Explant & Recovery
When I first learned about Breast Implant Illness, it did not take me long to decide that I would explant. Knowing it would be a process, I got started right away. Women who have already gone through the process have compiled a list of well respected doctors who are known to either recognize BII or at the very least be willing to remove both the implants and capsules properly. FYI-capsules are the scar tissue that forms around all implants. It is our body's natural defense against a foreign object. In the plastic surgery world it is thought of as normal and many surgeons will say there is no reason to remove it. For women with BII, it is believed that the scar tissue absorbs many of the toxins from the implants and that healing cannot take place if it is not removed in its entirety. Because my intentions are to heal my many ailments I, of course, would not have it any other way. I was pleased to find a Kaiser doctor on the list and I immediately scheduled a consultation with him. I was surprised to see that my original plastic surgeon was also recommended. I thought I might explore my options, but once I met with my doctor and felt confident with him and his staff, I decided to schedule surgery as soon as possible. It also made sense to go with a doctor covered by insurance with no questions asked. Unfortunately, his schedule was already booked out several months, so I took his first available date, April 2nd. Seeing as we had a lot going on in February and March it actually worked out for the best.
On March 15th I had my pre-op appointment. An EKG was performed to check my heart function. A nurse took all my vitals, listened to my lungs and had me answer a ton of questions. It was determined that no additional lab work was necessary. On March 30th I met with my surgeon again to go over the procedure to make sure he and I were completely on the same page. I also had to sign my consent form. I was overall anxious for surgery day to come. It's obviously a bit scary to have general anesthesia, but I was excited about the possibility of feeling well and wanted to begin recovering as soon as possible.
The night before, I showered with the provided antiseptic soap and tried to put together things I thought I would need when I returned home the next day. I thought I'd be restless and nervous but I actually slept through the night, which happens to be pretty rare for me. I was awoken by a phone call from the surgery center around 7 a.m. and immediately thought my surgery would be cancelled. On the contrary, they were running ahead of schedule and asked me to come in an hour early. I took another quick shower and scrubbed with the antiseptic soap once again, as instructed. Chris had washed all our bedding and vacuumed our bedroom, as I was expected to have a very sterile space to recover in to prevent infection. I was extremely itchy due to not being able to lotion after showering. It was seriously torturous.
After dropping the kids at school and running a few very quick errands, we arrived at the surgery center around 10 am and everything moved pretty quickly. First off was all the usual stuff; temperature, oxygen levels, weight, blood pressure. I had to do a urine test to verify I wasn't pregnant. I was then given a gown to change into, paperwork to sign, gabapentin and tylenol to help with my post-op pain and a patch behind my ear for nausea. The nurse scrubbed the surgery area once again. My IV was started with some electrolytes and then Chris (hubby) and Tatiana (niece) were able to join me in the pre-op room until it was time to head to the OR. I met with the anesthesiologist and she explained what they would do to keep me comfortable. Then my doctor showed up and marked the intended incisions with a permanent marker. The incisions would be much larger than the previous ones, as saline implants are inserted as empty shells then filled up once inside the chest. Now they would be coming out completely full. He said if put to the test he could remove the implants in a minute. It is the capsules that would take some time. He expected two and a half to three hours total. I reminded him that I wanted both the implants and capsules sent to pathology for testing.
I didn't get the chance to speak to my surgeon again that day so I'll be curious to hear how everything went at my post-op appointment. I felt seriously thirsty and must have had my water cup refilled at least three times before Chris and Tati came back. By then I was just sleepy, but otherwise very comfortable. The nurse explained to us how to empty my drains and measure what was coming out. I thought at the time I was alert and coherent, but thinking back on it, there are some things that seem a bit foggy. Once I felt up to it Chris helped me get dressed then headed out to grab the truck and Tati stayed with me while another nurse wheeled me downstairs.
I was pretty surprised by how little pain I was feeling. I only have vague memories of the day I had my breast augmentation. Mostly it was all a big blur, but I do recall that it was very painful and I felt so restricted. But leaving the surgery center on Monday, I actually felt so relaxed and at ease. It felt like I could actually take a deep breath for the first time in years. Feeling my lungs fill completely was literally and figuratively like a weight off my chest.
