Implant Surgery!

I have been waiting to update my blog with inflation pics before I write about my switch out surgery!  Last Friday the 13th (I met my husband on a Friday the 13th, so it is a lucky day for me/us!) I had my last surgery; removal of my expanders and received my silicon implants. 

Initially I was worried about surgery being so late in the day, 3:30 pm.  I know my Dr was having a lot of surgeries that day before she was going back to her family for Christmas; I didn't want her to be tired.  I know that is a silly though since she is a professional but when you have a lot of waiting time on your hands, stuff like that just pops up!  I was at the hospital at 1:30 for my 3:30 surgery.  I ended up being my Drs last surgery at 6:30p ... 3 HOURS late.  It was a bit annoying but the Dr said that she didn't want to be pressed for time with my surgery so  she decided to do it last.  By the time I was in O.R. holding, I didn't care, I was ready. 

The day before, I was at the hospital for my pre-op.  This includes blood and urine tests and an EKG.  One thing that was new this time is that I got a pretty orange bracelet that I needed to wear until after surgery.  The Dr. ordered blood typing (I think that is what they called it), in case I needed a blood transfusion.  I got nervous because I didn't have that before.  I was thinking - did the Dr. think I was going to lose a lot of blood!?  It was just for a precaution and the nurse said that it wasn't common.  I let it go after that otherwise I would have been a wreck. 

After surgery I felt immediate relief since my expanders were out.  It was great!  I had more movement that I did with the first surgery too.  The most pain that I experienced, initially, were my muscles.  All of my muscles were so sore, even my legs and my abs and neck.  It was really easy to over do it, which of coarse I did. 

My foobs definitely feel different, I was brave enough to poke them. lol they're squishy, like real breasts!!!  I do have bruising and they're cold to the touch.  Its honestly weird since I have had rock hard foobs for a long time, they didn't move.  My new foobs move, jiggle, look and feel like real breasts.  They don't appear to be as big as my expanders, but I think that is because the expanders stuck straight out.  I will post a picture soon to compare.  I also think that the right one is STILL smaller than the left but I am not going to focus on that until I am fully healed.  I am sure it is just in my head lol.

I will be posting soon!

My Last Inflation (Pics)

So here is my last inflation, my overfill.  I don't think my body would have been able to handle more if I wanted to go bigger! I was FULL!

I was inflated 50cc's on the left and another 100 on the right.  This brings the grand total to 950 on my left foob and 1150 on my right foob!  I'm second guessing that number because that seems a lot but its right.  The only thing that I could think, as to the reason my right side was smaller, is that there is more air in my left expander.  Or there could have just been a small leak in my right lol.  You can still see with the pictures that my right side is still a bit smaller.  Not sure if you can notice with the pictures, though, each foob is shaped a little different.  My right sticks more out and narrow while my left side has more width.  This is normal! 

So here they are!  The last of my expanders!!!  I am happy to see them go, they have served there purpose to which I am grateful but .. good riddance!  haha

Inflation pics (1050/900)

 Again, I'm playing catch up on my blog .. he is my mid - November inflation! I received 100ccs on right side making the total as 1050! I was only injected 50ccs again equaling 900 left side. It's crazy how much more saline is on the on my right rather than the left. I think my left foobie has more air than the other, but just a guess! 

I just had my switch out surgery on Friday and now, Sunday early morning, I'm updating. Lol I couldn't sleep so blogging. 

 

 

 

Anxious and Excited!

The countdown has really begun, 3 more days until surgery!  Wow, I just got some butterflies when I wrote THREE days.  I have enough to keep me busy, though.  It is finals week at school and I will be graduating on the 17th too!  December marks the end of two huge journeys for me!  My PBM journey and my long journey of going to school!  Beyond excited!!! 

I keep growing anxious about going under anesthesia for surgery; I have to think that I will have an EKG and my heart will be fine to live another day.  Some things I am so pessimistic about.  I also think that this surgery is similar to child birth.  Giving birth is not fun, horribly painful, gross .. the whole 9 but this dreadful moment in your life you forget because of all of the positive that comes out of it.  I remember the pain of last surgery but I am so excited to get this done that it isn't much of a concern.  I know that the pain won't be nearly what it was and I am hoping that I will regain a lot of movement at a quicker pace.  I know not to over do it, which is going to be difficult because of the holidays, but I will manage!

My other concern is an infection.  I hope and pray that I do not get an infection again.  I see my infectious disease Dr. tomorrow to go over my blood work to ensure there is no signs of infection.  I am positive that it will all be alright but the frustration of that whole process will suck if I have to do it again.  Send me happy thoughts, please!

I had to just get this out of my head - whew!  lol 

Until next time ...

