A little background about me (and my boobies):
As a 38-year-old woman, I can confidently say that my boobs and I have been through ALL THE SIZES! I have bras in my collection that range from a 36F minimizer to a 32B with padding and push-up. Trust me, these boobs and I have been through A LOT. But, for the first time in my adult life, I finally feel like I am at the weight that I am supposed to be at, and know that breastfeeding is a long, distant memory. I also am 100% confident that after gaining weight with pregnancy and breastfeeding around the clock for a year, these sad little deflated breasts of mine are never going to return to where they used to sit without a little help from a plastic surgeon! So here I am ready to embark on my surgical journey to restoring what once was, and coming out on the other side with lifted, perky breasts that no amount of time in the gym or push-up bras could accomplish!
The Consultation:
To be honest, the idea of going under anesthesia and having a pretty invasive surgery has never scared me, but the idea of standing in front of multiple people topless, while discussing my flaws, has always brought on a level of anxiety that deterred me from even scheduling a consultation. But I certainly would never get to the surgery part without the consultation, so I finally took that step and made an appointment. As the day got closer, I got more and more nervous, but I just kept reminding myself that Dr. Capraro and his staff see countless women in varying levels of undress every single day, and I was no different.
When the day came, I nervously checked in for my appointment and was led to a beautiful consultation room. Sandy gave me a robe to change into and said she would be right back to take some photos for the doctor. I had been envisioning myself sitting in a brightly lit, cold, sterile exam room with one of those horribly thin paper vests that do nothing but crinkle awkwardly, but here I was sitting on a velvet chair, in a cozy robe, in a softly lit room with a desk sipping on a sparkling water. Okay, this isn’t so bad! Sandy came to grab me for photos, which was such a quick and easy process; I didn’t even have a moment to feel embarrassed. I was led back to the consultation room and told Dr. Capraro would be right in.
Two minutes later, Dr. Capraro and his nurse, Alli, entered the room. He has such a calming, non-judgmental presence that I immediately felt at ease. He used a computer program to educate me on my different surgical options and what to expect before, during, and after surgery. I am very much a visual learner, so it was really great to be able to see all of the information presented to me in such an organized and thorough way. He went through my photos and what his recommended surgical procedure would be (a bilateral mastopexy with silicone implants) and explained what my expected outcome would be. He then explained all the risks, possible complications, and what my recovery would be like. I appreciated that Dr. Capraro also spent so much time asking me questions about myself, my lifestyle, and what my expectations were, which really made the consultation feel tailored to me specifically.
Next, I followed Dr. Capraro and Alli to an exam room, and Dr. Capraro did a quick physical exam and showed me in the mirror how lifted I could expect my breasts to be after the surgery. I was also able to try on some implant sizers to get an idea of what size implant I was thinking of. Since I didn’t want to be much bigger than my current size, just perkier, we settled on somewhere between 210cc and 295cc implants. Dr. Capraro told me that he would order a wide range of different implant sizes and profiles that he could try during the surgery to make sure the final implants were just the right projection, width, and size for my measurements. After ensuring every question I had was answered and we were on the same page with sizing, he told me I could change back into my clothes and would be meeting with Jojo, his surgical scheduler, back in the cozy consultation room.
Jojo was a DREAM! She was so enthusiastic and excited for me and made me feel even more comfortable and taken care of. She went through the different facilities and pricing, and we picked my surgical date right then and there! Jojo took the time to make sure I understood the pre-operative testing I needed and those timelines. Since I had never had a mammogram before, she called Women’s Imaging Center for me and was able to work her magic to get me in right away since my surgery was only a month out. I was so excited!
I left the practice more at peace with my decision than ever. I didn’t have a single doubt that I had chosen the best Plastic Surgeon and support team to help me along this exciting journey!
The Pre-Operative Testing:
Two weeks before my scheduled surgery date, I popped over to Women’s Imaging Center on my lunch break for my first-ever mammogram. The facility was so efficient, and the process was very quick and painless. The next appointment I had was with my PCP for a History and Physical and a letter of surgical clearance that showed that I was healthy enough to go under general anesthesia. Lastly, I headed to LabCorp for my lab appointment. After a quick blood draw and urine sample, I was on my way back to work! My results from all three offices would be sent directly to Dr. Capraro’s office, so I was able to check off all my pre-surgical testing over one lunch break!
