Hi everyone! In preparation for my October 2021 wedding, I will be having breast augmentation and liposuction surgery with Dr. Baker at Grossman | Capraro Plastic Surgery, and am so excited to share my experience with you all!
I will preface this journey with the fact that I love and appreciate my body for all that it has done and can do for me – I am very grateful to be healthy! As my wedding is a little under one year away, I knew that this was the perfect time to address my concerns and feel incredible on one of the most special days of my life! It’s time to get the wedding ready!
Let’s start from the beginning. By the time my senior year of high school rolled around, I knew that boobs just weren’t in the cards for me. During my late teen and early adult years, I suffered from serious boob-envy any time my friends and I would hit the pool or beach. I so badly wanted to rock a cute triangle bikini, but always ended up looking unproportioned. Having a pretty flat chest and carrying my weight on my thighs (particularly the saddlebag area) from my late teen years onwards, has often left me feeling a bit insecure in bikinis, shorts (oh god, shorts..) and any type of form-fitting outfit.
The final push for me to put my plastic surgery consultation on the books was trying on my wedding reception dress and knowing that there was no amount of or shapewear in this world that would be able to make me feel the way I want on my wedding day. More than anything, I want to feel confident and beautiful when marrying the love of my life!
My plastic surgeon of choice is Dr. Matthew Baker at Grossman | Capraro Plastic Surgery here in Denver, CO. Dr. Baker is double board-certified, has over two decades of experience, and has been published extensively on a variety of medical issues. In other words, he’s kind of a big deal.
Consultation: Fast forward three weeks and I am standing in just my underwear in the photo room for what I thought would be one of the most horrifying moments of my life. However, to my surprise, it wasn’t at all as traumatizing as I anticipated. Beth made me feel super comfortable and turned what could have been a super awkward experience into quite the opposite – thanks, Beth! To make checking in for your appointment a breeze, fill out your patient information online (you will receive an email to register on the online portal beforehand).
Time to see the doc! Dr. Baker and nurse Kendra joined me in the consultation room to discuss my concerns. Dr. Baker began by explaining his surgical philosophy for breast augmentation and brought my photos that Beth so kindly took onto the screen. I very much appreciated his entire approach, especially that he would not choose an implant that would not look natural on my body. The whole point is to look like me and not like I’ve had a boob job! He then illustrated the proportions by drawing on my photos on the screen that would be proportionate for my body. We discussed that the incisions are made in the IMF fold of each breast and that the implants would be placed subpectoral (under the muscle). I then showed him pictures of my (thank you Pinterest – one of my inspiration photos is above) and we agreed that the sizing I was looking to go would look proportionate on my frame. Yay, all of my dreams are coming true! Now moving on to discuss my thighs! After pulling up the photos of my legs on the screen, we both agreed that I would benefit from VaserSmooth Liposuction on the inner and outer thighs. Dr. Baker explained that this type of fat is typically hereditary (thanks mom!) and extremely difficult to get rid of even with a very strict diet and exercise regime. He explained where each small incision would be, how the VaserSmooth liposuction works, and why he prefers that to traditional liposuction. After an exam in another room for measurements, I was headed to sit down and talk scheduling logistics.
It was as easy as picking a date with the surgical consultant, Jojo. We reviewed all financial information, put down my deposit, and scheduled a few appointments with the office and my primary care doctor. We selected 11/25 at Littleton Adventist Hospital and to say that I am excited would be the understatement of the century! Other appointments scheduled at this time were a pre-operative clearance appointment with my primary care provider, a pre-operative consent appointment with a nurse at the office, and a COVID-19 test at Littleton.
11/11/20: Pre-operative clearance appointment: When I called to make this appointment with my primary care provider, I made sure to let them know that it needed to be within 14 days of my 11/25/20 surgery date. All of the information my doctor needed was faxed over in advance, this is super easy! During this appointment, I met with my doctor and discussed my upcoming procedure, completed a full history and physical (H&P) as well some lab work. The entire appointment took less than one hour! I passed the test and my doc gave me the green light for surgery, I can hardly wait!!!
