9 weeks post op

I have been going to see the nurse about twice a week for the past 2-3 weeks. In the end I was fed up to make the trip and  canceled the last one. The sore wasn't weeping much and I thought if I go -- she will just rip it off again to have a look and will carry on the viscous circle. So I didn't go (Friday. Today is Sunday, 5th Oct. I finally decided to shower. I bought some so-called waterproof plasters, which were useless in the end. I did however spent more than 20min in the shower. I soaked a long time to get rid of the dead skin.. Scrubbed the entire body, obviously avoiding the new scars. And after that I still had lots of dead skin coming off as it softened. I feel literally squeekie clean:) the plasters didn't keep dry my little cotton pad that was stuck to my sore. But it was easy to peel it off. I had to, it was all saturated with water. And this is what was underneath. 

At least is not bleeding for a change but it's obviously very deep. Something that could probably do with a stitch or two..to close it down a bit. I have a little fan onto it now to dry it off as I think once it dries and the air can get to it and it doesn't stick to any dressings to peal it off again then it will be fine. Need to get dressed in a min.. And sadly I might need to put something to avoid rubbing on clothing :( so upsetting all this carrying on! Can't even go to the gym and exercise as don't want to shower and get it wet again etc. 

it sucks! 

Rant over.

8 weeks post op

Well what can I say... It gets better. There's some swelling still but only in the lower part of the tummy, from the belly button down. Speaking of which, the belly button has gained a nice shape, and will be lovely once the scar has faded. The swelling is getting worse in the evenings. And still get out of breath a lot if doing more strenuous stuff, like running for the bus:) so I can't say I'm totally back to normal. But it's only been 8 weeks, I don't expect miracles. 

The big bug is still there- my sore on the tummy. It's annoying as it's at the line where usually the trousers/skirt/pants/tights sit so it's healing VERY slowly. It's constantly getting rubbed although I always have a dressing/ plaster on it. I've been to see the nurse on TOO MANY occasions. About twice a week in the last 2-3 weeks. All they do is rip the scab off as it's stuck to the dressing, it bleeds.. They "clean" it which I've read makes the wound worse, funnily enough after they clean it--it bleeds worse. This has been going on for 8 weeks!!!! The wound has gone quite deep now, so I think it will scar just as bad if not worse than the insisions from the op. I don't think it's infected as there is no puss or woosing, it just wouldn't dry off and it keeps bleeding. Last week the nurse put another dressings on, piece of dry cotton folded in 4, and another dressing in top. I thought "here we go again, vicious circle"! So I came home and changed that for one for Faster Healing Hydrocolloid plasters which keep ta moist environment and helps the body heal it. You can change it once it starts coming off. Which was every other day. And by surprise- it wasn't bleeding and wasn't scabbing, therefore not getting stuck to the plaster. But it wasn't drying either which I suppose is bad as well. 

Anyways, last Thu went to the nurse again and she did t seem pleased with what I've done. Like I care. She cleaned it Again! I told her not to as it will disturb it and bleed. She said she has to clean it. It bled again. I actually looked at her and said "I told you so!". My original nurse is on holiday.. Not so keen on this one. Might cancel the next app. What's the point in waisting the petrol so they can do what I can at home!?! 

Not showered properly for 2 weeks again:((( just washing bits and hair over the bath tub.its frustrating!

Anyway, rant over... Here's some latest pictures. The right breast is still quite high, they are not dropping at the same rate. 

Another thing is started doing is sleeping without a bra on..and I use Dermatrix gel on my scars..anything to help them look better.

6 weeks post-op

Last night I got the corset off. After the shower the tummy sore opened up again as the scab got attached to the "non-adhesive" dressing pad. It was bleeding AGAIN. For 6 weeks it didn't properly scab. Probably because of the suit compressing it and cutting off the blood supply so it wasn't healing well.

So I decided to leave the compression suit off for the night, leave the sore open to the air so it dries. 

I had to make sure I didn't cover myself with anything. I have some special shorts with higher band that are more supportive. It was relatively comfortable keeping in the swelling.

I can sleep on my sides now, it's a struggle and sometimes I can't lie on my side more than 5-10 minutes. 

