Breast Augmentation 1 Year Update

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to my girls, happy birthday to you!  That's my attempt at singing in a blog!  Actually my girls' official birthday was March, 11, 2015, but time sure does fly when you are having fun.  Okay not fun, but when you are super busy.  Yes, it has been a year already!  I am one year post op!  I am so happy that I made it to a year without any complications (knocking on wood).  I still can't believe they are all mine!

How do they feel?  I think they feel very real still.  My husband has no complaints.  They are very soft and squishy.  They feel like a soft water balloon.  They have also dropped a little more, and at this point I think they are done dropping.  After they have dropped and fluffed, they have a very natural look.  Most people are surprised when they find out they aren't real due to them looking very natural.  I can definitely make them look unreal with the right bra *wink wink*.

Speaking of bras, they are hard to find.  I will do separate post all about bras.  I am a 34D or a 32DD.  A 34D is very hard to find in most stores.  If I do find it, I immediately snatch it up.  I can usually find it in of course Victoria's Secret and Ross.  Sometimes I will buy a 36C which can be found in any store, but its not a perfect fit because of the band being a little too big.  Sports bras are even harder to find because I need maximum support or high impact.  I can find a few at Wal-mart, but mostly have to get those from specialty stores, but more on all that in another post!  The bottom line is that good bras are hard to find now!

I can fully do any and all exercises now.  I can lift heavy weights and do any type of movements with them.  I can even do pull ups again on the pull up bar.  I thought I'd never be able to do that again.  The more you try to do exercises that are a little uncomfortable, the easier it gets.  I have also noticed that with exercise I sweat A LOT in the boob area!  It's crazy because any time I'm hot now I sweat there.  I never had that problem before.  My naturally big boobed friend told me that she uses deodorant around hers for this problem.  I may just have to try that.

My scars are quite normal to me and healed well.  I will also do another blog post just on those.  One of my scars is way lighter than the other one.  It blends well with my skin.  It doesn't bother me that one is lighter than the other one.  No one is seeing them, so it doesn't matter to me.  For the past six months, I have not been active in using anything on the scars.  Every now and then I use coco butter.

Overall, I do enjoy my girls!  I love how I look in my clothes and how I feel.  I will admit that when it's time for me to get them redone, I would like to try to get them a little bigger.  Not ridiculous but a few cc's higher.  I am not looking into getting them redone anytime soon, but maybe in the next 5-10 years.

Stay tuned to specific posts and let me know any questions you may have about getting a boob job!

P.S. I love this picture because I took it after a workout.  I love how I still look like I have boobs in sports bras now.  I posted this picture to Instagram and my friend immediately text me and said if she didn't know already she was going to ask me if I got a boob job because they looked big! I was very pleased!

Breast Augmentation 6 Months Update

Happy Birthday to my girls!!!!!!! I can't believe that my girls are 6 months old! As I said before, I feel like I have had them all my life! I am still utterly and completely in love with them.  I even told my husband that they are my prized possessions! I have never had anything that I purchased that I absolutely loved, until I got my new boobs!

I feel like my boobs have gotten a little bigger.  I read that this happens as they settle and fluff in which they will continue to do so for another six months.  They have dropped a lot which I think makes them look very natural.  Overall I love how natural they look.  Most people cannot tell that they aren't real.  Some girls would be pissed about that because they want them to be noticed, but I'm somebody's wife and mother! I am not interested in the porn star look.  I will leave that to JWOW.  I am just happy to fill out my clothes and be pleased with what I see.

Not much has changed with them.  They still feel completely real.  They are very squishy and soft.  I always say they feel more like a water balloon.  They are very movable.  They do not feel heavy.  The only time that I feel them is when I do certain weight lifting exercises, and there are very few exercises that I do that make them feel uncomfortable.  I am sure very soon I will be able to do any exercise.  As far as exercise I am back to being able to lift heavy weights.  I can run and do challenging and strenuous exercises again.

I continue to sleep just fine. I can sleep on my stomach comfortably.  I notice that I have to put one of my arms across my rib cage to create a barrier for my boobs to lean on so there isn't too much pressure on them.  It feels comfortable for me to sleep this way on my stomach.

I still use vitamin E oil and coco butter on my girls twice a day.  Sometimes I even use lubriderm when I get small itchy spots on them.  It usually clears it right up.  I would like to try a scar cream or strips and will save that for another post.

Bra shopping is definitely difficult.  Most stores don't carry a variety of 32DD or 34D bras.  When I do find bras in my size I usually get all that they have which is usually like 4 or under.  I usually buy bras at Ross and Victoria's Secret.  I realize that I have to wear a maximum support sports bra when working out.  Those are even harder to find.  They are also very expensive.  I have been having all sorts of trials with that, and that too I will save for another post.

I do not have to return to see my PS, but was told if I have any problems I can always come back.  So far so good! Besides all that, everything is going great! Oh and all of my clothes still fit great. I have ran across 2 button up shirts that don't fit anymore,but that's about it.

Anyway that's about it so tata for now!

BTW: I didn't wear strapless tops or dresses before because I didn't have much to hold it up LOL!

Breast Augmentation 3 Month Update (Before and After Pictures)

I can't believe I have had the girls for 3 months now! I really do feel like I have had them forever.  They definitely feel naturally apart of me.  I went to my 3 month appointment with my PS and he said they look great!  They have fell considerably even though I can still remember them being up in my collar bone.  I love where they sit at now, but have been told by others that if I love them at 3 months, I'm going to love them even more at 12 months!  I have heard that they will still fall a little more over the next few months.

I love that I am able to fill out all my tops and dresses now.  All of my clothes still fit in the same size as before, but I actually fill them out now.  It's so fun to not have to wear a bra all the time.  I love to wear maxi dresses and rarely wear a bra with them now.  Before my breast augmentation, even though my boobs were very small, they sagged and didn't look good without a bra.  A bra actually made me look better in what I was wearing.  I can go braless now and my girls still sit up nicely and are perfectly rounded still without the support of a bra.

