I was never very big before having kids. I was a...
I was never very big before having kids. I was a nice round B. I breastfed all 3 children for a combined total of just over 5 years. That left me deflated and sadly flat. I don't fill up my B bras. I am more of a 34 A. I always wanted to do this but put it off as selfish/superficial, too expensive, and unnecessary. I finally decided to do it after 2 friends got it done and were very happy. I am not 100% sure but am thinking of 375 or 400 under the muscle, moderate plus profile, smooth, round, silicone implants with the incision under the breast. I am very excited but nervous that something will go wrong, they will be to big, i will have some side affect, etc. I want to choose what is right for my body and be a natural looking big C cup.
I work in an office full time and am planning to go back to work at my 4 day post op. I am nervous about that. Some women seem to need more. My one friend said she was good to go after 2 days so i don't know. ...
I am very nervous about what my coworkers, acquaintances, casual associates, might say. I'm not doing this for the outside attention but for me. my boobs earned it after 5 yrs of breastfeeding and i want to be round and proportionate again! I am hoping most ppl don't say anything or notice but i am sure it would be hard not to notice! I will probably wear scarves for a little while at work lol. Any suggestions on what to do or say if asked?
I am choosing Vincent Surgical Arts because that is where me friend had it done and dr. Bradd christensen because of his experience and because he is board certifiedas a PS. I had 1 consult they're with an assistant, 1 with a different doctor there, and i am thinking of doing 1 more with my actual surgeon since i decided on him but haven't actually met him. I also did one consult at another location but liked this place more.
2 weeks to go...
Now that I am two weeks out, I am taking my supplements including vitamin C, zinc, and vitamin A. I bought three sports bras from Wal-Mart, one zip up the front sz large and a 2 pack of regular ones size 34. I an still waiting to hear back about my consult our meeting with the actual surgeon since I meet with another dr last time. And I am supposed to pay for the remainder of the surgery now... I already paid the 500-nonrefundable deposit a couple weeks ago. So excited and nervous that something will go wrong, either side affects or size or something else. I hope not!! I am leaving toward 375 cc silicone under muscle smooth. I don't want to be too big. I want to end up with a nice C but not a D.
sizers... which one!?
This is the 350 & 400 I tried on. it will lose some volume under the muscle so I am thinking of 375 which is right in between?? what do you think?
met with actual surgeon. 2 days left!
Went in to meet with actual surgeon today.provisioned i was worried that i might not like him and regret paying and scheduling before meetinghim in person (i met the other surgeon and an assistant at the last consult)bit just the opposite. Dr christensen was very congenial, lively, and confident. He listened to ask my questions and i didn't feel rushed like i did last time. I'm feeling much more confident and relieved now.
I tried on the sizers one last time. 375 looked the most natural, my husband thought the 400 looked most "yummy" lol, and 425 looked huge, unnatural, and too top heavy. Let me know what you think of the pics!!!!
I am certain I'm doing moderate plus, smooth, under the muscle, mentor memory gel. however, the final cc size will be up to the dr during surgery. He will try the sizers during the surgery to see what looks best and choose thefinal cc's then. I made it clear i don't want to be top heavy and want to be a full and natural looking C. I asked about bringing wish pics and he said sure, that it would just be more to show him of how I'd like to turn out, although there is no way to be identical to pictures as we are all a little different in anatomy.
The one thing i don't like is that my surgery isn't until 130 and i can't eat or drink anything before that time. That's a long time to go without food, drink, or COFFEE! did any of you guys have to wait that long on the surgery day?
All in all, I'm feeling a little nervous but very excited. ...
Let me know what you think of the pictures!
tomorrow's the day!
So i took a final long, hot bath since i will only be able to take showers for the next while. Have my bag packed. My surgery is tomorrow at 1230. It was at 130 but i was bumped up. Yay! I'm not nervous at all. I don't think it's really sunk in yet...it all feels like a dream that i had and woke up afterward thinking "yeah right!" Lol and unlike some other women, i haven't actually had any of the "Boob dreams" presurgery. I'm going to be a hopefully new looking woman tomorrow, for the better!! Super excited. only nervous that i will be one of the ones with a complication or bad result. I hate having to sign the paperwork where you agree that anything and everything could potentially go wrong, including death! !! I know it's a surgery and there are always risks, but come on man, I'm not agreeing to death am I? Also afraid I'll regret either going too small or too big or that I'll have side boobs without real cleavage as i think mine are currently a bit far apart.. Also hoping for a speedy recovery as i am going back to work on day 4.