My Consent Appointment:
About 10 days before my surgery, I had an appointment with Livie, one of Dr. Capraro’s nurses, to go through the consent forms in detail and get all my pre and post-op instructions and medications. Livie was so thorough and answered every last question I had for her about how to best prepare myself for surgery, as well as how to really optimize my recovery. She thoroughly explained to me how I needed to take my prescribed medications, which supplements were recommended to take to help me heal better and which post-surgical bras I needed to have on hand for after I graduated out of my “surgical bra”. I appreciated that I was sent home with everything written out for me since it was a lot of information to absorb! Livie electronically sent all of my prescriptions to my pharmacy, so I was able to pick those up the same day and have everything ready to go.
Also, as soon as I got home, I placed an Amazon order of all my surgery “essentials” that were recommended to me. Here is what I ordered:
Next, I placed an embarrassingly large Skims order of cozy lounge pants and zip up hoodies so that I not only felt comfortable after surgery, but could feel a little put together for when I left the house.
My IV and Markings Appointment:
Oh my goodness, it is the day before my surgery! Eek! I could not be more excited! I had one last appointment at the office to meet with Dr. Capraro and have my pre-surgical markings done and then to meet with Livie again to receive my pre-surgery IV. I really appreciate how GCPS does so many things before surgery to really optimize my healing and recovery, especially since my surgery was on a Thursday and I was planning to return to work full time the following Monday. In addition to taking Arnica/Bromelain and Vitamin A, they have all their patients receive a pre-op IV full of vitamins, minerals and nutrients to prime my system up for an easier recovery from the anesthesia and surgery. Livie explained that Glutathione and NAD+ were super important to help my body flush out the remnants of all the anesthesia drugs and lift the “brain-fog” most patients complain of after surgery.
The Evening Before My Surgery:
The evening before my surgery, Dr. Gallen (who would be doing my anesthesia) called me to answer any questions I might have for him and to give me the rundown of what to expect tomorrow morning. He told me to avoid eating and drinking anything after midnight, but to have a protein filled dinner with lots of fluids to hold me over. I really appreciated Dr. Gallen taking the time to call me the night before.
Being the Type A person I am, I wanted to go into this surgery as ready and organized as I possibly could. Since I was sure to be spending a lot of time in bed for the first 24 hours after surgery, I decided to make myself a little “surgery recovery cart” so that I could have everything I needed right by my bedside.
I also made myself/my husband little med tracker sheets in order to stay on top of my medications before and after surgery. This was SUPER helpful since Livie stressed the importance of staying on top of my medication schedule in order to stay ahead of any pain and/or side effects.
My Surgery Day!:
I woke up bright and early on my surgery day and took a thorough shower and got into my cozy surgery day outfit, which consisted of a Skims zip up sweatshirt and easy to pull on pants and Ugg slippers. I put my hair up so that I wouldn’t have to worry about it after surgery. Like instructed, I didn’t use any lotions or deodorant. I also made my bed up with my wedges and pillows so that it was all ready for me when I got home from surgery.
My husband and I headed to the surgery center and checked in promptly at 7am! I think my husband had more nerves than I did. I can honestly say that I was not nervous one tiny bit! As soon as I was checked in, I changed into a gown and put on some compression socks. The nurse checked my vitals and had me do a quick pregnancy test to confirm I wasn’t pregnant. After starting my IV to get some fluids going, Dr. Gallen ran through my medical history and I signed my anesthesia consent. Dr. Capraro came in next to make sure I didn’t have any last-minute questions, and promptly at 8 am, we were ready to go! Dr. Gallen informed me that he was going to give me a little “Vitamin V”, which would likely make me a little loopy, and then I would be wheeled into the operating room. About 10 seconds later, I remember saying “whoa, I think I feel something”, and that is the last thing I remember! I don’t even remember making it into the operating room! Although everyone informed me afterwards that I was still alert and talking at this point.
Waking up after Surgery:
The first thing I remember after surgery is opening my eyes and saying “Have you started my surgery yet?” It literally felt like I had been asleep for two minutes, when in reality, 6 hours had passed. I had absolutely no pain, I just felt super sleepy. Dr. Capraro and Nicole let me know that everything went perfectly and that my dream of having perky boobs was now my reality! I honestly don’t remember much else from recovery other than the nurse wheeling me down the hallway, into the elevator and out to my waiting car. Funny enough, I remember thinking that it felt like I was on a rollercoaster and that the nurse must have been pushing me at the speed of light in that wheelchair, but my husband confirmed that I was being pushed at a very normal, cautious speed. Haha! I got comfortable in the passenger seat, closed my eyes, and the next thing I knew, I was home!
