POSTED UNDER Breast Implant Removal Reviews
Two 30+ Year Old Implants Removed Yesterday; Four Hour Surgery! - Santa Cruz, CA
UPDATED FROM joyful
It's exactly one week out from my surgery date,...
joyfulJune 1, 2012
WORTH IT$5,488
It's exactly one week out from my surgery date, and I'm feeling really good! Breast appearance is improving bit by bit daily, just like other posters have said, and I'm wearing the same stretchy camisoles I wore before the explant (Yummy Tummie, which I really like). A nice bonus is that I lost 5 of the 10 pounds I've wanted to lose (anesthesia affected my appetite)!
Replies (5)
June 2, 2012
Hi Andi,
Thanks for checking in with me and for your message; it's very much appreciated!
I just ordered 6 of the Genie bras (special deal, order 3 and get 3 free) with the optional pads & appreciate the information a lot. I love my Yummy Tummie camisoles and they are fine as long as I'm wearing a top that is sort of roomy and you can't tell breast size anyway (when I'm working, that has always been my option of choice). I've told my sister and a couple of best friends "the real deal," but other people who've known I had surgery, it's just been for "female problems," and I am concerned that people could notice a difference (although for me, I was just a B cup with augmentation!) so a bit of extra padding would be nice for those social occasions. I went to a mastectomy bra place and got a couple of camis along with B cup inserts for those times when I'm wearing a thinner tee, but the Genie bra will be a nice companion to that, and I'll probably like a much thinner insert, anyway. I'm loving my new size, actually, and am looking forward to being able to wear things that made me feel a bit self-conscious before.
Sounds like your healing is going great, too. I'm loving that we're keeping in touch!
Today was my first day back working, and all went really well :~} I can hardly believe that it was a week ago exactly that I'd just come home from surgery.
Thanks for checking in with me and for your message; it's very much appreciated!
I just ordered 6 of the Genie bras (special deal, order 3 and get 3 free) with the optional pads & appreciate the information a lot. I love my Yummy Tummie camisoles and they are fine as long as I'm wearing a top that is sort of roomy and you can't tell breast size anyway (when I'm working, that has always been my option of choice). I've told my sister and a couple of best friends "the real deal," but other people who've known I had surgery, it's just been for "female problems," and I am concerned that people could notice a difference (although for me, I was just a B cup with augmentation!) so a bit of extra padding would be nice for those social occasions. I went to a mastectomy bra place and got a couple of camis along with B cup inserts for those times when I'm wearing a thinner tee, but the Genie bra will be a nice companion to that, and I'll probably like a much thinner insert, anyway. I'm loving my new size, actually, and am looking forward to being able to wear things that made me feel a bit self-conscious before.
Sounds like your healing is going great, too. I'm loving that we're keeping in touch!
Today was my first day back working, and all went really well :~} I can hardly believe that it was a week ago exactly that I'd just come home from surgery.
June 3, 2012
Hi,
oh good i hope you like the bras!
That is exactly the excuse I used 'women's problems' as I figure that answer embarrasses people into not asking anymore :) Glad hyour first day back was good, I have been suprised how well I feel too- after the drains came out though, I hated them!
Why was your surgery 4 hours by the way?
oh good i hope you like the bras!
That is exactly the excuse I used 'women's problems' as I figure that answer embarrasses people into not asking anymore :) Glad hyour first day back was good, I have been suprised how well I feel too- after the drains came out though, I hated them!
Why was your surgery 4 hours by the way?
June 3, 2012
Hi andi22,
Like you, I hated the drains, also and all that they entailed ~ lack of mobility, sleeping (or lack thereof) w/ my upper body elevated, empty and measuring contents, etc. Ugh. MUCH better once they were out!
My surgeon told me pre-op that he didn't know what he was going to find when he went in. He said that sometimes it's an easy in-and-out, but that other times, once he got in there, he would swear under his breath and have a much bigger clean-up job to do. He just didn't know what he would encounter until he was "there."
He had booked the operating room for 2 - 1/2 hours. The nurse who did my surgery intake told me that she thought I'd be out in less than two hours, which was comforting to hear as I lay there with the IV in my arm waiting to go in.
When I woke up in the recovery room I was told I'd been in surgery four hours, which was alarming to me, even in my very groggy state. I immediately looked under the sheet or whatever was on top of me, to make sure I still had my breasts. I suppose unconsciously I was worried that they'd found breast cancer (my half-sis, who is 8 years older than me has triple negative breast cancer, has been given a year to two years to live) and had to give me a double mastectomy. My breasts were there, thank God. I did not ask why the surgery took four hours at that point, I was nauseated and very uncomfortable.
My husband was called into the room and he told me that he'd been very worried; no one had come to tell him why the surgery was taking so long. Finally someone came to tell him that both of my implants had ruptured and that's why it took so long. I imagine there was a big clean-up job to do in there.
