I’d had my breast implants for just about 10 years when I went to my yearly mammogram in February. The test informed me that since my mammogram the year before, my implant volume was different on both sides with the right side being significantly less. I had noticed that my right side was considerably smaller but I just wrote it off as “aging” and went about my life. A month later, I had less than a “handful” on my right side and a very big “handful” on the left side. My right silicone implant either had a very bad leak (I was told later it could be the valve slightly open), or it had ruptured completely.
As I said, I had found out about the leak/potential popped breast implant right before the coronavirus pandemic and following lockdowns occurred. I wanted to have surgery as soon as I could after elective surgery was given the green light. Answers about when that could occur in PA were murky at best.
I wasn’t comfortable with the thought of having a deflated implant inside my body any longer than I had to. I also didn’t want to waste precious summertime indoors recovering from surgery after months of lockdown. Instead of searching for a plastic surgeon near me, I listened to a friend’s recommendation. She recently had surgery with Dr. Deal in Chattanooga and so I looked up his work, Facetimed with him and set my appointment. It literally happened just like that. Since this wasn’t my first rodeo (you can check out my last post for that story!) I knew what kind of look I wanted and what kind of doctor I wanted. Dr. Deal was the guy. I’m the type of person who knows what I want and when I find it, I don’t hem-and haw about decision-making.
I didn’t mind anesthesia. I’ve been “put under” quite a few times in my life for medical procedures and it’s never really scared me. Bizarrely, I kind of enjoy it. Especially when the anesthesiologist tells you to start counting down. As soon as you hit the table they give you some fun drugs in your IV, 10, 9 , 8…..and I usually smile and fall asleep within seconds.
Of course, the potential downsides of anesthesia are always something to consider, and although it’s not a worry for me, it is for some people. Breast augmentation surgery requires you to be under general anesthesia, so you’ll want to weigh this factor in your decision to go under the knife.
On May 13, I headed to Chattanooga, Tennessee, two days before my surgery to meet Dr. Deal in person and to make sure he had the right size gummy bear implants that I wanted. If you’re curious about the name “gummy bear,” definitely check out my previous post!
On Friday afternoon, I went to sleep and woke up again with brand new implants. There were no complications. Rob took me back to the hotel where I slept on and off for the next 24 hours while he binge-watched Netflix.
My recovery this time has been very similar to my first surgery. It feels like your skin is being stretched very taut and like something heavy is laying on it. Getting in and out of bed is the worst part the first few days. The first 48 hours I took the pain medications every four-to-six hours. By the third day it was less frequent, and by the time I went home that Tuesday morning I was just taking Advil.
At two weeks post op I was still sore and tender, and my incisions were still very much healing. At three weeks most of the pain dissipated but nerves are still healing so pain comes and goes. It is a numb, stingy pain and very hard to describe unless you have had surgery, of any kind, that is invasive and involving stitches. The best way to characterize it is when your leg falls asleep but involves more pain and burning.
There are two things that I hated about recovery the first time, and they go for this time as well:
I can’t work out for six weeks. At this point I don’t even feel physically ready to work out but I know a month post op I’ll be itching to get back into the gym. Still, working out after breast augmentation surgery is a big NO. You want to give yourself plenty of time to heal. Exercising too soon after surgery can leave you with a less than desirable end result.
After my first breast augmentation, I may have moved around too soon after surgery and my left implant always fell over towards my left armpit a little too much. Especially when I laid down flat on my back I could feel it shift a bit. Your surgeon creates “pockets” for the implants during surgery and you don’t want to do anything to compromise that. It wasn’t earth-shattering but this time I’m being more vigilant about the rules.
You want to keep those implants locked and loaded during your recovery phase. If you’re jumping around or lifting things your implants can move. Your body is healing and you want to keep the implants where your surgeon placed them to protect them and your end result.
I also can’t be submerged in water for 6 weeks. This isn’t much of a problem for me since my kids joke that “You NEVER get in the pool, Mom.” This is true. Especially at the beginning of summer when I think it’s not warm enough anyways. In late June I’ll be good to go as far as swimming, so my whole summer won’t be spent in a lounge chair. It’s worth mentioning this because you might not want to schedule surgery right before summer.
You do not wake up with perfect looking breasts after surgery. You’ll have stitches, you might be bruised and swollen, and you’ll definitely be sore. But I did have my first “sneak peek” two days after my surgery. I was really, really happy, and I could already see that when I’m fully healed, it’ll be just what I wanted.
Most importantly is that post-surgery, don’t be surprised when you see them for the first time and think that you went “too big.” You’ll be swollen so you’ll look “bigger” then you’ll actually end up when all things are settled. You have to be patient with the process.
Your implants will also be “high.” Don’t worry; they’ll drop into a more anatomically appropriate position with time. There’s a saying I’ve heard over and over again about post-op implants. They need to “drop and fluff.” You can even look up drop and fluff progression photos to see what I mean. The timetable this happens on is different for everyone but generally after the six-week recovery period, you’ll have a pretty good idea about what your end results will be. Don’t get discouraged if your breast implant recovery takes a little longer. Full results can take up to a few months.
Be prepared for the inevitable chit chat that will follow your surgery, especially if you went larger than what the “Karens” deem normal. There’s not too much I can say beyond, “Let ‘em hate.” It’s your life, it’s your body. Rock it, own it and block out the negative noise. This is easier for me to do since I’ve become more comfortable in my skin as I’ve gotten older. I know without a shadow of a doubt who I am. Love me or hate me, I am me. It’s not my problem to worry about what other people think of me. That is their problem, not mine. They own that, don’t let it own you. If you’re someone that struggles with what others think of them I would suggest getting good with that before getting surgery.
I have given you guys the good, the bad and the annoying. Breast augmentation surgery is still surgery and should be taken seriously. Finding the right plastic surgeon, the right implants and the right timing are all very important. It has to be what you want. Don’t have plastic surgery for your boyfriend or husband or because you think you need it to live up to some cultural standard of beauty. Do it because you want to. It’s the only reason you should.
I have zero regrets about my decisions to have both of my surgeries. You won’t have any regrets either if you do the research, and make your decision for the right reasons.