11/18/20: Pre-Operative Consent Appointment – I checked in at the front desk and was taken back to a room to review my surgical consent with nurse Kendra. Our meeting lasted about one hour as we reviewed the pre and post-operative medications, garments, and all applicable information pertaining to my surgery. My checklist for tonight – pick up scripts from the pharmacy and order my surgical garments. I ordered the SheFit Ultimate Sports Bra and the recommended medical-grade compression leggings. Only one week to go until surgery, I am feeling so excited!
Night Before Surgery: Oh my god, it’s tomorrow!! I received the sweetest flowers from my soon-to-be sister-in-law today – the card reading, Happy Tata Day, a much-needed laugh! I highly recommend letting your close friends and family in on your procedure if you are comfortable enough to do so. I have had the best support system, which I feel has made me even more excited and less nervous about my surgery! My fiancé and I sat down to have a quick dinner (no food or beverages after midnight!), review the medications once more, and the game plan for the morning. My required check-in time to Littleton Adventist Hospital is 5:30 am and we’ve planned to leave at 5:00 am on the dot as the commute is approximately 20 minutes from our house. I laid out my outfit for the morning: sweatpants, a comfortable fleece zip-up sweatshirt, a long sleeve loose fitting t-shirt, and easy put-on sneakers, my post-op garment, and a mini toiletry bag in tote. I have had surgery before, and absolutely loathe the dry taste in my mouth and dry lips after, so I made sure I had chapstick, a travel toothbrush, and a mini deodorant (you can’t wear this to surgery)..okay and maybe some dry shampoo because, why not? I want to feel fresh when I am wheeled out of the hospital and that is not a crime! We also decided to put all medications in a container with a sticky note with directions for each medication on the lid. Now that the plan has been reviewed, I’m off for a shower and then heading to bed. I am feeling very excited, assuming my nerves may kick in when I walk into the hospital tomorrow? Pro Tip: Shampoo your hair and blow out the night before. You won’t be washing your hair again anytime soon!
Day of surgery: My alarm goes off at 4:30 am and I am up, brushing my teeth, rechecking my tote bag to ensure I have my garment, wallet, and my mini toiletry bag for when I wake up from surgery. I felt like a kid heading on a field trip! It’s 5:00 am and I am dressed, ready to go and we are off to Littleton!
Surgery Check-In: We arrived at the main entrance of the hospital at exactly 5:25 am, this entrance is on the east side of the building. There’s plenty of patient parking and given the time, we had no issues. We checked into the front desk where our temperatures were taken, and my fiancé was given a guest sticker (you can have one guest accompany you at this time). Round the corner to the registration desk we go! A few questions and an ID scan later, we are headed to floor two for surgery check-in. We checked in at the surgical check-in desk where the loveliest nurse, Allison, introduced herself and let me know that she would be taking care of me in the pre-op area. Through two double doors and a gown change later, I was sitting in a cozy little room on a very comfy, and warm bed. Once Allison prepped my IV and went through my chart, she allowed my fiancé to come and sit in the room with us. I am thankful that he was allowed to be there and think that his support is what made me not nervous at all! The next guest in the room was Dr. Baker. He popped in to say good morning and to do my surgical markings. This is done standing up to provide the surgeon with a guide when you are lying down. After Dr. Baker was finished with the markings, the anesthesiologist, Dr. Hollingsworth came in to introduce himself. He explained to me the entire process of exactly what he would be doing. I was horrified that I would have a catheter during my surgery, more so for the staff that would have the wonderful visual, but felt better knowing I would have no recollection of this particular portion of the procedure. Dr. Hollingsworth is off to prep for surgery and will be in the OR waiting for me. The last two guests to pop in were Marjory and Teresa. Marjory introduced herself and let me know she would be the nurse in the operating room during my surgery – she was just a peach! Teresa introduced herself and let me know that she was the surgical assistant and would be assisting Dr. Baker throughout the entire case. I was glad that both of these lovely women would be in the operating room with me, they were so comforting! Allison then let me know that it was time for my special ‘IV cocktail’. This was a medication given through the IV to relax you while you head into the OR. As Allison rolled me out of the pre-op room I said my goodbyes and told my fiancé I would see him soon. Ta-ta!