The other thing i forgot to mention is that my surgeon doesn't require blood work but just to be safe, i went in last week for my annual physicial exam with my primary care dr and did the labs for my own peace of mind. All of my blood work is within normal range except my vitamin D levels were very low. Dr says that is common for Utahns in the winter and to take a vitamin with D In it, which i will start on tomorrow.
Here are my very sad, deflated boobs that were so reliable in breastfeeding all 3 of my kiddos for a year and a half each. Now they are ready to be rewarded!
done!!!
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16 Jan 2015
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Day of treatment
Surgery went well. I wasn't nervous at all. I asked right when i woke up from anesthesia what size he ended up doing. Got 375 cc's, moderate plus, mentor memory gel, under the muscle. the incision was under the breast fold. I've been in a lot of pain and have been mostly sleeping. Until now, just woke up. I think i got home around 5, not too sure.
I felt like i was going to throw up a few times but never did and so i am not going to take my nausea meds unless i have to. Leaving the surgery site was a blur and i was so pretty out of it, sleepy and dizzy.
I haven't seen my fraternal twins yet as i call them due being wrapped up in the ace bandage thing. My husband and sister in law opened it up and took a peek and said they looked good. I haven't seen anything yet but am planning to tomorrow. I'll post pics when i do.i asked my hb to take it off and show me a picture but he is afraid to take it of on his own. He said my sister law is the one who did it before. I'm going back for my first appointment Monday (day 3 postop).
Me in the wrap, first night sleep
Here are pics in the wrap. Looking a bit smaller than i thought. Dr said that was expected and to give it 5 to 7 days to make any judgments so i am. And I definitely did not want to be to top heavy, just a natural, beautiful shape with CLEAVAGE! Definitely better on my figure than they were before and super excited to have see my final results!
I slept well my first night, just woke up in pain once and so i took my pain meds and muscle relaxers and had to pee. My back felt stiff too from laying on it all night on our recliner couch. My pain when i first got home last night was about a 7 but it has slowly decreased to about a 2. I attribute that to taking my meds as prescribed and icing it. After 24 hours i am going to try ibuprofen 800 instead of narcotics and try to make my way down to extra Strenth Tylenol sine i work post op day 4.
first day nudies
First peek, day 1 post op. Dr also called to check on me :-) he said during surgery, the 400 cc's looked a bit fake so he went with 375,which is what i was leaning for anyway. Feeling good about my choice but anxious to see if they change. Still seem a bit small?
day 3 post op
Feeling slightly less sore today. I can move my arms more than before and can pull up my own pants after going pee! Still been mostly sleeping and resting though. I really don't want to do much of anything so that i can heal as much as possible before going back to work tomorrow. I'm very nervous about driving because my chest and arms are so sore still. I'm still wearing that strap bandage for one week, so until Friday. I'm anxious to see what my final results are. I'm kind of thinking i should have gone bigger. .. but it's still hard to judge. We'll see! I am a tad disappointed that my cleavage is as far apart as it is bit that's the way it was before. So i know that is my anatomy and if anything, there are pushup bras lol. I finally went #2 today, day 3. I did drink a few cups of prune juice but not too much because i think it's gross. Also haven't taken any still softeners. And i haven't drank any coffee for 4 days now, which is a record for me. My appetite is just not feeling up to it. I did finally throw up yesterday (day 2) and so i did take one nausea pill. That's the only time i threw up.
I haven't taken any muscle relaxers or perscription pain pills since day 2 (yesterday) because i feel too dizzy and tired on them and i didn't want to keep taking them if i could survive without it. I have also been doing a lot of icing.
Also went to my first post op appointment today. But. ... apparently the newest nurse made a mistake and i really didn't have to go until Friday (one week). So i'm going again Friday! Kind of annoying since i had to make arrangements for someone else to take me but i guess things happen. I did see an alternative dr. He said i don't start massaging until one week post. When did you all start your massages?
