Nurse agrees that my right breast is not okay......

..........and will need revision surgery to correct the issue.

I had review appointment with Louise, nurse at my local THG clinic, this morning.  She removed the dressings and said the incisions are healing beautifully.  I told her my concerns about righty and she initially (when I was lying down) said she was sure that time would rectify the issue.  

When I stood up and showed her the 'deformity' that the suture line problem creates she agreed that it was not okay.  She said she had never seen anything like the issue I have.

I explained that, as the suture line heals, the 'W' shape at the bottom of my right breast becomes more (not less) pronounced.

Louise said I need to see Mr Russo and that, in her opinion, I will need further surgery.  I asked if I would have to pay for that.  She said I would not have to pay anything more.  Particularly as I am so soon post-surgery.  She added that she knew Mr Russo would want me to me happy with the result and clearly I am not.

I am not being 'pernickety' my right breast is deformed as a result of how the incision is healing :(

I have made an appointment to see Mr Russo on Monday (3rd February).  I am hopeful he will be willing to operate sooner rather than later.  I will be very upset if I have to wait another 6 months to heal fully from this op before he will revise the problem with righty. 

Ho hum........

Although I hate looking at them I've taken a few snaps of my breasts today.

18 days post augmentation

side view lefty

incisions

Back from review appointment with nurse........

..........and all is well.

Martina, the nurse, was adorable.  She was very gentle (no "ouchie, ouchie, pulley, pulley" today) and  she was reassuring too.

The incisions are healing very well and, although the right breast incision line is clearly kinked I think it is slowly evening out and looking better each day.  

Martina stressed that before the three month mark most augmented breasts will appear distorted (to a greater or lesser extent and for more or less periods of time) and that the majority end up absolutely perfect in terms of shape.

She removed the dressings and steri-strips and I took a couple of snaps [see below].  She has put fresh steri-strips and dressings in their place.  I'm very pleased about that.  I like the extra protection they afford in these early days.

I need to continue to keep suture lines dry as Mr Russo is very much of the opinion that bacteria in water is the cause of most infections and, as a result, worse scarring.  I'm fine with that.  I went longer than two weeks post-op without a shower last time.  I'm bathing daily (with water only filled to reach my belly button) and washing my hair every other day so not struggling with feeling grubby.

I wipe my breasts down with flannel when I bathe and I use wet wipes to clean near and around the dressings a couple of times a day.  I'm changing my compression bra daily too.

one week post augmentation

incision righty

incision lefty

my first sight of the incisions post augmentation

I am very impressed with how small, neat and true to the original scar line Mr Russo has made the incisions.  

Next week:

I am unable to get to the clinic next week, for the dressings and strips changing again, as I'm working long hours each day (mostly away from home).  Martina agreed I could change the dressings myself and she gave me the materials I will need to do so and instructed me on what to do.

I will then see the nurse (Louise) the following week.  

'supplies' provided by nurse for me to change dressing and steri-strips next week

I'm seeing the nurse later today.

The dressings, and possibly the steri-strips, will be removed and I will get my first look at what my naked breasts look like post augmentation.

After the mastopexy I was very excited about this appointment, and for the full reveal of my surgically enhanced breasts.  My experience of total horror at what I saw, on that occasion, has tempered any excitement I might have had today [for the gory details see here].

I recall being in a lot more pain/discomfort once the dressings were removed last time.  Some of that - I'm sure - was psychosomatic, actually seeing the lacerations across my boobies was nothing short of shocking; some was due to the skin and suture lines being made sore by the process of removing the dressings and steri-strips (ouchie); and some was - I guess - that the dressings had been providing some support.

I hope I am better prepared for what I might see today. I also hope I will have a better idea of what the issue with the suture line on righty might be.

I'll update - with photos - later.

Wish me luck.


X

Augmentation surgery booked!!!!!!

I went to see Mr Russo today. He is very pleased with the way my boobies are healing and with the result of the uplift surgery. He measured; and my nipples are - apparently - perfectly even (he measures from place where collar bones meet down to each nipple).

He is now happy to perform part two of the procedure. I am booked in for 10th January.

I had hoped to have the augmentation done just before Christmas, to fit in with my having a quiet time in my business diary, but the surgery slots were all taken for then. I was initially disappointed.  Having had time to reflect, however, I am now thinking that is probably for the best. I am exhausted,  and have not had a break from work (other than the two weeks post-op recovery in the summer and an occasional weekend day off) since last Christmas.

The last op took much more recovering from than I anticipated and I need a proper rest. I will get one over Christmas (I adore being at home and taking care of everything and everyone there).  I will then be nice and rested going into the second op.

I'm not hoping for my breasts to be massive - I'm looking for a bit more volume and a rounder shape (particularly up top).   Mr Russo said he can definitely deliver that and he is confident my final result will be lovely 😊.





