Not what you thought I was going to write about? Oh we are going there friends. I’ve been hiding something from you and from most everyone for the past 10 years. No it’s not the fact that I’ve had my boobs done, I don’t think that’s too surprising and have been upfront about, but instead a cautionary tale about how naivety and blind trust can lead to not the best result. If you don’t like something, change it period that’s always been my mentality, but do your damn research. I’m sharing this story not to stop you, but rather encourage you with both eyes open.
If you are getting your boobs done, read this first.
10 years ago, I decided to get my boobs done and made the decision fast. A friend at the time had done her research, had them done and looked pretty good, so I semi-blindly made the decision to do so {I’m rolling my eyes at my younger self HARD}. Here’s where I went wrong in so many ways.
- I never got a second opinion. That’s right, I didn’t f-ing feel like it, which is dumb. I trusted the result of someone else, who was shaped differently from me and btw this was pre-instagram. The only before and afters were in an album in the doc’s office.
- I didn’t talk to my Dad about it, which sounds weird, but if you know my relationship with my Dad, he is 1) the best 2) the most supportive human on earth 3) HE HAS DOCTOR FRIENDS AND HAS BEEN IN THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY FOR 30 YEARS – IM A MORON. I dropped the bomb on him and walked away and he was pissed. It wasn’t about the decision I had made, but because it’s the only time I haven’t been upfront, ever and he could’ve probably helped me to avoid what happened next.
- I rushed the decision and this is what happened to me.
I went with saline at the time, which I was told was the latest and greatest and under the muscle.
The surgery seemed fine. I went home – felt loopy AF and slept for a few days. Three days passed and while my friends came to visit me, I wanted to show them off – which I was told NOT to do. So I unwrapped the bandages and one implant looked WRONG like frankenboob. It was high, it didn’t drop. It also didn’t look at all like the other side, which looked good.
Even in my drugged up fog, I knew something was wrong. We went to the surgeon, I showed him and this is what he said and why I’m sharing this with you ‘it looks like your body rejected the implant and incapsulated also known as a capsular contracture. This happens in about 1% of patients. If you want to fix this, it’s going to be xxx more.”
I felt like someone had punched me in the face. WTF does that mean? Am I stuck this way? What do I do!? I said I’d wait. But it never got better. In fact it got worse, but we will get there.
Here’s what I learned and again I’m not a doctor, but did research and spoke to other doctors:
- Capsular contracture means the forming of a capsule of scar tissue around the implant. It’s the body rejecting any foreign object it detects by creating a barrier of scar tissue around it.
- This can happen if the area had a little bacteria around it MEANING it wasn’t entirely sterile
- This can happen if the surgeon hasn’t created a deep enough pocket for the implant.
I was made to feel like this was my fault. I didn’t question him or the situation, because he is the doctor, so surely he knows more than I do. But I’ve been living with an implant out of place, an insecurity in a bra, bathing suit, a dress that requires no bra. It is obvious and it got worse, but I’ll share part two of this soon, so yes this is part 1.
I decided I’m not doing this anymore and I’m having my revision at the end of this year with Dr. Lickstein of Elle Aesthetic Arts + Plastic Surgery, who has nearly 20 years of experience and made me feel the most comfortable as I’ve been terrified to make this decision. There’s more to this story that I’m going to share with you, but I had to start here.
I’m going to take you on this journey with me. Ask me ALL the questions and please know I will tell you everything with the GIANT caveat that I am not a doctor.
Till next time,
P
xo