Here are the pics of day 4.
day 4 & back to work & got the boob greed
This morning, I was feeling pretty good. More like myself but trying to take it easy. I went to work at 3 pm and FORGOT TO BRING MY ANTIBIOTIC which sucked.I called the on call Dr who said to just take it as soon as I get home and that I didn't need to drive home and get it on my lunch break. (I work half an hour from home and only have a one hour break.) I was feeling a bit dizzy and lightheaded at work but don't know why since I've been only taking Tylenol and the antibiotic for two days now. I'm not in pain per se but I'm definitely feeling a lot of uncomfortable pressure on the boob area where the strap is pushing down on them.
Without clothes on,I can really see a big difference in my before and after. but with clothes on,I don't think the difference is that noticeable. Partly because I wore padded bras before. I really hope I don't lose any of the current size when the swelling goes down. I'm thinking I'll be a C but not sure yet. Got to be honest. they look very natural and Ideal I think for someone with my height and weight. But now that it's all over,I kind of regret not going a tad bigger, like a 400 or 425. I guess I wanted a little more of the wow factor and instead I feel like "well they look very natural on you." I guess that's what you get for chickening out on the bigger size! And I've read a lot of other blogs where people feel similarly after their BA. We'll see how I feel after a few weeks of adjusting and after the drop and fluffing happens.
day 5
Off all pain meds, no Tylenol either.only taking the antibiotic now. I think they look so pretty when I look in the mirror. No sad, deflated, lifeless A cups like before. now they are round and pretty! Almost like they are smiling at me lol! My husband keeps saying they are pretty. I'm excited to bra shop but will wait a few weeks so I don't have to return any as they are still changing. Crazy how much of a difference it makes without clothes and how small the difference is with clothes!
Yesterday was my first day driving. It's uncomfortable turning the steering wheel but I'm using small arm movements so it's been ok.
Also still pretty sore but I was given the ok to stop wearing the dreaded strap which I am excited about. I had morning boob today when I woke up and considered taking Tylenol but decided to tough it out.
I will post more pictures at 2-weeks post. I'm excited for them to soften up and to become more bouncy and natural feeling. I want the stiffness and pressure to go away. Love the naked look so far :-)
day 8 update
So I'm of all meds, including the antibiotic now. The last couple days my nipples have been very, very sensitive and sore! Like a bruise being poked at, but on the nipple kind of. Seriously wanting that to go away. Reminds me of when I was breastfeeding and the nipples hurt for the first couple weeks trying to adjust to constantly being sucked on! (Sorry for the visual) Surgeon said it's normal and should get better over the next few weeks/months. That's also how my breasts feel in general... like I'm engorged while breastfeeding. for those of you who have breastfed, you know the feeling where you have not nursed in awhile and your boobs are so full of milk, they are huge and want to explode! Yeah, that feeling. Pressure, stiffness (although not entirely), and engorged it's how they feel right about now...
I seen my dr for the one week post op visit yesterday. He thinks they are 85-90 percent where they'll stay permanently... so I have about 10-15 percent dropping and fluffing to do and minimal swelling according to him. That's a relief. I think they are super beautiful. Like the youth of my breasts, but a better, more improved version! I do wish, like I've mentioned before, that my cleavage was closer together, but that's anatomy for you. Also want them to soften up and be jiggly, like normal breasts.
Now that a few days have passed, I've decided that I'm actually happy that I didn't go any bigger.I decided that I'm happy that the boob job is so unobvious with my shirt on, but so obvious without it! My boobs are shaped perfectly, the padded bra no longer does the shaping for me. Everyone that knew about the BA says they look great and that they can see the difference... but no one that I haven't told has seemed to notice at all, which is good. I'm liking the size a lot...
Now, still waiting to heal and get to where they feel normal and not like huge engorged boobs full of milk. Also, still can't move my arms in completely natural stretching motions... I'm careful how I move them since my arms hurt when moved in certain ways. seems to be a tad bit better each passing day. I can carefully dress myself and wash and brush my own hair now. But with care! I'm still a bit slow when turning the wheel of the car, moving slowly but surely for left and right turns.
