My honest experience/journey from start to finish!

Hey lovely’s, I thought I would write my experience from the start to finish as I know how much it helps when I was coming up to the operation and hopefully put some minds at ease. I have wrote as much as I can from my experience so be prepared for a long read…

-So I went for a consultation over 3 years ago with mya as I was self conscious about my boobs as they were small (32A size 6/8) but brushed it under the carpet and kinda forgot about it , however when I tried on certain clothes I didn’t like how it looked and the feeling was still there but I’m glad I’ve waited now as I feel like my body has changed a lot since then.
-So about 9 weeks ago just before new year I went to buy a dress for New Year’s Eve and picked out loads of pretty ones to try on and I felt none of them looked nice on my boobs ( 3 years later I got a little bigger to a 34B size 8/10) I’ve always been sick of wearing padded bras or having to wear a bra with a backless dress so a week later I decided to do something about it and book a consultation!

-My first consultation on the 12th Jan – I went to the Leeds Clinic and met my PC who was lovely, we talked about why I wanted them done, showed her pictures of what I want them to look like, looked at surgeons who my PC recommend for me to achieve the results I want , and over all made sure this was the right decision for me! My pc shown me two surgeons Dr Netri and Dr Mounir, after doing my research I decided to go with Dr Netri (this is because I could see more of Dr Netris work on social media and I liked the look of before and afters for me! We then got a date (30th March) which was perfect for me as I already had it booked of work as I was planning on going on holiday then so paid £500 deposit to secure it.
-2nd consultation, seeing the surgeon 5th feb- So my second consultation was seeing my surgeon Dr Netri, he asked why I wanted the procedure, what it was I wasn’t happy about them, tried on the bra with the implants he recommended me (375cc L , 400cc R overs) luckily he just told me what would be best for me instead of giving me a decision as I am dreadful at making my mind up! I took photos with the bra on so I could look back and see what the sizes looked like, We talked about risks which put my mind at ease so much as I’m a worrier and in between my consultations I would stay up at night looking at all the risks, watching videos and talking my self out of it!

After seeing my surgeon I then seen my Pc to go over what we discussed, how I was feeling ect! As my pc knew i was worrying over it, googling everything I mentioned how I’d just like it sooner instead of waiting around as I don’t want to talk myself out of it and I’m so glad I said that as there had been a cancellation for the 21st of feb!! I quickly changed my dates at work and decided to go for the earlier dates!

-My pre op with the nurse 11th feb- at my pre op I met the nurse who I will be going to for all my after care check ups, I went through all medical history, talked about the procedure, after care , dos and dont’s and all the information I needed! We also took before pictures which I will then receive at 6 weeks so I can see my before and afters!

(In between this time and only a week to go I was still thinking is this the right thing for me, Am I going to miss my old natural boobs, What if I don’t like them and what if something happens to me😂 ( all of this has now gone away and I do not regret it at all)
-My op date did change to a day before due to lighting at the hospital however this was not much of an inconvenience for me as work allowed me to have it off and luckily it wasn’t any longer to wait! So now my op date was on the 20th Feb, I received an email 2 days before telling me how to prepare as in what I can and can’t do, when I need to stop eating and drinking and my admission time which was at 14:00.

-The day of my op!!!! (20th feb) – I had my hospital bag packed which I will mention down below what I took what helped me, we drove an hour and half to get to the first trust hospital and I was very quiet on the way there due to nerves😂 , once we arrived we got settled in to my room, I changed into the lovely gown and paper knickers they give you and had some tv on in the room. One of the nurses then came in to go over all medical history which my partner had to leave the room for this for confidentiality. Once I went through the medical history with my nurse my partner came back into the room and they was in and out taking my blood pressure, temperature, pregnancy test, I was then seen my the anaesthetist who again went over medical history, seen my surgeon who drew on me, i cried a little in between all of this a little due to nerves..again😂
I then had another nurse come in and put the ECG on my back, tried and tried again to find my vein in the back of my hand for the cannula but couldn’t as my veins were too small so the nurse decided to leave it for the anaesthetist to do this.

-It was time to go under!!! (16:00) I left my partner and cried a little bit more once I got into the room but they all comforted me, I laid on the bed whilst they hooked me up to all the monitoring stuff, there was music playing in the background which put me at ease a little as it didn’t seem too serious and scary, the anaesthetist then finally managed to find my vein and then put ‘something in to calm my nerves’ which made me feel drunk, then they gave me some gas and air, in between this the nurse was stroking my head which made me feel so much better and comforting (she was so lovely) , they then put me the stuff that made me go to sleep and honestly it all happened so quick!!