I have my 6 weeks check with the nurse in 3 days. But I couldn't wait with the corset on anymore.

I bought some MaCom short corset, without the shorts attached. Not tried it on yet. I'm waiting on my sore to heal a bit before I put it on. 

Anyway, here's some pictures from today.

30 days post op

Well, it's going slowly but ok.

I no longer have the "morning boob"..which is the tenderness/ stiffness in the morning. It goes away after a while.. But that's gone now. And the right  implant seems to have dropped a bit more so they are more even.

Hopefully they will go down a bit more soon. And they have  bit more to soften up. 

I must admit I have the boob envy/ greed as expected them to end up bigger, but I expect they will look bigger in proper bras rather than MaCom which is squishing them down. 

The tummy is also recovering well. Despite of what I said about arnica pills, I decided to take them and I did so for about a week. I was desperate to get rid of the swelling:( 

I'm not sure if it worked at all. Still swollen.

The 2nd sore that I developed in the first week post op from the corset, the one that was always worse, was weeping again yesterday. It's healing very slowly:( 

I have it always covered so it doesn't catch and rub on the corset. 

The scabs on the right side are almost all off, the incision looks good. I still believe the belly button is off centre towards my left side (right in the picture).

Every time I take the corset off during the shower, it doesn't take long for the swelling to gather in the lower abdomen. I used to hear gurgling noises when I was getting in bed as I rolled from my side onto the back. But that stopped now; I guess that's good.

Here's some pictures from today. 

3 weeks post op

It's actually 24 days post op today. 

I have made some progress. I can get in and out of bed by myself, I even managed to roll onto my side for a few minutes but then my breast was aching so had to get back onto my back. I got rid of the v-pillow for a while now. I can reach further and higher. Even the muscle in my back doesn't hurt so much, although I have had some Ibuleve anti-inflammatory cream on it and massaged few evening. It feels that muscle has turned into rock, it's that knoted.

Despite of what I said previously I have started on taking arnica pills. I think it helps with the swelling, but if it's just a coincidence I don't mind. Fed up with the swelling. At least the swelling in the labia has gone. 

This week my periods have started, so the op hasn't affected my "timing", like other girls said about theirs. Maybe because they were on the pill before the op.

I get a so-called "morning boob", when every morning they are very sore and stiff. They have dropped a bit I believe.

The left one is softer. Apparently I'm getting more of a cleavage too.

The tummy is definitely less bloated, but still a while to go. There is no new sores, the old ones are scabbed and healing. I keep re-dressing that area, including the belly button with non-adhesive dressing so it doesn't rub on the corset seams. I don't want the scabs to be taken off too soon and scar. I have enough scars. 

I am also obsessing with the fact that belly button is not quite centred. And the tummy scar is definitely higher on one side compared to the other side. I'm thinking in 1-2 years time I will tattoo over it. I'm a bit upset if after the swelling is down etc the belly button is still not centerred but it's not significant, just me being OCD.

Day 17 post-op

Good news- my sore on the tummy is no longer weeping, but I changed the dressing again after yesterday's shower and tonight I changed it again. I use low adesive dressing, I think it's used for burns. 

I went shopping today, spent about 3.5hrs on my feet. Now I have a stinging sensation in my tummy insision but it's not inflamed or open. My husband says it's fully closed and healed. 

He also managed to do my corset up on the tighter setting (it has 2 rows of hooks). So I guess the swelling is going down:) I have also decided as if tomorrow to start taking arnica tablets. I didn't want to take them before to make sure it doesn't slow down healing and it doesn't increase the risk of bleeding. I think it's safe now to use it to decrease the swelling. 

****update on arnica: I've read upon it's side effects and I'm not risking all that: vomiting, stomach irritation, diarrhea, nose bleeds, dizziness, heart irregularities, tremors. No thanks! I'll just drink more water. 

I Can also get myself in and out of bed, but it still hurts in the morning when I'm stiff. The chest muscles as well as the tummy.

I've been reading about recovery times...it's all so different. 

I have tried a sports bra from M&S today and got so disappointed..I didn't buy any:( Only 34D from 34C... Not much of a difference. I'm hoping it will get bigger in normal bras and after they go down and "fluff"/ soften. 

