I've been a member of realself even before...
I've been a member of realself even before contemplating plastic surgery, lipo and a breast lift with implants was more of a dream to me, I have 3 kids, 1.5 years ago I delivered my last baby, I breastfed the 3 of them without regrets, it has been one of the best experiences in my life, BUT of course my breast suffered the consequences, months ago my husband promise me than when I stop breastfeeding my daughter, he would pay for my surgery and of course since I have a giant belly and very protruding saddlebags I will have liposuction done in this areas also. My surgery is booked for March 25 and I'm crazy nervous, exited, scared all at the same time.
I choose dr Robert Hardesty from riverside, ca after having a couple of consultations because he is a certified plastic surgeon with more
Than 25 years of experience, he has an amazing personality and made me feel super comfortable, his reputation and his prices.. So here I am, waiting anxiously for the big day . This are my actual pictures,
I'm still deciding if I should post Pics of my bare breast but I'm sure yet.. If you had surgery with dr hardesty please let me
Know And tell me how was your experience
Wish pics and thoughts
I forgot to mention that I'm 5'2, 155 lbs and will be gettin 525 cc, Im still undecided if I should get 525 or 550, I don't want to look huge, I want to look natural. I have my preop on March 11 and I'm wondering if I should be taking any kind or vitamins or iron?? The doctor didn't mention anything, I don't even know if my blood sugar, my iron levels and blood pressure are fine.. My mind is going crazy right now and the more I think about it the more anxiety I get.. Ughh!! Anyways.. Here are my wish pics, I think the second one everybody has them as wish lol, they are just perfect!
Before pictures ughh!!!
Well as much I didn't want to, here are my before pictures, let's see what dr Hardesty can do for them
Mom against cosmetic surgery
So I told my mom months ago that I was having surgery, I have to say that she is a very religious old school person (Catholic), the only thing she said was that I was crazy with a mad face...she told me she was against it and how can I risk My life for something that vain and that I was shallow and I should accept My self the way I am... Well now that I booked my surgery for the 25th she started going off saying "how come You scheduled the surgery on good Friday and that's Easter weekend How can you do that you are a sinner," and everything you can image.. Well I feel like shit now second guessing my self if this is worth the pain, the money, if I'm Really that shallow, maybe she's right and I'm putting my self an my life on risk just for vanity... Did this happen to any of you?? Is your mom or family against your surgery ?? How do you take it?? I mean my husband is my number one supporter emotionally and everything, he said do what you feel don't let anybody convince you against something you really want.. You want this and I'm going to do it.. Ok I just really wanted to vent and let it all out lol..
Preop today
So I had my preop today and omg! I had to sign like 90 documents! All of the paperwork and information left me exhausted lol I had so many questions, all answered by my PA and my wonderful PS.. Got my bromaline and arnica pills, my prescription, paid my surgery in full and looks like I don't have to get any lab work done, just had to check my hemoglobin and blood pressure there.. So I'm just waiting for the big day and hope for the best results and a speedy recovery... I'm so anxious and excited and still have 2 more weeks to go ..
8 more days to go!!
8 more days and I'm super nervous, I fear me being put under.. The thought of being out makes me cringe.. What if I don't wake up?? What if I want to wake up and I can't?? My mind is playing me really funny tricks and it's not a good time for that I need to be calm.. I can't stop eating and instead of loosing weight and getting ready for my lipo and gaining.. What's wrong with me??? Lately I haven't been able to sleep good, I have crazy dreams where I'm having surgery or I already had it.. Is this normal?? Ughh!! This anxiety is driving me crazy!! Any way, I just realize that having a surgery it's just not that easy as I thought, a lot of expenses!! It's not just the price of surgery, I have to fill my prescription with my insurance doesn't cover and it's over $400, I had to buy all this supplies and between the special pillows, garments, supplements, medicine etc etc I spent an extra $1000.. Oh well I just hope my results are the desirable ones and y recovery is fast and not that painful..