-2 hours later I had a lovely sleep, i woke up shaking a lot but that’s normal as it’s just the Anesthesia wearing off, I was a bit of a chatter box one of the nurses said!😂 they then wheeled me back into my room where my partner was! I was expecting to wake up in loads of pain but I didn’t, I felt great! I then was seen by the nurse who again came in every 30 mins to take my temp ect, I also had my buzzer if I needed anything they were literally a buzz away it was like they was waiting outside the door waiting for me (which I thought was really good)! I then needed to go for a wee half hour after coming round and when I got up I went drip white, very warm and felt like I was going to throw up however I was kinda expecting this as I rated high on my medical questions as I get motion and travel sickness but I laid down back into bed , had the window open whilst my partner fanned me, had some water and a biscuit and felt better!

My surgeon came back into see how I was feeling, I then had my food (ham and cheese toastie with salad and a Ribena) which was great and I definitely had my appetite as I hadn’t eaten for just over 20 hours!
-I also had drains as Dr Netri likes to use these for extra precaution and prevent blood building up, I was dreading this part of getting them removed as I have heard a lot of story’s and my mum had them when she had surgery (not breast surgery) and she said it was the worse part so I was expecting the worse!! They took the first one out and it was such a weird feeling like a worm coming out of my boob, made me feel a bit sick but not painful!! I waited a few minutes to get the other one out just because it did make me feel quite queasy, it wasn’t as bad as the first one but it was definitely not painful just a weird feeling! I also got to see my boobs for the first time and I loved them already!!😍

-Then around 20:30 all the staff through the day went home and I then seen another nurse who went through all my medication, dos and donts ect and also gave me some anti sickness which made me feel a little tipsy, I waited half hour and then got up and walked around the hospital to see if I was okay to go home and not throwing up which worked! If I felt too sick they said I could of stayed the night which was good and no pressure however I felt like I wanted to go home!

-On the way home I was absolutely fine, going over bumps did not hurt and I slept most of the way! ( I brought a travel pillow, dressing gown and blanket which was a life saver for the drive home!) once I got home I got into bed and fell asleep.

-Day one post op 21st feb – the sleep was not bad I slept from 12 until 6:30 and didn’t wake up with back pain! ( the v pillows are a savour and definitely a must) I had my meds and then fell back asleep for a few more hours! When waking up the second time I felt like it was a bit of a struggle to get my self up but was bearable ( make sure you have someone with you in the house because my partner and mum have been my angles through this) it’s a bit of a struggle to do anything your self, cook , get up or even going to the toilet but nothing too bad! I had rosy cheeks the first day, chest felt warm, a little itchy and a few sharp pains.
( I’m also glad I drove home the night of the op as I feel like it would of hurt a little more the day after)
I made sure I was moving around a bit to prevent blood clots ect! I was expecting to be in a lot more pain then I was but I know the meds haven’t worn off fully either.

-2 days post op 21st feb – it was a struggle to get up this morning! Not painful but a struggle, I went to sleep around 12:30 and woke up at 7:30 and for an hour I was trying to lift my self up out of bed for a wee as my partner had just nipped out for work, luckily my mum was in who lifted my back up! ( I think I slept a bit too flat which made it harder to get up) It did feel quite sore when I got out of bed onto my feet and I haven’t been able to stand up fully straight yet as I feel like it’s tight on the stitches. I took my meds ( ibuprofen, paracetamol and something to prevent infection) haven’t been taken anything stronger than that as I haven’t felt the need to! I’ve been in bed most of the day today and my neck, bum and back are starting to hurt a little but still nothing major and the occasional sharp pain to let me know I have boobies now 😂 I do feel a little sick now and again but I sit down as soon as I feel sick to prevent throwing up! Overall I am surprised how the recovery is going ( I know I’ve got time still for the anaesthetic to wear off). My boobs are also very numb in the inner side of my chest, the skin is very raised and shiny. I also keep getting heartburn after everything I eat which is little annoying!
Day 3 post op 23rd feb- sleep was not too bad but I am starting to get neck and back pain, I can’t stand up straight as I feel like it’s tugging on my stitches, they are starting to itch though which is a good sign of healing! I feel quite tight today but still a lot better than I thought I would feel, I’m going to try leave the house for a bit of a walk today as I feel so stiff. Not in any pain though!

