The operation day

I woke up really early today- the big day! Feeling a huge mix of excitement and apprehension and am really glad to have my mum drive me to the hospital. I was really pleased to find that everyone at the West London Clinic was really nice; not just polite, but genuinely interested in what I had to say. Dai Davis came in to have a chat with me a little time before the operation and checked that I was feeling positive about the whole thing. Shortly afterwards the anesthetist’s assistant came to fetch me. We went down to the hospital part of the building with him reassuring me and joking around all the way. They explained what was going to happen and then anaesthetized me.

The next thing I remember was waking up and feeling a bit sick but knowing that I had gone through with it and that I finally had the figure I had always wanted.

I was taken back up to my own private room until I felt ready to leave. I was supposed to lie down for quite a while as the anesthetic makes you a bit faint and dizzy but I flouted the rules a bit and managed to make it over to a mirror, which seemed at the time to be one of the best moments of my life. My chest felt a bit tight but it didn’t really hurt at all on the first day, partly due to the morphine but mostly the excitement! The nurses were very attentive offering me food and drinks and checking that I felt ok and the surgeons came in a little while later to see how I was doing. The operation took about 45 minutes and I checked out of the hospital about 5 hours later.

Watch the interview with Gail where she talks about her experience in this the first of 3 episodes.

Bit of practical advice here for the journey home- It takes a while to get used to having boobs that move over bumps and roundabouts so make sure you find a slow driver and a car with a good suspension!