One WeekPost Op

Wow, a week ago today I had just come home from having my BA-I can't believe how fast time has gone. I feel so much better than I ever thought I would at this point. I actually drove for the first time yesterday-not very far but I wanted to try. It wasn't bad but was quite awkard. I drive a SUV and manuevering it wasn't as easy as before. Just trying to pull closed the door was hard enough! I'm going to go for a drive tomorrow and then Monday I'm back in charge of the kids drop off/pick up schedules....plus I have to drive myself to my appt w/Dr. Pousti.
The pain, if I call it pain, is manageable. When I get uncomfortable I just take Advil and it seems to help out.
I'm thrilled with my results thus far-I think my girls look far better at this point than I ever thought they would, so that's a plus. I am not a big fan of the surgical bra as it becomes itchy and is very hot! I've managed one week already so 3 to go!
I'm anxious to see what Dr. Pousti thinks on Monday. I wonder if that's when I will learn about the massaging and am fearful that the massaging will hurt.
The hardest part for me so far is knowing my limitations on what I can and cannot do. So many things I didn't think about before: my microwave is high up in my cabinets(it's been hard to reach), so are my dishes, cups and laundry detergent is in a cabinet above the washer. I brought out one of my kids plastic stools they use to brush their teeth and have been using that in the kitchen. Also, I can't run to Costco on my own like I used to as I need help lifting the big items. Being dependent on my husband has been hard for me but I know it's temporary.

Day 5 Post Op

Well, I've made it 5 days! I still can't believe it's been 5 days. Some times it feels like it's getting easier but sometimes I feel like I take 3 steps backwards. Recovery is very decieving-you start to feel better and boom....your natural insticnt to do normal activities kicks in and then it hits you like a ton of bricks. I have felt good for the most part. I took my first shower on Monday night and I felt so much better. My husband actually helped me and I was grateful b/c showering just felt weird. It felt good to take the bra off for awhile (I did try on one shirt while the bra was off just to see and wow I was excited!) but I quickly wanted it back on-the girls felt more secure in the bra! Tonight I will venture to take another shower. Hopefully it will go just as well.
I haven't taken a percocet since Monday night-I've been trying to only use strong doses of Advil, however w/the shower tonight I'll probably take one just to help.
Two nights ago I slept for 6 hours straight but last night had trouble-I was uncomfortable and had some pain. I ended up on the couch and felt better.
My husband has been wonderful helping me but my daily routine w/the kids is quite overwhelming for him. He goes back to work tomorrow so I'll be on my own for 2 days-fortunately I have rides to school for my kids and hopefully they will cooperate when they get home and until my husband gets home.
I've read that not resting enough and not drinking enough water does slow down the healing process and can cause more swelling.....I really need to take it easy for the next couple of days as I know I have completely overdone it for the past 2 days.
It's been very hard for me to slow down-I'm on the go constantly and to not even be able to lift the milk out of the fridge is frustrating to me. I hope I'm able to drive on Monday as I have my next follow up that day and my husband will be working so it will be up to me! We shall see how the next few days go. I better get some rest for now!

My First Post Op Appt

Well, today was my first post op appt and it went very well. I was very nervous to see my new breasts as they had been hidden all weekend in my surgical bra. When the time came to "unveil" them I was pleasantly surprised. They looked so much better than I had imagined them to look. Dr. Pousti showed me the swelling on the side (which I felt immensely) as well as some swelling on top but overall said I looked great. I was told not to put ice bags on them or do basically do anything except keep them in the surgical bra for another week. As of this point, I still did not know what cc's he had decided to use and when I asked him he told me he would have to tell me next week b/c my chart had been sent out for dictation. That was ok with me b/c I was happy with my result anyway. So he sent me on my way and said that I would come back next Monday for another follow up appt at which time they would show me how to massage them. My husband and I left there so very happy with my results and can't wait to see the changes over the next week. The staff told me that the majority of the swelling should go down in the next week (I sure hope so).
Later that afternoon, Eka from Dr. Pousti's office called and told me she remembered how anxious I was to know what cc's were used. She said she had just come across my chart and saw that I had recieved 450 cc's on both sides!
For now the pain has been pretty tolerable. I haven't taken a pain pill since 9am but am planning to take some now for my first shower and for sleeping. I know that I did way more than I should have today and am feeling pain now because of that. For that, I plan to sit on the couch and relax all day tomorrow! I'll post again soon. Thanks for reading!

