wow its done! I cant believe it.

Dad and I rocked up at the hospital about 11:30am and we sat around til about 12:15 when they finally admitted me. We went over all the same questions as before- "Do you have allergies, do you have any health problems" etc etc. I had been feeling queasy and nervous on and off while waiting in the room, but once I said goodbye to dad and they took me in, I was strangley calm. I went into a dressing room and had to change into the hospital gown, dressing gown, paper hat, paper slipper and paper undies - it was such a fashionable look heheh! I actually snuck a couple of photos in.

I went to the toilet and gave the nurse a urine sample, and then we put my bags in the locker and she took me to a bed where I got up on and she hooked up the leg stocking things. They wrapped around my knees and calves and every 45 seconds they fill up with air- kind of like the things they use around your arms when taking your blood pressure. They fill up with air and then release. Its to help prevent deep vein thrombosis I believe.

This was about 1:10pm and I watched a bit of Dr Phil and a variety of people came by, asking me more health questions and general chit chat.

Finally, I was wheeled down the hall about 1:30pm, and my bed was placed just outside one of the operating theatres. I was still completely calm. I could have even had a nap, I was so comfortable and relaxed in this bed. I got chatting to a young girl who was a medical student and would be coming into my surgery to observe the procedure. Dr Gaffield then came in and I got up from the bed and lowered my gown and he started drawing on me and we spoke about size. He remembered I had previously said large B/small C cup during our first consultation in April.

I told him how mum and I had thought since then, that a B cup would be a better size. Just because I might get bigger with age, with weight gain, with pregnancy etc. And the bigger I am the more I'm likely to sag again. Althought Dr Gaffield agreed, he said he didn't want to go too small in case I regretted it. If I went too small, the only way to fix that would be with implants, where as if in a few years I feel I'm still a tad too big, there are very easy ways to fix that. Not sure what he meant by that, but maybe through liposuction of the boobs. *shrugs* Anyway, I said I trusted his opinion, since he is the expert and just wanted to be a good size that suited me.

He then drew all over my hips and thighs, marking where he would be removing lipo and where he wouldn't be. I looked like a crazy piece of art with blue pen all over me in a range of squiggles, dots and lines.

I got back up on the bed, and was wheeled into the operating room. There were so many people in there, Dr Gaffield, the anaesthetist, his assistant, the medical student, at least 3 or more nurses setting up things. I laid there for a good 5-10 minutes while they were talking to me and setting things up. They had the radio on and that stupid Faker song, Hurricane was playing and I was praying it would not be the last song I heard before going under. Luckily it wasn't!

I joked to the anaesthetist's assistant, that its moments like this I wish I had not seen so many episodes of Nip/Tuck! I had so many images flashing in my head. But still fairly calm.

The anaesthetists came in and I told him as well that I had woken up today with a stuffy nose, but he said that wouldn't be a problem. He tied a strap around my left bicep, really really tightly (ouch!) to make the veins show up. He tapped my hand to bring them up and that hurt a little- lack of blood flow, pins and needles, and his tapping. It was weird. Not really hurting, just a little uncomfortable. He then said he was putting in the drip and said there would be a small bite/sting. There was, but after my latest tattoo on the back of my neck, this really didn't hurt that much at all.

A mask came over my face but it was just oxygen and I took a few deep breaths and they kept setting up and talking. Then he said he was going to put me to sleep and BAM......

Next thing I remember, I'm waking up, some people are talking to me. Its all a bit of a blur, but I slowly came to and nurses told me it was all done. They asked if I had any pain, but strangely I didn't. I said I needed to pee and they said I had a cathedar in, which would make me feel like I needed to pee, and if I did need to, to just go. The tube goes into your bladder and the urine just flows into a bag.

I had crazy shakes for a little while, like my whole lower body was shuddering. I've had this same shakes a few times, sometimes when I've smoked pot (hence why I don't do it, I really don't like the feeling I get on it)

My eyesight was strangley blurring for a while, and I couldn't see things in the distance clearly. It was like my eyesight BEFORE my laser eye surgery a few years ago. I had a little mini freak out that somehow my eyesight had been reverted back the way it used to be, but realized that wasn't the case and it soon cleared up.

Eventually they wheeled me to my room and my head felt very clear. I couldn't believe how awake I was. It was about 7.30pm and I put on the tv and was watching Big Brother. The nurses set me up with some water and my mobile phone and the room phone all on the table beside me. The got me changed out of the gown and put on my pajama top. I didn't have any pants or underwear on because I still had the cathedar in. It was the strangest feeling. I felt like I had a very full bladder and I tried to pee- although I didn't feel like I did anything my bladder suddenly felt empty. Seriously if only I had one of those when I'm at home watching movies heheheh!