X

18 weeks post surgery

Review appointment with Mr Russo......

...........has left me feeling a little deflated; our meeting lasted less than 5 minutes and was, largely, an opportunity for Mr Russo to admire his work.  If I had known what the appointment would entail I certainly would not have rushed away from the conference I was speaking at this morning to attend it.

I have not got a date for my second surgery as I had hoped.  That surgery will not be scheduled for a number of months. At my initial consultation I definitely heard Mr Russo say that he would be willing to perform the second operation as little as six weeks after the first. I am not sure if I misheard or simply misunderstood but today he was talking in terms of 6 months, not weeks.

On the plus side Mr Russo is totally thrilled with the results thus far and is very happy with the way I am healing.

When I arrived at the clinic I was taken straight in to see Mr Russo.  He gave me a hug and kisses on each cheek hello, and asked if he could have a look at my breasts.  I, of course, said he could and I removed my top and bra.  He looked simply delighted with his 'work' and said the result could not have been better. He had a bit of a squeeze and prod and then took some photos for his records.

I asked about the potential timing of the second op and he said for me to come back and see him in early January and that, if the scars were well enough healed, we would schedule for late January.

He said he was now certain doing the procedure in two stages was definitely the right decision for me and that the scarring will be minimal and my final result will be "just lovely".

He scrunched my right breast - ouchie - to push the tissue upwards and said the implants would give me that look and asked if that was what I was hoping for.  I agreed that it was.

I got dressed and asked if he would be willing to meet with me in early December and discuss the possibility of surgery later that month.  I explained that December is a quiet month for my business and scheduling surgery and time to recover will be much easier than in January.  He agreed and said he would have to see how my scars are healing at that point but that he would certainly consider it.

He again said how pleased he was with the way I am healing :)

He said I can bathe and swim and do anything else I have been avoiding (I can't think what he is referring to!)

To be honest the way Mr Russo handled my boobies today has given me a lot of confidence to let hubby have free reign with them.  Hubby would never be so rough with my breasts and if my surgeon is happy to handle them without concern of causing damage/harm I don't think there is any reason to treat them as if they are made of glass any longer :D.

Review appointment later today.....

I have a 5pm meeting with Mr Russo at my local Hospital Group clinic.

I'm feeling unaccountably anxious about it.  Maybe because my boobies associate him with sadistic torture ;)??  Also, I guess, I am hoping he will be happy with the results and will be willing to discuss the implants and the timing of such.

I am very keen to get a date for phase two of my tittification process into my diary. Booking work into my diary is difficult - but essential -  when I don't know when my second operation is going to take place.

I'm not fully confident that getting the second operation (which I have already paid for) will be all that straightforward. The process of booking the date for the first operation happened before I paid the balance. I hope my lack of confidence is not founded and that this evening I will be able to post and confirm the date of my second procedure :)

Appointment with nurse - feeling reassured :)

Having spoken to Caroline (the nurse who I saw at my second wound appointment) over the phone on Thursday, about the weeping from the wound on my right breast, I went in to see her today. 

Over the weekend my left breast has also been weeping - on and off - from the same place (where the vertical scar meets areola scar). 

Caroline examined me this afternoon and said all is well: no sign of infection.

She said the point where I am experiencing the weeping is a weak point on the suture lines and that what I am experiencing is just delayed healing. She looked at my wounds and said she suspected I was not reacting very well to the dissolvable thread used to create the suture line (internal stitches) and that I was healing more slowly as a result. 

She also explained the reason the skin on my breasts is so dry, and flaky, is down to the post-op swelling having stretched the skin and resulted in dehydration after the swelling subsided.

Once the scabs have all fallen off the suture lines I can begin massaging the scars to improve their appearance. They are still feeling much too sore for me to relish that thought at the moment though!

Full reveal and...........

.......it can only get better from here.

I was, or so I thought, prepared to see a "car crash' under the dressings.  But.......




................whoa!!

The lovely nurse at the clinic asked me to remove my top and bra and to lie on the bed.  She removed the very, very, very, well adhered dressings and then all of the steri-srtips.

My first sight of my surgically 'improved' breasts

At which point I took a photo [see right].  That was the first view I got of my new titties (that image on my phone).



Silent scream!!!!!!!!!!  



I was horrified yet appearing, outwardly, to take the whole thing in my stride.

I now very much wish I had not taken that photo......


The position I was lying in, and the "pully / tuggy / ouchie" process involved in getting the dressings and steri-strips off made what I saw so much worse than if I had waited until I got home.

I am sharing the offending photo here because, from the moment I decided to write this blog, I have been determined it will be as honest a depiction of my experience as I can bear to share; even the potentially 'ugly' bits.

I am now desperately hoping it won't get any uglier than that photo........

