All About Breasts...Gail's Journey

Five Days After

2009-03-06T17:38:00.003Z

I feel like I have started to get the hang of this recovery lark! I feel much better after my chilled day yesterday. I got dressed this morning and only needed a bit of help with putting a top on. I went downstairs straight away and set up pillows on the sofa so that I could have the comfort of bed when I needed it with the mental stimuli of TV and social interaction. I managed to stop myself from becoming overtired by sitting and chatting for a while and then having half hour rest periods where I lay down with my shoulders and chest upright every 4 hours or so. I think it would have been a real bonus to have a TV in my room for the first few days but I’m really glad I had people to hang out with all week.
I felt so well that I went out for dinner that evening. I stayed off the alcohol as advised by Dai Davis but I don’t think I will drink for a while anyway as I read that it slows the healing process. I saw my boyfriend for the first time since the operation that night. He lives quite far away from me and wasn’t able to get down sooner. I couldn’t wait to show him the outcome of the operation. He was literally bowled over and said that he had no idea the operation would make so much difference. I spent most of the evening being really pleased with myself! Unfortunately our hug needed orchestrating with military precision so that he didn’t squash into my new breasts!

Four Days After

2009-01-26T21:54:00.002Z

I really didn’t feel good this morning. I had slept ok but I think I was just tired from yesterday. I spent most of the day in bed just giving myself some time to relax. I got my mum to get me some vitamins and healthy food because I thought that it might help me recover. I was also taking all the Arnica tablets to help the healing process and try to take away some of the bruising, which had really started to come out. I tried reading in bed but I couldn’t hold the book up for very long without feeling tired in my arms. However, after a pretty rubbish morning and lots of sleep I felt quite a bit better. It was easier to get dressed today and I felt much more upbeat when I went downstairs to hang out with other people and watch TV. I still felt sick though so I decided to stop taking the antibiotics and didn’t feel quite so bad.

Three Days After

2009-01-26T21:52:00.001Z

I was getting more used to sleeping in the upright position and didn’t feel quite so weird when I woke up in the morning. It seemed like more of a reality when I woke up today. The last two days had seemed like a bit of a dream but today the whole thing seemed more normal. I knew that I would be seeing a number of clients as my mum runs a business from her home so I tried to dress slightly less ‘slobishly’ and even put some makeup on. I managed to get through the whole day talking to these people without letting on that I had had an operation at all. I wasn’t in any great deal of pain and put my weakness down to straining my pectoral muscles at the gym. I had a very full day in fact and even managed to give a one hour lecture! So all in all it was a very successful day but by about 6 pm though I felt hugely drained. My chest had started to ache a bit but my main problem was a huge feeling of fatigue. I think the painkillers are so good that it’s very easy to overdo it.

Two Days After

2009-01-06T10:52:00.001Z

Gail's Video Interview

2008-12-10T22:11:00.002Z

You can see all three parts of Gails video interview on the Plastic Surgery Partners web site or, at the All About Breasts site.

The Day After

2008-12-10T22:09:00.001Z

I woke up quite early that morning. It was very odd getting used to sleeping whilst propped upright with pillows (very important to make sure you don’t squash or roll onto them whilst asleep!). I was thrilled to know that I had done the brave part and now all I had to do was recover. I was given strong antibiotics and painkillers to use at home. They kept the pain to an almost negligible amount. Most of the time I just felt the tightness across my chest. The only problem was that they did make me feel quite sick so I only used them for the first few days and then started using paracetamol and ibuprofen instead.

I had a number of people come round for a viewing- it sounds strange but I couldn’t wait to show everyone! The difference was very noticeable in the sports bra I was wearing but I took it off for a number of people to exhibit the craftsmanship! It probably sounds arrogant to say it but I was just stood in front of the mirror saying to myself and anyone that would listen that I have some of the best boobs I have ever seen! Unfortunately I couldn’t wear a tight top to show off the new assets as I couldn’t wriggle into one. In fact, I found it extremely difficult to dress myself and maneuver for the first few days; not because I was in any pain as such but just because I felt very weak and couldn’t move my arms above chest height. I was really pleased to have my mum on 24 hour call!

The operation day

2008-11-18T14:00:00.004Z

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!

Leading up to the operation

2008-11-10T21:40:00.000Z

Leading up to the surgery I remember feeling incredibly excited. I particularly enjoyed buying sports bras several sizes too big. I got a bra fitted in my original size a few weeks before the surgery and the sympathetic look of the shop assistant absolutely confirmed in my mind that there was no way I was going to back out! I remember feeling nervous the night before. I wasn't worried about any complications but I was quite scared about having the anaesthetic. I got myself through though by just remembering that last bra fitting and thinking about lying on a beach in a few months time.

My decision to have breast augmentation

2008-11-05T17:22:00.005Z

Breast augmentation was something I had considered even whilst at school. I remember discussing it when I was quite young and deciding that if I still felt that I wanted to do it when I had completed university, I would take the plunge. After I finished university, I planned to go travelling for several months. The thought of week after week in bikinis made my decision quite easy really! I did some research into the sort of improvements surgery can make and then looked at recovery times and cost. I decided that any nervousness and reservations I had was far outweighed by the prospect of having the figure I had always wanted so I went about finding a surgeon.

I attended consultations with a number of surgeons including some of the largest plastic surgery companies. My aim wasn't really to firm up my decision but rather to vet the surgeons! When I went to Plastic Surgery Partners and met with Dai Davis, I found what I had been looking for. Dai was sitting there in a whacky tie, and was really warm and friendly. He seemed genuinely interested in me rather than just rattling off spiel, which I had found at some other companies. The nurses I met were also incredibly friendly rather than just polite, which made the whole thing fun and exciting rather than daunting.

I think the major selling point for me was Dai's experience. He was clearly eminent in the field and I was very impressed with the fact that he is able to perform all sorts of complex plastic surgery, not just straight forward breast augmentations. I felt that Dai was the Rolls Royce of surgeons! He spoke with me at length about the different types of implants and the various ways he could insert them, making it clear exactly what sort of result I could expect to get. He insisted I spent two weeks making sure I wanted to have the operation but I knew as soon as I met him that I wanted him to do it. He filled me with confidence.

In my next post I will tell you how I felt leading up to the operation.