Wish pics
I feel that nature have treated me very unfair lol.. I mean I'm a healthy woman but come on!, I literally have been dieting since I remember and I work out (cardio and weight lifting ) 5 times a week and still have this fu*%#ed up body.. Lol.. Well i played a little bit with the FaceTune app and this is my wish body .. I have an older sister, she's 36 and has a goddess body and perfect breasts..after 2 kids Why oh why??? I just hope my surgeon can to this for me
Before side pics
I just wanted to post some side boob pics so I can compare after my surgery
Thoughts
4 days to go.. It's just incredible how we dream about changing our bodies for the better.. I remember thinking, man!! I want perky boobs and a smaller waist.. That was always in my mind every day I saw my self in mirror, everyday I saw magazine models and celebrities on the tv.. Then I remember going to my first appointment.. I was so happy and exited.!! Then scheduling my surgery.. I started questioning my self is it worth it??? Do I really want this?? And the nervousness and the fear..But there was always that voice telling me yes!! You want this! You deserve this!! You are not being shallow!! You want to restore your body!! You want to fix what your 3 pregnancies did to your body!!!!.......And then there is today.. Today I'm thinking am I willing to change my body forever?? I'm a willing to live a NEW normal?? Am I willing to sacrifice hugs and kisses from my kids for my recovery time?? What if something happen? What if I get an infection or i am left botched??? What if??? What if???Damnit why am I having this thoughts.??..Why am I second guessing my self if i wanted this so bad ??? Why am I thinking that I'm going to get cut open and be disabled for a while for my own pleasure and not because I'm ill or because I had an accident.. I feel so guilty !!! I feel so shallow!! I feel so cold...I don't know. Today I feel guilty ...
I made it !!
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25 Mar 2016
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Day of treatment
Ok let me first say WATH IN THE WORLD WIT THE PAIN!!!!???
So i had to check in at 6:15, my husband and i got there at 6:10, the nurse (male) was very cool and a sweetheart and did all the paperwork and prepared me in no time, then he put the IV, the anesthesiologist talked to me , dr hardesty came, talked to me , marked me down , prayed and they tookme to the OR, the anesthesiologist put medication on my IV and i passed out, next thing they where calling my name and saying wakeup wake up, how do you feel? I was super drugged up and in the WOST PAIN of mi life (boobs) they put pain med on the IV and said its time to go home.. I honestly felt that they rushed me out which I didn't like, I was half awake and then they put me on a wheel chair and took me to my husband car.. I live25 min from the facility and when I got home my pain was a 10/10 OMG non of my 3 c-sections hurt this bad!!! I felt asleep but still was feeling pain, 3 hours later a took ibuprofen and the pain was gone after 20 min.. I feel fine now..
Now, about the lift, he did a donut lift Which I didn't want! The doctor told me before that he didn't know what kind of lift he was going to do, but most likely was going to be a lollipop, he needed to see my wish pics a d the amount of skin I had to be able to determine.. Well I ended up with the Benelli..I just have to wait for the final results.. I'm kind of freaking out just hoping he used his best judgment and experience .. For the lipo, all of my life I had this gigantic outer thighs that I always hated, when I saw my self in the mirror after they were gone!, It felt so weird!! I'm
Super swollen with no drains !! That was my biggest fear, the drains but it looks like I didn't need them.. I'll post a pic tomorrow ladies..
My mom is being a sweetheart taking care of me and I feel very blessed that after all the bad talking and everything about the surgery she finally accepted and is helping me out with kids, bringing me water and showing me love..
Pictures
Last nigh wasn't bad at all, i slept in a sitting position, and woke up like 3 times to pee which it's really difficult, I have to push several times so the pee can come out, dr hardesty said it was normal because of the anesthesia effects.. I haven't poop and that's not good because I poop twice a day normally so that's kind of bad since I drank my green smoothie and my apple cider vinegar in the morning , today I don't feel pain if I'm walking or seating, but if my seating for more than a hour and stand up OMG the pain is real..
