With constant advances in medical, and specifically surgical technology, more and more people are deciding to change their appearance as they grow older, or simply if they are not satisfied with the way they look. In fact, procedures are now so practiced and perfected that small surgeries and physical adjustments are really becoming quite common. One such procedure that is commonly considered by women is breast augmentation. Much like other forms of plastic surgery, breast augmentation has been changed and improved over the years, to the point that it is now a fairly reliable procedure. However, there are a few things to be aware of, many of which can be found on websites such as AboutPlasticSurgery.com when considering breast augmentation for yourself. Specifically, there are things to know about how to prepare for your surgery, as well as what to expect after it is completed.
First off, you obviously want to consider your health above all else. Like any other surgery, breast augmentation can, if not dealt with properly, leave you vulnerable to physical discomfort or, in some cases, infection. To prevent any of these unfortunate results, prepare in advance by consulting with your doctor and doing all that you can to ensure a clean and comfortable environment following your surgery. You will want to go over your medical history (including past procedures, allergies, etc.) with your doctor before the surgery, and, if you are prescribed any pain medication, you will want to go ahead and have it in hand on the day of your surgery, so that you can use it immediately. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, it is recommended that if you are a smoker, you suspend your habit as far in advance of your surgery as possible. While you do not have to quit smoking completely, it is recommended to stop long before your surgery, and to allow yourself to heal completely after surgery before smoking again.
There are also a number of things to consider after your surgery to ensure the highest level of comfort and the best results. Most importantly, you do not in any circumstances want to remove the bandages covering your newly augmented breasts. Whether you want to look at them to see the changes, or simply remove bandages for bathing or comfort, it is highly recommended that you resist such temptations and allow your breasts to heal fully before exposing them. Of course, each individual recovery is unique to the patient involved, as well as the specific surgery, so you will want to double check with your doctor and surgeon that you are doing everything possible to keep yourself healthy. However, these are a few basic things to get you started when you consider the time leading up to and directly following your surgery.
So why the heck am I telling you all of this?
Well because six years ago, I had a boob job.
And a lot of people ask me a crapton of questions about it.
In fact, I even agreed to give an interview.
Welcome to my ‘AUGMENTATION NATION’ and ‘TOO MUCH INFORMATION’ Interview.
1. What made you want to get a boob job?
Well, that’s quite a bold question. I’m not sure that I WANTED to get a boob job; as much as I am sure I HAD TO get a boob job. Either way, I am happy to share The Reasons Why I decided to have cosmetic surgery with you.
Once upon a time, I had regular breast. My boobs were nothing special, but they weren’t terrible either. I was slightly self conscious because my right breast being a little larger than the left. However, that was not particularly noticeable to anyone other than me.
When I was about 18, I became increasingly aware of other women’s bodies and their physical attributes. Considering the environment I was working in at that time, it was pretty hard Not To Notice. Nevertheless, I maintained my natural physic.
It wasn’t until after I had my child, when I became profoundly depressed over the damage I caused my body. You see, I was 103 pounds, with a small B cup, and 20 years old when I became pregnant. I delivered my son at 187 pounds, with double D cups, at 21 years old. That’s a whole lot of weight gain, which inevitably resulted in massive skin stretching.
(Seriously, people. My stretch marks make me look like I am a survivor of ‘When Animals Attack’)
After 6 months, I had lost all of the ‘baby weight’. (80 pounds to be exact.) But, I was never so devastated. At 21 years old, I was left with unshapely, flat like pancakes, and sagging, hanging, lifeless breasts much like the old lady from the movie ‘There Is Something About Mary’. I joked about the state of my bosom by saying, “My boobs look like tennis balls at the bottom of a tube socks”. In all reality that is what they looked like.
As such, I became terribly self-conscious. I was riddled with shame and humiliation. I would not, and I could not, let anyone see them. Ever. I was way too embarrassed over the way my body looked. As soon as I took my top off, I went directly into covering them up with my hands as a standard position.
That made things extremely difficult romantically, because I wouldn’t let anyone see them, or touch them, or even look in the same direction as them. On the off chance I was intimate with someone; it was only under very specific conditions such as: the lights had to be off, preferably in the pitch black, no touching allowed, and my bra stayed on.