My scars are of course completely healed and seem to be fading a little.  They don't bother me at all, so I could careless if they fade more or not.  You can't see them just by looking at me or in a bikini top.  I have to actually lift up my boob in order to see the scars.  I still use vitamin E oil on the scars and coco butter on my entire boob twice a day.

So the moment we have been waiting for! Before and after photos!  Below I will post different photos in the same tops that I took the night before the surgery and at the three month mark.  I like that my girls don't look ridiculously huge.  I think they look very natural and appropriate for my body.  I am still wearing a 34D or 32DD bras.

This is the maxi dress I wore the day before my surgery.  It has a built in lightly padded bra.  In this picture I am not wearing a bra, but usually when I would wear this dress I would wear a bra to make it look like I could actually fill the dress out.

This picture was taken 3 months post-op in the same dress.  I am not wearing a bra in the dress and can actually fill it out without the help of a bra.

Tank tops were another piece of clothing that I felt self conscious about wearing.  Whenever I would wear a tank top I would wear a super padded bra to feel good wearing a tank top or fitting shirt.

In these pictures I am wearing an unpadded bra.  I love wearing tank tops now!

This is a night gown that my Mother-In-Law gave me 6 years ago.  Whenever I wear it, even though I am just wearing it to bed, I wear a bra with it.  The top part was very baggy on me and it was very difficult to fill it out.  Below I am wearing it again 3 months post op and feel more confident wearing it without a bra. In the picture I still have on the same unpadded bra with the gown, but don't wear it like that around the house anymore.

So there you have it! The girls at 3 months.  I am looking forward to loving them even more come 12 months!

Breast Augmentation 2 Months Post-Op

*Deep sigh of relief*

I finally feel normal!  I can move completely normal now.  I can lift things, and I don't feel the implants anymore.  They feel apart of my body and as if I have always had them.

The girls have dropped significantly.  The PS was right about, "what goes up, must come down" without any help.  He told me that I didn't have to do any massaging to help my breasts soften and drop.  He was right.  I only massaged the girls early on to soothe the discomfort, and to occasionally grope myself (hey they are mine!).  They of course still have more dropping to do, but are at a nice placement at this point.

Like I mentioned before, I can no longer feel the implant in my body.  It doesn't feel like a foreign object.  Before, I could feel it more so when lying down and trying to get up from lying flat.  I am now able to sleep on my side and don't feel the implant that much.  I'm not quite comfortable sleeping on my stomach yet.  I am also able to sleep bra less, but most of the time I feel comfortable sleeping in my zip up sports bras.  I like for the girls to be contained.

My Before pic, the night before surgery

Speaking of bras, bra shopping is fun now.  I never thought much about it in the past.  In fact, most of the bras I had, my Mom bought.  Yes, well into my adult life, my Mom has bought most of my bras.  My Mom works for a department store and often catch great bras on sale.  When she do, she would scoop all of them up in my size.  Now I have to start from scratch with bras, and it's been fun to build my collection.  I went back to Victoria's Secret and tried on the Body By Victoria bras.  They are so comfortable that I ended up buying a t-shirt bra and a demi bra in a 32DD.  Both have underwire, which my PS says is safe for me to wear now.  Now I gravitate to the bra racks in stores, but quality bras.  It didn't matter where I bought a bra from before due to me not having much to support.  Now it's all about support and comfort.

At four weeks post-op, I went back to exercising.  The one difference that I noticed was that I have to wear a very supportive sports bra.  One morning I grabbed an old sports bra of mine and quickly learned that I can only wear maximum support sports bra.  That old bra did nothing for me!  It proved that I had nothing to support before.  As far as exercise, my PS said start slow and do what is comfortable to me.  The first day I did upper body weights with 5 and 10lbs weights.  I walked and did the elliptical.  The more I worked out and got back in my groove, the more comfortable I felt lifting and then running.  There were some upper body and ab movements that were still uncomfortable, but I'm already getting back to where I was pre-op.  I still can't do push ups, pull ups, and a few other upper body exercises as good yet.  I have started back lifting heavy and is doing great with it.

AFTER!

My incision continues to be healed.  I have been using Vitamin E oil on the scar and coco butter on my breasts.  The scar is smooth and the coloration appears to be ligthening a little.  I am thinking about using a scar strip called Scar Away.

All in all, I am quite pleased with my results so far.  My girls look great and they look very proportionate to my body.  I love that they look natural and if you didn't know, you wouldn't think I had a boob job.

Breast Augmentation 4 Weeks Post-Op Appt

Happy 1 month birthday to my girls!  Yes it's been a month! Not much has happened in the past week, but it sure feels good to be one month post op!  Yesterday I went to my 1 month post op appointment and it was very quick.  My PS looked at my incision and was prepared to take out any lingering stitches.  One of my boobs had healed perfectly and there were no stitches to take out.  He only had to take 2 out of the other boob.  He answered my questions about exercise, bras, swimming, and incision care.  He said everything looked good and he will see me in 2 months!

My incisions are healing good.  They are completely closed and I have been using vitamin E oil on them day and night.  I finally stopped covering them with the tape and gauze.  My PS said they are fine to be uncovered as long as I am comfortable.  The vitamin E oil seem to be already smoothing the incision out and I have only been using it a week.  I also use cocoa butter on my boobs and on the rash that I got from the neosporin.  I have not seen any stretch marks, and the rash is clearing up.

The doctor cleared me for exercise.  He said I can start out slow with my comfort level.  I am so used to doing hard core workouts that it's very difficult for me to just walk.  I went to the gym for the first time today to workout and felt really good.  I was able to do the eliptical, bike, and walk a few laps with no problems.  I feel like it will take me forever to get back on my P90x3 status!  I am going to try my Focus T25 workout dvd and just do the modified moves that are for beginners.  I can't wait until I am able to lift weights again.  My goal is to in a few months start cross fit training.  I'm so ready to be back in beast mode!