I was so discomfited with the experience in total that I didn't feel prepared to hear, actually, why it took so long. I just wanted to rejoin the "land of the living," get over the nausea (despite every precaution and drug, it hit me hard, altho not to the point of vomiting, which might have made me feel better!) The anesthesia also has norepinephrine in it (or some cousin of that) which makes many people panicky and anxious. Myself being a more or less Type A, anxiety prone individual, the drugs in it were NOT my friend! To boot, I had a bad reaction to the pain killer (oxy) which made me feel shaky. I stopped the pain killer right away, and didn't even try the second one the doc prescribed, just taking Motrin or Advil for pain.
When I went to get my drains out, part of me wanted to ask the doc what had happened to make the surgery so much longer, and another part of me just didn't even want to know (scary). I wanted to get the drains out and get going with my life, and didn't end up asking him for the details of the surgery, just general questions like should I wear a compression bra/no compression bra, etc.
I've got an appointment in 5 weeks to go see him again, and will ask him the details then, as I'm feeling really strong and vital now and can stand to hear the answer.
I'm so glad this is behind me, and behind you, too! It's funny, I get "People" and "Us" magazines (guilty pleasures) and when I've been thumbing through their pages I can instantly tell when a celeb has implants, and I feel sorry for her when I think of what inevitably will happen. I can see myself as a much-younger person in their faces. I see myself as someone who, despite the beauty that God gave me, felt the need to "improve" upon what I had, to please one man specifically (my husband at the time; we subsequently divorced and I've remarried), but to also somehow assuage my needy ego. That sense of "not being enough" is something that, over the years, has improved for me. I'm continuing to explore the nuances of this, and in fact, I've had several really illuminative dreams that I will work with my dream group.
This was for sure a longer response than you asked for or that I thought I'd write, but it's going out, anyway...
Like you, I hated the drains, also and all that they entailed ~ lack of mobility, sleeping (or lack thereof) w/ my upper body elevated, empty and measuring contents, etc. Ugh. MUCH better once they were out!
My surgeon told me pre-op that he didn't know what he was going to find when he went in. He said that sometimes it's an easy in-and-out, but that other times, once he got in there, he would swear under his breath and have a much bigger clean-up job to do. He just didn't know what he would encounter until he was "there."
He had booked the operating room for 2 - 1/2 hours. The nurse who did my surgery intake told me that she thought I'd be out in less than two hours, which was comforting to hear as I lay there with the IV in my arm waiting to go in.
When I woke up in the recovery room I was told I'd been in surgery four hours, which was alarming to me, even in my very groggy state. I immediately looked under the sheet or whatever was on top of me, to make sure I still had my breasts. I suppose unconsciously I was worried that they'd found breast cancer (my half-sis, who is 8 years older than me has triple negative breast cancer, has been given a year to two years to live) and had to give me a double mastectomy. My breasts were there, thank God. I did not ask why the surgery took four hours at that point, I was nauseated and very uncomfortable.
My husband was called into the room and he told me that he'd been very worried; no one had come to tell him why the surgery was taking so long. Finally someone came to tell him that both of my implants had ruptured and that's why it took so long. I imagine there was a big clean-up job to do in there.
I was so discomfited with the experience in total that I didn't feel prepared to hear, actually, why it took so long. I just wanted to rejoin the "land of the living," get over the nausea (despite every precaution and drug, it hit me hard, altho not to the point of vomiting, which might have made me feel better!) The anesthesia also has norepinephrine in it (or some cousin of that) which makes many people panicky and anxious. Myself being a more or less Type A, anxiety prone individual, the drugs in it were NOT my friend! To boot, I had a bad reaction to the pain killer (oxy) which made me feel shaky. I stopped the pain killer right away, and didn't even try the second one the doc prescribed, just taking Motrin or Advil for pain.
When I went to get my drains out, part of me wanted to ask the doc what had happened to make the surgery so much longer, and another part of me just didn't even want to know (scary). I wanted to get the drains out and get going with my life, and didn't end up asking him for the details of the surgery, just general questions like should I wear a compression bra/no compression bra, etc.
I've got an appointment in 5 weeks to go see him again, and will ask him the details then, as I'm feeling really strong and vital now and can stand to hear the answer.
I'm so glad this is behind me, and behind you, too! It's funny, I get "People" and "Us" magazines (guilty pleasures) and when I've been thumbing through their pages I can instantly tell when a celeb has implants, and I feel sorry for her when I think of what inevitably will happen. I can see myself as a much-younger person in their faces. I see myself as someone who, despite the beauty that God gave me, felt the need to "improve" upon what I had, to please one man specifically (my husband at the time; we subsequently divorced and I've remarried), but to also somehow assuage my needy ego. That sense of "not being enough" is something that, over the years, has improved for me. I'm continuing to explore the nuances of this, and in fact, I've had several really illuminative dreams that I will work with my dream group.
This was for sure a longer response than you asked for or that I thought I'd write, but it's going out, anyway...
June 27, 2012
Thanks so much for sharing your story on RealSelf! I'm glad your breast appearance is improving. This can be a tough transition, but it sounds like your feelings are all normal and that you're pulling through with flying colors.
