I wanted to share my experience to come with all...
I wanted to share my experience to come with all of you since your reviews have really made me feel a lot more comfortable with my upcoming breast augmentation :) I am 30 years old, 5'6", 112lbs. I used to be heavier when I was younger (155lbs) but still was only a B cup at my heaviest. I got into fitness, dropped the weight and, big shock, all the boobs I had went with. I am a fitness competitor so I live in the gym and keep by body fat below 15% year round. I guess I am just tired of having the upper body of a 16 year old boy :-/ So, with the support of my husband, I am competing on the 20th of April and having my augmentation done on the 30th!
I live in Spain and am having it done in Prague, so a bit nervous that I won't have a face to face consultation with the surgeon until the day of the procedure. Also, nervous about the cc's and profile to get. I really love the high profile look but a lot of surgeons don't like to use it because it gives a fake look...
I'll update as things get closer!
Post consult feelings...
So I just had my consult over the phone with my surgeon. Definite downfall of not being able to meet the surgeon face to face before the day of my surgery! Based on pics and measurements I sent him he recommended 350cc moderate profile, silicon under the muscle, incision under the breast. Was going along with it until he said it would get me to a B/C, which is considerably smaller than I asked for. I want a C/D cup :-/ When i told him this he started talking about how my body couldn't handle it and he would order 500cc if I wanted but the normal size in Europe is 350cc... Yeah I had to cut him off there because I was thinking 375cc or 400cc, not 500cc! When I told him that he calmed down and said he would order those sizes for me.
I also have been very specific that I want high profile implants, so when I asked him why he recommended moderate he started talking about how high profile don't look natural. Let me stop you right there. No wish pics that I have sent through look "natural". I love that upper pole roundness and am not looking for a natural look. I currently have 12% body fat, no matter what you stick in me nothing will look natural!
As you can tell, feeling a bit frustrated. Cherry on top, he said no exercise what so ever for 4 weeks??? I have had friends get implants and started back to light cardio after 2 weeks, lifting weights (not upper body) at 4 weeks. Anyone else have experience with this?? I don't want to do anything to jeopardize my healing but at 4 weeks of doing nothing I will be climbing the walls o_O
Afternoon surgery
So I got my surgery time, looks like I will get sent in at about 2pm... I am afraid I am going to eat my own arm with all that time of nothing to eat! :-O
3 days till my competition
So much is happening in such a short time! So excited for my BA in less than 2 weeks! Sending constant emails with questions to the patient coordinator. She is really lovely and putting up with me pressing her on everything under the sun!
At the same time, I am now just 3 days out from my fitness competition (I compete in Bikini)! I can tell you right now I am HUNGRY, looking forward to being on stage on Sunday, and then eating a massive Indian dinner haha :-) I just keep reading reviews here to keep my mind from getting too frantic ;)
Almost there!
Can't believe it is less than a week! I feel a bit like when it rains it pours, so I thankfully haven't had time to sit down and over analyze things. I just competed last weekend (fantastic time), have been eating like a beast this week to raise my body fat from 12% which is what it was last week. I know that having a bit extra on me is going to make the healing process better. As well I have been cramming in my last gym sessions because I know that I am going to go through serious withdrawls after the op. And the icing on the cake is that I am moving from Spain to France 2 weeks after my BA, so I am trying to pack and send as much as I can now.
My husband and I fly to Prague on Tuesday (the op is Wed) so I am trying to get everything sorted for being in Prague till Saturday. My packing list for things I need at the clinic (I am staying overnight)
-front close shirts
-yoga pants
-easy food (protein bars and shakes)
-bendy straws
-laxative for after the surgery
-chapstick
-socks & slippers
-list of questions (because i will have a ton!)
-baby wipes
the clinic is providing the medication and surgical bra. I think I am prepared but god knows i am going to forget something...
time to go!
Leaving for the airport in an hour! still don't think it has really set in that the op is tomorrow. I have my bags packed full of comfy clothes. I contacted my clinic and they said that they will provide everything (including a tablet!) for me during my overnight stay. Then I'll be in Prague until 3 days post, I thought it was good to not travel too soon...
still going back and forth on the size. i'm set on high profile but i keep looking at 400cc, some days it's perfect, some days too big and maybe i should do 350cc...
ok time to finish packing!
400cc HP silicone, round, under, textured
Well I'm on the other side now!!
