I WILL TRY AND GET
TO THE POINT
OCTOBER 1, 2013 • 14 DAYS PRE-OP
I will try and get to the point and make my rst post short and
sweet. I don’t have to explain why I decided to get implants
because everyone reading this won’t be quick to judge because
they probably want a BA or already have one! I loved reading
about girls’ experiences and seeing their progress in pictures. It
has really helped me out a ton on deciding what exactly I want
and having realistic expectations. So I decided to post my own
experience on here to help other girls.
I had my pre-op appointment yesterday and my PS and I
decided on Mentor Silicone Memory Gel 400cc Moderate
Plus Prole. He said that is the biggest I can go without
having a ton of side boob and he will place a 400cc sizer in
during surgery. If he thinks it looks too big, he is going to
go with 375cc. He said it should put me at a D/DD cup. I
started taking pre-op supplements I got ofine (I did tons
of research on the product and what supplements help the
best with recovery). You start 2 weeks before and then
after surgery I have a post-op supplement kit I take for 30
days. It contains no vitamin E or herbal supplements and I
also made sure to get the OK from my PS to use them.
I also got my prescriptions during the appointment. I have:
• Percocet for pain.
• Valium for sleep and muscle relaxation.
• Phenergan for nausea.
Augmentin for antibiotic (will take 1, the day before surgery).
• Docusate for a stool softener.
STATS
OCTOBER 2, 2013 • 13 DAYS PRE-OP
I forgot to mention I am 55” and 128lbs, and getting them
under the muscle!
THINKING ABOUT THE
NEGATIVE REACTIONS
FROM PEOPLE
OCTOBER 3, 2013 • 12 DAYS PRE-OP
As the days are getting closer and closer to my surgery date,
I am starting to think about how I will get mostly negative
reactions from family and friends...or people that I run into
on a daily basis. I haven’t cared to think about that subject
because I dont care what anyone thinks about me getting a
BA. I have only told my parents, boyfriend, and a few of my
best friends. But then I just started thinking I wont be able to
keep it a secret from everyone once I get them done. Not
like I would want to hide it anyways. I know I am going to
have a whole new glow to me and want to show off the new
me as it should be. I just don’t care to hear negative things
being said and I am not going to sit there and explain why I
did it to every single person I run into...which leads to them
talking behind my back because they don’t understand and
that just pisses me off thinking about it.
I wont go into full detail to try and not make this longer than
it is, but this year I have made a transformation psychically
and mentally. I have grown so much as a person and have so
much self love now. I found my passion and career path in
tness. It has changed the way I think about everything from
life to people and everything else. I learned to worry less
because it doesn’t help the problem in any way, to not judge
people because you don’t know their life. If I want something
and have enough passion, I have the power to achieve
1
After 50-pound weight loss, I have lost all volume in my
breasts and went from a very full C to a small B.
PATIENT'S
BREAST
AUG BLOG
11934 W Broad Street , Suite 200, Richmond, VA 23233
|
804-423-2100
Neil J. Zemmel, MD, FACS
anything. Thats why I honestly don’t care what people’s
negative opinions are anymore. Since my career will be in
tness, I also want to be able to throw on any sports bra and
not worry about it having padded inserts and since I worked
hard for the body I wanted and have no power to make my
boobs bigger naturally, then why not get a boob job if it makes
me happy?
I learned that, if someone is doing something you dont agree
with and it doesn’t effect your life in any way or endangers
their life, then you have no right to judge them. Now people
are going to say well you are putting your health at risk by
getting a BA.” I can drop dead right now, get in a car accident
tomorrow, get murdered, etc. Does that mean I shouldn’t
leave my bed and live my life because something bad MIGHT
happen? NO. I believe when your time is ready it will happen
no matter where you are or what you’re doing. Anyone
should also be smart about it and do their research before
and make sure they have a very good PS who cares about
your safety before anything anyways. Now do I agree with
someone getting a cosmetic procedure because they want to
look like someone they idol or they don’t have self love and
think changing their appearance will make them happy when it
actually wont? No, it does not and nor does it effect my life in
any way, and thats why I dont judge them. If something makes
you truly happy then do it! Life is too short to be miserable. If
you honestly can’t sleep at night because someone got a boob
job then you need to reevaluate yourself because the real
problem is with you.
