3 Weeks into Recovery, 3 More to Go!

3 weeks have come and gone since I had my breast lift/reduction and I feel great!!! I'm still in love with the shape and size, now it's just a matter of healing well and eventually, working on saying farewell to the scars. I've been doing tons of research on the healing process and how mine is in comparison to others that have also had this surgery. Silly questions like am I supposed to be a little tender around my incisions still, is this too red, not red enough, can I wear a normal bra yet, is under wire allowed and if it is when can I wear it again? You know, things I should have known probably before hand.

In all, I'm doing really well. I don't take any medications and just remember not to exceed in activity that could cause damage to the healing process. I can pick up Chrispy pretty well now so that was a major on my check list. I mean, do they know how hard it is to Not pick up your child when they are begging you too?!!! I can drive, Thank God!!! I couldn't get out of the house quick enough when 2 weeks were up! I'm still not allowed to workout :( Which means I have to feel like total crap and really going stir crazy thinking about it. I can go on walks but no running, I can do some ab workouts but not all. It's just a little frustrating. What's worse is my hubby always seems to know when I'm trying to do something I shouldn't and comes walking in saying "You shouldn't be doing that, stop" in the nicest way he knows how.

The hardest part now is just my limitations until I'm given the "all clear" by my doc. I have switched out to normal bras, aka soft cup bras and few under wire that don't hurt me. It was getting a little hard to find things to wear with the surgical bra they put on you and I found lots of research that said it was okay to move onto other bras as long as they were well fitted and didn't cause any irritation. I am also allowed to wear a bathing suit!!! Swimming is allowed now as long as they are in short sessions at a time as to not irritate the incisions.

(Please excuse the no makeup, wet hair, boney ribs (I've always been boney) haven't worked out in like 4 weeks (muscle is now sad :( look)

In all, it's all going pretty well. I have recently been asked a bunch of questions concerning the surgery that I just wanted to address. The cost varies depending on the doctor you see. Mine was completely covered through insurance, but from my understanding the average can range from $5,000-7,000. The average time period of healing is 6 weeks if all is well. Many return back to work after just a week of rest and recovery but still limit their physical activity until there are considered healed. There will be scars for awhile, but if you care for your scars and use the creams and silicone sheets (at your own purchase) they should disappear almost completely (depending on your skin type). Also, I was told since my nipples were not removed but repositioned and because I was such an over producer before, breastfeeding would more than likely be an option for me if I were to get pregnant again. For those that are done having children, this is right up your alley but if you are still wanting to have children, I would put this on the back burner if you are adamant about breastfeeding.

To end this post I leave with pictures of a really cute baby toddler…these are how our days are spent while Momma is in recovery.

 Funniest picture of the day! I told Chrispy it was time to do our ab's and he started on his crunches without me…LOOK AT THOSE AB'S!!!

Have a Happy Day Y'all! :)

My Time With You

I can honestly say that my days sometime feel endless, as if I'm not being useful because I'm not at a job or in the workforce helping shape our world. Sometimes I feel I've lost my place on the original path I intended to take and wonder if I'll ever make it back to the "standard" of today's world of working mother's. And to be perfectly fair, I do miss going to work everyday and getting that feeling of accomplishment. But it's days like today that I remember what my purpose is right now. It's to be your mother, a job that is more important to me than any in the world. I am so lucky to have this time and the resources to stay at home with you everyday and play, teach, and learn with you.

One day, when you are a few years older I will return to the "standard" of working and making a contribution with income but for now my contribution will to be raising my sweet boy. He is a gift that I could never had been more grateful for, and for that I take my job very seriously as a Momma. It's not everyday that I remember this amazing gift I've been given because much like other's that have a 9 to 5 job, this is work. The hardest job I've ever had. I have never worried so much over the smallest details of life that I'm trying to set a path for, and this time, it's for my son.

My employment as a Momma will always be my favorite job titles I will ever hold. Thank you Chrispy for being my sweet boy.