My one request post-surgery was an iced coffee, so we ran by Starbucks on our drive back home and also grabbed some food, as I hadn't eaten since 10 pm the night before. Surprisingly, I didn't have much of an appetite, but did need to eat something with my pain medication and antibiotics. I had arranged for Ashli (BFF) to pick up the boys from school and we actually ended up beating her home by just a few minutes. By the time she arrived at the house (with a beautiful bouquet of flowers) I had changed into comfy clothes and was going to settle in to bed to relax. Except, I felt like I had a ton of restless energy. My boys came to my bedroom and gave me small, gentle hugs and were likely quickly escorted off by Chris, as they're pretty much little petri dishes of germs and couldn't be contaminating my clean space. I ended up chatting with Ash and Tati in bed for what felt like a long time, but I don't actually remember.
It was a family gathering in the bathroom when we dumped my drains for the first time, as that seemed to be the strangest part. The purpose of the drains is to collect the fluid where there is now an empty space in my chest.
I wanted to be up and about, but everyone was watching me a little too carefully and probably for good reason. Now, almost a week later, I can't recall much of the rest of this day, other than feeling really relaxed and happy with my decision.
The day after surgery was probably the worst because of the terrible headache you get after having anesthesia. I also had a very sore throat from the breathing tube, so I was drinking a lot of hot tea. I was itchy all over, probably from the pain meds, but I also still had an orange tint around most of my upper body from the iodine so thankfully I was able to shower right away. I hung my drains from the faucet lever, so other than being a bit annoying, they weren't too big of a deal when it came to getting clean. My dad brought dinner and a delicious edible arrangement and stayed to watch a movie.
The rest of the week was pretty low key. My throat continued to hurt for several days. I was sore around my incisions, but more so around the drain sites. I was mostly sleepy, but trying to get any rest while propped up with three pillows is torture for this typically curled up side sleeper. Any sleep I did get was restless because I had to be mindful of everything. I think by Wednesday night I stopped being so cautious and rolled onto one side so I could sleep a few somewhat comfortable, solid hours. But, lucky me, the percocet was giving me terrible nightmares. I was also super bloated and looked swollen for several days. I was icing my incisions, as well as the top of my chest. Each morning and evening I dumped my drains and measured the fluid coming out. Everything became pretty routine and I kept on schedule with my antibiotics, but cut back on pain meds and was just taking some Advil if I felt I needed it. 
By Friday I was ready for some fresh air so Chris & I had lunch together & strolled around Target. That night I was craving some adult interaction outside of my doting husband & I invited friends over. They are of course the best ever so they came with amazing food, even better gifts and their company was very appreciated.
For those of you wondering if any of my symptoms have improved, the short answer is YES! Of course this will be a long process. It took me many years to become as sick as I was, so it will take some time to heal. But, thankfully, there are already many things that have improved.
I feel so much relief from the tension and inflammation in my neck, shoulders and upper back that I've been vigorously treating via physical therapy for over a year.
I am no longer waking up with completely numb and tingling hands. I even managed to open several cans and cut food on my own Friday night, which feels like quite the accomplishment after having to ask for help because of the weakness and fatigue in my hands these past few months. If you know me, you know that asking for help is at the very bottom of the list of things I like to do.
Despite less than stellar sleep and general grogginess from the surgery, I actually feel more energetic than I have in years. It had become such a struggle to get out of bed in the morning. And not the "I don't want to adult today" kind of struggle. More of a "I would rather die because it sounds restful" kind of struggle.
I've also gone down the hill several times since surgery and haven't once had to clear my ears or deal with fullness for the remainder of the day. Typically leaving our home, which is at a higher altitude than the city, always resulted in painful earaches.
My constant sinus congestion is completely gone and I'm no longer feeling stuffed up every morning, as if I have a cold coming on.
Now, of course I have some healing to do from the surgery itself, but I just want to get out and do the things I've been missing or struggling to do for so long!
So, yes, I am feeling much better. Which, when I think about it, is pretty remarkable at one week after surgery! However, there are many deeper issues I will need to address and work on that will take some time, so I'm hoping I can have some patience with myself. But, for now, I just feel overall happy and proud of my decision.
I will have lots more to share in the next few days and I'm hoping to not go so long between posts for the sake of accurate details. My memory is still a bit shaky, but for now I'm going to chalk that up to being on medication.