I feel so relieved just getting my thoughts about this out even if
no one reads this. Thank you for reading this far. I hope it helps
some girls deal with negative comments differently. I would
love to know if anyone else feels the same way?
FITNESS - POST OP
OCTOBER 3, 2013 • 12 DAYS PRE-OP
After reading so many reviews from girls on here, I noticed
everyone is stressing about their weight they gained after
surgery or can’t wait to get back to exercising...which is totally
understandable. But you have to be smart about recovery and
don’t rush things. When you get breast implants, your body
doesn’t know what you just did, and takes it as an injury. The
body instantly goes into recovery mode and starts immediately
trying to repair itself. Your body reproduces completely new
cells that make up your body every few months so I would
suggest trying to eat more nutritious foods that way it will
help speed up recovery (allowing you to be able to work out
harder, sooner). Most importantly listen to your PS’s advice on
when to start working out and how hard. I wouldn’t weigh
yourself right after surgery because your body will hold a lot of
water weight for a while and if you see you gained 10 pounds
or so in a day or 2, that will just stress you out even more and
you need to focus on recovery.
Just let your body go through the motions. It knows what it
needs to do and if it wants to hold water for a little or makes
you bloated, don’t stress! Since you can not work out for a few
weeks, the best thing you can do is have your diet in check.
That will prevent you from gaining weight. Starving yourself will
not make you skinnier and it is awful for your body. Your body
needs food to fuel itself. It will be working extra hard repairing
itself so healthy foods are the best thing for it. If the body does
not have any food in the system, it will turn to your muscles for
energy and that is very bad. Also the less muscle you have, the
less calories your body burns by just being alive. Muscle is very
important to the body! If you do nd that you did gain a few
pounds over the month or two from not being as active, don’t
worry about it. It is better to be safe and not exercise too
soon and injure yourself or your implants, putting you out of
the gym even longer and more problems! You can always burn
those extra few pounds off once you’re all healed up anyways!
If you’re getting your BA within the next few months you’re in
luck because you can always cover your body up with extra
layers since it will be colder out anyways. :)
I lift pretty heavy weights and I have decided that I will no
longer include a chest day in my routine. Yes, it is important to
work out your pec muscles to prevent injury, but when you do
other upper body exercises like bicep, tricep, etc. your chest
muscle is the secondary muscle that is getting worked out so
it’s not being neglected. When you do start to do upper body
again, I would start with light weights and add more until you
are comfortable with it. If you feel any pain at all from your
implants. STOP. Don’t force anything that doesn’t feel right.
Another tip I recommend is to drink plenty of water pre- and
post-OP. The extra water pre-op will help hydrate your skin,
making it more expandable for the implants. Post op it will
help a lot keeping the bloating down and ushing out toxins.
I already got my PS’s advice on working out. Within 4-6 weeks
I can start working out my upper body again. I plan on taking
long walks after the rst week just to get my blood owing
and since I go crazy if I can’t work out. If i feel like I have
enough strength I am going to start lightly training my lower
body in week 2 but probably closer to week 3.
2
You have to be
smart about
recovery and
don’t rush things.
6 DAYS TO GO
OCTOBER 10, 2013 • 5 DAYS PRE-OP
Less than a week now! Still hasn’t hit me yet that it’s really
happening. I started making a list of all the things I need
to get done this weekend like clean my house, grocery
shopping, etc. I have been going extra hard in the gym all
week and being extra strict with my diet so if I do gain some
fat from the time off coming up, I wont feel as bad. Plus I
know I will miss lifting heavy and wish I went harder before
the surgery. My PS wants me to keep my surgical bra on
for 3 weeks post op... I hope I can wear a regular sports
bra and not just that one. I will wait to ask when I see him
the day of surgery. I have been coming across girls BA that
have the same breast shape and tissue as me and their after
pictures are amazing. So I think my results will be exactly like
I wanted! Crossing my ngers!
RESU LTS
OCTOBER 10, 2013 • 5 DAYS PRE-OP
I know you can show your PS all the wish boobs you want
but most of your results will be based on your anatomy. In this
before picture, I feel like I have the same anatomy as this woman
and my dream boobs are her results. I looked at the shape of
her breast, and how close her breasts meet each other.