Day 2 Post Op

Well, I made it through my first 2 days. Since we live about an hour and a half from San Diego we decided late Thurs night to spend the night close to the surgery center since we had to arrive at 6:30am. I am so glad that we did-I had fears of traffic, construction, the car breaking down etc. I was surprisingly calm driving down and the whole night until I woke up about 3:30am. Once I woke up the anxiety kicked in full force. I couldn't go back to sleep and went through several bouts of crying. I took a shower and finally it was ready to leave for the surgery center. I was so incredibly nervous at this point. We got to the surgery center and I was Dr. Poust's 2nd surgery of the day, I was scheduled for 8:30am. I was called back by a male nurse who was one of the nicest nurses I have ever met. I changed my clothes, took my vitals and started my IV. I HATE needles and I never even felt the IV being started. Then it was just waiting for the patient before me to be finished. Once the previous surgery was finished, the OR nurses came in to talk about what was going to happen. She asked me about what size I was looking for. I told her a small D, nothing more as I was afraid of being too top heavy. She explained she was an advocate for the patient, would be right there w/Dr. Pousti and would ensure my wishes were gone through with. After that, the anasthesiologist came in. She too was so very kind, explaining everything she was going to do. At this point again, my nerves kicked in and I started crying. Then Dr. Pousti came in, made his markings and told me not to worry. He asked if I had an idea of what cc's I wanted and I told him I just didn't want to be more than 500 cc's. He said he was thinking in the range of 375-475 but closer to the higher end. I told him I trusted his decision as he knew the look I was going for.
At that point, it was time to go. I said goodbye to my husband and walked to the OR. I laid on the table and was told I'd be out in 15 sec. I literally was. The next thing I know I was waking in the recovery room. Dr. Pousti called my husband at 9:45am to tell him I was done and that I would be very happy with the results. I woke up at 10:30am feeling great. The male nurse in the recovery room was VERY kind and accomodating. I was very thirsty so he gave me ice chips. I was then out the door and in the car by 11:15am and home by 12:45pm. I was shocked. The first day home wasn't too bad - I was pretty tired and slept most of the day. I kept on top of the meds except for one dose in the middle of the night that the alarm didn't go off for and I woke up in pretty bad pain. Since then I've made sure to stay on top of the meds.
The pressure comes and goes. Sometimes I feel great and am up walking around and other times it's not as easy. I still have a hard time reaching for things or itching areas I can't reach but that's to be expected. I'm hoping tonight will go ok. Some people have said that day 2 is the worst and some say day 3 is the worst - we'll see what tomorrow brings. For now, it hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be.
I see Dr. Pousti on Monday morning and I can't wait as I don't even know what cc's he ended up using. I also feel as if I am about to explode out of this surgical bra - the thought of 4 weeks in this thing is almost unbearable but I know it must be done. Well, it's getting late and I'm off to try to get some sleep. Will post again soon.

48 hours and counting!

I can't believe that there is only 48 hours left to go. When I first booked my surgery, it felt so far away and now this week is just flying by. Yesterday I picked up some final items I needed, now it's just waiting. I have kept myself extremely busy this week with work and my kids to keep my mind from just worrying.
I've always been nervous about having this done, but now that's it's here - the nerves are increasing. I have never had any type of surgery before so being put under scares me-heck I have even a hard time getting a shot or an IV put in. Fortunately my PS told me that I could take a valium the morning of so that the drive to the surgery center is more tolerable for myself and my husband. I have to be at the surgery center at 6:30am and I live about 1 1/2 hours away. It's going to be a very early morning for us. We contemplated spending the night closer to the surgery center but I probably won't sleep much anyway so I might as well stay home where I"m more comfortable.
I'm also nervous about messing with my perfectly healthy body. For being 38, I am in the best health/shape that I have been in for the last 20 years. I've never had any type of health issues, surgeries or problems. I've had 3 kids, again with no complications - basically a text book case, so why risk all of that for this surgery? I've asked myself this question many times but the answer always comes back the same. I would not feel comfortable living with the breast size that I am for the next 60+ years! So I'm jumping in, and will deal with any issues if they do come up. I'm trying to keep a positive mindset to help me get through.
I think the hardest thing for me right now is not really knowing what I will look like in 48 hours! Since Dr. Pousti does not let you try on sizers (he does this in surgery), you really don't know what you will look like until afterwards. My fate lies in his hands! I wholeheartedly trust him, it's just so hard to imagine. I look at myself now and wonder what they will look like - did I pick the right pictures to give him the right idea? What if he makes me too big?
Well, it's the start of another busy day-I think I'm ready so it's just keeping myself busy for a few more days!

My Breast Augmentation is almost here!

It has been many years since I originally first thought of having a BA! When I was younger, it never really occurred to me — I was thinner so I think my body was more proportionate. Then came along 3 spirited little boys (all whom have been breastfed) and things started to change. First of all, my body changed with each pregnancy but because I was nursing so much, my breasts were never really an issue. Before my kids, I was a very comfortable full B. When I was nursing and pregnant, I was actually a full C and very happy. Since my kids are all between 20 months and 2 years apart, I felt like I was either pregnant or nursing for 5 years! I calculated the total time that I nursed my 3 kids to be 35 months! So you can imagine what that did to my breast size. My breast size didn't bother me at first as I was just consumed with surviving with 3 little ones. However over the past 2 years, I started noticing a change.

My breasts were now a small B and of course there were extra pounds left on from the pregnancy. As time went on, my size began to decrease and then I started noticing that my right side was actually getting smaller than the left. I did nurse more on the right side, so I think that had something to do with it. I began feeling self conscious about how I looked more and more. Getting dressed was always a chore for me because nothing ever fit right and I nowhere near filled out a top like I should. My husband was beside himself listening to me complain all the time.

From the beginning of this year to early summer I again started feeling as if I was getting smaller. I had begun working out and of course the first place I was losing weight was in my breasts. I finally started doing some research online and found the names of some PS's. However I kept reading great things about Dr. Pousti. He was the first PS I called and ended up being the only one that I would see. I know this isn't the right way to do things, but it's like finding your husband — I just knew he was the PS for me.

My husband and I met him in late July for my consult and and a week later I scheduled my surgery for Sept 19th. I am getting silicone, anatomicals under the muscle. I am not sure what cc's as Dr. Pousti will determine that in surgery. I have told him that I would like to be a small D (no bigger though). I am 5'7" and weigh 138 lbs. I have much wider hips than my upper body so I'm hoping my BA will finally help my body become proportionate again.

Only 9 more days until my surgery! I'm very excited but starting to get very nervous!