I took a look at my boobs this morning and I like them so far but the implants are really high still. I will post more pictures later without the bra
1 day post pictures
Today was kind of hard, I have tons of fluid accumulated from the lipo in my abdomen, I can feel it and it moves around when pressing. I'm super itchy and I don't know why
I'm trying to stop taking the Percocet and I'm taking it every 8 hours instead of every 6 with no ibuprofen in Between. I have bubbles inside my chest that when pressing make funny bubblely noises, I read it's common after breast surgery.. Still difficult to pee but it's getting better.. Can time go faster please ?? Lol
Post op day 4
I had my first preop yesterday with the PA, she said everything looks good but I still have mayor swelling, on both breasts and lipo areas, she gave me the horrible band to help get the implants down plus another weird type of bra to help keep the middle section skin stay in place so the implants don't look like a uniboob, so now I'm wearing 3 bras just for 4 days... She did not replace the tapes, she will do it on Friday so I have to wait 1 week to see the girls.. They still feel extremely tight but I think it is because my implants are big (590cc) I have to start the massage 5 times a day for 5 min, it feels weird and my boobs make weird noises when I do it, it freaks me out but she said its normal.
My vagina it's purple, extremely swollen and sore (a normal side effect from lipo) and it will go away some day.. Yes some day that's what the PA said :s
I'm off the Percocet since Sunday night and have been surviving only with ibuprofen. Pain is definitely bearable, lipoed areas are still super sore and swollen but arnica pills and arnica gel as well as ibuprofen help a lot..
Something not related but weird that it's happening is that the next day after surgery my left ear was super swollen and sore, by today it still hurts like an ear infection and every time I yawn or burp it pops and hurts.. I can tell its swollen cause I can't even stick a qtip on it, and I can hear my heartbeat when laying on my bed. I forgot to mention this to the pa.. I will if it keeps like this on Friday.
Well I'm just trying to stay positive, I'm bored, anxious to be normal again and trying to not go crazy with my kids being demons around me.. I wanted this and I have to go through it.. I haven't post pics of lipoed areas but I will as soon as the swelling and the purple go down
Post op say 7
Hi girlfriends, well I don't know what's going on with me, but yesterday was the worst day ever lipo/pain wise, my breast are starting to soften a little bit, I feel my nipples More now and I can massage them easily now, I can see the implants are starting to drop but left one is a little high still, I'm still using the band, pain is almost completely gone.. Now lipo ...ughh!! Yesterday I regretted big time getting lipo, pain was almost unbearable I was actually thinking on going back to Percocet, honestly I see no big difference on my shape and it hurts to the touch, my lower abdomen is HUGE! swollen and super hard, the compression garment is super tight, makes me itchy and uncomfortable, I feel shooting pains everywhere where lipo was done like needles, I was in the worst mood ever yelling to my kids and being a bitch with my husband.. Poor things lol, I have hard parts all over I think Im going to need some massages done but that's a question for the PA tomorrow.. Today has been better but still swollen and in pain no matter the ibuprofen, arnica or bromelain that I'm taking..my genitals are still like purple testicles lol but the discomfort is a little less.. Can't wait to see my boobs tomorrow with out the tapes.. And can't wait to feel better from lipo.. I have to get better.. I got back to work on Monday :s
Day 8 pics
Here are some pics from today, I'm still super swollen and bruised from lipo, pain is less everyday, implants are still high, steristrips were removed but stitches will be removed on Tuesday
Post op day 11
Yesterday was my first day back to work, everything went good, I've been 3 days medicine free except for the Arnica pills and bromelain. I started feeling better on Sunday and by today I feel almost normal, well new normal because my implants get in the way when performing everyday tasks lol, for example when I swing my arms when walking, when washing dishes, when I take a shower it feels Weird lol.
