Today marks two weeks since I had my breast implants removed. I did get the surgical drains removed one week post surgery. Finally having those removed made the road to recovery much easier. They are not painful as much as they are just bothersome. The drain holes become very irritated by the end of the day, just making it uncomfortable.
I am wearing a very snug compression bra and will stay in this for about six weeks total. This is to help the hole close up that was left after removing the implants. Of course, that bra sits right on the drain holes that are healing, so there is still minimal discomfort.
I left the recliner at night after the drains were removed and moved into my bed in a propped up motion. I am not sleeping quite as comfortably because I tend to slip down and cannot use my arms to scoot myself back into position. I am hoping to find the perfect setup with pillows and such very soon so I can sleep without waking every hour. I have also woken myself suddenly by trying to turn over in my sleep. It is quite painful and instantly jolts me back into position on my back.
My energy is great which makes it difficult to stay calm and settled. For two solid weeks I am not to do anything that raises my heart rate to minimize the risk of fluid building back up. Also, arm movement is still pretty limited. No lifting anything heavier than 5 pounds and my range of motion above my head is very limited. I am able to drive which makes it seem like I am free again.
If you have been following along you know I am totally honest with my experience. That being said, I will share a couple of very odd side effects from either the removal or just surgery itself. My skin was incredibly dry for about 2 weeks after the operation. My arms and legs were scaly and literally flaky no matter how much lotion or oil I used. But even worse, the detox odor that comes along with this surgery is no joke! It is very common with explant surgery, although nobody has a definitive answer as to why it happen. My body is obviously flushing Anesthesia and toxic load build-up but also breast implants significantly effect your hormones, as they are endocrine disruptors. The removal of the implants likely effect hormones as well. This is one part of recovery I am looking forward to going away- but on the positive side, my lymphatic system is functioning well and I am getting that junk OUT of my body.
I am looking forward to adding some casual walking back into my routine and possibly some stationary bike when I am given the go ahead.
I have been able to really look at my new body now and I am very happy with the results. Things will continue to change for the next 12 to 18 months, but considering I went from a small D cup to barely an A cup, I am happy and content. The body image issue I was concerned with doesn’t seem to be an issue.
My breast size does not define me. And yours doesn’t define you either.