After I'd taken the horror picture, the nurse applied new steri-strips, I got dressed, thanked her and then bid her farewell.

Outside the clinic, I sat in my car and looked again at the photo [above].  Horror!  All I could see was:

• the bruising - the horrible yellow bruising;
• the waxy 'dead' look of my skin;
• two nipples that looked like they belonged to different people not the same persons' right and left breast;
• gruesome wounds and stitching worthy of a horror movie or post mortem table!

I sat there transfix-idly looking at the image and thinking longingly of the photo of my breasts from that morning - with snow white dressings still in place - and wishing this new image had not just obliterated it.

I remember thinking that there was no way I was going to show my husband my breasts looking like that - no way in the world.

I drove home feeling on the edge of panic - what had I done????


------------


When I arrived home I rushed to my bedroom and tore off my top and attempted to remove my bra.  It took some doing because the adhesive that remained on my breasts had stuck fast to it.  I peeled my bra away as gently as I could: ouchie!!

Standing infront of the mirror I was relieved to see my breasts didn't look anywhere near as ghastly as the image I still had swimming infront of my eyes.

With me upright my boobies fall into more even shapes and they actually resemble breasts (phew!!).  I am very happy / impressed with how level Mr Russo has got my nipples and I can now appreciate the reduction in areola size and I like it.

Clearly there is a lot of bruising still - and the wounds need to heal - but now I can see the placement of the stitching and appreciate what a neat and well executed job Mr Russo has done.

Dressings removed - day eight post-op

Left side

Right side

I attempted to remove as much of the adhesive as possible - the nurse had given me two tiny (1 inch square) adhesive removal wipes to use at home (they were next to useless - 100 of them wouldn't have done the job).

I used nail varnish remover on the adhesive away from the wounds - with very limited effect;  I tried wet wipes - no joy.  I thought and thought about what might remove the adhesive before coming up with a novel idea: how about trying to cleanse skin with soap and warm water.  Genius!

I have removed a lot of the adhesive - I massaged liquid soap onto the adhesive and then used a clean warm wet flannel to gently wipe the soap and adhesive away.  I was careful to avoid my wounds and not to make my skin any more sore than it already is.

I intend to post on Breast Buddies to see if any of the amazing women on there have any top tips for removing the adhesive.

Reveal is back on :)..............

I've just received a call from the clinic.  Re-scheduled appointment at 3.30pm.

I'll update later.

Wound care appointment cancelled!!!

I was en-route to the clinic when I received a phonecall to say the nurse is unwell.  The receptionist was very lovely and said they recognised that my appointment was very important (being day 7 wound check that was already occurring a day late).

The clinic are going to try and get another nurse this afternoon and she stated she would phone me to let me know.

So I'm back home.










Waiting....................

Consultation with Surgeon

I met Mr Russo for the first time earlier today.

Charlotte (my patient co-ordinator) offered to be present during the consultation - I declined figuring if I didn't feel comfortable/confident in Mr Russo's presence without a chaperone he was not the correct surgeon for me!

I actually felt surprisingly at ease with him.  Initially we spoke about my reasons for wanting surgery and what I hope to achieve.

I explained to him that I have lost a lot of weight (6st 7lb loss between December 2010 & August 2012) and that my boobs have not fared well.  The skin is stretched and my breasts sag pendulously unless supported by a bra.

He asked me to remove my top and bra and to stand infront of him (he remained sitting in his chair putting his face at approximately the same level as my breasts).  He examined my breasts and spoke to me about the procedure.  

This should have been a bizarre experience - standing facing a man I don't know with both of my breasts held firmly in his hands as he manipulated them and chatted - but I was curiously put at my ease by Mr Russo's interest only in the aesthetics of my far from satisfactory boobs!

The consultation resolved in my mind that as well as an uplift I want an augmentation.

Mr Russo told me that an uplift will result in my losing at least one cup size.  I have always been large breasted and the thought of losing even more volume is not a welcome one for me.  Since losing my excess weight I have been very happy with my body shape in underwear (my bare breasts are another matter entirely!) and I am fortunate to have an hourglass figure (41 - 28 - 41); I wasn't happy at the thought that after the uplift I would become a pear shape.

Mr Russo spoke to me about the option of augmentation as well as uplift.  He said in my case he would not do both procedures together (although that would be usual).  He said that the weight of the implant added to the weight my own breast tissue would be too great a risk for nipple loss and would definitely result in more visible scarring.

I was initially very disappointed at the thought of having to have two operations and was concerned I would have to pay for an uplift and then for an augmentation.  Mr Russo, however, assured me that I would pay only the cost of the combined procedure (i.e. as if the implants were positioned during the uplift operation; despite him having to operate twice instead of once).  

I will, however, be required to pay an addition £500 for the second anaesthetic, overnight stay, nursing etc.

I am happy with that.