The Evening after Surgery:
At this point, it was about 3:30pm. My husband, daughter and mom helped me into my waiting bed since my legs felt a little wobbly. I still wasn’t experiencing any pain whatsoever, I just felt very, very tired. After drinking what felt like 5 gallons of water, I closed my eyes and took a little nap. At about 6:30pm, my husband woke me up to eat some toast and take my medication. I promptly went straight back to sleep. My husband woke me up at 1am to take another round of medication, and back to sleep I went! The wedge cushion set I had purchased was a lifesaver! It made sleeping elevated very comfortable and the cushion below my knees made it so I couldn’t inadvertently roll over in my sleep.
Post-Op Day 1:
I woke up Friday morning feeling pretty great! My head still felt a little foggy from the anesthesia, but I had absolutely zero pain or discomfort. At this point I was able to get myself around the house quite easily. I had my first post-op appointment at the office today, so my husband and I headed to the Rose office. I still hadn’t peeked under my surgical bra, so I couldn’t wait to see how everything was looking. When the nurse took my surgical bra off, I was shocked to see how perky my breasts looked! I was also so surprised at the lack of bruising. I tend to bruise very easily, so the fact that there were barely any visible bruises goes to show how important and beneficial all of the pre-surgery prep had been, like the NAD+ and vitamin IVs and Arnica. The nurses assured me that it was normal for my breasts to look quite square at this point, but that as the implants settled and the swelling decreased, everything would round out beautifully. All of my incisions were covered with special surgical tape that would stay on for two weeks. After ensuring that everything looked great, my husband and I headed back home. I was ready for a nap! I had a protein shake and some toast with my midday medications and got back into bed to rest. That evening, I got up for a bit and watched a movie with my daughter. At this point, I was still taking pain medication, so I felt pretty groggy, but had no pain or discomfort.
Post-Op Day 2:
I woke up today feeling clearer headed and less tired! Since I still wasn’t experiencing any pain whatsoever, I decided to just take Tylenol and hold off on the oxycodone and valium unless I felt like I needed it later on. I was also able to take a shower today, which felt incredible! This gave me the opportunity to run my surgical bra through a quick wash cycle while I showered. Having my surgical bra off for those 15 minutes felt great at first, but by the end of my shower, I felt like I wanted to put it back on since it felt comforting to have the support and compression.
Feeling energized and refreshed, my daughter and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and go for a nice walk around our neighborhood. I felt like a whole new woman today! I also noticed today that my appetite was back to normal, so I focused on upping my protein intake. In addition, I alternated my water with pineapple kombucha since I had read that the probiotics would be really helpful, since I was taking antibiotics and the pineapple would help with bruising and swelling.
Even though it’s the weekend and the office is closed, both Livie and Dr. Capraro checked in on me, which I really appreciated!
Post-Op Day 3:
Good moooooorning coffee!!! Since my appetite was back to normal and my stomach felt fine, I decided to return to my normal morning routine of a glorious cup of coffee today. Yummy! I started my day with another walk around my neighborhood and spent most of my day getting some vitamin D in our backyard. Since I am not a “lounge around the house” kind of person, it was really hard for me to make myself be still and to not overdo it, despite feeling so good! Dr. Capraro was very clear with my husband on my surgery day that he needed to make sure that I didn’t overdo it, and every time I even thought about doing a little housework or not spending enough time resting, my husband was there to stop me. In addition to my husband, my daughter was such an amazing helper! The more people you can have around you to support you, the better.
My daughter set up a little “spa afternoon” for me to make sure I felt nice and relaxed. It was literally the cutest treat ever!
Post-Op Day 4:
Today was my first official day back at work! After spending so much time lounging around, I was excited and ready to get back into my regular routine. I had read online that blow drying your own hair was a tricky task after breast surgery, but I honestly didn’t have any issues with it at all. I was very careful not to overextend my arms or make any jerky movements, but I was able to do my hair, makeup and get myself dressed quite easily. One big adjustment I had to make this morning was swapping out my usual big work tote for a smaller, lighter bag. Rather than lugging a huge, heavy tote filled with 1000 things I probably wouldn’t need today, or ever really, I just took the essentials! Since I hadn’t taken any narcotics in over 48 hours and felt that my range of motion was pretty normal, I felt 100% comfortable driving myself today as well. Freedom!!! It felt SO good to be out and about!
At lunchtime, I popped over to the Denver Tech Center Office for my 4 day Post-Op appointment and post-operative healing IV with Livie. Livie assured me everything looked great and to keep doing what I was doing.
Around 4pm, I started to feel pretty exhausted, so I decided to listen to my body and head home to rest. I didn’t want to overdo it on my first day back and cause any setbacks in my healing and recovery.