Getting the CC's straight! (Pics)

So, I am getting more up-to-date now with my posts.  Still kicking myself because I got behind on my public foobie diary!  I have been a little confused/lazy about my saline amount.  My last inflation I received different amounts of saline in my right and left side.  So, if you have already noticed the mistake, thanks for not calling me out on it!  lol

Before the inflation that I am about to blog about, my right foobie has 850 cc's of saline and my left side has 800 cc's.  I received another 50 in my left and a big 100cc's in my right.  The pictures that you see below, my right side is 950 and my left is 850.  Whew, glad I got that figured out!!!  lol  This is what happens when I get behind; playing catch up is a pain!

At this point my right side has been the most painful right after the inflation and a few days afterward.  Ibuprofen and a heating pad help A LOT!  A heating pad is a must for those who are going through this.  Even if you can't put the heating pad on your chest you can lay on it and it can help when the heat is on your back.  My Dr. makes sure I know that I can't use ice, even though sometimes that would seem to help.

I am getting excited.  My journey is almost complete!

 

 

 

 Woah - They are big!  I got really lucky with the shape during the expansion process!

 

Its been a while, but I have pictures! (900)

I feel like such a bad blogger!  Its been a crazy few weeks since school has started for me and I realized that it was much more demanding than it has been previously! 

I think I left off with getting my last inflation!  (I just re-read my last post to make sure I know where I left off.)  My last inflation was to make sure there was just a little extra stretch and I would get the size that I wanted.  So here is 900 cc's!  I have a little more in the right than the left, but that has been the common complaint for a while.

I am slightly embarrassed.  Since time got away from me, I hadn't taken pictures of my inflation up until an hour before my appointment for another!  Therefore, these are taken in the UNLV bathroom!  Classy, right?  In addition, I didn't do a flattering job of getting the best shot, but at least I have the pictures.

As I said previously, this inflation was going to be my last, but I was still really lopsided.  My right side has 50 more cc's here than the left and it was still smaller.  It was really frustrating and I was getting self conscious!

It looks really weird here, but the shadows aren't very nice to me here.

I would like to say that the next pictures are going to be better .. but they're not.  I did the same thing!  Last minute, in the bathroom!  My school load has been a real asshole lately!!!

Inflation - 850cc's!!!! (Pics)

After a 3 week waiting period, I received another inflation.  I was starting to get really self conscious about my right breast so I asked if I could receive more saline on that side.  I was just thinking like an extra 15cc's but the Dr. said that it is usually about a 50 cc difference.  So I received a total of 150 cc's last Thursday!  100 in my right and 50 in my left and it made a big difference, definitely evened them out in the appearance of volume.  The unusual part was how my right side felt during the inflation, like my expander shifted a bit.  I felt that twice.  In addition to that, it seemed like the corner of the expander was sticking out, you can kind of see it in my pictures but it isn't as predominant as the first 2 days. 

The day of the inflation there was dull pain but I felt that at any moment I was going to get a shooting pain but that never came.  It wasn't until the next night that I felt the pain and I couldn't sleep.  I had a heating pad on my chest the whole night and kept my 800 mg Ibuprofen as close as I keep my cell phone.  Today, 6 days later, I feel a lot better, just some pain here and there, but nothing out of the ordinary.  I went in to see my Dr. the following Monday, just to make sure I was feeling ok, didn't need a deflation (I thought that I might for 2 days) and check my expander cause it was really sticking out. (I meant to take a picture but never got around to it.) 

I go back to the Dr. in 2 weeks for a possible inflation.  I am satisfied with my size.  I even tried on bras to see what cup size 850 cc's really was.  I am a 38 D!  I took a picture on my phone, I will have to add that later; I made sure I tried on a pretty bra. lol  I have heard that women go 50 over what they really want so my next inflation will be my last.  Very, very exciting news, I am really reaching the end!!!! 

Before you move on to the pictures, please keep in mind that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  Last year  I was determined to get my genetic test done in October, as this has been hanging over my head for around 10 years when my sister found out she had cancer and the BRCA 1 gene mutation.  I urge you to at least get a mammogram, go see your GYN for your annual exam, if you have a family history of breast cancer, get the BRCA test.  Yes, this stuff costs money but payment plans are always available.  Just be aware!  Know your options!  If not for yourself, your family.... Just do it!

 

 My left side still has the appearance of more volume, my right side is higher (the pictures show opposite sides), but overall, these are good results given the fact that they are just for expanding the muscle and skin.  I have seen photos of women where their breasts are ovals on one side, one noticeable higher than the other (just during the expansion, not with implants) so I am happy with how lucky I got with these results.  I can wear a low cut shirt and be proud of my cleavage!!  Even if I was considerably lopsided, I still would consider myself lucky because I don't have cancer!