6 days post-op

I finished up my few days of bedrest.  I feel much better as the days go by.  Yesterday I went to the beach for a friends' birthday party.  I didn't do much more than what I would have done if I were at home so it didn't take too much out of me.  I just sat in a chair in the sun.  There was a nice breeze  so I was very comfortable.  I think the fresh air was a good thing.  Last night was another story.  My three year old decided to climb in my bed withe me so I ended up not getting much rest and he woke me up at 6 a.m.  I was totally beat!  The whole fam went to church this morning (including me), and I felt horrible the whole morning.  I am back at home now and ready to conk out after taking a percocet.  I had stopped taking all the heavy meds and switched to tylenol, but after last night, I definitely needed a little more of the heavy-duty painkillers and a gooooooood nap!

3 days post-op

Everything so far has progressed slowely, surely and steadily.  There have been no major bumps along the road so far.  Each day has ups and downs, but there is nothing big that I can complain about.  There are times when I feel entirely rested and free from pain and other times I feel a little sore and restless.  I can say that this is something that I can get through and I think anyone with help could get through it as well.  My husband has taken TOTAL responsibility for our two boys so I have not had to deal with them at all.  He has actually figrued out that he can lock me in our bedroom (he has a key of course) so that our three year old cannot come in unexpectedly and jump on me!  

I went for my first post-op appointment today which went very smoothly.  They thought everything looked great.  They removed the gauze from my incisions and gave me the go ahead to take a shower...which I am off to do at the moment!  

I Made it! Today was the day!

I did it!  I made it through surgery.  I was a little nervous about the anesthesia, but the whole process was amazing!  

My surgery was moved from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. so I didn't have to be there until 8.  I was thankful for a little extra sleep, and I was able to go to the surgery center rested.  The surgery center was like a doctor's office (inside and out).  It didn't seem "surgical" at all and was very nice.  Everyone working there was awesome and they all did a great job as far as I was concerned.  After they called me back, they did the blood pressure, temperature, questions, etc. and then took me to the room where I put on a gown, robe, compression socks, and slippers.  Then I sat in a reclining chair and the nurse covered me with a warm blanket.  I waited around awhile, went to the restroom, and then the nurse came back to start my IV.  I don't have a problem with needles, so that party didn't bother me at all.  I went to the restroom again after getting the IV (I drank lots of water and OJ in the few days prior to my surgery because I heard that being well-hydrated can help with the nausea after anesthesia).  I waited in the little room for awhile longer and t hen I spoke wit the anesthesiologist.  She was very nice, and seemed confident that I would do fine.  I remembered that I had my wisdom teeth removed several years ago and it went very smoothly so that lessened my fears somewhat about the general anesthesia.  Finally, Dr. Pousti came in and drew on  my chest and labia (for my labiaplasty).  He is such an awesome doctor.  Although I am a super-planner type of person, in this case, I totally left the cc decision up to Dr. Pousti (I found out later that he put in 550 cc mentor silicone in each side).  He is the professional, and I trusted him to give me the look I was going for.  Even if I had an idea about what exactly I thought I wanted before, I still have no qualifications to dictate how many cc's, etc.  I didn't even specify where I wanted my incision (he went through the areola).   I did bring in lots of pictures, and I let him make all the other decisions based on the photos that I liked and what we had discussed and come up with together.

My nurse came to get me and walked me to the OR where I lay down on the table with my legs in the leg compression thingys and my head on the little pillow.  Everyone in there started to work doing their jobs like pros and I felt so well taken care of.  Immediately after the anesthesiologist told me to take a deep breath, I was out.  It really does happen that fast.