Rolling into the OR: Thanks to whatever Allison put in that IV, I am having a fabulous trip down the hall to the operating room, or Vegas, not sure where I’m going at this point. The doors swing open, wow, this operating room is so nice! I looked around and saw the whole team smiling. Before I knew it, Dr. Hollingsworth gave me an oxygen mask and let me know that I would be dozing off in just a few seconds, and … sweet dreams!
Waking up from surgery: Hello world! The wonderful nurse, Marjory, who was with me in the OR rolled me out of the operating room and told me that my surgery is over and we were heading to the post-op area. I came to pretty quickly and said, oh wow, how long did that take? I dozed off again and woke up in the post-op area with another wonderful nurse. She let me know that I was waking up, my surgery went well, and that I would be here until the team felt I was awake and feeling good to go. All I could think about was, OMG I have BOOBS! Dr. Baker then came by and let me know that everything went wonderfully, that he had used 410 ccs Sientra Moderate Plus Implants, and that he would be checking in on me in the coming days. I think I probably thanked him 100 times at this point, that was so easy! The nurse let me know that my fiancé was on his way to see me and I could not have been more excited. However, I may have been just a little bit more excited about the general she had just promised me – I was so thirsty!! Once the nurse felt I was ready to go, they let us walk to the bathroom to change out of my gown into my comfy clothes. Don’t think I forgot about that toothbrush and dry shampoo in my bag! I am so happy that I had those items with me. My fiancé found it humorous that I was putting deodorant on and brushing my teeth right after surgery, but hey, I felt fabulous! At this point, my chest felt a bit tight, but not painful, and my thighs felt like tree trunks – stiff, swollen, and sore!
Going home from surgery: One of the nurses wheeled me down to the roundabout where my fiancé pulled the car up. Getting into the car was a slow process as my tree trunk legs did not want to bend, but we got there, eventually. I felt sleepy but very aware of my surroundings. On our drive home, we stopped by the in-laws to pick up a few thanksgiving goodies, a very sweet bouquet, and a bottle of wine that I absolutely could not wait to drink (in two weeks of course…).
Night of being home from surgery: We arrive home where we had a set up for me on the couch. Our couch is low to the ground which was helpful for me to maneuver me onto as well as keep me elevated. I highly recommend setting up a place to sleep during your recovery, whether it’s your bed or a makeshift one on the couch. We had a bunch of soups and soft foods stocked up, however, I was not very hungry. I have heard and read that many patients feel like they have an elephant sitting on their chest after a breast augmentation, so I prepared for the worst. However, my chest didn’t hurt, at all, it just felt tight. I will warn you, your boobs are going to look a bit weird at first. This is expected and normal, so don’t freak out! The only pain I felt was the soreness in my legs as mentioned above. It felt similar to a very intense lower body workout, which meant that unfortunately, going to the bathroom was not something I could conquer on my own (prepare to have a bonding experience with your significant other). Also, don’t have a meltdown if you look bigger than you did before surgery, swelling is normal and very much anticipated.
Post-op 1: Happy Thanksgiving! Thankful to the in-laws for supplying us with a fully catered Thanksgiving meal and feeling extra grateful today! Received lots of calls from friends and family to check-in, I truly am grateful for my wonderful support system. My legs are still feeling pretty sore and swollen, it feels like I did about 1,000 inner and outer thigh exercises on an adduction machine at the gym. Ladies, you know what I am talking about! My fiancé has been helping me with getting up and down, I don’t know what I would do without him. My chest feels a little tight, but not painful. I have some swelling on my outer ribs and medial chest area which was to be expected. Went on a few walks today to get my body moving which has definitely helped with the swelling and soreness. My legs are too sore to bend over and tie my shoes today and I do have a little bruising, but not much. Big news, I got to take a shower today which was absolutely heavenly! So far, I haven’t needed any pain killers other than Tylenol and Celebrex. When I have been relaxing I have been elevated with a bolster pillow underneath my knees, this has been very comfortable! My appetite is back, however, nothing could stop me from a Thanksgiving dinner anyways! Will check in tomorrow!