-Day 4 post op 24th feb- the stitches are not hurting as much, I was able to lift my self up out of bed with no help this morning, I actually feel great! I had another sneak peak today at my boobs I love them already, I nearly cried😂 I can not wait until the swelling in the middle of my chest goes and the sensitivity comes back! I’m still only taking my antibiotics to prevent infection and then just 2 ibuprofen on a morning and 2 paracetamol&2 ibuprofen on a night so I can have a good sleep and prevent pain! My skin seems to be quite oily especially in the centre of my chest since having the op! I’m also avoiding googling any symptoms as it will tell me I’m dying 😂 I see the nurse on Friday for my 1 week check up and to change dressings aswell!

I can’t thank all the staff at the first trust hospital enough, they was all so lovely and caring, I am soooo pleased with the results from Dr Netri so far and I’m expecting them to change a lot in the next few weeks/months but I haven’t woken up hating them, they do also feel numb but hoping that will wear off soon, I was originally worried that the sizes I had originally decided on were going to be too big for me however I am glad I did not say anything as I feel like they are the perfect size for me! Mya have been very good, informative and also caring! Sometimes it was a little struggle to get in contact with my PC however I don’t work the best hours at work! I also thought it was very nice of my PC to ring me the day before surgery and a few days after to see how I was feeling which shows a lot from their side!

Hospital bag- I was only staying for the day however they recommend to pack for the night just in case.

I brought with me
-iPad, books (not really that necessary as I was too nervous to be watching anything and you’ve got tv in your room)
-v pillow
-travel pillow (helped me on the way home to get comfy)
-dressing gown
-blanket
-slippers (you wear these to and from your room to the surgery)
-toothbrush
-snacks (my partner decided to eat most of them)
-face wipes
-comfy clothes
-phone charger

I hope I have helped some of you to not worry as much as I was for the surgery, if you have any questions please feel free to ask as I know my recovery may change however I have tried to cover as much as I can, I have also made an Instagram to follow my journey and before and afters ( I have not yet put any photos of my boobies on as I know there are a few fake profiles which freaks me out a bit) my mya insta is Myagirl_feb2020 ❣️

Hey, this is soo nice to read. Im booked in for 30th March in Preston and was advised to stay ina near by hotel that night as I live in the Midlands. Would you advise driving back home that night or staying over? I know that when all is done I will just wanna get home x

Thank you so much for this amazing guide through your journey 🥰 the honesty is so refreshing and reassuring as I have had a few wobbly moments. Surgery is booked for the 3rd April 2020 excited and nervous. 🥰😘

Great post Charlotte! 🙂 good to hear your post op progress! Hope your recovery is still going well x

Such a lovely read, felt like I was there with you 🤣 your bossing it lady x

Stacey on my personal experience I preferred going home that night, when I drove home it was night time so that’s maybe why it was easier to sleep for part of the journey but when I was awake I just didn’t feel any pain going over speed bumps!

I’m glad to hear I have reassured some of you and that it’s actually not as bad as it seems! I wish you all a speedy recovery💗

day 6 I went to the cinema and for food so was able to do all the usual stuff! Don’t get me wrong it’s a struggle to put my shoes on, wash my hair myself, and certain things I need help with so it’s nice and handy to still have someone with you in the house just in case! Xxx

This is so helpful I’ve just booked my surgery for the 21st April and as much as I want it I am petrified of general anaesthetic! 😬

This is amazing!

I’m booked in for 26th March and my biggest worry is the part where they take you for surgery, when its my turn I just want to be be asleep asap because I know when I wake up it will all be over!

If the nurse manages to get the canula in my hand before I am taken down how long do you think it will be between walking into the theater and actually being asleep? xx

hey helen

They work pretty quickly when I had mine done I walked down to theatre
They told me to lie on the bed they attached a few things to my back and told me to lie down then they asked me my date of birth name etc etc to confirm it was me
Then told me they’ll look after me the anethestist come over said don’t worry we going to put you to sleep now so seen him putting the general anaesthetic into the canula
Then I just fell asleep it happens so quickly
the experience was very good 😊xx

Just to help some girls out i had my operation today,
Terrified of general anaesthetic, terrified of getting a cannula in my hand.
I told them i was scared of needles and the cannula going in so they put cream on my hands an hour before to numb them and i didnt feel it go in at all and was given sedative then fell asleep within 30 seconds so it wasnt bad at all. They spoke to me for about 5 minutes after going down to theater then cannula was done and next thing you know i was waking up in recovery x

Thank you both 😊 xx

I had my op on Tuesday 17th a March, Not sure if this helps , I always struggle with the Canula in my Hand I ask them to put it where you have blood taken in your arm. You don’t feel it all all .

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