The Two L-O-N-G Weeks Before Surgery

As soon as I walked out of my pre-op appointment, I did what almost all nervous people do before a surgery...

I got on the computer and started researching, read, and in some cases, freaking my self out!

The links I provided in my Welcome/Preface page really helped me.  There is a lot of good info in there.

I also started reading about other women's accounts to see what I might expect.  This was a double edged sword.  It helped because if everyone said that they felt better in X amount of days, then I felt good I might feel good then too.  But reading about the darker side of BA's and even though my surgeon already talked to me about all of it, it still made me anxious.

My fiance kept yelling at me to stop because I was just getting myself worked up, but for whatever reason, I couldn't stop.

I  started to have anxiety dreams/nightmares.  I guess that is pretty common.

I also had an idea of what I MAY expect after surgery and that actually helped.

Things that I prepared myself to (or that I might) experience include but were not limited to:

- Knowing the 1st 3 days after surgery will be the worst
- Post Op blues (please see my post "The Post-Op Blues" specifically on this topic http://ej339cc.wordpress.com/2012/07/04/the-post-op-blues/ )
-My breasts will be extra big and NOT the final/right size due to the swelling for awhile

- They might be sitting too high and may need a band to help pull them down

- My nipples might point down or be uneven for awhile
- I could be bloated for days to a week or two (usually due to anesthesia/pain meds)

- I could be constipated (usually due to anesthesia/pain meds)

- My breast skin could become extremely shiny
- My breasts and/or nipples could be numb and/or hypersensitive
- My incisions could look puffy/natural/pretty gross and produce yellow crust
- My breasts could heal at different rates, drop at different rates, soften at different rates, etc
- Not liking what I see for awhile/feeling unnatural/feeling regret
- What to do to prepare myself and my house for coming home from surgery

So for days before my surgery, I read and read.  I do not know if it hurt anything, but I think it helped a lot.

I was also able to better prepare my fiance for what to expect both physically and mentally for me.  I know that helped him.

I also got my medications filled and went to the grocery store to be sure I would have everything I need as soon as I got home.

I knew that icing your breasts is a big help and to plan for that I got these cool gel like cooler "sheets".  They were light weight and covered my whole chest from armpit to armpit and collarbone to lower ribs.  

One of the cool and fun things I did get to do was that I gave my best friend my collection of Victoria's Secret "Miraculous" bras (the ones that make you two cup sizes bigger).  It was a really col thought to me that I wouldn't need them anymore.

After all of this, I just waited until my big day came!

Pre-Op Appointment (2 Weeks Prior to Surgery)

Four days after I had my consultation, I was back in the officer for my pre-op appointment.

The staff had me fill out some more paperwork and copied two forms of  ID and took the rest of my payment.

Soon, the patient coordination took me back into the consultation room.  She sat down with my fiance and I and gave me what she called the "Patient's Bible".  She said that we will cover everything that is in there, but it's a take home guide for me to refer to later.

This nice, professional, and easy to read soft cover bound booklet was very helpful and informative.

And... This booklet was seriously necessary!!

The topics it covered were:

- Preparing for surgery
- Medications to avoid
- Going to the surgery center and directions
- General surgical risks
- Specific surgical risks
- Anesthesia and other information
- Other risks
- Consent for surgery
- Post operative care - outpatient surgery
- Specific post operative instructions
- Longer tern post operative instructions
- As you heal
- Specifics as you heal
- Financial and cancellation polices

The patient coordinator then had me remove my top and put on the ugly looking bra.  She brought in several different sizes of implants.  She, again, had me put too different sizes in the bra without telling me what CC they were and asked me which one I liked best.

I picked my favorite and it was the same one I had picked at the consultation.  It made me feel more confident that I was sure I knew what size I wanted to be post surgery. She noted it down on my chart and had me remove the bra and put on a robe.

We walked into the room where I had the 3d image taken at the consultation.  The doctor met me in there and took a few pre-op photos of my chest. He then took some measurements of my breasts and told me that it would take 339cc implants to make my breasts int the masterpiece he wants them to be.

I was again very firm and said that I want a C cup, not a baby D.  He was very patient and told me not to worry, they will not end up being too big.

Since I had done my research on him and his work, I believed him and had 100% confidence in him.

We again verified that I was going to have silicone implants placed under my pectoral muscles through the transaxillary (armpit) incision with the use of an endoscope, that I would have a pain pump.

The doctor went over all of the medications he was going to prescribe me and how to use them.  I told him that anesthesia makes me throw up and narcotic pain killers also make me nauseous.  He said he would prescribe me things to help with that as well and he'd let the anesthesiologist know about my sensitivity to anesthesia.

I was prescribed:

- Hibiclens​ (an over the counter antiseptic/antimicrobial surgical soap used to wash the skin/body the morning of the surgery)
- Emend (Aprepitant) 40mg capsule (to take 3 hours prior to surgery to help me not be nauseous when I wake up from anesthesia)
- Zofran (Ondansetron) 4mg tabs (to take after surgery to stop nausea if it were to get bad)
- Keflex (Cephalexin) 500mg capsules (antibiotic to take following surgery)
- Vicodin (Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen) 5-325mg tabs (Vicodin with acetaminophen for pain and swelling after surgery)
- Robaxin (Methocarbam) 500mg tabs (muscle relaxer for after surgery)
- Halcion (Triazolam) 0.25mg tabs (sleep aid for the night after surgery and as needed)
- Peri-Colace (a stool softener AND laxative to help with the constipation) 

A hidden cost of getting a BA is the cost of prescription medication.  If you do not have good prescription coverage, this could be expensive.  And ALL of the medications your plastic surgeon prescribes ARE NECESSARY.  

We went back to the consultation room for follow up questions and information.

Post-Op Blues:

The doctor reminded me that the day after surgery when he removes the bandages I need to understand it is not the final product.

He said the worst thing I can do it be expecting the final product and not less than 24 hour post-op swollen breasts.  He also warned of the "post-op blues" where the patient becomes sad, depressed, upset, etc with having undergone surgery, the current result and how they feel.

He said some women feel this in varying degrees and some don't at all.
With all of that being said, all follow up questions answered, and feeling confident, I left the office with my surgery scheduled for June 26 at 3:30pm with an arrival time to the surgery center at 1:30pm.

I was excited and nervous!