Post-Op Day 6:
Since I am hosting a networking type event at my office for about 60 people tomorrow, I knew today was going to be my most challenging day so far to not overdo anything. Even though my to do list was a mile long, I still prioritized my healing and enlisted as many people as possible to help with all of the physical tasks. Before having this surgery and having to be so cognizant of how much everything weighs (I still couldn’t lift anything over 10 pounds), I didn’t realize just how many things I carried around and lifted all day that were way over the 10 pound limit My advice for anyone thinking of undergoing breast surgery, be honest with as many people around you as possible and lean on them to help you not only lift/carry things, but keep also to keep you accountable.
Unfortunately, today there was a moment that I felt my first twinge of pain. I went to open my car door, and while pulling the door open, I felt a sharp pain under my right breast. It only lasted a second, but I was so surprised! Up until then, I honestly hadn’t felt any distinct pain like that at all. But it was over quickly, and I was back to party prepping!
Post-Op Day 7/1 Week Post-Op:
I cannot believe I am one week post-op today! I have an appointment with Livie today to check everything and fit me for my transition bra. I was so excited to have a couple more bra options to work into my rotation since I was still required to wear a bra day and night. After trying on the transition bra I ordered, Livie ensured that the bottom band and straps were supportive enough. She also made sure that all of my tape/dressings were still intact and was happy to report that the one tiny little spot under my left breast that had been oozing a tiny bit the couple of days after surgery had stopped oozing. She said I was still pretty swollen, especially on my lateral sides, but that everything was completely normal and I was healing as expected.
I am happy to report that my work event went off without a hitch! After it ended, I felt completely exhausted though! I promised myself that the upcoming weekend was going to be a weekend filled with nothing but extra rest and taking it easy.
2 Weeks Post-Op:
Today I had my two-week post-op appointment with Livie. And it was also tape removal day! Finally, the tape/dressing that Dr. Capraro put over my incisions would be removed and I could see what my incisions looked like. The process of removing the tape was super easy and Livie was so gentle, I barely felt a thing! When I looked down, I was expecting to see visible sutures, something like this:
I was shocked that there were literally no visible sutures! Livie noticed a small opening at the “T-Junction” under my right breast that was leaking a bit of reddish-brown fluid, most likely old blood.
Unfortunately, I had developed quite a bit of bruising on my right breast that wasn’t there at my one-week post op appointment. I explained to Livie that I had felt a sharp pain in that exact area a week ago when opening my car door and she said that I had probably caused a small hematoma to develop. Since my right breast still felt soft and wasn’t any larger or more swollen than my left breast, she said that my body would most likely just reabsorb the pooled blood. Livie said that she wanted me to check in with her every 2 days to make sure the bruising was getting better and that the small opening was closing up.
I was also instructed to start using the Silagen tape over my incisions, apart from over the small opening under my right breast. Silagen is specially shaped, sticky silicone gel sheets that you put over your scars to help your scars heal nice and flat. Livie told me to apply after I was completely clean and dry after my next shower and to wear it for most hours of the day.
Livie reiterated that I needed to take it easy and let my body heal. Seeing that bruising was a major wake up call for me!
As the day went on, I noticed that I was actually missing the tape! Since my incisions weren’t covered anymore, it felt like those areas were more sensitive and noticeable to me. I was excited to get home and get the Silagen tape on. It felt like I needed some sort of barrier between my skin and the material of my bra rather than having the incisions rub directly against the material of my bra.
3 Weeks Post-Op:
After having two relatively easy weeks immediately after surgery, I was surprised that the third week of recovery was actually the most challenging for me. I definitely felt the most sore this week. It also felt like I was regaining feeling in areas that had previously been completely numb, which is a good thing, I just was more aware of every movement and sensation.
I also didn’t love the transition bra I was wearing, so I ordered several others to try, and finally found one that felt comfortable to wear all day. I wasn’t a fan of racerback bras because the straps made my shoulders ache by the end of the day. I also needed something long enough that the bottom band lay below my incisions, but didn’t feel too bulky or restrictive. I also didn’t like the “sports bra” types that just compressed my breasts flat from the front. I liked the bras that offered support below and at the sides of my breasts the most. This is the bra that I loved and ordered in every color:
I was still wearing my surgery bra to sleep in because I found it to be the most comfortable and I liked the extra compression at night.
During this third week, I started having what I would have what I called “zingers”. It almost felt like a little electric shock or quick sharp pain. The nurses at the office assured me that this was completely normal and was just the sensation of my nerves regenerating and coming back to life after the trauma of surgery. It would only happen 3 or 4 times a day, but it took me by surprise every time it happened!