I feel stinging, burning, pulling and itching throughout the day but it's bearable and I know it's because I'm healing, now here are my updates for:
Liposuction: I'm still swollen but significantly less, my lower abdomen has a very hard spot that makes it lumpy but according to my PA will go away with massage, I still feel pain, itchiness and numbness on my thighs but only when I'm seating for a long periods of time and then I get up and start walking (pain is very tolerable like soreness). I don't see a mayor difference on the lipo areas but I'm kind of please with the results so far, I asked the doctor to make my waist as tiny as possible but so far it looks like he just lipoed the love handles, my thighs are still there but the exaggerated protuberance is gone which I like.. I'm still wearing the compression garment 24/7 and it feels like it's becoming a little loose, I bought more lipo foam to start wearing it inside until week 4, I think that the most annoying part after liposuction is the damn garment, the side zippers are driving me crazy and it gets painful and itchy at night , yes is very uncomfortable to sleep with a garment, after 3 weeks I can start wearing an spandex garment
Breast lift: my boobs hurt only when I sleep, I sleep without a bra and it feels like the implants move to the sides and hurt my muscles and pull the sking, I still have the stitches and today I have my appointment to get them removed, I love the roundes, the fullness and the shape, but so far I'm not satisfied with the height of the nipples, I still feel that my nipples are looking down and I'm still grieving I didn't get the lollipop lift I was expecting, of course I will wait until week 6 and see how they look. They get itchy and feel like electroshocks during the day but it looks like my nerves are connecting again and causing those sensations
Other than that my mood, energy level and mobility is at 95% and I have to remind my self every now and then that I'm still recovering and have to take it easy, the pain reminds me every time I move around like nothing happened, I have been shopping, working, walking, doing shores around the house, going to my sons beisball games and practices since Saturday.. I just everything goes easy when they remove the stitches and don't have any openings.. That's one of my biggest fears..
2 week update
Here are the highlights:
- I feel normal now when I'm seating or doing light everyday tasks (when in a hurry I forget and lift heavy stuff my pectorals hurt)
-I get electrocks on my boobs every time I drive, the implants get in the way when driving and turning
-still can't take a regular shower, if you have surgery with dr Hardesty you will have to cover your wounds with tape for a
Month and not get them wet until they are completely healed and sealed, so I only get to see my nipples when is tape change day (every 3rd day)
-still a little swollen and have a huge hard lump On my lower abdomen, i have to massage it and can take months to disappear
-I'm impressed on how fast I felt normal, I think it's because I tried my best to be as healthy as possible before surgery. I drink apple cider vinegar on An empty stomach every morning, drink a green smoothie, take vitamin D3, and vitamin k2, excercise 5 days a week and try to eat as healthy as possible even though I have a horrible sugar addiction.
-I have to admit that I'm still not out of the woods, complications (i.e. Infections) can happen even After feeling great for some time and my PA said I will have good days and bad days, on Tuesday I was feeling great and all of the sudden I started feeling weak, dizzy and fainting, I asked my self why? Well, I was only 11 days post of and on the streets like nothing happened.. I still have to remind my self that I had surgery
- usually you are safe and out of the woods 1 month post op
- I love the way my thighs/saddle bags look! I'm amazed and every time I look in the mirror I can't believe is me, I can see that dr a hardesty took as Much abdominal fat as he could and I'm
Happy with that area too except for the lump on my lower abdomen, however, I'm not happy with the flanks? I mean, they are smaller but there's still a lot of fat left that I think could be lipoed.. I'm
Thinking on a revision and I regret not paying for the bra roll, I didn't even thought about it, now that I see my self in the mirror it looks weird and I will go for it plus more lipo on the flanks in 6
Months.
