I Am Two Weeks Post Op, Removal of Old and New Replacement, Age 50, 350 Cc, Feeling Fabulous

Good day ladies, I usually don't post to forums, but your posts were so helpful to me pre-op, that I wanted to share my experience, 11-day post-op, perhaps it may help someone. My original implants were 30 years old, silicone/saline, very nicely done but showed tears with possible leaks, from my breast MRI results six months ago. I never had pain, but the implants looked and felt a bit like hard balls. It was time for them to come out, no doubt. To prepare for the surgery, I carefully 'overtrained' for 4 weeks. My workout has always consisted of hard core full body weight lifting, cardio, a lot of pull ups/chin ups, dips, push ups, pilates, etc. I have weight lifted for over 30 years, and it shows. (Not bragging, just giving you a background, lol). My surgery on 10/4 went very well, 2 hours long, the Dr. needed to remove old implants along with some tissue that showed calcification. He said the implants were also calcified inside. The old implants were OVER the tissue. The new implants are UNDER the pec muscles (just the top half is placed under the muscle), which I thought I wouldn't want due to the additional recovery time, but I wanted them done correctly, and with good reasons, one being that my old implants had formed cavities over the last 30 years, so I needed to stay with the same size, and since I am very lean, with not too much breast tissue, and thin-ish skin (due to being 50). When I got home I vomitted twice due to the anesthesia, which I expected. However, that was the worst of it. I never needed to take the Oxy. Tylenol was all I needed, started with 1000mg every 6 hours, then I reduced it to 650mg, and then 500mg, then 325mg. After 7 days I didn't need any pain meds. Because I never took the oxy, I wasn't constipated either. On my 9 day post-op checkup, the Dr took the drainage tubes out (I needed these only because of the removal portion - removing calcified tissue meant flushing out the old cavities, and there was more swelling/drainage). So now for the good news part, I feel fabulous, the 'overtraining' was a good idea for me, it meant that the 9 post-op days that I 'rested', my body was recovering from the overtraining and also the surgery. I was extremely healthy to begin with, I have very strong pecs (per the Dr.), and all of this combined made for a super quick and easy recovery. Yesterday I started with riding the bicycle and raising my heart rate to about half my normal cardio rate, I was able to start on core/abs, and full lower body work-out (without lifting weights so basically I did the nautilus machines and lunges, etc.). Today I did the same, and added in the elliptical without arms, and walking at a 4 mph pace with 10 degree incline for 30 minutes, without swinging the arms. Tomorrow, per the Dr., I can add in some upper body, but i have to keep my arms close to my sides at all times, so he suggested bicep curls and triceps, using light weights. He said as soon as I move my arms away from the body (while using weights) the pec muscles will begin to engage, so to wait another few weeks for that, just listen to my body and I'll know when I'm ready. So far my muscle tone on my upper back and arms still shows (yeah!). Oh, and I kept my calorie intake exactly the same as pre-surgery, but I ate a little bit less carbs. I always have healthy fats/protein, etc in my diet. He said there is no proven result from wearing a bra or not wearing a bra, so it's a personal choice. I agree, but damn it felt good to take off that medical bra after 9 days and go bra free for a while! My nipples are ultra sensitive now, so clothes rubbing on them isn't extremely comfortable. Everyone is different, and some women will lose the nipple sensation for a while. I will be doing PT, just to be pro-active about having a full recover. I hope this info helps someone! Great forum, fabulous ladies, stay positive, and remember to listen to whatever your doctor tells you!