The small opening that I had at the T-junction under my left breast was getting smaller, but would still leak a bit of fluid throughout the day (only a couple of drops here and there). When Dr. Capraro examined me, he said that he didn’t want to stitch up that area because the fluid coming out was most likely just old blood that had pooled in that area, so it was actually good to leave it open to drain. I could still feel a small “nodule” in the area underneath the bruising, so he told me to gently massage and work that area to break up the nodule so my body could process it through my lymph system. I continued to apply Mupirocin over the opening and kept it covered with gauze underneath my bra. I was wearing the Silagen tape all day and night and noticed that each day my scars were getting flatter and less red/pink.
4 Weeks Post-Op:
After feeling like I had experienced a bit of a setback in week three, I felt like each day of my fourth week I was heading back in the right direction. The “zingers” were only occurring maybe once or twice a day and the overall soreness was lessening day by day too. My left breast was rounding out beautifully and the implant seemed to have settled into the pocket perfectly, so I was loving how that side was looking! Due to the swelling and accumulation of fluid on my right breast, the implant was still sitting pretty high and hadn’t settled into it’s pocket yet. Livie had me start breast massages twice a day to encourage the implant to drop and to keep the capsules on both breasts soft. I did this by leaning forward (in order to identify the implant and the breast tissue), making fists with both of my hands, and placing one hand on each opposite side of the breast (for example, one fist at 3 o’clock and one fist at 9 o’clock). I would then push inward on the implants and hold for 10 seconds, and then rotate around the breast to make sure I was massaging each side of the implant/capsule. I’m not going to lie, the first couple of days of massages felt REALLY weird, and almost a little scary. My breasts/implants didn’t really feel like a part of me yet and I was still a little timid to really get in there and massage like I was supposed to. But nevertheless, I forced through the weird sensations and realized that the more I massaged, the more the implants felt like they had always been a part of me.
6 Weeks Post-Op:
Before surgery, a hot bath with Epsom salts was part of my evening windown routine 4-5 times a week. Even though Dr. Capraro and the nurses told me to avoid taking baths for 3 weeks after surgery, I wanted to play it extra safe, so I waited 6 weeks. I was so excited to get back to baths this week!
I also had my 6 week post-op appointment with Dr. Capraro. He officially cleared me to sleep on my side and gave me the okay to start easing back into my regular exercise schedule! It felt so good to be able to get my heart rate back up and start doing more strength training! The little opening under my right breast was fully closed now too and each day the residual bruising disappeared even more. He instructed me to continue doing the massages twice a day and to really work the “knots” of swelling that remained where I had bruised after surgery on the right side (stupid car door and overdoing it!). The implant on the right side was still sitting higher than the left, but I knew I just had to give it time to settle. I was still wearing my same transition bra during the day and sleeping in my compressive surgery bra at night which still felt very comforting to me.
8 Weeks Post-Op:
I distinctly remember waking up during my 8th week after my surgery and feeling like my breasts looked and felt fully like my own! I decided to ditch my front closure granny bra for the day and wear a cute “regular” wireless bra to really test out my perky new boobs! I felt like a million bucks leaving the house today!
Final Thoughts
Dr. Capraro and his nurses told me multiple times before surgery that my breasts would continue to change for several months after surgery and to “trust the process” and they couldn’t have been more right! I read so much online about the “drop and fluff” process and am so thankful I went into surgery with realistic expectations and the knowledge that things would drastically change throughout the healing process. I definitely noticed the most change between weeks 8 and 12 in regards to the overall shape, size and feel of my breasts. My implants have settled beautifully and the shape of them feels so natural and comfortable to me.
It is crazy to me how much lighter I feel on a daily basis with my breasts being lifted to where they were meant to be. Even though my “bra size” hasn’t changed after surgery, it is incredible how much better my clothes fit and how much more confidence I have getting dressed each day. I no longer dread trying on clothes (I even enjoy trying on swimsuits these days!) and I couldn’t be happier with the aesthetic outcome of my surgery thus far. I know I am still a couple months away from seeing my final results, but I truly could not be more ecstatic with how my breasts look already.
I went into surgery dreaming of breasts that were perky, lifted and proportional to my frame, and Dr. Capraro delivered more than I could have dreamed of. My only regret is that I wish I had done this for myself sooner and not waited so long to do what I knew would make me feel more confident and comfortable in my own body. Dr. Capraro and every single person I encountered at Grossman | Capraro Plastic Surgery have been so incredibly supportive, compassionate and have exceeded my expectations in every way. Dr. Capraro has truly assembled a “dream team” and I am forever grateful for his artistic expertise and changing my life for the better.