Talk soon
XOXO
On March 15th I had my pre-op appointment. An EKG was performed to check my heart function. A nurse took all my vitals, listened to my lungs and had me answer a ton of questions. It was determined that no additional lab work was necessary. On March 30th I met with my surgeon again to go over the procedure to make sure he and I were completely on the same page. I also had to sign my consent form. I was overall anxious for surgery day to come. It's obviously a bit scary to have general anesthesia, but I was excited about the possibility of feeling well and wanted to begin recovering as soon as possible. The night before, I showered with the provided antiseptic soap and tried to put together things I thought I would need when I returned home the next day. I thought I'd be restless and nervous but I actually slept through the night, which happens to be pretty rare for me. I was awoken by a phone call from the surgery center around 7 a.m. and immediately thought my surgery would be cancelled. On the contrary, they were running ahead of schedule and asked me to come in an hour early. I took another quick shower and scrubbed with the antiseptic soap once again, as instructed. Chris had washed all our bedding and vacuumed our bedroom, as I was expected to have a very sterile space to recover in to prevent infection. I was extremely itchy due to not being able to lotion after showering. It was seriously torturous.
After dropping the kids at school and running a few very quick errands, we arrived at the surgery center around 10 am and everything moved pretty quickly. First off was all the usual stuff; temperature, oxygen levels, weight, blood pressure. I had to do a urine test to verify I wasn't pregnant. I was then given a gown to change into, paperwork to sign, gabapentin and tylenol to help with my post-op pain and a patch behind my ear for nausea. The nurse scrubbed the surgery area once again. My IV was started with some electrolytes and then Chris (hubby) and Tatiana (niece) were able to join me in the pre-op room until it was time to head to the OR. I met with the anesthesiologist and she explained what they would do to keep me comfortable. Then my doctor showed up and marked the intended incisions with a permanent marker. The incisions would be much larger than the previous ones, as saline implants are inserted as empty shells then filled up once inside the chest. Now they would be coming out completely full. He said if put to the test he could remove the implants in a minute. It is the capsules that would take some time. He expected two and a half to three hours total. I reminded him that I wanted both the implants and capsules sent to pathology for testing. 
We waited and talked for a bit before the nurses came back for the final time. They filled up my IV with the good stuff and I said goodbye a bit after 11 am. I vaguely remember rolling into the operating room and the nurse asking me what I do for work. Next thing I know I was groggily waking up in the recovery room and a new nurse was feeding me apple sauce and asking far more questions than I felt capable of answering. Why was I having this surgery? What symptoms was I having? What would I do with my removed implants? How was I feeling? I felt confused and just asked him if it was done. He said yes, but I was also confused when my blurred vision started to come into focus and I noticed the time wasn't quite 1:30 yet. It seemed too early. Apparently my surgeon was in the waiting room talking to Chris and giving him my prescriptions by 12:30 so it actually went even quicker than I realized at the time, but it had taken me some time to wake up from the anesthesia.
I didn't get the chance to speak to my surgeon again that day so I'll be curious to hear how everything went at my post-op appointment. I felt seriously thirsty and must have had my water cup refilled at least three times before Chris and Tati came back. By then I was just sleepy, but otherwise very comfortable. The nurse explained to us how to empty my drains and measure what was coming out. I thought at the time I was alert and coherent, but thinking back on it, there are some things that seem a bit foggy. Once I felt up to it Chris helped me get dressed then headed out to grab the truck and Tati stayed with me while another nurse wheeled me downstairs.
I was pretty surprised by how little pain I was feeling. I only have vague memories of the day I had my breast augmentation. Mostly it was all a big blur, but I do recall that it was very painful and I felt so restricted. But leaving the surgery center on Monday, I actually felt so relaxed and at ease. It felt like I could actually take a deep breath for the first time in years. Feeling my lungs fill completely was literally and figuratively like a weight off my chest.
My one request post-surgery was an iced coffee, so we ran by Starbucks on our drive back home and also grabbed some food, as I hadn't eaten since 10 pm the night before. Surprisingly, I didn't have much of an appetite, but did need to eat something with my pain medication and antibiotics. I had arranged for Ashli (BFF) to pick up the boys from school and we actually ended up beating her home by just a few minutes. By the time she arrived at the house (with a beautiful bouquet of flowers) I had changed into comfy clothes and was going to settle in to bed to relax. Except, I felt like I had a ton of restless energy. My boys came to my bedroom and gave me small, gentle hugs and were likely quickly escorted off by Chris, as they're pretty much little petri dishes of germs and couldn't be contaminating my clean space. I ended up chatting with Ash and Tati in bed for what felt like a long time, but I don't actually remember. 
It was a family gathering in the bathroom when we dumped my drains for the first time, as that seemed to be the strangest part. The purpose of the drains is to collect the fluid where there is now an empty space in my chest. I wanted to be up and about, but everyone was watching me a little too carefully and probably for good reason. Now, almost a week later, I can't recall much of the rest of this day, other than feeling really relaxed and happy with my decision.