I wore a bra 24 hours a day. In fact, I wore TWO BRAS every day. I used every kind of lotion and tried every type of gimmick that is supposed to ‘naturally increase bust lines’ or remove stretch-marks, to no avail.
Eventually, I discovered that Victoria Secret carried a breast enhancement product that you could insert into your bra. They are flesh toned and look sort of like “Chicken Cutlets” and I loved them. I wore them all the time. Sometimes I even wore the Cutlets when I was romantically involved.
It wasn’t until long after I left the bar scene and entered into a different life when I was presented with the opportunity to undergo Breast Augmentation. I leapt at the chance.
After 9 years of torturing myself, feeling embarrassed, hiding my shame and the uncomfortable misery of wearing TWO BRAS every day … I would finally be free from all of that self-inflicted hatred about that part of my body. Finally I would be able to look at them, and look at myself, without feeling disgusted. It was the easiest decision I have ever made in my life.
2. Did the risks worry you at all? Or are they really just hyped up by the media to freak people out?
I was definitely concerned about the risks. You hear horror stories about bad boob jobs, because they are true.
I have first hand knowledge about tragic events such as “When Boob Jobs Go Wrong” because of where I worked. I saw some fantastic before and after boob jobs and I saw some seriously detrimental before and after boob jobs. I was terrified to end up as one of the girls from surgeries gone awry.
Side Bar: When considering breast implants, it’s really all about the doctor. It is of utmost importance to find a good doctor, the right doctor, talk with the other women who have previously been to that doctor, and ask a lot of questions. If the doctor gets annoyed by all of your questions, you are with the Wrong Doctor.
3. Were you treated differently after the boob job?
I treated myself differently afterwards.
4. Were you given grief by friends and family?
Absolutely not.
My mother completely supported my decision. She stated that if her breasts had looked like mine (pre-surgical) she would have done the same exact thing. In fact, she is the one that pointed out this was “Corrective” surgery NOT “Elective” surgery.
5. Did the operation hurt and how long before you recovered?
Well, I had TWO surgeries. (Because I am a stubborn asshole.)
The first time I went to have my procedure, the doctor suggested I go from my floppy A cup all the way to a full D cup. I told him there was no way I wanted to be a D cup. I am an insurance professional, not a porn star and I did not want to walk around my office with flotation devices attached to my chest.
He explained to me in numerous ways, that I needed to fill up the loose skin, in order to fix the horrendous sagginess that was part of my ugly boob situation. Yet, I remained firm with my decision to only go to a C cup. Begrudgingly, the doctor complied with my wishes.
The surgery went well and I went home the same day with a wonderful device attached to me. This device distributed Novocain in a steady stream via catheters to each breast 24 hours a day for 3 days. I didn’t feel an ounce of pain. Not. Even. A. Little.
One week later I went back to the doctor. The cathedra was removed and the bandages came off. Much to my surprise my breasts were even prettier than I had ever imagined possible. They were perfectly symmetrical and full. They were not too rounded, or shaped like a disks. I hate that look. You know that look. It’s like someone took a grapefruit, cut it in half and super glued them to their body. I was amazed with how ‘real’ my boobs looked. I was thrilled with the fact they moved with me, rather than sitting frozen solid or rock hard. Even with all of the swelling they were still very soft to the touch.
Alas, a few weeks post-surgery, I had a severe panic attack. I thought my boobs had ‘broken’ and/or were leaking because they seemed to be deflating. I was seriously scared. And I didn’t know what to do. I called the doctor immediately. The decrease in size was simply due to the swelling going down. That’s when I realized what the doctor had been trying to warn / tell me on all of my earlier visits.
2 or 3 months after my first surgery, just as my doctor had predicted, I had soccer balls (which beat tennis balls) at the bottom of a tube socks – for boobs. The dreaded saggy-droopy-ness was back. I had two options at that point. 1. Have a Breast Lift- a very painful surgical procedure which leaves hellashish scars on your body. (The last thing my body needs is more scarring.) 2. Go to a bigger size implant.
Teary eyed, I returned to my doctor pleading for his help to rectify my own mistake. “Okay, Okay. I see now what you have been trying to tell me. Let’s go to a Full D Cup.”
And that’s just what we did.
