Question
I've been reading your posts with great interest, and I am facing my own prospective surgery date of April 7th. with great excitement and scared feelings as well. Sounds like you guys have endured alot of pain and discomfort....all the posts are informative but scarey to someone who hasn't had their procedure yet. Are you both ok and feeling that it's worth it to go through all this? After reading so many posts, I am wondering if I am over-reacting or just experiencing 'normal' pre-surgery jitters. Am having BA (BL alone just wouldn't give enough fullness) and tummy area dealt with, and am hoping that two weeks recovery time will be enough before going back to work. Did you guys spend a night in the hospital or did you do your BA as outpatients? Do you have any worries about accurate mammograms? It all just seems overwhelming to me considering all these details and how to find the best size and incision site, etc. Thanks so much for any input or encouragement you may be able to give and best of luck to both of you in your recovery. Sincerely, Maajida


Answer
I was actually happy through out the whole process. I had a bit of anxiety a couple of days before surgery because I had planned to work the night before my surgery and I could not figure out how I could avoid fluids. I am completely happy with the decision to have the surgery. It feels like your breasts are engorged with milk, very full and tight. I have been experiencing burning sensations on my left breast and today I have been itching like crazy. I know Dessie submitted a posting saying she was having the same problems as me. I don't know which incision she chose, but I picked the crease. I just felt that was best for me. My surgery was done at a surgery center, I arrived at 7:45 and my surgery was set for 9:15am. I was home before 12:30. I had no complications from the anesthesia, my only problem was the IV"S and thats because I just don't like to be stuck, it hurts If you saw my photos, the bandages I have on are what I was given. Per the /directory/index.php" target=_blank>/directory/index.php" target=_blank>doctors instruction, I removed them today and I had no drainage. The steri-strips are intact and he will take the off on the 18th. I am not worried about the mammogram, the place I went before my surgery explained how that process will work when I go back next year. Maajida, I would absolutely do it again, I wouldn't change a thing about it (well maybe the IV'S) I did not have a lift, but I would imagine there would be a little more discomfort with that. The information that I obtained here on the board I believe helped me to where I have no surprises. Take care of you and continue to ask questions. Have you picked a size yet?
Kellae


Answer
Maajida,
Congrats on your upcoming surgery date. I have been feeling more discomfort that I thought I would, but it's totally manageable. I've been on Dilaudid, Tylenol and Advil and icing a lot so that helps. The Dilaudid has been awesome. I've been through child birth and engorgement, and this is definitely less pain than childbirth but feels similar to engorgement to me if that helps you understand the pain at all. It sounds like you are experiencing normal pre surgery jitters. I did so much research beforehand about all aspects of BA, so being overinformed probably made me a bit more anxious. The nurse told me that most women have no idea what kind of implant they have which shocked me. I did not spend the night at the surgery center - I was there about 5 hours. I am not that worried about mammograms mostly because BA is so common now they have to be able to accomodate this. Techonology is getting better. The incision site was one that I was torn about. My ps prefers the areola incision, but since we might have another child I was thinking about the crease incision which the ps was willing to do although he prefers the other. In the end I decided on the areola incision because I really did not want the crease incision scar - I went with a smaller implant so it wouldn't hide it well. Also, my ps has had wonderful success with the nipple incision and his patients still being able to breast feed. Since I know my plumbing already works there, I felt confident in taking the chance with that incision since he does such good work. If this is something you've wanted to do for a while, done your research and feel that it's something you still want I say go for it. The details can be overwhelming but with your ps and this board you should be able to pick an implant you'll be happy with. I have yet to see my boobies so I can't say how I like them, but I will undress today for a sponge bath and have a look. Two weeks sounds like plenty of time before going back to work. We will be here to share our experience or answer any questions you have. Thanks for your well wishes.