The day after surgery was probably the worst because of the terrible headache you get after having anesthesia. I also had a very sore throat from the breathing tube, so I was drinking a lot of hot tea. I was itchy all over, probably from the pain meds, but I also still had an orange tint around most of my upper body from the iodine so thankfully I was able to shower right away. I hung my drains from the faucet lever, so other than being a bit annoying, they weren't too big of a deal when it came to getting clean. My dad brought dinner and a delicious edible arrangement and stayed to watch a movie. 
The rest of the week was pretty low key. My throat continued to hurt for several days. I was sore around my incisions, but more so around the drain sites. I was mostly sleepy, but trying to get any rest while propped up with three pillows is torture for this typically curled up side sleeper. Any sleep I did get was restless because I had to be mindful of everything. I think by Wednesday night I stopped being so cautious and rolled onto one side so I could sleep a few somewhat comfortable, solid hours. But, lucky me, the percocet was giving me terrible nightmares. I was also super bloated and looked swollen for several days. I was icing my incisions, as well as the top of my chest. Each morning and evening I dumped my drains and measured the fluid coming out. Everything became pretty routine and I kept on schedule with my antibiotics, but cut back on pain meds and was just taking some Advil if I felt I needed it. 
By Friday I was ready for some fresh air so Chris & I had lunch together & strolled around Target. That night I was craving some adult interaction outside of my doting husband & I invited friends over. They are of course the best ever so they came with amazing food, even better gifts and their company was very appreciated.
I am still overall surprised by how little pain/soreness I am feeling. I think if it weren't for the drains this would be a breeze. I hope things don't fall apart when I get them removed and I end up regretting saying that.
Speaking of, my fluid levels have gone from 60-65 combined mL a day to almost nothing, as of this evening, so I will see a nurse tomorrow morning to have them taken out. I am super excited, as I am ready to be free of constantly having to find the best place to attach them, keeping the cords from catching on things and concealing them under my clothes when I leave the house. Not only are they sore, but they have been super itchy and as of this evening I discovered a pretty significant rash on my left side. I've heard horror stories about the removal so I'm also a little nervous. Nothing I can't handle after making it this far, right?!
For those of you wondering if any of my symptoms have improved, the short answer is YES! Of course this will be a long process. It took me many years to become as sick as I was, so it will take some time to heal. But, thankfully, there are already many things that have improved.
First off, my eyes have been yellow and blood shot for the last few months, along with redness and dark circles. They are finally white again and I actually look a little more alert than your average zombie mom.
I feel so much relief from the tension and inflammation in my neck, shoulders and upper back that I've been vigorously treating via physical therapy for over a year.
I am no longer waking up with completely numb and tingling hands. I even managed to open several cans and cut food on my own Friday night, which feels like quite the accomplishment after having to ask for help because of the weakness and fatigue in my hands these past few months. If you know me, you know that asking for help is at the very bottom of the list of things I like to do.
Despite less than stellar sleep and general grogginess from the surgery, I actually feel more energetic than I have in years. It had become such a struggle to get out of bed in the morning. And not the "I don't want to adult today" kind of struggle. More of a "I would rather die because it sounds restful" kind of struggle.
I've also gone down the hill several times since surgery and haven't once had to clear my ears or deal with fullness for the remainder of the day. Typically leaving our home, which is at a higher altitude than the city, always resulted in painful earaches.
My constant sinus congestion is completely gone and I'm no longer feeling stuffed up every morning, as if I have a cold coming on.
Now, of course I have some healing to do from the surgery itself, but I just want to get out and do the things I've been missing or struggling to do for so long!
So, yes, I am feeling much better. Which, when I think about it, is pretty remarkable at one week after surgery! However, there are many deeper issues I will need to address and work on that will take some time, so I'm hoping I can have some patience with myself. But, for now, I just feel overall happy and proud of my decision.
I will have lots more to share in the next few days and I'm hoping to not go so long between posts for the sake of accurate details. My memory is still a bit shaky, but for now I'm going to chalk that up to being on medication.
Talk soon
XOXO
Jessica, I can't tellyou how encouraging your post-op post is for me! I'm jus beginning to research and explore the possibility of explanting, and your detailed explanation of your pre-op life, day of surgery, and no your post-op journey are so helpful. I wish you the best as you recover and thank you again for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi Terry. Thank you for reading! I am so glad that any part of this crazy journey could be helpful for others. Before my surgery I wanted to take in any and all information to have some expectation of what I would be going through, so I'm happy to help provide that for you. I hope you find health and wellness, as well. Thank you for your kind words.
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