My second surgery went as smoothly as the first one. In fact it was even easier than the first one. The ‘pocket’ where the implant belongs was already formed, and since I was merely changing the size of the bag the 2nd procedure took only 24 hours ‘recovery time’ before I was back at my desk.
6. Would you recommend other women to get one if they were thinking about it?
Honestly, that depends on each individual woman, and her specific circumstances. Do I think getting a ‘boob job’ strictly for vanity purposes is all together healthy? No.
It also depends on the expectations the potential candidate has about the final outcome. Most good doctors will also request a complete psychological evaluation prior to engaging plastic surgery. They need to make sure the candidate is being realistic and not going through these measures for attention seeking behavior purposes.
I will say, without any hesitation, that my choice was the right choice, for me.
$10,000.00 and six years later, I am still ‘In Love’ with the final result. I am confident and comfortable in my own skin.
And it sure is nice to fill out a dress properly.
Yes, I saw the link at Twitter and had to stop in …. (( blush ))
hI Meleah !!! 🙂
i want boobies; your boobies look great; i want some. waaahhhhhhh. i guess i have to be talented in other ways cause i probably won’t be getting them. i just want to not look like an ironing board.
If there’s anything better than reading about boobies, it’s Meleah writing about boobies. Okay, obviously “seeing” boobies beats both out, but still…
God, I love boobs…
I am at work and yet, I clicked on the twitter link !
What a wonderful post. Thanks for sharing your experience and your reasons.
(Honestly, I thought you had them much earlier in life – yes I admit that was judgemental.)
Good for you! How you feel about your body is the most important thing. I can really relate to the post pregnancy body destruction.
Thanks for sharing.
My sisters and I all had small boobs. I decided to live with mine and as I had no children or weight problems they were small but OK looking. Two of my sisters had boob jobs for much the same reason as you did. One of them even had a nose job. Some years later they both had implant problems and both had to have them removed. Strangely, both had normal sized boobs after the removal. By the time I reached my thirties my boobs had filled out naturally. Our hormones do strange things to our bodies, but not always permanently. Would I go under the knife for an enhancement of any sort? No, never, but if I had a real problem that troubled me, who knows, I might actually find the courage. It would have to be quite bad though. I’m a coward 😉
I think you made the right decision, given your physical and mental distress. I’ll just be living with Nature gave me.
Hey Speedy!
Ahahahahah! Oh Valerie!
Sometimes I really feel like I wish mine were NOT so big.
Ahahahahhahahaah!
🙂
Me too, yo. Me too.
I waited til I was 30 years old.
Best birthday present ever.
Now if only I could figure out how to get rid of these insane stretch marks!
Thanks for sharing that with me Babs!
I do worry that when I turn 40 I might have to have them re-done.
As I’ve heard they only have a 10 year shelf-life.
And, if that was the case I wonder if I could have them removed without replacing them, and without my boobs going back to being a tennis ball at the bottom of a sock!
What a freakin’ wonderful post, Meleah, and thank you for sharing it!
A very close friend of mine if Florida also had breast augmentation many, many years ago. And as I was reading your story here, I couldn’t help but see the similarities as to the reasons WHY both of you had the surgery. The only difference was that she DID go bigger (D cup), therefore didn’t have two surgeries.
And she too said…” that my choice was the right choice, for me.” She’s never regretted doing it.
Btw, I think your boobies look perfect!
You GO, girl!
X
🙂 Thanks, Linda R!
🙂 Thanks, Linda R!
Aw! Thanks, Ron.
I definitely made the right decision.
Although sometimes I still think these boobies are a little too big!
Aw! Thanks, Ron.
I definitely made the right decision.
Although sometimes I still think these boobies are a little too big!
I can only say that both of my sisters have full size boobs now. I don’t know how or why, but their hormones must have just kicked in again. I also don’t know at what age they had them removed but I think it was around their early forties. One of my sisters didn’t even have tennis balls – just empty skin! I would say that almost everyone I know has gotten fuller boobs as they get older.
Do they usually remove and replace all in one operation? Maybe they could tell you before the op, which is best for you 🙂
Babs x
http://beetle-blog.com
Yes, they would remove & replace the implants the same day/surgery.