Answer
Hi Kellae, and thanks so much for your response. I really appreciate all your reassurances so much, and also the sharing of your experience. I appreciate the honesty you used in letting me 'hear' your tough times and triumphs, and I hope I have as positive a experience as you are having. I never breastfed or had much of a chance to feel what engorgement feels like when I had my daughter 27 years ago (I am 59) so it's hard to imagine what that feels like. Re the surgery - I am having BA (not sure yet about BL) and having my old c-section scar revised, and the Dr. recommended a one night stay in the hospital, just to be safe. I am not sure re size yet.....I am 5'3and a half " and hope to be around 138 at the time of my surgery. I work out and lift wts and have pretty dense muscle tissue. I am at the tail end of a 100 pound loss - kind of fell apart eating wise over the holidays and have some backtracking to do - hoping to be down about 12 pounds by the surgery date. I didn't necessarily want to be way bigger, but just want to have more fullness and fill out my regular 36C size. Had /mmh/product/breastreduction/index.vm?procid=3" target=_blank>/mmh/product/breastreduction/index.vm?procid=3" target=_blank>/mmh/product/breastreduction/index.vm?procid=3" target=_blank>/mmh/product/breastreduction/index.vm?procid=3" target=_blank>breast reduction nearly 28 years ago, and now with the wt. loss, I am having the opposite problem re no tissue or cleavage on top. I am hoping for clarification and lots of my questions being answered at my next appt. with the surgeon, coming up on Jan. 26th. Thanks so very much for staying in touch. Maajida I was actually happy through out the whole process. I had a bit of anxiety a couple of days before surgery because I had planned to work the night before my surgery and I could not figure out how I could avoid fluids. I am completely happy with the decision to have the surgery. It feels like your breasts are engorged with milk, very full and tight. I have been experiencing burning sensations on my left breast and today I have been itching like crazy. I know Dessie submitted a posting saying she was having the same problems as me. I don't know which incision she chose, but I picked the crease. I just felt that was best for me. My surgery was done at a surgery center, I arrived at 7:45 and my surgery was set for 9:15am. I was home before 12:30. I had no complications from the anesthesia, my only problem was the IV"S and thats because I just don't like to be stuck, it hurts If you saw my /pictures/index.php" target=_blank>/pictures/index.php" target=_blank>/pictures/index.php" target=_blank>/pictures/index.php" target=_blank>photos, the bandages I have on are what I was given. Per the /directory/index.php" target=_blank>/directory/index.php" target=_blank>/directory/index.php" target=_blank>/directory/index.php" target=_blank>doctors instruction, I removed them today and I had no drainage. The steri-strips are intact and he will take the off on the 18th. I am not worried about the mammogram, the place I went before my surgery explained how that process will work when I go back next year. Maajida, I would absolutely do it again, I wouldn't change a thing about it (well maybe the IV'S) I did not have a lift, but I would imagine there would be a little more discomfort with that. The information that I obtained here on the board I believe helped me to where I have no surprises. Take care of you and continue to ask questions. Have you picked a size yet?
Kellae


Answer
Hi Dessie and thanks for writing back. I really appreciate your reassurances and all the info. As I told Kellae, who also so kindly responded, I never had a chance to nurse when my daughte was born 27 years ago, so I don't know what engorgement feels like. And yes, so much research that we've all done can be a curse and a blessing. It's stirred up some fears, but I am definitely more well informed than before I started coming to this board. I am probably going to spend one night in the hospital, as I am having the BA (not sure about BL) as well as a tummy procedure and my PS seemed to think that would be best. Don't know yet re what kind of implant - will get more info at my next appt. coming up Jan. 26th. I am at the tail end of a 100 pound loss - about 12 more to go before the surgery date (which involves some backtracking since I really struggled with healthy eating over the holidays) My main hope and reason for wanting BA is just to fill out more fully my regular 36C size. It sounds like, despite some of your concerns, that you are having a very successful experience. You give me hope for the future. Thanks so much again for staying in touch, MaajidaMaajida,
Congrats on your upcoming surgery date. I have been feeling more discomfort that I thought I would, but it's totally manageable. I've been on Dilaudid, Tylenol and Advil and icing a lot so that helps. The Dilaudid has been awesome. I've been through child birth and engorgement, and this is definitely less pain than childbirth but feels similar to engorgement to me if that helps you understand the pain at all. It sounds like you are experiencing normal pre surgery jitters. I did so much research beforehand about all aspects of BA, so being overinformed probably made me a bit more anxious. The nurse told me that most women have no idea what kind of implant they have which shocked me. I did not spend the night at the surgery center - I was there about 5 hours. I am not that worried about mammograms mostly because BA is so common now they have to be able to accomodate this. Techonology is getting better. The incision site was one that I was torn about. My ps prefers the areola incision, but since we might have another child I was thinking about the crease incision which the ps was willing to do although he prefers the other. In the end I decided on the areola incision because I really did not want the crease incision scar - I went with a smaller implant so it wouldn't hide it well. Also, my ps has had wonderful success with the nipple incision and his patients still being able to breast feed. Since I know my plumbing already works there, I felt confident in taking the chance with that incision since he does such good work. If this is something you've wanted to do for a while, done your research and feel that it's something you still want I say go for it. The details can be overwhelming but with your ps and this board you should be able to pick an implant you'll be happy with. I have yet to see my boobies so I can't say how I like them, but I will undress today for a sponge bath and have a look. Two weeks sounds like plenty of time before going back to work. We will be here to share our experience or answer any questions you have. Thanks for your well wishes.