Well if not.. So be it. They are still bigger. Not many people will be able to tell and if in few years time I want them bigger again- I will. Too soon to decide now.

Day 15 post-op

Haven't blogged for while so it's time for updates.

On day 13 I had another check with the nurse and she took all the dressing off. And gave me an "all clear" to shower:)

One little scab came off at the belly button so I asked for an waterproof plaster. That was a mistake. She probably thought I was going to do it that evening then take off the plaster. I didn't shower till the day after, and in the meantime the big scab softened and yellowed. It looked like puss. The belly button was also covered in this non breathable plastic and it started to smell foul again. I took it all off before the shower. Sprayed Dettol antibacterial for the skin and left it to work for a minute.

Anyway, I had to wait for my husband to help me with the shower. 

I no longer feel dizzy when taking the corset off. But it is a very odd feeling. Everything is numb in my tummy, so I have this heavy feeling in it. It's still very swollen. 

My husband helped with washing/scrubbing my back. I managed to wash my hair. However towards the end of it I started shaking like a leaf, I think I was going into shock. Got out and dried on the the bed, wrapped up in towels and a dressing gown. The right shoulder blade muscle was in agony all day.

My husband put some talcum on my legs to help put the corset on. We managed that fine. We followed the tip from the nurse on the seems to be inside of the legs.

Needless to say, I slept so well! And smell better lol. Feeling more normal.

But woke up with bit more pain in my chest. I say "more", but still not enough to take painkillers. It's just stiffness.

No pictures yet, waiting for my sores to heal up and scab again. I put a non adesive dressing so it's breathable. I had to put Something on so it doesn't rub on the tight corset. To give it a chance to heal. The good thing is- because it's so numb, none of the sores hurt at all! 

Will take some pictures at the end of the week. Hope it will look nicer:)

Day 10 post-op

Overall a good day.

My husband washed my hair again, and went to see the nurse again. She changed my dressing and said it's healing well still. The big sore I had from the corset is now scabbing. It weeped a bit into the dressing but it's ok. Not smelling anymore. The middle part of the scar is still not fully healed. But she didn't put any more steri strips, only a dressing.

After she sprayed antibacterial spray (the yellow ish stuff on my skin). 

I feel much more mobile- I move faster and easier. 

One of the breasts is still higher but even the nurse said it's normal for them to drop gradually. 

And here's some pictures from today. 

Day 9 post op

Slept great last night, woke up at 7, in my bed. The back hurts less, I think being in my bed and walking more uprights has helped.

My husband washed my hair again. I have lots of dandruff which is unusual for me.

There has been a change in my breasts. I was trying to get more sticky residue off my left one and I felt and hurt a gurgle noise in it. Like burping under my own skin. I have heard about that but still took me by surprise. Didn't like how it felt either. 

The right one hurts more today. I can barely use my right arm for anything.

But I can walk faster and more comfortable. I have been left alone in the house for the first time ever since the op. I feel a bit odd and worried. But just sitting down and watching tv, nothing adventurous. I can get myself up and down from the sofa, so it's ok.

Swelling in my legs has gone down. No longer do I look like the Michellin man :) 

My tummy wound doesn't smell so much.. I keep worrying about that. Tomorrow I see the nurse again to change the dressing. Hopefully the sore is healed and the incisions are better too. 

Day 8 post op

Relatively good day, took only one ibuprofen all day. 

Might take another 2 before bed.

The swelling in my labia has pretty much all gone now. I can walk normally.

Didn't do much today, and getting really bored. Still very emotional. Crying time to time, picking up arguments:( 

Had a bad sleep last night but also a quick nap mid-morning.

My left breast has dropped a little and is not as hard and tense as the right one. 

The thin line across it it's just sticky stuff that hasn't been cleaned up properly.

Day 7 post-op (warning-gruesome pictures)

I had a worse sleep last night, woke up at  about 2 very hot, with a numb bum really wanting to move. Didn't want to wake my husband so I moved as I could, took a pillow off and drifted off again.

My husband gave me a flannel wash as best as possible, on my back, arms and legs..took a long time. And washed my hair.. Shampooed twice. My back was killing me during that as leaning over the bath tub.

I got checked by the nurse today, 7th day post op. 