Hopefully my bobbies will just fill out naturally when I’m in my 40’s!
“Approve”
My sister had hers done also and I’ll forever wonder why you see these women on TV who look like they had tuna cans stuck in their chests because hers are NOTHING like that. In fact, you’d never guess she had it done at all. Now she’s happy with how clothes fit and to me she just looks more in proportion.
At 41 I’m just dealing with the jugtastic migration but I’ll probably continue mitigation efforts with good support bras.
Great post, Meleah, it takes a lot of guts to write about stuff like this. I’m glad you made the decision and I agree with your wording of “corrective” surgery. Glad you’re happy to be in your own skin! That’s important!
Yeah, I hate that “look” to. UGH!
Aw. Shucks. Thanks, Marty.
“Approve”
I’m glad I waited. My 40th birthday present was a bigger chest, courtesy of Mother Nature. She also threw in bigger hips and a belly for no extra charge. (For most of my 20s and 30s, I didn’t even need to wear a serious bra.) I’m always dreaming of a body-wide fat reduction. Yet, just recently I was told I had a nice set for a woman my age. I decided to be happy with what I have.
Good for you! And, thanks for making me laugh!
Unfortunately, I had the same problem on my first pregnancy. I think there is nothing to be done. I need to be in one of the cultures where stretch marks are revered. I would be a freakin’ goddess.
You and me both, woman!
nope not going to do it…:)
HA!
I believe in doing whatever it takes to make ourselves happy. For you, it’s boobs. For me, it’s Nigerian sailors.
Really great points. My boobs went down a size with each child but luckily the skin sized down relatively apppropriately. I wish I had a little more volume but I am fortunate enough to not have tennis balls. I totally support restorative surgery. however.
Good for you for taking charge of your body!
🙂
Traci
BOOBIESSSS! I have seen your pictures and have always been *quite* impressed with your … ummm…. OK let’s just throw it out there, breast implants! You look fabulous!!!!
My very favorite line? “My stretch marks make me look like I am a survivor of ‘When Animals Attack'” THAT made me laugh so hard… cause I can SURE RELATE!
What can I say, you had me at “Boobies”. “Best birthday present ever”, the gift that keeps on giving. I think it says a lot about the effect it’s had for you, that you can tell your story. Regardless of anyone else’s opinion, all that matters is what it’s done for you, and how you feel about yourself. And while it’s a typical ‘guy’ thing – there’s no such thing as “too big” – yours are not. They look quite natural, and you look great. But in the end, it’s all about you how think you look.
You have gorgeous boobs. I would be extremely happy with them if I were you. My boobs are OK – a good 36C – only problem is that I am experiencing fortysomething sag. Oh, gravity, why are you no longer my friend? My boobs used to be perky and the life of the party, now they have gone all emo and are staring at the floor. I would love to have something done so that they were all perky again but I am a wimp when it comes to surgery. A total wimp. I admire you for doing something that has had such a positive impact on you. Long live your boobies!!!
I say whatever makes you feel better about yourself and your body – go for it. I don’t think I would ever do any cosmetic surgery but who knows. My sister had lipo and it really grossed me out. I hate the way I look but no surgery will fix it unless they can transplant my head to a completely different body.
Ahahahahhahahaha!!!!
Thanks, Girl!
I wouldn’t have minded small boobs at all.
It was all that extra skin needed to be fixed!
🙂
For real. My stomach looks like a tiger ripped into me!
Thanks, Jim.
It wasn’t easy to open up like this.
But, hey, maybe this post will benefit another woman struggling with the idea.
“gone all emo”
Ahahahhahahahahahah!!!
Lipo scares the crap outta me too!
And I think you are ADORABLE just the way you are!
Gravity and 3 years of nursing have not been kind to me. While I am saggy, if I had to choose something, it would be a tummy tuck. I hate my post abdominal surgery stomach.
I am 45years old and have always thought about doing it. Mine are tiny and stretched from pregnancy but I must admit they did get a little better in my forties, not as stretched, I have no clue why? But, you know, soon comes the sagging, so I am thinking about it, I figure I spent all my time and money on my kids when they were younger why not do something for me now lol
My tummy is my LEAST favorite part of my body too.
GO FOR IT, Lucy!
xoxoxoxo