THE KELLER FUNNEL
TECHNIQUE
OCTOBER 10, 2013 • 5 DAYS PRE-OP
http://californiasurgicalinstituteblog.com/how-keller-funnel-
makes-breast-augmentation-safer.html
The link above describes the Keller Funnel Technique. My
plastic surgeon uses this method for silicone implants, which
signicantly reduces the risk of capsular contractor and
many other issues. When choosing a surgeon to do your
BA, I would highly recommend choosing one that uses this
technique. It also probably means they are very experienced
because it is not something a new PS can normally do!
2 MORE DAYS...
OCTOBER 13, 2013 • 2 DAYS PRE-OP
Ah, getting so excited, but kind of scared. Just hoping
everything goes well. I got so much done this weekend.
Filled my prescriptions, laundry, scrubbed the whole house,
and groomed the dogs. My amazing boyfriend even steam
cleaned all the carpets! Also went and got a body pillow so
I can wrap it around my sides to help me sleep sitting up.
Figured I could still use the pillow even after I heal instead of
the awkward wedge pillow.
HOLY S***!
OCTOBER 15, 2013 • 1 DAY PRE-OP
....Sorry had to get that out of my system lol. In 27 hours I
will have my new boobs! There is a part of me that is calm
and cool and another part of me that is screaming with
excitement. Last night I waxed my eye brows, bikini area,
and under arms. That was my rst time waxing under arms
and man did that hurt!! But since my doctor wants me to
keep my arms down the rst couple days I gured it will be
nice to not worry about having stubble! So my mom lives
2 hours away and is coming down tomorrow morning and
staying till Friday evening, when my boyfriend gets home
from work and then he can take care of me during the
weekend. I thought that was very sweet of my mom and am
excited to spend some time with her and just relax. I dont
go back to work till next Thursday, giving me a full 7 days
to recover so hopefully that will be enough. I sit at a desk
for most the day so shouldnt be too bad. I told my boss I
was getting surgery but didnt say for what… and I got the
impression they think something is wrong and worried
3
HOPEFULLY THIS IS HOW MINE TURN OUT
because I said I can’t lift anything for a while when I get back.
I might tell them (they are a couple) but I don’t know yet.
The past 2 nights I have been having crazy boob dreams and
I keep thinking Im going to get killed somehow before I get
them because it’s too good to be true lol. I just want to get
this over with so I can see how my body handles it. So many
people on here have had a lot of pain to barely any pain so I
don’t know what to expect!
TODAY IS THE BIG DAY!
OCTOBER 16, 2013 • DAY OF TREATMENT
Just a quick update: Just arrived at the hospital and got
checked in! Keep me in your prayers please. I will update
when I join the rest of you girls in boobieland haha
ALL DONE!
OCTOBER 16, 2013 • DAY OF TREATMENT
Just got home from surgery! I got there at 10 am and had
surgery at 12. They put the air blower on me which blows
hot air under your gown...felt so good. I was very calm the
whole time until everyone started coming in to prep me
and said in a few minutes we were going to the OR so he
injected something to make me calm.
I was instantly loopy and remember maybe the rst
minute in the OR then I woke up in recovery. No nausea
at all so far. Very tolerable pain. Just a little in between my
breast. They gave me a Percocet before I left. I go and see
the doc tomorrow at 1:00. Sorry if I’m not making sense
or being short, I am still kinda loopy.
4
MORNING OF SURGERY
OCTOBER 16, 2013 • DAY OF TREATMENT
So I ended up getting 400cc on the left (I think) and 425 on the right. He said I was a little uneven from
my scoliosis I have. Soo happy I could t the bigger cc’s instead of 375 though! :)
I bought this at ross for $13! It is so comfy!
St. Francis Hospital
My last pic with my small boobs! After the surgery
POST-OP DAY 2
OCTOBER 17, 2013 • 1 DAY POST-OP
So yesterday after surgery I basically stayed up till about
10pm just taking a percocet and half a valium because I
didnt want to screw up my sleep schedule too much. I then
took a whole Valium and Percocet before bed. Set my alarm
for 2 am and 7am and took them. Denitely felt the morning
boob but once I took my meds and got up I felt a lot better.