Good news: the breast incisions are fully healed so I no longer have any dressing on my scars.

Bad (ish) news: the funky smell was from the tummy sore I developed under the corset and dressing. I think the dressing got rubbed with the corset and as you can see in the picture there is a bright red sore. 

The blood rushing to the area relieved of the corset together with the smell of rotting flesh got me dizzy, almost fainting. I had to be laid down on the bed not to faint. The nurse took a swab from the wound and which she will send to the lab. The odd thing is- I can't feel a thing on my skin! It doesn't hurt, it doesn't sting, even when she cleaned it..or sprayed some antibacterial (iodine I think). It's all numb still. I guess the nerves will take a while to grow back together. 

I put a new corset on (or the nurse and my husband did with a LOT of effort), as they gave me a spare one in the hospital. I had to leave the top 3 hooks undone so it doesn't fold anymore. As I am very short in my torso.

I got clean dressing on the old wounds and new one, she said the big incision is healed at the ends, only the middle needs more steri strips and dressing.

Overall she was happy with the way I heal. My husband was surprised how well it looks considering it has only been 7 days. 

And I smell a bit less now. Lol

Also my labia swelling has gone down a lot more. 

I must appologise though- the pictures aren't for the fainted hearted people. It's not pretty, sorry.. 

This one is before I got cleaned up and the dressing is still with dried blood from after the surgery.

Here's my "lovely" bright red sore :((

You can see all the purple lines where the corset was folding into me. 

The incisions haven't yet been cleaned at that point.. But they are fully healed at the ends. The middle part of the incision now has new dressing. 

I'm seeing the nurse again in 3 days. 

Well, I have had a short nap in my own bed, and it was delicious! I was out cold for an hour. And only used a v pillow under my head and one under my knees. My back has it's relief Finally! Woke up feeling much better.

As you can see the corset is no longer rolled into my tummy in lines, so hopefully the sores will heal better now.

Day 6 post-op

Today is a much better day. I've taken my last antibiotic pill, and 2 paracetamols. I've not needed anything else the whole day (it's 4pm now) . I might take some before bed as when I'm tired it seems that everything hurts more than normal. 

I stand almost straight and I can walk better as the swelling in my labia has gone down a bit. Can't say I've done much, apart from brush my teeth, wash my face and have a flannel wash in the key areas as much as I could reach. I used some deodorant, it helps me feel more human. My husband used some dry shampoo on my hair again but it's at the point where it doesn't help anymore. It looks horrible. Tomorrow I will give it a good wash.. Well, my husband will:) shampoo it well and condition it.

I slept much better without the strapping on my breasts. But my back is still tense and have very painful knots. 

I wish I could get rid of this corset. It's started to itch underneath and I must shamefully admit I smell musky. Despite washing what I could.. 

I've got a nurse appointment, my first post op. She said she will put the corset down and check my dressing, change them. I'm going to bring my spare corset they gave me from the hospital to change into and have this washed. My MaCom bra is changed now as well. Feel fresher.

The best achievement today was a walk up and down the stairs without assistance, mostly upright.

Day 5 post-op

Well today I've taken the last ibuprofen. 

I can stand up almost straight but not for long. 

The pulling and stinging sensation is present in the indecision across my lower abdomen. I've started to itch under the strapping on my chest.

Managed to speak to my nurse, told her about my labia problem, she said that's normal. I'm seeing her in 2 days I asked if  she will take the strapping off then. She said I can take it off myself if it bothers me as I have to keep it for 4 days. I'm tempted, but worried over night it will get swollen as well. Too many swollen bits for my liking. Although it will release some pressure. And my little one thinks it's a plaster for my baddies (bless him). 

The nurse also said that she will check my dressing and will change it. 

Oh well, decided to take the strapping off. What a relief! 

I had trouble with the sticky stuff from the strapping but my lovely husband got some alcohol and wipes and spent a long time gently cleaning it all off. He's a STAR! I love him more during this period. Even the old nurse was amazed how good he is:)

Day 4 post-op

Well, not much to say about it apart from it gets better! 

The labia was still extremely swollen, ice temporarily offers relief. Still difficult to sit or walk because of it. 