Have a Great Weekend!!! :)

1 Week Down, 5 to Go

As of today I'm one week in recovery since my breast lift and reduction and I'm actually feeling pretty amazing. This morning was a huge milestone as all of my surgical tape came off so now I'm left with nursing my incisions and keeping them clean. I was actually really nervous when I pulled the tape off but my doctor did say they needed to come off within the next few days or it would start to smell and could cause infection so it was just another step in the recovery process.

So far, I'm super happy with the way they look and how I'm feeling. I honestly thought so much pain went into this procedure but it really has turned out to be mind-over-matter and just by following the steps the doctor tells you it is pretty easy. The most important part is resting and not overdoing it. The doctor said no vacuuming for 2 weeks, so I'm not vacuuming, no running, so I'm not running. Just the standards in taking care of yourself has been an eye opener to how I don't always care for myself properly since having a baby. This has also been a great time for my hubby since he has stayed home with me the whole week and taken care of Chrispy since most of it I have been resting, and it has been wonderful. I was actually cleaning the bathroom this morning while he took Chrispy to his Mother's Day Out Program and when he came home to see me cleaning he immediately told me to stop and to get back into bed and rest. OK!!  Things can wait for awhile, because my body needs to rest.

Even with taking all the naps and medicated relaxation, my mind is stirring while I was awake of all things and projects I can't wait to jump back into. This week has also been busy for us as a family with just doing the basics, like walking from the top of the stairs to the bottom!

For the next few weeks I have wear this sexy compression bra that supports the new ladies…..SO SEXY!!!

The hubby had to run out one day to work on a retirement ceremony for a fellow Air Force Officer and took Chrispy with him. Even though he is a baby/toddler/big kid, he needed to bring a little flare with him, so we dressed him in his fancy Hawaiian shirt…Chrispy apparently was a huge hit! On top of his overall cuteness and adorable-I-can-get-away-with-anything attitude, he ran out in the middle of the ceremony only to stop and yell "DADDA" as loud as he could…..from my understanding it was the highlight of the ceremony….way to go Chrispy ;)

Laundry…because this is a daily thing even when your bedridden! I managed to help the hubby fold piles of laundry everyday to keep his morale up…didn't want him giving up on day 2 just from the laundry :(

The great part of having a fenced in backyard…your kid can play in it while you do other things in the kitchen and still keep an eye on him….a lesson my hubby got to learn as well, the ticks to being a stay-at-home-parent!

Though my hubby thought it was a joke all the times I told him that I woke up to Chrispy's "dirty diapers" ripped off and his "dirtiness" left all over his crib, he got to see it first hand this week…yep, we had these diaper covers sent from Amazon the very next day. He didn't think it was funny when he had to clean it up and Chrispy was clapping and laughing and saying "Dadda Clean" :) So proud!

On a side not, these diaper covers have worked great and I guess they are also cloth diapers but since we don't cloth diaper (don't have the patience to do it) we love them as covers.

Right before I had my surgery I managed to score theses amazing cane chairs for $10 TOGETHER!!! They don't match, one had the french style turned out legs and the other the straight up and down mid century style. I am on the hunt to finding a partner for one of them to make two matching chairs.

The first one was a bad DIY project gone really wrong. The person didn't remove any of the originally fabric and painted the wood and chain this really weird white paint. It was so ugly and now I wish I had snapped the before picture now when I got it. In fact, when the hubby saw it for the first time he asked if someone throw that in our trash pickup…umm…no honey, I actually bought it. He wasn't pleased. By the time he came home from work that day he couldn't believe this was the same chair. I painted over the weird white paint with a gray chalk paint since sanding was going to be hard. I mixed my own chalk paint using Plaster of Paris, BEHR PREMIUM PLUS ULTRA in Pencil Sketch, and some water. I reupholstered the cushions with Robert Allen Chic Ikat Nickel and used the Cover Button Kit to make the buttons for tufting. It was actually a really easy project, the hard part is removing the previous staples.

The next chair I did in a few hours and I obsessed with it! If there is a match to this chair frame out there please give it to me! I want this chair to have a partner so bad to be used as accent chairs in my living room. I painted the frame once again using a homemade chalk paint using Plaster of Paris, BEHR PREMIUM PLUS ULTRA in Very Navy and reupholstered the cushions using PKL Modern Essentials in La Menagerie Spice.

