Danielle's Story

My name is Danielle and I had breast augmentation in January of 2004. At the time, I was 25 years old, 5'8" tall and weighed 135 pounds. My breast size was a 34A before surgery but I am now a full 34C.

I can recall being self-conscious about my breast size as early as the 5th grade. I always thought about surgery during high school and college but never thought I would go through with the procedure. It was something I never truly considered because I was concerned with what others would think. My feelings were quickly changed in July of 2003 when a friend came over to tell me that she had actually followed through with the procedure. I was AMAZED when I saw her results and began to research breast augmentation for myself. I spent hours on the Internet looking at before and after photos and trying to educate myself on various surgical techniques. I decided to schedule a consultation with my friend's surgeon but was able to meet with a new physician in the area first, Dr. William Hedden. I took in several photos from the internet to give him an idea of the results I was looking for with surgery. My main concern was being too large and looking unnatural after surgery. After meeting him and his nurse, I was very comfortable and felt his recommendations would give me the results I was looking for. I wanted a second opinion and kept my appointment with my friend's doctor. When he gave similar recommendations, I decided to follow through with the procedure with Dr. Hedden. I met with him 3 times to try on sizers before I chose my implant size. He used a McGhan smooth, round, moderate profile implant that was 350 cc and would be overfilled to 375cc. The implant would be placed sub-muscularly with the incision under my breasts.

I put off surgery for 4 months to accommodate my and my husband's schedule. I put down a $200 deposit when I scheduled my appointment and had to pay the remaining balance 2 weeks before surgery. In trying to avoid using vacation time, my procedure was planned for a Wednesday afternoon following a work stretch that would allow me 4 days off. I had to go all day without drinking, eating or chewing gum, and I am a gum addict. I should have just taken a vacation day and had the surgery Wednesday morning! I wasn't really nervous until my husband and I started to drive to Dr. Hedden's office. We met with the nurse and my IV was started. Dr. Hedden came in to mark my chest and take final measurements. I was also able to meet the certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) who would be monitoring my anesthesia. Dr. Hedden and I had previously discussed that he preferred conscious sedation to general anesthesia with this procedure; a plan with which I was very comfortable. The last thing I remember was walking back to the surgical suite.

I don't remember much of my recovery time at his office. My husband tells me that the nurse came out and asked for a piece of gum at my request. I had given him a piece to keep in his pocket for afterward-I am really an addict! I can remember sitting up to put my sports bra on and feeling like I had a ton of bricks on my chest. I can remember holding my chest and doing Lamaze type breathing to get through the pain. There was intense pressure and it felt as if my chest was going to explode. We stayed in a hotel that night in order to make the follow-up appointment the next morning (his main office was a few hours from our home). I don't recall much from that night other than my husband feeding me soup and making me get up and move around as the doctor ordered! He had to wrap his arm around my back and lift me from supine to sit because I could not move on my own. It was pretty painful to make this transition and to remain upright. During surgery, my husband had my prescriptions filled: antibiotics, meprozine for pain and diazepam for muscle spasms. These worked well for me so the first 3 days are all a blur. I can remember pulling up to the parking lot the next morning and riding on the elevator. I was terrified to have Dr. Hedden examine my breasts for fear of pain, but it wasn't that painful. I was pretty swollen and was concerned that I had gone too large with the implants. He said everything looked great and reminded me that I was still swollen!

We went home and I slept most of the day Thursday and Friday, but moved around at regular intervals to rehab myself. My main limitations were rolling over in bed, rising from the bed/couch and washing my hair. My husband continued to assist me over the weekend. I started to wean myself from the medicine on Saturday night and Sunday so I could return to work on Monday. It was Monday morning that I was able to slide off the bed by myself and wash my hair by leaning my head forward without his help. I was able to work that day as a rehab therapist, but couldn't perform any lifting or overhead reaching tasks. I was able to get through the day with ibuprofen only and my pain was well managed. I was exhausted at the end of the day but managed to work the entire week.

I was able to move my arms fully by the end of the first week. It took nearly 2 weeks for me to be able to sit up normally from the bed or couch. It was uncomfortable to sleep on my side. It was a month before I attempted to sleep on my stomach. I went back 2 weeks after surgery to have my stitches removed, which was an unpleasant experience.

It has been a year and a half since I had the procedure and I could not be more pleased with the results. Once the swelling went down, I felt like I had selected the perfect size implant for my body shape and size. It is easier for me to shop because my chest is in proportion with the rest of my body. I would change nothing about my decision to have breast augmentation because it has been a great experience for me. For others who feel the way I did, I would recommend that they make an appointment to speak with a physician because it has made a world of difference in my confidence and in my life.