I started waking up, but I felt like my eye-lids were very heavy and I was still really out of it.  I did not feel nauseous!!! Praise the Lord!  I was so concerned about feeling sick.  As I was waking up, I began to take some deep breaths to get some "good" air in my lungs.  This helped out immensely, in my opinion.  I would highly recommend deep breathing to help with recovery.  I had just minimal discomfort in my breasts, but it was very very small.  I was really not in any pain.  Soooooooo much easier than giving birth.  The nurse gave me a little more pain med in my IV.  He said their goal was for me to be in NO pain whatsoever.  I immediately asked if I could have ice chips.  I was so thirsty and my throat was a little scratchy.  He came back and fed some to me and then let me feed myself.  Gradually I felt better and better.  Two or three different nurses (and the anesthesiologist) periodically came in to check in on me and to replace the ice on my labia.  They were all so nice and accomodating.  I think the first thing I asked when I was waking up was "did you call my husband?"  After they talked to him and checked my vitals one more time, the male nurse that had taken such great care of me, brought in my clothes and laid them out so that I could get dressed in bed.  He then helped me put on my shoes and got me in a wheelchair.  He carried all my stuff (to include flowers from Dr. Pousti!!!) and took me to wait for my hubby.  This was the worst part of the experience.  I never do well transitioning from lying down to a wheelchair, but I took it very easy, kept breathing deeply and did ok.  The other thing that bothered me was the bad taste in my mouth from the anesthesia.  It is AWFUL!  If you haven't experienced it before just know that it will taste really bad.  The ice chips and other beverages they may offer you while you are waking up help out a ton!  I couldn't wait to get in the car to get a sip of something more than ice!  That taste could have made me sick, but I got something else to drink just in time.  My kids were so excited to see me, and my son arranged my pillow in the front seat and rubbed my head on the way home.  He totally messed up my ponytail, but I didn't care.  He was being so sweet!  The drive took about 20 minutes and by the time we got home I was very ready for the pain meds.  I had my hubby bring me something else to drink and the nausea medication first to get a headstart on it.  He then slowly helped me upstairs, I peed, got in my bed, and then took the rest of my medication.  I slept several hours then ate some cheese and crackers when I woke up to take another pain pill.  Still no nausea!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am drifting off to sleep so  I will have to update later.  I hope this is coherent~ the pic is the only one I could get so far.  I am pretty much confined to the bed and can't even reach the nightstand very well.  The next few days should be better for picture taking!!!

Tomorrow is the big day!

In less than 24 hours I will be in surgery... hopefully nearing the end of surgery and about to start recovery.  It is a crazy feeling!  I still have tons to do.  My sister-in-law will be here in 2 days to visit for 5 days and will be a huge help to my husband and kids.  I want to make sure the house is in the best possible shape before I am out of it and cannot help with anything.  Right now, 4 days of bedrest seems heavenly, but I know before it is all over with I will be going crazy being confined!  I am praying that I will be pleasantly surprised by the ease of recovery and not vice-versa.  I still have to get all my meds.  I don't prefer to be on anything and normally don't even take tylenol, but in this case I am going to use them all and try not to miss any dosages.  I have heard that it helps greatly with recovery to take the meds rather than trying to deal with the pain!  I am a little concerned about my youngest (he is 3).  He is so used to climbing all over me and laying in bed with me that he will have a bit of a shock.  If anything were to go wrong in this whole process, it would be a severe blow to my breasts caused by my little guy.  I have been noticing lately how often I get a little elbow or head in the breast (multiple times a day)!  It is painful now, but I can just imagine how painful it would be afterwards...

The biggest thing I am looking forward to is just getting back to normal life with a new and improved body.  I am hoping in a week or so after surgery that I can go to the beach with my family and relax there instead of being cooped up inside.  I don't have any real plans until 2 weeks post-op. so I am hoping by then things are getting to be a little back to normal!

4 days until my surgery

I am blogging instead of doing all of the things that I should be doing.  I need to clean my house, grocery shop, plan meals for the next week or two, fill my prescriptions, lay out clothes that I can wear for the week after surgery, set up my "nest", etc., etc.  

All of the worries that I had just a few days ago have been replaced by excitement.  I really cannot wait to just get it over with and start the recovery.  The unknown of recovery is enough to drive a person crazy.  I have planned to have my recliner and my bed prepared so I can choose the most comfortable "nest" for resting.  I purchased a memory foam wedge pillow which should help greatly with being able to get some rest.  My plan is to sleep through the 4 days of bed rest (because of the labial reduction not the ba).  I am happy to do both procedures at once, but I have considered how much easier it would be if I had just done one at a time.  In the end, one recovery will be much better than two separate.

Tonight my husband and I plan on sitting down together to make sure we have our game plan together so that he is prepared to do everything for a week.  My oldest son knows that mommy is "getting stitches" and has already told me that he will help me out by bringing me food, reading me books and putting in DVDs for me to watch!

OK, I am off to clean the house!