I think I might have a little bit of a chair addiction! My hubby constantly talks about how many chairs we own but I love them. I think it's from watching really posh movies like Somethings Gotta Give where there is a cute little seating area everywhere. I think I also decided to start selling some of my projects online. I really love making old things new and I never skip over detail so maybe it will be a fun side project for me. I just don't know if anyone would actually buy any of my creations.

Hope y'all have a great day! :)

Recovery, Day 4

So it's been 4 days since I had my breast lift and reduction and I can honestly say it hasn't been that bad so far. The first day was the worst simply because you are still waking up from the drugs used to relax you and knock you out for the surgery. After waking up from the surgery I felt very tired and nauseous due to the medicine but I luckily didn't get sick. After the hubby was able to come in a sit with me to help me wake up, the nurse came in to let me know I couldn't leave the hospital until I peed and ate something to know that I was okay. So there I was, all bandaged up and trying to move my arms to the strawberry jello they gave me but because of the layers of guaze surrounding my chest it looked like T Rex trying to fight…pretty hilarious looking back at it.

Walking after surgery was difficult at first so a nurse helped me around. I was finally released from the hospital and was wheel chaired out to the front of the hospital were the hubby had the car waiting and ready for me to jump in. I must say, the most annoying part of leaving the hospital was the rubbernecking happening in the front of the hospital where people are waiting for their prescriptions to be filled. I even got mad at one of the men who was just starting directly at me since I entered the room and I asked if he "watched much" which made him turn away really quickly. I just can't stand that and coming from a part of the south that really emphasis's on manners takes my anger to a whole new level. Like, didn't your Momma teach you not to stare?! :(

It was a quick drive home in which the hubby spoke to me the whole time to keep me awake so he could get me in the house easily. After I was gently placed in bed, given some yummy pain meds, and a big bottle of water, I was out like a light and didn't wake up until later that night for dinner. I honestly can remember everything up the moment they told me to "breath in"in the operating room which makes me feel better for some reason.

Now on Day 4 of the recovery I have been able to walk around the house to avoid blood clots in my legs and I have gotten to SHOWER!!! Holy Mother of Showers!!! I was so happy to be nice and clean and the best part is I was able to do it by myself. The hubby hung out in the bedroom just in case I needed him to come help. I still can't pick up anything heavy, like Chrispy :(, and I can't drive anywhere. I am still on pain meds but try to use them sparingly because they make me fall asleep and I hate spending the whole day in bed, it becomes boring really quick, especially when you see your hubby and baby playing outside and all you want to do is be with them.

On a side note, I thought I was going to really freak out about the incisions being that online they look totally scary to me, but after seeing them in person, they really aren't that bad and from what I have read and heard from the doctors, in a year you won't even know I had anything done if I care for the scars properly. Right now I'm still taking it easy as to not pop a stitch and just enjoying this opportunity I have to watch a ton of movies and be waited on my the hubby. The hubby has been amazing so far taking care of Chrispy and me and the chores around the house.

In all, I would do it again in a heartbeat. I am so pleased with the size and results so far that I can't wait to be all healed and go bra shopping! That was actually the first thing my hubby brought up, that after I'm healed I get to go on a sexy bra shopping spree!!! Yes!!!

Things that have saved my life these past four days in recovery:

MARIUS STOOL

The Marius stool from Ikea has been my best friend in the shower. We actually already owned two of these for outside and around the house for extra seating. I was able to sit while I'm bathing and reach my whole body without putting strain on my stitches. I was even able to shave my legs with this guy!

Boppy Pillow

The Boppy pillow, which is supposed to be for nursing mothers, has actually been awesome for me to rest my arms on as well as magazines as to not strain myself once again. It is also great if used like a traveling pillow in bed if you want to keep you head elevated to change up the position you get to sleep in after the surgery, which is always on your back, no side or front, just back!!!