UPDATED FROM joyful
It is now Day Four after surgery; I'm hoping to be...
joyfulMay 29, 2012
It is now Day Four after surgery; I'm hoping to be able to get my drains out today, as I have a rash area near where the plastic tubing comes down & makes skin contact. I still feel a bit shaky from the anesthesia (comes & goes) and had my first tears yesterday. This site has been invaluable to keep my spirits up, and to be able to reach out to others who've had surgery around the time that I did, and those who've done it and are therefore good guides to what will come. Thank God for the internet and for women keeping it real!
I'm feeling confused about compression bras. I'm wearing a sports bra (couldn't stand the compression bra the hospital put on me, which was making my rash worse; I must have a latex allergy) but my doctor told me that I did not have to wear a bra at all (? was anyone else told this? pros/cons? Did someone NOT wear a compression bra and things came out okay?)
For the first time last night, I cried in my husband's arms for the loss of fullness in my breasts (the area above my nipples is collapsed; my breasts look sweet other than that). I am so hoping that the fluffies visit me in the next few months, although my implants were placed through the aerola and on top of the chest wall, which I understand makes it less likely that the Fluff Fairies will visit me. If anyone else has had that experience and the Fluff Fairies DID visit them, oh my gosh, please, please let me know!
My husband has not seen my breasts, but has seen the flattened shape in the bra. I told him that day and night I will need to be wearing a compression bra for 6 weeks, so that is buying me some time. He loves me no matter what, and I feel so lucky (a) that I have him and he really loves me and (b) that I don't have breast cancer (like my older sister does), so I'm kicking myself for any "sorry for myself" stuff that comes up. How did others handle timing, etc. for their partners, especially those who didn't have a regular shaped breast afterwards? It's a bit hard for me right now taking this time off work, as my husband has been unemployed 5 months. I need to get back to work (I have a career helping others with their emotional stuff!!) Maybe that's a good thing that I don't have time to sit and feel sorry for myself!!
Any and all input, experience and advice will be very much appreciated!
Lastly, what bras have others found that work for them (cotton, comfortable)? I live in California.
I'm feeling confused about compression bras. I'm wearing a sports bra (couldn't stand the compression bra the hospital put on me, which was making my rash worse; I must have a latex allergy) but my doctor told me that I did not have to wear a bra at all (? was anyone else told this? pros/cons? Did someone NOT wear a compression bra and things came out okay?)
For the first time last night, I cried in my husband's arms for the loss of fullness in my breasts (the area above my nipples is collapsed; my breasts look sweet other than that). I am so hoping that the fluffies visit me in the next few months, although my implants were placed through the aerola and on top of the chest wall, which I understand makes it less likely that the Fluff Fairies will visit me. If anyone else has had that experience and the Fluff Fairies DID visit them, oh my gosh, please, please let me know!
My husband has not seen my breasts, but has seen the flattened shape in the bra. I told him that day and night I will need to be wearing a compression bra for 6 weeks, so that is buying me some time. He loves me no matter what, and I feel so lucky (a) that I have him and he really loves me and (b) that I don't have breast cancer (like my older sister does), so I'm kicking myself for any "sorry for myself" stuff that comes up. How did others handle timing, etc. for their partners, especially those who didn't have a regular shaped breast afterwards? It's a bit hard for me right now taking this time off work, as my husband has been unemployed 5 months. I need to get back to work (I have a career helping others with their emotional stuff!!) Maybe that's a good thing that I don't have time to sit and feel sorry for myself!!
Any and all input, experience and advice will be very much appreciated!
Lastly, what bras have others found that work for them (cotton, comfortable)? I live in California.
Replies (0)
UPDATED FROM joyful
Yay, one drain was able to be removed today, and...
joyfulMay 29, 2012
Yay, one drain was able to be removed today, and the other should be out tomorrow. The nurse confirmed Dr. Nakamuli's suggestion that I NOT wear a bra, saying that gravity will have a better chance of "fluffing" if I'm not wearing one. Has anyone else taken this approach?
My surgeon said I must wear a tight bra for 6 weeks because he said the insides need to hold firm and not move - he said if the raw surfaces rub against each other then there is risk of bleeding. BUT they all have different opinions and we're all different of course so sure you PS is right that is right for you not to wear one.
OK, so since they say you dont need a bra, then I reccommend you get one of these bras that I posted about in another thread: http://www.geniebra.com/features.php I'm sure you will be able to get it where you are, but maybe just online. Sometimes it is also referred to as a magic bra.
It is super comfy and with the optional pads (make sure you get these if you want a bit of a boost) it makes breasts look perky and a cup size bigger. You may want to check with your surgeon that it will be ok for you, but I expect it will because it is not too tight by any means and just gives a nice shape.I dont think it is the ideal post op bra for people who need a very tight compression bra, but I think it could be good for you. I am wearing mine most of the time now as my surgeon said it is good for me.
Hope you are feeling well x