The back still hurts but I can walk slightly straighter, so hoping the pain will go away soon. I have slight tugging and occasional sharp pain in my tummy indecision but nothing major. 

I can sigh and yawn easier.. It doesn't hurt my ribs so much. 

Skin is still awful. Oily and shedding. And I've realised I'm not that concerned about how my breast are looking. I got them strapped and in a MaCom bra, can't see how big they will be or how they look. 

My arms hurt so much more, I think I over-did the "little things" the previous day so got them tired. It's a dull ache like I'd get after washing the windows and cleaning all day. It's tame compared to the back ache.

The nurse called but I missed her call...

Day 2-3 post op

Day 2 and 3 kind of blur into one.. I was keeping on top of my medication and resting, not much sleeping though, still only 6hrs sleep. With 2 children around it's impossible, especially that I'm now camping in the living room. 

However there has been 2 developments I didn't expect (with all my research). 

Nr 1- the entire back muscles have gone into major cramping mode. From all the hunching over, if I sat, lay or stand the back was in agony. It's worse than my actual operated parts.

Nr 2-my labia is extremely swollen. It's like a growing sausage, and uncomfortable to walk or even sit. Considering I'm spending most of my time sitting, semi-lying it's even worse. I've been keeping ice packs between my legs for 2 days now. It doesn't get worse and I THINK it helps, but still extremely swollen. I will spare you the horror of a picture. It's also getting darker in colour. My left side is worse than the right. I looked on line and apparently it's normal. 

Another thing I've noticed is my skin condition. It's working over time. It's grainy, oily. It seems that it's clearing. I've scrubbed my face, wiped it every few hours, but nothing seems to do it. 

Also on the 3rd day I was able to go have a bowel movement (as the doctors would say). The ExLax worked fine.

The corset is constantly rolling down and digging into my ribs, I wonder sometimes if it cuts off the circulation and making things worse..I managed to move the hooks onto the 2nd loser setting. Apart from a few of then around my new belly button. 

I managed to wash my own face and brush my teeth. Pushed myself up on the sofa sometimes..my husband still has to brush my hair. He used some dry shampoo, which did make me feel a bit better.. He's lovely:) 

Went to bed (sofa) at midnight, after taking paracetamol with co-codeine that my husband got from the pharmacy. It got me in cold shivers all over to the point where I was actually shaking like it was -30. But it knocked me off to sleep till 6am. 

1st day post op

First day was spent pretty much in pain..I was going to be discharged at 10am according to their rules.. I was still not moving much..the nurse looked at me and said "how can we discharge you like this?!"

So I made more effort, after the next trip to the bathroom the nurse put a pillow on the chair and said she wants me to sit there, not back in bed. So I did, and got up more, extremely hunched over though. 

I got discharged at 2pm day after my op. We had 2.5hr drive home.. Despite being very careful I could still feel every bump in the road and every turn. 

At home I couldn't dare sleep in my bed as it was impossible to turn and lay into it as involves the core muscles. My new "zip" wasn't up for the job. 

So I decided to sleep on the sofa that reclines. I have v-pillow and normal ones underneath. I managed not to move for 6hrs and sleep. By this point I've already started taking antibiotics Augmentin (every 12 hrs),Paracetamol (every 6hrs) and Ibuprofen (every 8hrs) as well as anti-constipation pills. My husband was kind enough to set up an alarm on his phone so I remember to take them. 

Overall it was a tough day.. 

The Surgery Day

The admission time was 7am, so we stayed at a hotel the night before. 
In the morning I had a shower, washed my hair, used an antibacterial soap for my body.
I wasn't allowed to use any face/body moisturiser or deodorant or make up, which felt unnatural as it's my morning routine for years. I couldn't eat 6 hrs before and drink anything 2hrs before admission. Because of excitement and anxiety I was up at 4am, so had a glass of water then.
At the hospital I was shown to my room, was given a hospital gown (the one that leaves your backside exposed), foam slippers, paper panties, paper hat for my hair. I was asked to change into that and also to give a urine sample to check for pregnancy. Apparently if you do turn up being pregnant the surgery would be cancelled. 
A nurse asked me loads more questions of a form, things like allergies, medical history, times of last meal, drink, shower, which I had to sign at the end. 
Then the surgeon came in with all my notes and a small camera and name stickers, which was amusing. As he said "I need to know who's who" :)  
We discussed the implant size again. From my first post, you would already know that we were unsure of which size I should have or the position of it. Again he said to me why did I want such a big size, 500 is too big for my frame. I had to laugh and said to him "It was you who recommended that size, however, I don't want them Huge, and I want them under the muscle". He asked me why I'm insisting to have them under. So I told him that it would bother me if I end up with visible rippling. And I asked what size he recommends because I trust his decision, if he can put them under the muscle then great, even if smaller, and if he can't and has to put them Over, that's also OK. 
He said 400cc would be better and he will go and check the stock in a minute. He then drew on me (see pictures)