Me after my workout

After my appointment yesterday I went to Sports Authority to get some good sports bras.  All I pretty much own right now are sports bras, but none that can withstand my type of workouts.  Hubby helped me to find medium and maximum hold sports bras to keep these girls confined!  He was great in the dressing room helping me to decide which sizes would be best for my workouts.  He even had me to slightly run in place to see if they were holding these girls down.  I ended up getting two bras on sale that could have been the price of one of these type of bras.  Both bras came out to be around $53 total.  I got a size medium in one, and a 34C in the other.  They actually didn't have a 34D to try on, but the 34C ended up giving me great hold and support.  It's funny because pre-op I really didn't have to wear a bra to workout if I didn't want to.  For a matter of fact, I would wear the most padded bra I owned to wear to the gym to not look like a little boy in the sports bra. My PS also said that I can wear any type of bra I want to wear now.  He also said that if I wanted to go bra-less I could as well.  Tonight I am trying that out as I go to bed.

The girls are actually feeling more apart of me now.  They aren't sore as much anymore and I don't feel them moving around so much.  I only feel them when I lean down, or when I am lying down and have to sit up.  They have dropped a lot and don't look like torpedoes.  They are very perky and cute now!  I often can't believe they are all mine! All in all, I feel more normal with movements.  I can stretch and move around more comfortably.  I'm finally not afraid that I am going to break the incision.  I can also lift small things without feeling that it's super heavy.  I also don't feel as tired and winded all the time any more.

I asked about swimming due to Hubby and I going on vacation in a few weeks, and the PS said that I can swim in about 3 weeks.  Right on schedule with Vegas!  I didn't buy all those cute bikinis to just sit in my suitcase. He did suggest that I get in the pool or hot tub and see how my incisions react, and make sure that I clean my body as soon as I get out.

Bikini shopping brings me to how clothes fit.  I mentioned before that I feel that clothes fit me better now.  I like everything on me which is not cool when I want to buy everything I try on.  Surprisingly, I had a moment last week when for a day or two I felt my boobs were not big enough.  I had tried on my old pink bikini which is a medium and was disappointed I wasn't popping out of it.  It fit nicely.  When I went shopping this past weekend, I tried on more bikinis and definitely had to get a Large in them.  I also got a bandeau top in a large.  All my other clothes are still my regular size in shirts which was a small.  Now they just fit better.  Today I put on a dress that I would always wear bulky scarves with, because I could not fill out the top part of it.  It was always very baggy, but not today.  It fit perfectly and I filled it all the way out!

Lastly, this brings me to sleeping.  I have been sleeping on my back just fine.  A few days ago I tried sleeping on my side, since that is my usual sleep side of choice.  I am able to do it for a few hours at a time.  I am also able to sleep without all the pillows surrounding me.

Overall, things are feeling and looking good!

Breast Augmentation 3 Weeks Post-Op

I will be 3 weeks post op on Tuesday.  A lot has happened and not happened since my last post.  The biggest happening is that my Hubby came home last Tuesday.  Last Tuesday was my 2nd original scheduled date for my surgery.  I am so glad that I changed the date because as I predicted, Hubby came home the day of my surgery date...if I had kept it.  See that's the thinking of a seasoned Army wife.  I know how the Army time works!  One of the biggest question is well how does Hubby like them?  Well, they are still quite high up and a bit funny looking (to me), but he thinks they are perfect for my body shape and look great on me.  Everyone that has known me forever agree that they look natural on my body like I have always had them!

I stopped taking the pain meds and ambien about a week to a week and half post op.  After stopping the Ambien I did have a little trouble staying asleep due to me still sleeping sitting up.  I have not had any pain that warrant needing a pain killer.  The girls don't really feel heavy anymore, and I don't necessarily always feel the implant.  I can feel them swelling at times and like I have said before, it feels like engorgement when breastfeeding.  I can feel the implant moving only when I'm sleeping at night and try to get up from lying down.

That brings me to sleeping.  I have continued to sleep sitting up surrounded by pillows until a few days ago.  Now I am able to sleep flat on my back but with a very fat pillow to elevate my head.  I like to sleep with a pillow on my side to tilt my body to the side slightly.  I have always been a side sleeper so I'm trying to ease my way into side sleeping again.  Sleeping on my back is the most comfortable for me right now, but it does hurt my butt and back.  I think I am just getting used to it.  

Next up is bras!  I have found that I prefer to sleep in my zip up (large) sports bra.  I love them so much that I had my mom buy me two more and send them to me!  During the day I wear sports bras with the thinner straps mostly.  Recently I found two more unpadded, no wire bras that my doctor told me that I can wear at this point.  I got them from Wal-mart for around $12-14.  They are comfortable to wear during the day.  I also got those in a large.  

My incision is closed up and healing, but I made a mistake in continuing to use the neosporin for too long.  After using it for too long, I actually developed a rash around the incision.  I thought I needed the neosporin because I was very itchy.  I didn't realize that it was the neosporin that was making me itchy.  I soon figured this out remembering what my PS had told me in the beginning about using the neosporin, and quickly stopped using it.  The area is already clearing up.  

There are some days that I am itching to exercise, but others where I am thankful for the break.  Today was the first day that I went on a short walk with my family.  I pretended to run to see if my girls would bounce and sure enough I think they will.  I am going to have to wear extra good sports bras when exercising now.  Before it really didn't matter what kind of bra I had on, my girls weren't big enough to move around.  

All in all, the girls and I are adjusting to each other!  I am still very cautious and careful with them.  I still make sure to not do any quick movements.  I am still not doing too much lifting or stretching either.  Hubby and I always make the joke that we invested a lot of money in these girls, so we have to protect our investment!  

