, and consistently put me at ease. It was a great pleasure! The way the staff cared for me immediately put me so much at ease that I actually felt relaxed enough to fall asleep a little bit before the surgery. My amazing surgeon (Dr Hyman) and anesthesiologist (Dr Warren) were a superb team! They treated me like a partner in my health rather than being imposing and treating me as only a patient.
I remember being walked into the OR, getting hooked up to various machines etc. I felt very nervous. But honestly I don't even remember going under the anesthesia. The next thing I knew, I was in a large room for 1st phase recovery (phase 1 out of 2 phases). I had quite a lot of pain when I woke up and the nurses immediately gave me some medication and the pain dropped away very quickly. They made sure my boyfriend was with me within minutes of my starting to become lucid. Most of all, and I have no idea why, I was in the BEST mood! I was so excited and happy to have gotten through the surgery. It's day 2 now and I am still in this amazing mood, full of gratitude and smiles.
Then when I was ready, the nurses brought me and my boyfriend to the 2nd stage of recovery, a small private area on the first floor of the hospital. I felt very lightheaded coming out of the anesthesia and they jus let me take plenty of time. I was also very thirsty and at least a bit hungry, and they kept me very well supplied with water, apple juice, and applesauce, which I asked for. It was really nice!
I expected to come out of anesthesia within an hour of surgery being complete, but in fact it took me nearly 4 hours before we all felt that I was ready to go home. The ride home was actually just fine, my dad picked us up. There were unfortunately tons of potholes on the road, but when I stopped leaning against the seat I stopped feeling any potholes jarring me. When we got home I tried to skip out on the Percoset that Dr Hyman had prescribed, but found that the pain was coming back and just outside the range of comfort. So I waited the appropriate amount of time and took Percoset and Ive been taking a double dose since then, on my doctor's orders.
Speaking of Dr Hyman, wow! He had this amazing bedside manner and laughed along with us when my boyfriend and I were making jokes ("Doc, you're really taking a weight of my chest!"). He was also super accessible afterwards! I woke up this morning at 5am and shot him a long email with lots of questions, and he wrote back less than an hour later. His office patient coordinator also called me to check up on me and confirm our post-op on Monday. I feel so very well cared for by Dr Hyman and Shirley!
Of course, my #1 caretaker is my incredibly loving boyfriend!! He has been doting on me hand and foot, making me feel deeply loved and at the same time making me feel like I totally can get through this. It's been such an amazing time for us <3 All I have to do is voice the slightest request or complaint, and he immediately comes running with blankets and water with straws and food and lovely painkillers! He tracks when I need to take my medication, lets me know when I'm acting loopy or sober, takes care of our dog and our home, did all the dishes and more! I can never deserve him and I am boundlessly grateful for him <3
Have had lots of swelling today on the tops of my beautiful new breasts. I haven't had a chance to see them yet, Dr Hyman doesn't want me taking off the surgical bra or anything like that until he helps me with that on our Monday appointment. I've been putting iced gel packs (Colepack) tucked right into the tops of the surgical bra and that's been really helping.
I've also had some bleeding from my left breast at the far lower corner under my armpit. I'm not too concerned with it.
Dr Hyman told me to rest but also walk, so today went for a bunch of lovely small, slow walks. I'm so thrilled to have this chance to truly be kind to my body, to be tender and gentle and treat it softly with love.
Can't wait to see my gorgeous breasts out of the surgical bra on Monday!!
Provider Review
What an amazing decision I made, going with Dr Hyman. An artist with a scalpel! He carefully and kindly listened and respectfully responded to all my concerns, and was very willing to make me a partner in this procedure rather than just a patient, which is what I wanted. He took such great care of me! His patient coordinator, Shirley, has been one of the kindest and most competent staff workers I've ever gotten to work with, staying highly available and responsive throughout this procedure. I'm very happy I chose to do this surgery with Dr Hyman. I came to trust him as I worked with him to set up the surgery, and that has been a great decision.