, and also asked to sign the consent form again of the procedures he will do.
Then he said he will send the anaesthetist in for a chat. 
The anaesthetist was an older man, very thin, very happy with a slow lazy speech, he kept saying "oh, don't worry about iiittt!" He was funny:) He had his own forms, and questions, informed me it's general anaesthesia ..told me to sign the consent form for that as well. 
By 8:30am I was escorted upstairs by a nurse, to a small room where 2  anaesthetists asked me to climb onto a bed. One of them put a plastic tube in a vein on my left hand (I was asked if I'm right-handed). The other one was sticking round soft pads all over my arms, I assume for monitoring purposes. Then the first one said he's putting some painkillers in first (I wasn't looking), then he said I will feel a freezing sensation going up my arm and then I will go to sleep any minute now. I just asked them to look after me, at which I got another "Don't wooorryy about iiiit" lol. I had about enough time to ask the other doctor if under his hat its dreadlocks I can see...he said yes..he was in his 50s..then I was gone. 
I woke up gradually, heard my name being called by the anaesthetists. Then I saw the doctor showing me my old implants cleaned up in a box. He said " they were 245cc-250cc and natural shape". Then they got me to my room, my husband was waiting there. Moved me onto the bed. I was waking up in pain.. I was under for about 3 hours. I woke up with a full corset from under the bust to my knees and breast strapped. 

The surgeon came to see me when I woke up a bit more. He said he gave me 400cc HP under the muscles, my old implant on the right was rotated as he suspected, and also the pectoral muscle on my left was weaker than normal. He said that one or two strings of muscle fibres were missing; either because they were accidentally damaged during my first operation, or I was born with them missing in the first place. He said it happens..it's not a problem as it's never prevented me from working out or anything. 
I asked if he had to do any liposuction and how many stitches he needed to repair my abdominals, he said previously he might need to do lipo when close-down the incision and will repair the muscles. He said he didn't need to do lipo, but I lost about 450g of skin&fat off my tummy and he stitched my muscles from top to bottom and back again, like a "zip" he laughed. 

As I was in great deal of pain, they gave me some strong pain killer as a pill, which made me really drowsy. I was hooked up to a machine which was monitoring my blood pressure, and oxygen saturation. If the saturation goes below 97% it sounds an alarm. Every time I was drifting off to sleep I had shortness of breath and funny enough the machine would sound the alarm. I was desperate to sleep, in pain, strapped up in a Very tight corset and scared to drift off. They put on an oxygen mask on for a while, which helped. I slept  a bit...Later on they got me some toast and cup of tea. I had some toast, and water..didn't want the tea. At one point I had a wave of nausea but managed to get over it. The nurses brought me a fan in the room as there was no air-con in the room, and about 27 degrees of heat. The windows were open constantly and the fan was helping a bit.

The first trip to the toilet was an adventure. I had to be helped up by a nurse and my husband, put onto a chair, wheeled to the bathroom and helped onto it. I thought I was going to faint and be sick at the same time. It passed.But they decided to give me an anti-sickness drug into the vein. I still had the plastic tube in my left hand since the surgery. After that I managed to sleep without setting off the alarm for a few hours. Soon after that they took the machine off. 

By this point my husband was getting very bored, he was talking to me and I was drifting in and out of sleep without much interaction. But he was there till the late evening when he has gone back to the hotel to have some food and sleep.

They gave me another stronger drug and I slept another few hours. 

I think I woke up about 8am, and after a trip to the loo again I drifted off for another couple of hours.