Breast Augmentation Post-Op Bra Fitting

12 Days Post-Op

I guess time is flying!  Not fast enough.  Okay, so let me update you on my progress!  I went back to work this week and I was fine at work all day except for being really sleepy all the time.  There were many times when I caught myself falling asleep at my desk.  I finally realized that I can't go, go, go, and do, do, do like I am used to.  I have to do a little bit and then lay down and rest for awhile.  I am trying to take it as easy as possible.  Besides being sleepy all the time, I am happy that the nausea has gone away.  I have finished with the antibiotics.  I am down to only taking 1 percoset and the ambien at night.  I am not on any pain meds during the day.  I do continue to take my vitamin C chewable.  Today I picked up some fiber gummies due to the dreaded constipation.  I am hoping those work because feeling like you look bloated with nice boobs is no fun!

I called my PS office back and asked when can I wear a regular bra, and do I have to continue to put neosporin on my incisions and cover them.  The answer to both were starting Friday I could wear a regular bra as long as it does not have under wire and do not have padding.  I honestly think I will stick to sports bras for awhile for comfort and support.  Also it is very difficult to find my bra size in just any store.  Friday I could stop with the neosporin and covering the incision, but I think I may continue with covering them.  It feels more comfortable, so I will call about that next week.  I was also told that I have been entered for the mentor warranty in case something happens with my implants.  Knocking on wood they are perfect!

Some annoying symptoms I have been experiencing are super sensitive nipples and itchy incisions.  I have read that a lot of women lost nipple sensation for a period of time.  My nipples are so sensitive that they hurt. It again reminds me of when you are pregnant and your boobs are sore.  I read this is a good sign of the nerve cells reconnecting.  I might get some breast cream and pads like I used when I was breastfeeding.  I am hoping it goes away soon.  My incisions itch periodically.  It seems to happen more so at night when I take off my bandages and undo my bra to let the incision and girls breathe for like 30 minutes.  The incision starts to itch like crazy and it takes everything in me not to scratch near them.  I have found that the ice packs do help with this.

Wednesday I became obsessed with buying a bikini for an upcoming trip with Hubby.  Victoria's Secret was having a sale online on their swimsuits.  I needed to know what size I was, considering I have never ordered a swimsuit from them before.  My co-worker and I tried to measure me but we came out with a 34DD.  I ended up going in the store to get measured and the lady thought maybe a 34C.  She gave me a few 34C bras to try on, and they all were really tight and uncomfortable!  My girls were even hanging out.  I told her this can't be right.  She gave me a Body By Victoria Demi cup 34D to try on and it fit perfectly!  She said pretty much that will be my size in most bras in VS.  I know that I am still swelling and have a ways to drop, but I still need comfortable bras.

All in all I am doing very good!  My incision looks like it is healing well and I am able to have better movement with my arms.  I am getting around good and driving.  I am just very careful and slow!  I don't want to risk pulling anything or messing anything up.

Tata for now lol! (I'm icing as I type)

Breast Augmentation Post Op Appt/Back to Work

Day 6
Yesterday was my first post-op appointment.  My friend drove me despite me driving here and there the weekend.  I was able to see my PS and he examined my breasts to make sure everything looked good so far (knocking on wood).  He said that I was healing really good.  I expressed being concerned that my boobs haven't dropped that much.  He explained that they have three months to drop and are dropping daily.  He said that you would rather them be too high up at first than sitting too low right off the bat.  What goes up must come down!  Gravity at its best!  I asked him about taking a multi-vitamin again and he said it is fine to do so now.  I think I may wait another week just to be on the safe side!  He also discussed the importance of me taking it easy for the next three weeks.  He said that the complications that have come in his office have been due to the women not taking it easy and trying to do too much too soon.  I am such a busybody and is constantly doing it all, but is really relieved for a break!  He also discussed not exercising for three weeks. He said I can start out slow and work my way up to what I have been doing. I asked about massaging and was told that it's up to me if I want to start massaging or not.  I do it gently because sometimes it relieves the pressure.  I forgot to ask how long do I have to keep gauze on the incision, but can call back and ask that. I got my implant card with the size and serial number on it.  It seems quite funny that there is something or somethings in my body with serial numbers!  I have my next appointment in three weeks.

Besides my appointment yesterday, I expected to live up my last day off from work and just sit on my couch and veg out all day.  Deployment always have another plan for me.  I think it is determined to go out with a bang!  Thank God my husband is in flight as I write, and is on his way home at some point (maybe next week he will actually get here).  My son got sick in the middle of the night and stayed home with me yesterday.  It was nice to spend quality time with him, and I was glad that I didn't have to take off work to be with him.  He is better now, and we both were able to go back to work and daycare.

I tapered off my percoset yesterday in only taking it in the morning and right before bed.  I didn't need any pain meds throughout the day.  I was pretty much fine most of the day until it got later in the evening.  I had to get back to my normal routine of doing things by myself.  After we got home later from my daughter's girl scouts, I felt too tired to do any of my nightly chores, so I took my meds and went to bed shortly after the kids.  That's my way of "taking it easy". LOL!  I also forgot to mention that I was able to handle, feed, and take my Great Dane out on Saturday.  I do not walk him, but take him out to potty.  He did fine without pulling me.

Boob cupcakes my co-worker made to welcome me back

1 Week Post-Op-Back To Work
Back to reality for real!  I must say I am fortunate to pretty much be at my desk all day, but I really did miss my naps today.  I almost fell asleep in our morning meeting.  I'm not sure if I was that tired or the meeting was that boring!  I got up earlier this morning to feed and let SGM Blue (my 12 month old Great Dane) out, and to shower.  I am super slow because I make sure to take slow controlled movements to not move too quickly to hurt myself or mess anything up.  My biggest fear is pulling the stitches and them bleeding!  Arrrgggg!  I got dressed, helped the kids, and we were all off to school, work, and daycare.

All my co-workers knew what I was getting done, and all wanted to see how I looked.  They were shocked that I didn't topple over or look like Dolly Parton.  They said that if they didn't know they really wouldn't notice.  They said they looked very natural with my body.  I also got compliments on my outfit!