Slept pretty well with my arm pillow in bed. Been feeling
the bubbling every now again under my skin. At rst it felt
like my necklace fell off and the chain fell down my chest,
that’s how mild it was but then I realized I wasnt wearing a
necklace.. haha. Feeling good today. Just got back from my
post op appointment and saw the nurse since my PS is in
surgery. She said she was amazed how good I looked 1 day
after and that she was jealous haha. She said in between my
boobs are swollen so it looks smaller than what they will be.
I can’t wait to drop and uff and get a nice shape! She told
me no icing so it doesn’t mess up blood ow. I can wear any
sports bra that isn’t underwire too.
DAY 2 RESULTS
OCTOBER 17, 2013 • 1 DAY POST-OP
ALSO
OCTOBER 17, 2013 • 1 DAY POST-OP
I wasnt nauseous at all after surgery, and they gave me
graham crackers and apple juice to take my Percocet with.
They also out this “air paw” gown on me that blows hot or
cold air on you and you have a remote to control it...best
thing ever. My PS said when I got home to chug 2 big bottles
of Gatorade to help ush out the anesthesia and my system.
I honestly believe that helped me from not bloating too bad
too, so I suggest Gatorade ladies! Also when you need to
get up from your couch, chair or bed, use your core muscles
and glutes!! It helps so much taking the pressure of your pec
muscles to get up.
5
At rst it felt like my
necklace fell o and
the chain fell down
my chest, that’s
how mild it was.
BLOAT IS NO JOKE
OCTOBER 17, 2013 • 1 DAY POST-OP
If you check out my last small boob pic I posted the morning
of surgery and compare it to this one....ugh. Oh well drinking
plenty of uids trying to help it go down.
POST-OP DAY 3
OCTOBER 18, 2013 • 2 DAYS POST-OP
Woke up at 2:30 and 7:30am to take my pain meds and then
woke up at 9am and wasnt in too bad of pain. Haven’t taken
any pain meds so far but just bought Tylenol extra strength
to take if needed. This is TMI, but I made my rst bowel
movement today!! So happy it seems I am healing up very
fast. No bruising at all either. Here are pics from this morning.
DAY 3, CONT.
OCTOBER 18, 2013 • 2 DAYS POST-OP
LADIES! Go out and buy some of these sports bras for
post-surgery. They are so soft and comfy.
POST-OP DAY 4
OCTOBER 20, 2013 • 4 DAYS POST-OP
I tried to update yesterday but for some reason the website
wouldn’t let me...I am still off my Percocet. I am just taking
Extra Strength Tylenol and last night I took a Valium to
make sure I got a good nights sleep, which I did, and help
muscles relax. Woke up earlier than I wanted to because
my back was starting to hurt sleeping sitting up. I took
these pictures as soon as I woke up. I am not supposed to
do any massages until I go in Friday for my check up and
then my PS will show me what to do.
So I basically just keep my bra on 24-7 and not worry
about them. Yesterday my best friend and god son came
into town and I went out with them for a few hours
walking around the mall and to a playground. I don’t know
if it was because I was constantly walking but I noticed
my boobs started to vibrate and gurgle like non stop...
hopefully that was the swelling making its way down. Then
when I got home and laid down, it hasn’t done it since.
6
I am amazed I have no bruising still...but still swollen on the
side of my rib cage and in between my breasts. I just cant
wait until they drop and get some shape instead of just being
boring rocks on my chest! I dont even feel like trying on
clothes yet. I am just very grateful I am having a wonderful
recovery with no complications so far *crosses ngers*
POST-OP DAY 5
OCTOBER 21, 2013 • 5 DAYS POST-OP
Good morning, girls! Feeling better and better every day. I
noticed as I was getting dressed this morning it’s a lot easier
to move my arms above my head. Still going to take it easy
reaching for things high up though. I am going to go shopping
for new tops today! Hopefully that will go well. Still off all pain
meds except for Tylenol and a Valium at night. I am still taking
stool softeners which have been helping tons with the bloat.
I can’t massage my boobs yet, but I have been pushing the
uid down with my ngers that built up between my breast.
Kinda weird to feel it...but in this comparison pic I took this
morning you can tell my crease is getting more visible so the
swelling is going down! Hope everyone is healing well!