Waiting.... Week and a half to go

I am a week and a half out from my breast augmentation.  My husband is in the military and has been deployed.  He is just getting home so he is adjusting to a new home and everything that is new or has changed since he has been gone (to include my upcoming surgery.)  Of course, he and I discussed it ahead of time, but he seems to be having all of the normal anxious feelings and second thought that I am having.  He is very supportive and really wants me to be happy and do what I feel like I need to do.  I am also the financial planner in the family so normally he doesn't stress about the finances at all.  This surgery seems to be one of the biggest decisions for us (even more than buying a car or a house!)  I think it is so different because it is "cosmetic" in nature and there are so many other good causes that the money could go to.  I did plan out the payments and paid up front for my surgery.  I had saved up quite a bit of cash in advance and had the rest of it on hand to pay for my surgery.  

I am just ready to have it over with and start the recovery and be able to look back on it all!  Hopefully I won't feel like I have made the wrong decision after the fact.  I am prepared for all the feelings that I have heard about the first weeks and months after surgery.  I am prepared that the results that I am looking for will not manifest themselves until months from now.  To be honest, I will need a week or so more to get everything ready to go for my recovery.  I have tried to stockpile some snacks and drinks that I think I may want while recovering.  I am trying to plan out some zip-front hoodies and shirts that I can wear for the first however many days it takes until I can wear T-shirts.   I am very much of a planner so in the back of my mind I always plan for the worst case scenario.  With both of my pregnancies I really anticipated labor to be worse than it actually was.  I know people think that is crazy, but I expect this to be A LOT harder than having a baby.  Everyone has told me it is much easier.  I just can't imagine recovering from anesthesia to be very easy.  I guess we will see...

I already have one semi-important invitation (5 days after my surgery) that I am almost positive that I cannot make it to.  I would love to play it by ear and see if I feel like getting out, but I know better than to plan on it.  

About me and my first consultation

I am a mom of two boys from San Diego, CA. I love being a mom! It is so fun and such a great job. I have breastfed for 4 years. That should give you all the insight in the world into my current breast "issues." I have ranged anywhere from an A to a D cup in my time as a pregnant lady and nursing mother. It is amazing how much the body can change, and it is also amazing that you can get your figure back with diet and exercise. After my second baby I really tried to eat healthy and I started exercising at least 3 days a week and lifting weights. I totally got my pre-pre-pregnancy body back (almost like before I had my first). I may be even happier with my more mature motherly body, except for that one missing link... the breast tissue. I am sure you have read on other blogs, websites and heard from other women (if not already experienced first-hand yourself)  that pregnancy, breastfeeding a baby, and weight fluctuation can do a serious number on the boobies. I love my breasts and was not altogether thrilled with the saggier, deflated version of them, but I had always been too chicken to do anything but dream about breast implants. After my second baby I had some extra skin in the labia that has caused me many problems.  I am not having anymore children so now was the time to get it fixed. The labial reduction surgery is really a no-brainer for me and really a necessity and not something I would consider an option. After making an appointment to meet with Dr. Pousti, I started thinking back to the breasts and made my mind up that I would just ask him what could be done about them. I had no idea if I needed a lift or breast implants or what. I had not done a ton of research at that point. I knew that Dr. Pousti was well recommended and I took some pictures of what my ideal boobs would look like. Before my first consultation my first fear was the anesthesia. Now that I have done a lot of research, I have faith that my Dr. will take care of everything and keep me safe in the operating room. As he said at my consultation, "I micromanage EVERYTHING in the OR." That statement alone put me at ease about the whole "what-if" of bad things happening while being totally out of it. Now that I am a couple weeks out from my breast augmentation, my fear is more of wondering if I made the right decision to go through with it at all and the future consequences of what could or might go wrong. You hear so many stories GOOD and BAD about how women feel about implants. It is just so hard to make that decision for yourself and you really do have to weigh the pros and cons. It is important for a mom and a wife to not do something to her body that will make her sick or have adverse effects down the road. I am very into eating healthy; I don't take medicines and I prefer to do everything naturally with herbs and vitamins. You could say I am very "green" conscious, but I'm not too overboard on saving the environment. So, for me to make the decision to put something into my body that God did not put there in the first place is not something I take lightly. I also am not doing this to get attention...I prefer after this to be able to wear clothes that do not draw attention to myself (except if I am with my husband!!!) I am just hoping to get a little back from what I lost after breastfeeding. Dr. Pousti recommended silicone because of my small frame and little amount of breast tissue. I am 5'10", 135 lbs. and small boned. I totally trust my doctor to make the right decisions, and I know he will do a beautiful job. It is such an unknown though about what the future will bring. So, I am in that in between excited, anticipating and anxious stage. Here are my before pictures for reference. I will post more pics after my breast augmentation on August 26th!!!!