Denim Shirt: Old Navy
Skirt: Target
Boots: Famous Footwear

All in all work was fine.  My co-worker made me boob cupcakes (pictured above) and bought me gag Goodwill super huge bras.  I told her I could use them for hats!  My boobs did seem to ache more today.  If you have ever breastfed, it feels like you are engorged.  It's not really painful, but it is slightly uncomfortable.  It is tolerable.  At lunchtime I took some tylenol and took a nap.  My nipples seemed to throb on and off today.  I read that is a sign of the nerves reconnecting.  Besides that, my incisions were itchy.  By the time I got home, I felt like my "girls" had a long day at work and needed a break.  After feeding my kids and doing hw with them, I sat on the couch for awhile and iced the girls.

I did notice that you take for granted being able to do the simplest movements.  I keep wondering if I will ever be able to lift things normally again.  Opening doors, driving, opening a water bottle, etc all take a lot of controlled careful effort!  I almost cried when I couldn't get my motrin bottle open.  My friend made sure to open all my pill bottles before she left.  I accidently closed the motrin one back.  I was able to get it open by placing it on my bench at the foot of my bed and pressing down gently.  I had my eight year old daughter helping with a lot of mundane tasks!  I decided to have my friend come back tomorrow evening to help with evening chores so that I don't overexert myself.

Another helpful tip I have found that helps to relieve the tightness of the implants is to keep my bra open at the end of the day for 30 minutes to an hour.  It just feels good to let them hang and breathe a little.  Anyway, although all of this is slightly uncomfortable I wouldn't change a thing.  I love how I look in clothes now and just can't wait for them to continue to drop and all the symptoms to be a thing of the past!

Picture from Pinterest...I want one!!!!!

Breast Augmentation Post-Op Days 4 and 5

The jist of the past two days have been continued nausea and feeling extremely bloated.  I have figured out that it's possibly the antibiotics that make me nauseous.  I take them twice a day and it seems that when I take them, that's when I get very nauseous afterwards whether I eat or not.  The good thing is that I will only be on the antibiotics a few more days.  What has really helped with the nausea is ginger ale and believe it or not, kettle cooked Lays salt and vinegar chips.  A few of those seem to settle my stomach faster than the saltines.  I also have to lay down and possibly take a nap when the nausea hits.

I was very puzzled when I was watching you tube videos of the skinny big boobed girls talking about how bloated they felt.  I would look at them and think to myself "girl get yo life with your skinny self".  I was like how do they think they look bloated when they still look quite thin to me.  Well now I feel their pain.  I feel that my stomach looks six months preggers again.  It is definitely due to the constipation.  I was warned about it, and it is real!  I put miralax in my smoothie yesterday morning, but it did nothing.  I even tried a stool softner (sorry for the TMI) this evening, but again nothing.  I am going to resort to a laxative tea to take in the morning.  I may invest in some fiber gummies to continue to take to get things back regulated.

I have been sleeping just fine from day one!  The ambien really works good. I usually take it between 8 and 9pm and fall asleep within the hour.  I have faithfully awaken around 4 am every morning.  I text my deployed husband and take naps until it's time for me to get on up.  I am still sleeping sitting up.  Last night I moved to my bed instead of the recliner.  I have a pillow that is easy to sit up on, my body pillow, and I surrounded myself with a lot of other pillows.  I slept more comfortable than I thought.  Maybe it was just the ambien.

The past two days I have tried to do more for myself since my babysitter/friend was going back home today.  I will be going back to work on Tuesday anyway, so I needed to start doing more on my own.  I was able to do light housework (very light) and more for the kids.  I even drove a short distance yesterday.  We ended up going to the dollar movie not far from our home and to Wal-mart afterwards so that I could get another front closure bra.  I took the 34 bra back and got a 36 and it fits better.  Driving wasn't a problem due to me not driving far and being very careful about making quick movements and turns.  I also drove today on post to the commissary.  Tomorrow is my post-op appointment and I can find out when I can actually drive, and how I am healing.

As far as the implants, I am still not in any pain.  I did wake up at 4 am in a little pain due to my boobs swelling.  That is normal and they will continue to do that.  I put ice packs on them and it relieved the pain immediately.  I also took a dose of motrin.  I was able to take a shower and get dressed without help today and that went fine.  I changed the dressing myself and looked at the incision.  Still no bleeding, which I constantly check for.  Everything seems to be doing good and I hope that continues.

The question of the day is still "What size are you?".  Now I get, "Do you like them?" a lot as well.  I will not know what size they are for awhile.  Maybe a few weeks or months.  I am wearing large sports bras mostly due to the swelling and they seem to be more comfortable.  I have also noticed that my zip up bra is more comfortable to sleep in at night.  I am still wearing a small in shirts and tank tops.  Yesterday I actually put on a shirt that is a medium and my friend came over to get my daughter and told me it looked too big on me! It's true that most of your clothes size don't change, you just look better in them!   As far as if I like them or not, well they just look really funny and weird right now!  They do look nice in my sports bras and in fitted shirts.  I do not like them naked at this point.  They really do look like torpedoes.  They haven't dropped much so they still sit very high up.  I heard girls talk about having the post-op Depression, and is wondering if it will hit me.  I did have a thought today, "What in the world did I do?" I'm still in awe that I actually went through with this, but is happy every time I get dressed, even if its just to put on pjs around the house.  I also did feel so bloated that I was thinking I can't wait until I can workout again.

All in all I am doing great and just continue to pray for great healing!

Haha...I'm still thinking of a name for them!