Also, MASSAGES! My doctor had my start doing then. He said 20 seconds per breast 3-4 times a day. He recommends doing it permanently since it's free and helps prevent capsular contractute. But the way he showed me how to do it doesn't seem like a massage to me...More like pushing the implants upward toward the top of the pockets with my hands and holding/pinching them there for 10-20 seconds... weird. I keep being afraid I'll push it too far or not enough and that I'm doing it wrong? Any of you have experience/advice??
Lastly, still have the strips over my incisions on. Doctor said they'll fall off in a week or two. My stitches dissolve themselves, no need to have any removed. I asked why some bloggers have stitches that require dr removal and he said he had no idea why they are still used that way. When they fall off, I will start using vitamin e for scar treatment.
2 week update
It's been a full 2 weeks now! Feeling good but still can't move my arms and use my muscles as fully as normal. as you can see in the pictures, my right boob still has some bruising. my strips are still on. I think they'll be falling off in the next week. Nipples are still sensitive and sore but less than at first. Still wearing only sports bras but the dr said I could wear regular bras too except for underwire. Also I've slept on my side a few nights and it's been ok, not comfortable but not too bad and I like sleeping on my side. I usually wear a bra to bed still but I also slept braless for a couple nights... what were your doctors instructions on side sleeping and sleeping with our without a bra post surgery??
I love my new boobs!! I love how I feel in a shirt and bra. I'm no longer flat but have a beautiful shape that Is right for my body. my hubby always comments how they look so natural and perfect and not too big or fake at all.
I'm massaging for 15-20 seconds per breast a few times during the day. Still waiting for then to soften up but they have come along somewhat. Anxious for the strips to come off so I can see what the scars looks like. I'll post pics when they do.
3 week update
I took my strips off at 3 weeks with the approval of my dr. First look at the scar. It's a thin line which I am happy about, and I started scar treatment the same day, called bio oil. It has vitamin e and other plant oils and stuff. I'm doing it twice a day for at least 3 months. The scars feel a bit bumpy right now, and I wonder if the disposable stitches haven't fully healed or if it's something else.
I sleep mostly on my side now. It's not totally comfortable but not uncomfortable either. Have not even tried sleeping on my stomach... don't think I'm ready for that.
I can tell they are still getting softer and softer. I'm hoping they get a little more soft. They aren't really bouncy or jiggly yet.
I think I'm going bra shopping this weekend, after my 1 month mark. Excited to get sized and get new bras!
I can stretch my arms a lot more but still not all the way back to normal yet. I feel like the arms and chest muscles are 85 - 90 percent of their normal stretching ability. Still have healing to do! I can now lift a shirt over my head to get it off though :-) :-)
I'm loving them and so is the hubby :-)
one month mark!
Let me just start by saying that I love my new girls! Sooo worth it so far! I love how they fit my body. And I sure don't miss my old set :-)
News: I finally went to Victoria's Secret and I was sized a 32 DD Or a 34 D. Both fit. I only bought one bra because holy cow! They are soooo expensive !! I know that store also sizes a bit big and I honestly don't feel bigger than a full C cup... either way, cup sizes aside, I love love them!!
Weird thing, when I get cold or get goosebumps or shiver,I feel like my boobs harden up lol. Does this happen to any of you?
Also, my nipples show through my sports bras and tighter shirts at times so I put that thin little pad in the sports bra that comes with them so I don't accidentally flatter or horrify anyone lol.
I feel pretty good. I'd say 95% back to normal. I am running now and I lift my toddler with caution, only to get him in and out of the car seat... I don't carry him around at all. I don't do any chest exercises and don't think I will... like my dr put it, my chest is already perfect... why mess with it?
Speaking of running, it's the weirdest thing but it took some getting used to running with boobs. When I run, my arms move back and forth at my sides and for the first time ever, there are breasts that push against my arms when they brush against my sides! It was so strange, like where did these come from!!??
I have been putting bio oil on my scars twice a day. I am not worried about any stretch marks since I was probably bigger when I first breastfed but I do sometimes put lotion on my breasts for moisturizer purposes. My scars are a bit dark. Hoping they lighten up a lot over the next several months.
I sleep on my side most nights. haven't attempted sleeping on the stomach yet... I still sleep in a sports bra. I think I always will. I've heard this prevents sagging in the long run? Any thoughts on that?