Post-op 2: Good morning sunshine! Today I feel fabulous! My swelling and soreness are down in my legs and my chest only feels a bit tight, but no pain! Still need help with tying my shoes, but am sitting down and getting up on my own. Still have minimal bruising around the incision sites on my thighs and inner knees, but nothing major. I received a very cute package from a girlfriend today, Christmas Boobie Cookies, which totally made my day! I truly have the most wonderful friends and am so grateful that they have been so supportive of my journey. Dr. Baker called to check in today, he really is the best, I am so thankful for him! We discussed my garments and decided to transition from my surgical bra to my SheFit bra today – highly recommend the SheFit! Took a few more walks in the afternoon, continued to drink lots of water, and my legs are feeling much better!
Post-op day 3: Woke up this morning and my legs feel great! My chest feels a bit tight, but nothing too uncomfortable. I still haven’t needed anything outside of my Tylenol and Celebrex for pain. I almost have a full range of motion back, still, need a little help tying my shoes! I received a ‘Boobie Basket’ from my girlfriends today filled with comfy socks, cozy pajama pants, relaxing bath items, candles, and healthy snacks. Really went for it today and asked to go to Target – what a treat!
Post-op 4: Thank god for good friends and a blowout. Headed to a girlfriend’s salon where she washed and dried my hair, an absolute delight! Thanks, Al! Continued to drink water today and went on a few walks. Did not need help tying my shoes today, big steps people! My pain today, just a bit of soreness in my legs.
Post-op 5: Back to work! I could not wait to tell my coworkers about my experience. It was almost too good to be true! My fiancé drove me to work today as you are not supposed to drive for a minimum of 7 days. I guess that means we have to stop at Starbucks! I haven’t had caffeine for a few days and am ready for a coffee treat! My legs feel pretty great and my chest does, too!
Day 7: I am one week out. Wow, I am feeling grateful as my experience has been so wonderful. Today is the last day I will be chauffeured to work. Not going to lie, I could totally get used to this new routine. My body really is feeling great. If you are wondering how your boobs will look one week out, they will still look weird, just be patient! I had my one-week post-op today where nurse Stacy checked things out to make sure I was healing properly. Everything looked good and I also learned today that Dr. Baker took 1100 CC’s of fat during the liposuction portion of the procedure, hello thigh gap! Really excited for the swelling in my legs to dissipate to see my final results, but alas, that takes time and I must be patient!
Day 14: I am two weeks out from surgery. Time really does fly! I am wearing my SheFit bra and my compression garment every day. Life is good, I can’t believe how easy this was! My boobs are softening up a bit and look so pretty! My legs are still swollen, mainly my inner thighs. However, I can totally see improvement and am so excited to continue the healing process. Today I saw Dr. Baker and nurse Lindsey for my two-week post-op. We removed my surgical tape from my lipo incisions and IMF incisions and replaced it with paper tape. In five days I’ll replace my paper tape and use the silicon strips on my IMF incisions and continue paper tape on my lipo incisions. Got home to another cute Boobie Cookie package – I LOVE my friends!!
Day 30: I am one month out, is this real life? My boobs are looking great and my legs are still a bit swollen, mainly inner thighs which is to be expected. I have purchased a few bras from a site called CUUP – shop here – and they are my absolute favorite bras ever! It is so fun to purchase bras knowing that you are going to look great in them. I went from a 32A to a 32DD – dreams do come true ladies!! I went skiing this weekend, but was very careful, kept it minimal, and avoided using my poles and upper body. Took the scenic routes and mainly stayed on the greens and catwalks. It felt great to get outside and to get my body moving! I have pretty much tried on every single article of clothing that I own and everything fits, just better! I am absolutely loving my new body and have never felt so confident. Really looking forward to having a bikini moment. Will check in soon!
Day 60: I am living my best Bella Hadid life! My legs are slim and toned and I can’t even believe that my boobs are mine! The most important article of clothing, of course, my wedding reception dress, now fits like a glove (see below)!! I cannot wait to put it on and feel amazing on the best day of my life! Plus, I’m already shopping for bikinis for the honeymoon, triangle tops finally look great! All in all, I would do this procedure over 100 times!
My last thoughts for those reading this are – If you have something that YOU want to change to make YOURSELF feel more confident – go for it, life is too short! I believe that there’s nothing more beautiful than a glowing person who exudes confidence and beauty from within!
Thank you to Dr. Baker and the team at Grossman Capraro Plastic Surgery for making all of my dreams come true, I am forever grateful!