Breast Augmentation Post-Op Day 3

Most women say day 3 is the worst.  I have found that I felt really good today.  I did not feel pain all day, and didn't have to ice the girls.  I was able to get up and shower on my own.  I did need help changing the dressing on my incisions and getting dressed.  I was afraid to change the dressing because I did not want to see the incision.  Surprisingly it looked fine.  It looked as if it is healing well.  My worst fear is for it to be leaking blood like one you tuber I saw.  I showered with antibacterial soap and let the soap and water fall on the incision.  I did not wipe the area to not irritate it.  After showering I wiped the incision area with paper towels and my friend helped me to apply a thin layer of neosporin, and apply new gauze and tape.  We did notice the bruises only under one boob on one side (not near the incision).  It seemed to be better than last night.  I was able to change into the Large bra to not be so tight around my rib cage.

Today was the first day that I took the girls out of the house!  One of my friends (that had her girls done a year ago), came to take us to Target so I could get some more bras.  I can't survive on just two sports bras.  I was excited to get out the house, but got very nauseous on the car ride.  I was okay once we were in the store and I hailed to the red dot!  Seriously, Target is the devil.  I ALWAYS pay more than I intended to.  They were having a great clearance on clothes and for some reason I loved everything that I tried on!  What a curse these girls are already!  I ended up getting four bras, and a few more cute clothes.

Yes I know I went a bit overboard, but this is an accumulation of my shopping from all week.  These items are from H&M, Ross, and Target.  I am going on a trip to Vegas with the Hubby in a few weeks so I picked up some items for that as well.  I keep telling myself that I deserve it! Hey this has been one helluva 9 months of deployment!  As if my boobs weren't a present enough to myself LOL!

For those of you wondering, I got 375cc, silicone, smooth round, mentor implants.  At least that's what I think.  I haven't gotten my implant card yet.  Pre-op I measured at a 34A.  Today I tried on sports bras, and got larges in the ones in the picture.  I did get one regular bra that is similar to the sports bras in a Large as well.  It did not come in cup sizes.  There was another bra similar to it that I tried on in a 34C, and it was too small.  Right now I am still swelling, so it's really difficult to determine my true size.  I am just trying to get bras right now with good support and comfort.  The bras pictured ranged from $6-$16.99.

I was able to lift my arms all the way over my head today with no problems.  I was still careful when trying on bras and shirts to make sure that I do not pull anything, or over do it.  I felt really good all day besides the nausea.  I even tapered on my pain meds just taking all my meds twice a day instead of the pain meds every four hours. Later in the evening I swear I started to feel the implant moving around or dropping. I really can't explain what the proper term for this would be.  Perhaps it's air or bubbles moving around in there.  I did hear other girls report that theirs would make a gurgling sound and it's completely normal.  Because of this movement I kept checking my incision area to make sure everything is still in tact.  I took it easy the rest of the day.

Me multitasking in my little area

My other furry friend SGM Blue

Breast Augmentation Post-Op Day 2

Can we say please pass the ginger ale and saltines please?  So today has been a day full of nausea.  I have always known from previous experiences that anesthesia makes me nauseous.  Too bad today I ran out of the Zofran.  I pretty much layed down a lot and drank ginger ale and ate saltines.

I was able to sleep good last since I took the Ambien.  My friend said she woke me up to take my midnight meds and I was knocked out! She said she gave me my meds and I dropped them, so she gave me more and tried to make sure that I swallowed them.  I did wake up feeling refreshed for once in many months.  I didn't feel any pain or heaviness.  I was able to wash up and make myself semi presentable.  My arms didn't feel sore anymore so I could put on a tank top with help.

I wasn't in as much pain today.  I stayed on top of taking all of my meds on time.  My boobs looked like they dropped slightly.  They weren't as high up in my collar bone.  I can still feel them in my armpits.  The incisions looked fine when I peeped through the gauze.  I am still afraid to change it, but will do so tomorrow when I take a shower.  My incisions did itch a lot today, which again is a good sign of healing.  I did have bruising around the base of my boobs where my bra band sits.  I think it's due to my boobs swelling and the bra starting to get tighter.  I would periodically during the day unzip my bra to relieve some of the pressure.

Besides being itchy and nauseous all day, I felt pretty good.  I was able to walk around good and do a few things for myself.  I was also blessed with my friends coming by to visit.  One of my friends came by to bring me gauze, tape, and antibacterial soap for my shower tomorrow.  I was told that I could use a maxi pad or pantyliner to cover the incision, but I would prefer to have the same thing that is already on.  I also felt that the antibacterial soap that I have is too fragrant, and would not be clean enough for my incision. My friend also brought her little Maltese/Yorkie puppy to visit.  I was happy to have a lightweight snuggle buddy.

Isn't Gizmo just too cute for words? Best snuggle buddy ever!  She even had the nerve to lay on me and growl at the 110 lbs Great Dane across the room!

My neighbor came over to check on me and brought me food.  I had another friend come over and bring saltines and ginger ale due to her being concerned about my continued nausea.  Other visitors included another friend that brought over lunch from a Mediterranean restaurant.  I was able to eat a little but it was my first real meal post op.

All in all it was a better day.

Breast Augmentation Post-Op Day 1

Picture from Pinterest

I woke up this morning feeling nauseated again.  I had to remember to take the zofran with every med dose. I was able to stay laying down so that I would not throw up.  My appetite has still not returned.  I have been eating on fruit and a little soup to take my meds.  I spent the day taking naps, taking meds, and talking to my family and friends.  I even watched a few shows on my DVR.  I got a call from the PS office and the surgical center.  We discussed me showering and changing my dressings when I'm ready.  I'm chicken and want to wait another day or two.  I was able to wash myself up this morning and get dressed.  I am still wearing button up shirts and need help to put them on.  I make sure to do my arm exercises and is able to lift them more and more.

My symptoms today went back and forth with nausea all day.  I just made sure to take the zofran and continue to lay down.  My boobs still feel heavy, but also they feel very full and tight, much like engorgement with breastfeeding.  I also started to notice that the sides of rib cage hurts.  The nurse explained that the PS injects a numbing solution there so it is sore afterwards.  Besides all that, my incisions started to itch which is a good sign to show that they are healing.