-so far I'm very pleased with my results, I just need to see the boobs without the tape and my body with out the swealling in order to give a final honest review
I will update again in a week :)
3 week update
It's been officially 3 weeks since my surgery, I feel pretty much normal now just get the occasional pain on my thighs and my boobs hurt when my kids hug me rough, I still get the occasional numbness on my thighs and still have swelling on my lower abdomen and around my belly bottom,
The incisions on the boobs are completely closed now but the scarring it's terrible, I'm not concern at all because that's the way I usually scar, the first month always Look like a horror movie but then it starts fading, plus I already ordered the scar treatment silicone stripes and I'm just waiting for it to arrive to start using it
I'm happy with my results so far just some things to mention:
-The height of my nipples is still a little low, I mentioned this to he PA and she said that if I'm not satisfied with the final product in 6 months dr hardesty can make a crescent lift which is just a small incision on the top of the Niple and move it a little higher
- I love the shape and size and they look GREAT with clothes
-I feel like lipo on flanks was a waste of money since I don't see a difference at all, the only thing is that I haven't eat the way I should, I will start a different diet on Monday and start doing to the gym (only walk and leg training for the next 3 weeks) and maybe I can see a difference later on time
-lipo on my thighs looks great and I love the results on that area
-swelling on vagina and everything else disappeared on day 10
I will update and post more pics at 1 month
5 week update
Hello friends, I forgot to update my review on week 4, I have so many things to say that I don't even know where to start, I guess by saying that I feel great, I feel like
My old self again and I keep forgetting I had surgery, the pain, pulling, burning, electroshocking etc etc is gone, incisions are completely close, I had some spitting stitches Wich were freaking me out but they are healed now. my implants are not heavy at all and they feel like a part of me already, they haven't completely drop/fluff yet.
Here are the highlights:
BREASTS
-saw dr hardesty for the first time after surgery at the 1 month appointment(I could have seen him before but I didn't have any complication)
- I talked to him about the nipples looking down and he agreed, he said if after 9 months the nipples are not where I wanted to be he will do a crescent lift under local without charge
- my nipples look way darker than before and I feel that one areola is bigger than the other (I just discovered this weekend)
-I'm still recovering from the tapes (they were devastating on my skin)
- boobs feel fake still, I love them but still don't feel natural enough
-sensation(sexual) has not come back at all yet and it's worrying me, I can feel pain and touch.
-size and shape are perfect and love how
They look with clothes.. they are starting to get a lot of attention
- dr said I'm cleared to exercise, use scar stripes and wear underwired bras
-bought my first 2 bras from Victoria's Secret this weekend and I'm a 36DD!!! I was shocked!! I bought the t-shirt bra and the body and they feel like heaven, very comfy
LIPO:
-talked with the dr about not being happy with lipo on flanks and he said he can take a little bit more under local after nine months free of charge
-went in to a very bad eating splurge the first 3 weeks after surgery and I think I gain about 5 punds,
-I started my diet and and went back to the gym last week and felt great, energy is coming back fast
- lipo on thighs is perfect, I cry happy tears every time I see my self on the mirror to see what I thought would never go away even with extreme excercise, it's not too noticeable but I can see it and that's all that matters
- burning, tingling, swealling it's all gone and I feel great.
Will post more pics soon, I just haven't have time to take
Shame on me
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23 May 2016
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2 months post
Hi ladies, well, it's been 2 months after surgery and boobwise everything seems to be going perfect, they are soft and fluffy now. Now taking about lipo :s ..as much as I was waiting to loose weight, it didn't happen, all of the opposite happened after surgery, I gained weight, the month after surgery that I couldn't work out I ate and ate and ate.. What went trough my mind that month?? I don't know.. Probably that I wasn't giving a f-*ck, the thing is, I gain 8 pounds, don't get me wrong, the lipo work is still noticeable and the doctor did a great job but i still gained weight and I still had 10 pounds too loose, that means that now, have to loose about 20 pounds, I'm working hard to do it and all this have me very stressed, I have been working out 5 times a day for last 2 weeks but it's been really hard to get back to my diet.. I had to do it, otherwise that would be a sad waste of money, anyways.. Just an advice, if your metabolism is as bad as mine, don't binge eat after surgery and start working out as soon as your doctor gives you the green light :(
11 week post update
Hi precious girlfriends, so I am 11 weeks post op and all I can say it's I'm back to normal 100% I guess I'm still healing in the inside but in the outside I feel like my old self, Im doing crossfit, weight lifting and running occasionally but my workouts are 6 days a week, I completely changed my diet and even though I hate eating clean (I looove junk food and sweets) I feel better and energized when I eat healthy but very anxious, I feel relaxed and anxiety free but shitty and lethargic when I eat bad..