POST-OP DAY 6
OCTOBER 22, 2013 • 6 DAYS POST-OP
Starting to get shooting pains every now again...nerves
are coming back. Every morning when I wake up I take
a comparison pic and keep seeing a little progress :) Still
have to take it easy lifting things and changing clothes. I can
sometimes feel my pec muscles move and that doesn’t feel
very good. Denitely could have gone back to work today
but I will enjoy the next 2 days off and rest more. I bought
some tops yesterday and for the rst time I actually loved
the way I looked in every single top. Such an amazing feeling.
Im loving my new boobs!
7
I bought some tops yesterday and for the rst time I
actually loved the way I looked in every single top.
8
1 WEEK POST OP
9
POST-OP WEEK ONE!
OCTOBER 23, 2013 • 7 DAYS POST-OP
Cant believe it’s been one week already! Back to my normal
self, except for lifting heavy things and working out. I return
to work tomorrow. I’ll have to get use to not taking my daily
naps! Haha. Feeling pressure every now and again on the
bottom of my boobs so they are starting to drop and they
are also a lot squishier now! I will update Friday when I go
see my PS for my one week post-op and start massages.
1 WEEK POST-OP VISIT!
OCTOBER 25, 2013 • 9 DAYS POST-OP
So today is day 9. I just left my PO visit with my surgeon.
The nurse was taking out my stitches and said I need to be
on a billboard because they look so good lol. Then in the
middle of her doing that my PS walks in and his face lites up
and said, “When did we do surgery again?? You are one of my
superstars!He was just amazed how fast I healed already
and the shape of them. We went over massages even though
I started them yesterday on my own. He wants me to start
stretching out my pec muscles by raising my arms above my
head,walking my arm up a wall, and using a doorway to pull
my arms back. Ill do the massages 4 sets of each, 4 times a
day for 3 months. I told him I was amazed I didn’t have the
frankenboob” everyone seems to get and he was like Uhh
whats that?” And I said you know the boxy sitting up high
look post op and he goes “Oh noooo, I don’t give those
kind of results, no one really sees that here.” Makes me love
his skill level that much more. Start light cardio back up in a
week. Lifting weights week after. He said I wont drop too
much, just get softer and uffy. I’ll see him back in a month!
Also I have no boob greed. Don’t think I will either. I think
they are perfect for my size and very full like I wanted.
Overall, I couldn’t be happier and glad I picked a great well
known plastic surgeon which lowered my stress SO MUCH
because I knew he would do a great job having such a good
reputation to up keep.
FIRST TIME BACK IN THE GYM
OCTOBER 27, 2013 • 11 DAYS POST-OP
...aaaand even though I only did very light cardio I felt my
body wasn’t ready yet. I know I am supposed to wait a few
more days to go back but when you’re in the gym 6 days a
week and haven’t been back in almost 2 weeks it’s hard to
just lay around and do nothing. Yesterday we celebrated my
boyfriend’s birthday and I had wayyy too much cake..so I felt
like I needed to burn some off today. I did the stairmaster
for 45 min on level 6. Which didn’t get my heart rate up
past 160 so I thought that was ne...but I denitely should
have been more careful raising myself up onto it. I could tell
my internal pocket incision did not like that. My boob feels
better now but staying out of the gym ‘til Wednesday (two
week mark) just to be safe. Love the way my body looks in
my workout tops now and no more padded sports bras!
Here are some pics of the way they look in my gym top.
I think they are
perfect for my size
and very full
like I wanted.
10
JUST WANTED TO
ADD PHOTOS
OCTOBER 27, 2013 • 11 DAYS POST-OP
4 DAYS SO FAR USING
SCAR GUARD
OCTOBER 30, 2013 • 14 DAYS POST-OP
Amazing difference already!!
ONE WEEK AFTER
STARTING MASSAGES
NOVEMBER 1, 2013 • 16 DAYS POST-OP
So its been 16 days since surgery. Seems like forever
ago. Been sleeping on my sides all week just ne with no
discomfort. No pain at all anymore, but did notice when I was
doing the stairmaster at a slow pace my internal pockets get
agitated whenever I get the blood in my body owing. Not so
much pain but I feel like I can feel the new incision inside if that
makes sense. Hopefully that stops by week 3 or 4 when I get
the OK to start regularly working out. I have been doing my
massages now for a week. They are so much more squishier
now they feel like a real boob and I know it’s just going to get
better and better. I do 4 sets throughout the day of 10 reps
each. Up.Down.In.Out. and hold for 10 seconds each.