I decided to be brave and look at my boobs without the bra.  My babysitter helped me to take my bra off and take a peek.  Yes they really do look like footballs.  We could tell that they are swollen, but look pretty good so far!  We checked the sides of my ribcage for bruising (there was none) due to that area irritating me. We tried on the other two bras that I have so that I know what size to get when I get more sports bras.  The 34 one from Walmart was too small, but the large one like the medium one I am currently wearing fits fine.

I am getting nauseous as I write this, so I will have to end with a little boob humor...

Picture from Pinterest

Day of Breast Augmentation Surgery

The day has finally come!  I didn't get any sleep the night before surgery.  I took the melatonin and it allowed me to sleep for about four hours.  I woke up early and went ahead and showered again with the antibacterial soap.  I re braided my hair and put on my cute PINK Victoria's Secret sweatsuit.  I went through my normal routine of feeding and taking the dog out, and getting the kids ready for school.  I dropped them off and came back home to wait for my friend to pick me up.  The waiting is the worst part!  It gives you more time to think. I did some last minute organizing of the house, and of course watching You Tube videos.  My friend arrived shortly and we left at 8:30 am to be at the surgical center at 9 am.

The car ride over was a little nerve wrecking.  Once we got to the surgical center and I checked in, I kept saying , "I can't believe I am doing this!"  As I mentioned before, I didn't know many people that had gotten plastic surgery done until recently.  I always figured it was something for people on tv or for young girls trying to make it in the industry (tv, movies, modeling, porn, etc).  Definitely not an average country girl like me!  My friend was able to help calm my nerves by making me laugh and telling me it's something I have always wanted.

I was called to the back soon after, and was asked to give a urine sample.  I assured the nurse that I am not pregnant, duh my husband is deployed.  She said she could not verify that with a laugh.  I gave my sample and went to my pre-op area.  Pretty much a bed with a curtain.  I was instructed to undress but was allowed to keep on my undies and socks.  I brought extra socks to keep my feet warm.

The part I was most nervous about in this whole process was getting the IV.  I hate needles.  The anesthesiologist came shortly to get that started.  It wasn't so bad because my friend was holding my hand (yes I am a big baby), and the nurses were asking me questions about my medical history.  Distraction is the key!  The needle was very small and a tiny pinch.  After that was over I was ready for whatever.  I met with my PS and he did his markings and asked me if I had any questions.  He went over a few things with me which made me feel a little more comfortable.  The nurse and I made small talk about my job as a counselor as he wheeled me into the OR.

When I thought about this experience, I wanted to be knocked out before going to the OR.  I guess the OR just seems like a scary place and like OMG this is really happening.  I was wheeled into the OR at 9:50 am. In the OR there was the PS and a lot of other people who immediately started to hook things up to me and stick stickers on me.  I made the comment that it felt like getting a c-section all over again with all of the people attending to me at once.  I then asked the PS if he had ever seen the series Nip Tuck.  He laughed and said he hasn't but gets that question all the time.  I told him he should watch it because it's a really good show.  Then the mask was put over my face and that was all that I remember.  It seemed like I woke up seconds later with the nurses calling my name and me asking if it was over yet. Later my friends told me that at 10:45 am they were told that I was done. The nurse kept me in recovery for a little while and had me to drink ginger ale and eat crackers.  Soon after my friends waiting for me were able to join me.  After I seemed to be doing well, the nurses helped me to get dressed.  They wanted to try me on the medium sports bra and thought that it was a little big and suggested that I definitely take the large bra back.  My friends commented that I looked good already! I was definitely pleased.

The car ride home was no fun.  I brought a pillow just in case my body was sensitive to bumps in the road, but that wasn't the problem.  First of all I felt like a ton of bricks were strapped to my chest.  Yes they were super heavy.  I also started to feel extremely nauseous.  That usually happens to me when I go under anesthesia.  My friend drove us to a sandwhich shop to get food for me to take my meds.  I was ready to get home to lay down.  I ended up taking a few bites of food, just enough to take my meds.  It was surprising that I was starving going into the surgery center, but when I could eat, I had no appetite.  I made my bed on my couch and tried to get through the nausea feeling.

The rest of the evening went fine.  I stayed up to take my next dose of meds.  My kids came home and were very gentle with me.  They didn't ask any questions since my babysitter had already explained to them that I wasn't feeling well.  I still didn't have an appetite and ended up eating yogurt to take my meds.

The night wasn't too bad.  It was weird not sleeping on my side, but sleeping upright in the recliner.  I kept waking up because of that, and the dog in his crate moving around.  I also kept waking up to make sure I took my meds on time.  The only pain I was in was the heaviness and it being hard to breathe.  I kept looking into my bra to make sure my breasts were not turning colors or that my incision wasn't leaking.  I was all in the clear!

Day Before Breast Augmentation

How am I feeling at this point? I have gotten this question only a trillion times and I feel that its quite normal for me to feel NERVOUS and EXCITED!  Surprisingly today, I haven't been nervous at all.  I have been so busy all day running errands, trying to get things done I wont get to in a few weeks, getting my eyebrows done (can't go in surgery looking a hot mess), and of course SHOPPING!

The highlight of my day was definitely shopping all day with my friend.  For some reason I felt that I loved how everything looked on me that I tried on today.  That's not a good thing for me because I wanted to buy it all.  I don't know if it's the p90x3 or just my envisioning of how the boobs will make my clothes just pop!

Besides shopping I packed my bag to take to surgery.  I am taking:
pillow (for car ride home)
surgery center paperwork
eyeglasses case
lotion
chapstick
thick socks
wallet
front closure sports bras
medicine

That's about it.  I also made sure to set up my bed with all my pillows for when I am ready to sleep in my bed at night.  I set up my recliner with blankets, pillows, and a table with my gadgets (ipad, kindle, laptop, etc) to have near me when I come home.  I plan to sleep in the recliner at least the first few nights.