Anyways, I just can't throw away all the money I paid for the liposuction so I'm literally working my ass off to have something to show for what I paid.. I'm satisfied with my boobs, (they are soft and fluffy now) even though I have been saying that I wanted my nipples higher I'm falling in love with them as time pass by, I think at 6 months I'll make my final decision, I'm very unsatisfied with my waist and even though I'm loosing weight I'm still not seeing the shape I want, I love everything else of my body except for my waist.
My husband is crazy in love with my boobs and I have to actually hide from him here and there because he can't take his hands off me lol, no I'm not bragging even though I love his attention it's
Kind of overwhelming sometimes because being a full time working mom of 3, my sex Drive it's pretty low and the mayority of the time the last thing on my mind is sex.. So we have been having a little disagreements lately because he wants to play with my boobs every single freaking day, and I'm like no! I'm tired !
So ladies be aware, be prepared, be warned!!!!, once you change your body, your marital/dating life will drastically change! I wear nun clothes when I'm around my mom and my in laws but I wear low cut shirts when I'm out with the family or just my husband, I have been catching ladies staring and my boobs and them giving me hating looks and guys giving them a quick fast glance lol it's too funny they try not to be obvious but they are..
Well I posted some pics that I took for my hubby, and a wish pic of my wish waist, I hope the doctor can shape my waist like this so I can be happy with my body for once
My favorite waist trainer faja for after surgery
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12 Jun 2016
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3 months post
This is my second waist trianer, the first one got too big and I bought a second one one size smaller 3 weeks after wearing It for about 8 hours a day
5 month update !!!
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23 Aug 2016
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5 months post
Hey girls!!! I know it's been forever!!! I've been thinking about giving an update but things come up and then I forget, and keep forgetting about taking pics, anyways, I'm 100% back to normal is like I never had surgery.. I'm very happy with my results but I have been working out like crazy too so I think that's helping a lot. yesterday I had my 5 month appointment and will be getting a revision on my nipples (I want them higher) in January, the shape, size and squishiness are just perfect but I just want them a little higher and dr hardesty will do a crescent lift in his office.. Liposuction wise I'm pleased too even though I would like my waist a little bit more contoured and he said I'm
Still shrinking so I have to wait for the 9 month mark and then if I'm still not satisfied he can take more fat the same day under local, sex life with hubby has improved 100% since confidence has improved too, I regained feeling on my right nipple but left one is still a little sore, I've hear it takes up to 8 months to regained sensation so I'm not worried about that right now..here are my before and after pics..
Got my revision done today!
Ok so it's been a while, but today I had my revision (crescent lift and areola reduction) and touch up Lipo on flanks, I was planning on only having a crescent lift but dr Hardesty went out of his way to make it better and did an areola reduction since my skin it's the kind that stretch easily, the surgery was at his facility and I was awake the whole time, I was so freaking nervous but the procedure was literally pain free and dr Hardesty and Narsell were both such sweethearts making me feel so comfortable I don't really have the words to describe how nice and humble people they are and I can't recommend enough dr Hardesty I wouldn't trust anyone else to do any type of surgery on me. This procedure was cost free, another reason to choose dr Hardesty he never hesitate on doing a revision when I told him I wasn't happy with my niples height, here's a pic and I will continue to do updates on my review