POST-OP BRA BRAND: HANES
NOVEMBER 1, 2013 • 16 DAYS POST-OP
This is the bra I have been wearing post op. The brand is
Hanes. I got them a few years ago but still see the style
around at Walmart and such. When the nurse saw me the
day after surgery she went to put on the post op bra but
then quickly switched to a bigger size because she thought
the rst one would squeeze me to death but I just felt like
the one she gave me wasn’t tight enough so I just started
using the Hanes bra. Hugs me perfectly. Just wanted to
show you why I feel like its a good post op bra because you
can step into it and raise the straps up so you do not have
to raise your hands over your head.
11
23 DAYS POST-OP
NOVEMBER 9, 2013 • 24 DAYS POST-OP
So it’s been a little over 3 weeks now. Last Monday &
Tuesday (4th & 5th) I started lifting things at my work
again (between 10-20lbs) on and off all day, and I thought
something was wrong like I injured myself because in my
right breast there was non stop pain like in my internal
pocket. So I started to freak out a little thinking I was
bottoming out or CC and was going to call my PS but took
a pain killer then Wednesday morning I havent had any pain
since.....Guess it was just my muscles not used to the weight
and had to get used to it. I went to the gym and worked legs
and stair master with no pain from getting my heart rate up
again so very happy about that. It’s weird, like I am magically
OK to work out right at the 3 week mark but before then
my body was telling me it was too soon. Doing another
round of legs today and stair master today. Then Monday I
will start my 5-6 day gym routine back up. So happy!
I AM A 34DD!
NOVEMBER 9, 2013 • 24 DAYS POST-OP
I got sized today at Victoria Secret and the lady said I was
either a 34DD or maybe a 34DDD, but I tried on the DD
rst and loved the way it t so much I didn’t even bother
asking to try on a DDD. Thought that was way too much...I
have no over spill in a DD so thats why I didn’t bother going
a size up. I bought 2 bras. I know my boobs wont change so
much in size over the next couple months that I will need
to go a size bigger so I went ahead and got nice bras. I told
her I wanted a bra that I can wear under a tight t-shirt and
look seamless (didn’t want push up bras yet). I tried on many
different styles and I ended up with “bodyand “fabulous”.
BEFORE / AFTER
NOVEMBER 5, 2013 • 20 DAYS POST-OP
Pretty sad that you can’t even tell this is a push up bikini top on the top photo. Since I lost all volume in them not
even a push up bra could make them plump up...Obviously I knew my new boobs wouldnt t in my old bikini top
but this was the rst time I actually put them in something other than a sports bra and I can honestly say I LOVE
them. I can’t wait until I start wearing normal bra’s out and get this cleavage in shirts.
So happy!
12
1 MONTH UPDATE
NOVEMBER 17, 2013 • 1 MONTH POST-OP
Feeling great! I just started lifting upper body on Friday
because it no longer hurts when my chest muscles ex so I
knew I was ready. Started with light weights to ease back into
my routine and felt no discomfort during or after working
out. Even jogged on the treadmill for the rst time too. Made
sure they didn’t bounce and had a supportive sports bra on.
Here is a photo of the evolution of my boobs over the past
month. In some photos it looks like one is bigger or facing
out more but I noticed it all depends how Im standing and
how my arm is placed but they are the same size.
2 MONTHS POST-OP
DECEMBER 17, 2013 • 2 MONTHS POST-OP
2 month update! I feel like it’s been so much longer! Still
feeling great! The only tip I want to give is: When you think
you’re done healing. You’re not. And when you think all
the swelling is gone...it’s not. Haha. I saw the rest of the
swelling disappear within the last 2 weeks, I feel like. Still t
into my 34DD bra though. I was using Scar Guard for scar
treatment up until a week ago. My PS just formulated his
own scar treatment that is locally made and is prescription
strength instead of over the counter. So far I love it. It is
silicone based, so it blends in smoothly and doesn’t peel off
like scar guard. I have even been using it on an old scar and
have seen improvement.
ONE MONTH
TWO MONTH
5 MONTHS POST-OP
MARCH 4, 2014 • 5 MONTHS POST-OP
Here is a quick update to show you my new breasts in
outts over the past couple months, so you can see how
they look in clothes and on my body if you’re the same
size as me! :)