My mouth was extremely dry and I kept drinking sips of water while I watched more tv. I sms'ed mum, dad, david, Rachel, dan and others. Mum and dad both called and then david called later on and they couldn't believe how alert and awake I was.

I was able to look at my new boobs and they looked pretty fantastic even though they had gauze over both boobs, covering the nipples. But the shape of the boobs was amazing. They were tight and perky and firm. They definitely look slightly smaller and not as wide, but they just sit up so high!!!!! They haven't been like this since high school.

I have about 8 little bits of gauze on my thighs and hips. I can definitely feel my inner thighs are missing a fair bit of fat, and I think my outer thighs and top of my hips feel smaller, although there is a fair bit of swelling. I'm not too bruised yet but I think they will start showing up over the next few days.

I finally tried to sleep about 11pm, however the drip made a noise every 30 seconds and the leg tights filled up with air every 45 seconds, so I was struggling to fall asleep.

I turned on the tv and the radio and found it easier to doze with that as background noise.
I slept ok but did wake up pretty much every hour. Someone came in and took my temperature and blood pressure every 30 minutes until about 11.30pm, then it was just every hour, and then every four hours.

I didn't have any more pain relivers until 3am, when I asked for some more morphine. My left boob wasn't hurting but I was "aware" of it. On a pain scale of 1-10 I would have said it was a 2 or 3. I also hoped the morphine would help me sleep. I still woke up every hour but I don't feel tired after this restless sleep.

A nurse came in about 6am and took my blood pressure and temperature again, and then I turned the tv back on and also got one of the nurses to bring over my laptop and I started writing this post.

Since starting it, Dr Gaffield and his assistant Sascha came by. Sascha took off the gauze and I could finally see my nipples. There is still this type of tape around the nipple and down the breast, where the incisions are. She took the leg stocking things off and put me into this compression suit. Its black think stretchy satin, with lace around each leg and around the middle. It goes from my knees, right up to under my boobs and is really tight. Its to help keep your new shape and she said it also helps the fluid come out of your body. Before liposuction they inject a large amount of saline fluid into the areas to help break down the fat cells and make it easier to suck them out. I believe the fluid will come out in your urine (another reason I had the cathedar in) and I might leak a bit from the small incisions. Ew!

I have to wear the compression suit for 6 weeks, all the time, except when showering and washing it. It is crotchless and has this hole that runs between my legs, from front to back. So I'm meant to pee and poo with this thing on!!!!! OMG!

I got up before and went to the toilet and peed. It kinda hurt sitting on the toilet because I have an incision on the back of each thigh right where I sit. I just don't think the hole at the back feels big enough to wipe my bum if I do a no#2. I've got so many issues about poop already, now I have to wear this thing for 6 weeks? Hopefully as incisions heal and I'm a little less sensitive I will be able to take the compression suit on and off with ease, I really hope so.

I've looked at my boobs a lot now in the mirror and taken a bunch of photos. I'm happy with the look of them, although they do look more perky and very full at the top. But I know with time they will settle down.

I can feel less fat on my inner thighs but its hard to tell on my hips/outer thighs. My ass and thighs still look pretty much the same, but I really hope that's because of swelling and everything. I hope my lower half is more slimmed down, as I was really looking forward to losing a bit of the flab and will be disappointed if the results aren't as good as I hoped.

I think I'll just go home this afternoon and not stay the extra night, as I have almost no pain, and surprisingly I don't have drains. I thought I would have had them and had always heard that looking after them was important and can be a bit difficult so an extra day in the hospital would be a lot easier for me and mum.

I think when I peed before and it hurt the back of my right thigh, and then from getting up and down from the bed, I bumped the incision and made it bleed. I just got up from the bed and saw some fresh blood on the sheets, and can feel it on the back of my right thigh. Lucky everything I'm wearing is black, but the nurse has just taken my sheets and is changing them over. I'm sure its only a tiny bit of blood and mostly fluid so I'm not too worried though I might called Sascha and check with her.

Anyway its 10.25am now and I believe a photographer is coming at 10.30am to get a follow up photo for the article in Thursdays paper, so I might try and make myself look less disgusting heheh.
Will no doubt write more (although I wont be able to upload this til I get home and have net access again)

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Posted by reanon to Breast Reduction Journal at 6/20/2006 07:18:00 PM