I flew into Prague on Tuesday night. Wed morning I had to be in at the clinic at 8am for my pre-op texts and meeting with anathesiologist. Everyone was fantastic, friendly and the facilities were high tech. Finished at around 9 and had time to walk around the city a bit since I wouldn't meet with my surgeon, Dr Visek until 12.
Came back at 12, met with Dr Visek. We went over what we had talked about on the phone. We both agreed on 400cc HP implants. I felt much more comfortable speaking with him in person rather than by phone :)
There was another patient in surgery so I had to wait till 2pm. I took a pill to relax me and was sent into surgery. Last thing I remember is the anathesiologist asking me what I wanted to have dreams about...
Woke up in the recovery room. Bit groggy. No major pain. More just pressure on my chest. My husband kept me company for a bit but I was dozing in and out so I told him he could go.
About 6 hours after surgery I tried to sit up. Uff. Holy hell the pain hit. Got pain meds and slept more. Nurses helped me with anything I wanted all though the night. I can't stress enough the quality of care I got.
Dr Visek returned at 8am to check on me, remove the drains, and get me into the support bra. He said everything went well and the implants would fit my frame perfectly.
About 30min after getting the drains out I started to regain mobility. I could walked around and get up and down by myself. Husband picked me up at 9:30 and couldn't stop smiling haha
We're staying in Prague till Saturday just to be safe. Oh and the clinic arranged airport transfers to and from free of charge.
I bought an extra support bra from the clinic. Not cheap but if this is all I am wearing day and night for the next month, better to have an extra.
Feeling good now. Bloated but I am drinking lots of water, taking dandelion root, and an herbal laxative. Can get up and around the suite we have. My husband is being an angel.
Will keep you updated!
day 2 post op
Well last night was my first night at the hotel. It was tough towards the end of the day yesterday. I think I did a bit too much for a first day :-/ slept last night from 12-4 then awake and woke up again at 6 and finally 8am came around and it was time for my pain pills. Woohoo!
Any tips on getting rid of the belly bloat?
day 4 post op
Just a quick update! we flew home from Prague yesterday. Really haven't been bad. My husband and I went out to eat for lunch and dinner everyday since 1 day post op. I have read that a lot of women were in their beds until day 4 but this really hasn't been my case. I really don't have pain, mainly just discomfort around the sutures since my Dr. had to lower my crease, most of the pressure is in the lower part of my breast.
My doctor didn't give me any narcotics for pain, I have just been taking paracytamol (tylonel) and an anti-inflammatory to help with the swelling. But as I said, basically no pain anyway. I have been able to lift my arms above my head since day 2 post op. Today was the first day I could shower (thank god!) and I managed everything on my own, including shaving my arm pits. I didn't take anything prior to the op that was unusual, so maybe I am just healing so well because of my normal supplementation regime? I always take a multi-vit, vit c, spirulina, glutamine, and BCAAs.
still hard and cone shaped but happy that i never had frankenboobies. tried on a couple of bras today that I bought pre-op, they fit but my boobs are just such a hard, strange shape at the moment that I will keep them put away for now ahaha.
quick update!
I realized I haven't posted an update in quite a while so I will try to get through everything :-D
day 5-7 stopped all pain meds, still limited mobility and bloated but feeling ok
day 8 was my first day feeling "normal". the bloating went way down, things finally were moving again in my stomach, and no more snap crackle and pop noises from my boobs :-P
day 9-11 minimal pain but weak as a kitten. actually couldn't get out of my building since the door is soooo heavy to pull!
day 12 success! i left the building! it took me two hands to pull the door but I am no longer trapped inside!!
I am feeling good. have a dull ache in my incisions but other than that, no pain. I am still wearing my surgical bra 24/7. Doctor has me wearing it for the first month. I wish I could switch to a sports bra but following doctors orders.
actually had a going away party 2 days ago with all of my friends and no one noticed! i showed a couple girlfriends and they were wowed by how natural they look!
I am pretty happy right now, only wish is that they would come closer together. at the moment I can fit 4 fingers in between them! No massaging for textured implants so I just have to wait for the skin to stretch and the muscles to relax. patience patience!