I showered with my antibacterial soap and will do so again in the morning. I was told that I can put lotion on my face, arms and legs but not on or near my breasts.  I plan to eat a mini meal at 11:00 pm so that I am not super hungry in the morning considering I am used to eating every few hours, and as soon as I wake up in the mornings.  I have not been able to sleep good the past few nights, so tonight I will take some melatonin.

Tonight I took my "before" pictures as well.  I took them bra less in a few tops and dresses that I wanted to see what the difference would be.  Today I wore the dress pictured below that has a built in bra.  So when trying on clothes I didn't have a bra and could really see the lack of volume and fullness on me.  All day my friend and I talked about how great my boobs will look in these clothes after and pretty much in everything!  I think at this point, now I have her boob obsessed!

Weekend Before Breast Augmentation

RELAX, RELATE, RELEASE, and BREATHE!!!!!!!!!!!

To be honest, I'm not as nervous as I thought I would be at this point.  All weekend I have been super busy trying to get everything in order for my babysitter that will be staying with us all week to care for the kids and dog.  I have also been trying to prepare for post op healing.  I spent my weekend pretty much doing all our laundry so that I won't have it to do post op. I finally was done with laundry Sunday night.  I also cleaned my entire house from top to bottom.  I feel like I wont be able to thoroughly clean my house for awhile, and if you know me, you know that I am a neat freak!  I made sure to go grocery shopping and stocked my house with a lot of fruits and vegetables that would be best for healing, foods for my babysitter that she would like, quick foods and snacks for the kids, and easy foods for me to be able to take with meds such as yogurt.  I also did a little meal prepping and made some foods to have for all of us to eat on, I made a huge salad, and cut up a lot of fruits to easily be able to grab when needed.

Foods that I researched to have on hand to promote healing were clean foods and foods that are high in Vitamin C.  A friend of mine told me to make sure that I have good sources of protein as well.

Avocados
Pineapple
Berries
Mango
Kiwi
Oranges
Apples
Tomatoes
Banana
Spinach
Coconut Water
Pomegranate Juice
Water
Protein Bars
Hummus
Baby Carrots
Lettuce
Boiled Eggs
Oatmeal
Ginger Ale
Grilled Salmon
Grilled Chicken
Grilled Asparagus

I'm sure I left some things out, but you get the idea.  Clean Eating! I want to put clean foods in my body to give it the best chances at healing.

Despite cleaning and doing laundry night and day, I took the kiddos to Walmart to do a little shopping and we had a great dinner together at Qudoba!  I have been trying to get a lot of cuddles in with them because it will be awhile before they can really be near me without me flinching or thinking it will hurt.  

I forgot to mention that I woke up Sunday morning thinking it was Monday.  I was thinking, "OMG I have surgery tomorrow!".  It will be interesting to see how I feel tomorrow.  I am hoping to not be nervous and freaking myself out! I will keep my eyes on the final prize! Tata until tomorrow!

Items for Surgery and Healing

As I mentioned in my previous blog I am boob obsessed! In fact I think I have been obsessed with boobs all my life! You can ask any of my close family members and friends that I constantly ask if they will give me their boobs.  In being obsessed, I have done a ton of research.  I could probably write my own book on this topic.  Anyhoo, I have looked up all the items I think I will need for my surgery and to make things easier and more comfortable for me after surgery.  

Let's start with one thing...or a few things that I won't be needing....a million 34A super padded bras!

I'm still trying to figure out what to do with all of these!

Now on to what I will need!

My sisterger made the comment that she is so excited because now I can be like all the Real Housewives of (Insert City) in having my boob job.  To complete the look I just had to get a zip up hoodie outfit to wear to my surgery.  It is only fitting that it comes from Victoria's Secret!

I picked these up 2 weeks ago for just a few bucks at the Commissary.  I started taking them every morning so that they can be in my system good for after surgery.  Vitamin C helps to support the immune system.  I will be taking these maybe a few weeks/months post-op as well.  I want to give my body the best chance of healing greatly!

After my pre-op appt I went to Wal-mart to get a few more items.  I picked up some gel ice packs to help with bruising and swelling post-op.  The antibacterial soap is to clean my body with pre and post op to make sure that my incisions stay clean.  I also got one more front closure sports bra for $9.99.  This one I got in a 34 and it has clamps instead of a zipper.  I will put this bra with the other two for my PS to decide which one will fit the best.  Even if this bra is not put on me after the surgery, I think it will still be very comfortable and helpful in case the zipper bras irritate me.

I found these super cute pj's at Wal-mart as well.  The Mickey Mouse bottoms were $7.99 and the tank top was $3.88.  I am hoping that I will be able to wear a tank top within my week of recovery.  I really wanted to have cute pj's to lounge around the house in!

Yesterday I got this bed table tray from Bed Bath and Beyond for $14.99.  I originally ordered a really nice one that matches my bedroom furniture from Amazon, but it came unassembled and was not like the product I ordered, so I sent it back.  I figured this simple table will do for now.  I just wanted to have something to of course put my laptop (and food on) while I continue to write this blog to document my journey through recovery.

I got a body pillow and cover from Target both for $9.99 each.  I read that at least for the first week I would need to sleep propped up, so I wanted to have as many comfy pillows as possible surrounding me on my bed.

I was instructed to bring my own front closure sports bra to the surgery.  My Mom is a hair stylist at a department store called Belk's, so I asked her to look for the bras there for me.  I saw a lot of videos where girls had a difficult time finding the bras and said that they were easier to find in department stores.  I had looked myself at a few local places but the bras came in cup sizes and I won't know my cup size for awhile.  My Mom picked me up a Large and a Medium bra so that I could take both in and the PS could determine which one will fit.  Both bras were on sale and came up to be $30 total.  I think they were close to $50 regularly a piece.

At this point, I feel that I am well prepared! Now I just want it over with!