Cetaphil Cleansing Bar

This is the soap I'm using now since its best to use soaps and cleansers that have  no dye or fragrances in them as they could irritate the incisions.

And to add to the list:

water, lots of water, with a straw

comfy clothes, (you ain't going anywhere anyway)

compression bra, the hospital will give you one to go home in, but having a second is great so you can wash one and not have to go bra less, which you are not supposed to do.

lots of smaller meals that are easier to digest, like soup and crackers, something simple and easy

lots of movies and magazines to help you pass the time

Every week there will be different steps I will  be doing for recovery but this week is it just essentially relaxing and let my body adjust.

Thank you to everyone that prayed for me and my family. And thank you to those who privately messaged me or emailed me telling me your story and how you have had the same procedure and the obstacles of healing. Reading the messages honestly made me feel better knowing others have done the same thing and none whom I've spoken to have regretted it, which made me feel a thousand times better. I can honestly say that the moment I woke up until now I can feel a major difference in my back, neck, and shoulders and my posture has improved to a point that my hubby even pointed it out. 

Have a Happy Day Y'all! :)

A, B, C, D, E, F, G……..

The title of this post might have you thinking of the alphabet while it has me thinking of bra sizes! Yikes! If having a different body than before having a baby wasn't enough, having huge breastfeeding boobs must be the added kicker to remind you that your body went from a young girl to a full on women in a matter of a year.

I was a very lucky girl while I was pregnant and didn't have any symptoms beside the growing baby belly in the front of my stomach. I had an amazing and healthy birth of my son and even breastfeeding came naturally to me. I managed to get back into my size O jeans 4 days later and got back down to my pre-baby weight in a matter of a week, all things were looking up, until they started looking down. By down of course I mean my boobs were never the same, as most women will tell you that after breastfeeding their children.

I've already been on the bustier side, a 32D, which is already a weird and odd bra size to shop for as most stores don't carry them and the one's that do, will charge you a small fortunate just to keep your ladies up and perky….JERKS!!! After I gave birth to my son and began the remarkable task of breast feeding, my size of bra moved from the D cup all the way to the G cup family and still busting at the seems. It looked as though I was going to be an over producer which was great…..for my son, not for me:( Endless days and nights of feeding my son from one side and pumping 8 Oz's. at a sitting on the other side. I was able to pump 8 Oz's. from each side till the day I weaned my son…OUCH!!! To say weaning was difficult was the understatement of the year! He just wanted me, the milk-ready-at-the-right-temperature-cow I had become.

Eventually, after a whole year off the "KEG" he is all about the store bought milk and I couldn't be happier….for him. Me on the other hand was left with yes, my same size bra of 32D, but a different set of pretty ladies than I originally had. Always having felt too busty for my size woman, a 5"3' women weighing in at only 110 lbs., with the added back, neck, and shoulder pain, it felt like it was time to make a change and to be more comfortable. Before I knew it I was in the surgeon's office going over the breast reduction and lift that he will be performing on me this Thursday to be exact.

After lots of research and doubts, I'm finally happy with my decision, at least for now. I am so nervous that it has kept me up late at night. I have never had any surgeries in my life and being that this is the first time I will be put under I'm kinda FREAKING OUT!!! I know that I will be happy in the end. The hardest part from my understanding is the first week post-op due to a slight pain and the initial look of my scars while they are still fresh. Apparently a year from the surgery it won't even look like I had anything done but just the initial reaction is probably going to get to me.

This  has been a long process for me, dating back to I don't know how long ago, of getting a reduction and now that I'm standing on the threshold of having it done, I'm so scared. Many say that they were so happy after and they don't know why they waited so long to have it done, and I just hope I'm the same way. In all, this is a blessing that I'm grateful for and just pray to God to give me courage and the strength I need to get through it.

My hubby couldn't be more supportive, which is so surprising as most men would think I was crazy for going smaller, but fortunately for me my hubby understands and was reassured I was only going down a cup size ;) He was okay with that…MEN!!!

Till I get the chance to write again, thanks for listening. I will be sure to post, for those that are interested in the surgery, how it goes with details if you want.

Have a Happy Day!!! ;)