Everyone WILL cry
So I am a little late on updating about my progress, sorry! So I think I was more than a week post op when I first read someone saying that everyone will cry at some point post op. Lots of comments about oh I cried at day 3, oh me at day 5, etc. They say it is from the pain meds, the drugs from the op, the pain itself, etc. I barely had any pain so I read this and thought, well not me. I'm over the hump, I was prepared, not everyone cries. Well I was wrong.
it hit me at 2 weeks post op. Just before I showered i looked in the mirror and freaked. my nipples were pointing different directions, one is dropped lower than the other, it looked too low at all! was i bottoming out?! anyway, i freaked. started bawling. sent my PS panic emails with tons of photos. cried myself to sleep.
the next day i was still upset. showed my husband and he agreed that there was a big difference. :-/
I heard back from my PS and his response was basically that I had not been following his instructions and it was perfect before so it was my fault. needless to say, i did not respond well to this. i had spent the first 2 weeks in my house doing nothing! sleeping on my pillow mountain, wearing my horrible surgical bra 24/7. I couldn't believe he was basically accusing me. He said it looks like the left has a hematoma (though I have no bruising so how is this possible?!) and that i should keep wearing the surgical bra and check in again in 4 weeks.
well the poor patient coordinator got an earful after that response from the PS. (FYI my PS is the head surgeon at the clinic but he is not normal breast augmentation surgeon, my PS usually does facial reconstruction). I demanded to have the policy in writing for if I needed to have revision surgery (which the clinic would cover all costs) and I wanted the other surgeon to look at my photos and get his opinion.
Well the other surgeon said it doesn't look like the implant is bottoming out but there is definite asymmetry. But it is still early so check back in after 2 weeks of wearing the surgical bra to check the progress if there have been changes and if revision surgery is needed it could be done at 3 months post op.
3 weeks post op
So a week has past of me trying not to check my uneven boobies too much! The implants are still in different positions. What worries me is that they are textured so they aren't really suppose to move that much. My PS didn't really give me much information but from what I have read online, they do drop but much slower than smooth (and I'm not suppose to massage). So what I am hoping is that rightie just needs more time to drop. Honestly I know we are our own worst critics.
Still another week till I check in. As I said, trying to be zen and not freak myself out. On a brighter note, they are getting more squishy, no longer cone boobs, and I feel more like me :-D
20 days post op I made my first trip back to the gym! just did some leg work and walked a bit on the treadmill. I was sore afterwards, so I know it can't be an everyday thing just yet but it made me really happy to be back in my zone. My husband said I had a group of admirers thanks to the boobies ahaha. I am definitely getting use to going from absolutely nothing to a full C o_O
We moved from Spain to France last weekend and are currently staying with my in-laws. I didn't tell them about the op and have been wearing sweatshirts. My husband thinks my mother-in-law has probably noticed but she hasn't said anything...
4 weeks post op
Well I am a little behind on my updates! So here are my photos from 4 weeks post op that I sent my PS. As you can see, my worries about bottoming out seem to have a solid foundation :( Only in response to these has my PS FINALLY said that it looks like the left is too low. Before he had said swelling, hematoma, seroma, pretty much everything except the implant was too low... I had to wait 4 days for his reply and when I finally got it all he said was keep wearing the surgical bra, he didn't address my concerns about bottoming out, the hard lump under my left arm, or if there was anything I could do to stop the bottoming out since it was still early... needless to say, I hate my PS.
The only bright side to that though is that he is not the main surgeon at the clinic, so I spoke with the patient coordinator and from now on she is going to only consult with the head surgeon regarding my case.
So right after I sent these pics I started wearing an ace bandage beneath my breasts, right at the incision and an underwire bra on top of that. Trying to externally set the crease. I know its a long shot but I am doign what I can to try to prevent bottoming out and revision surgery :(
5 weeks Post Op
So I said how I was going to start wearing an ACE bandage and underwire, I have been for a week now and it has made a huge difference. after the initial discomfort of actually pushing the implant up in the pocket, I have been absolutely fine. The bandage makes sure the implant doesn't drop again. Basically my thinking is that with textured, no massage, and keeping in place with the bandage and bra, the pocket will heal closed since it is still so early in the healing process. Maybe I am wrong. Maybe it is a temporary fix. I will wear the bandage for the next 3 months in hopes that it gets better :-/
I heard back from the head PS today. He said that the implant is too low but it is still early. However if after 5 months, I am still not happy they will do a revision for free. So 3 months wrapped up and the one month "normal" to see if it drops back down and I need a revision or if this actually works :-/ Cross your fingers for me!
