III. Pre-op Room Preparations: Once in the Pre-Op room, which you will share with many other people, but curtains will give you privacy, you are instructed to take of your clothes and put on that oh-so-flattering hospital gown
and these cool socks (which you get to keep!!) Your valuables are placed in a locker, and if you choose to bring your prescriptions (a good idea just to verify) they will be placed under a more heavily guarded location, since they are narcotics, or the person with you (your care taker) can hold on to them.
A. The Nurse: A Nurse will greet you in the hospital waiting room and direct you into your pre-op “cubical” of sorts. She will take your vitals (temp, blood pressure, etc) and ask you a few allergy questions, height and weight.
B. Anesthesiologist: Once the nurse is done with her preliminaries the Anesthesiologist will arrive. He/she will explain which type of anesthesia you will be put under and how it is performed. If you have general anesthesia there will be a tube put down your throat- if this is the case she will check your teeth for any damage so that the hospital isn’t sued for it (Honestly, it’s like doing the walk around for a rental car). The Anesthesiologist will then ask more detailed questions: Have you ever been sedated before? If so, how did you react? Do you smoke? Drink? Do drugs? Then you will be hooked up to an IV which will pump a mixture of hydrating liquids and electrolytes (remember you haven’t drunken anything for hours now!).
C. Surgeon: Last but certainly not least, your surgeon will come in. this is the time to ask any little detail, question, whatever that you are curious about. This is also the time to verify size and cleavage issues, if any are present (some people have natural cleavage, others need to have theirs amped up). Your surgeon will then mark the operation site with weird Surgeon codes and then you bid each other farewell, for the mean time.
D. Things to do before you go into the OR: Go to the bathroom!!! Seriously, I don’t care if you don’t think you have to- GO! Better now when you’re not sore or woozy.
E. Going into the room: The first round of sedation occurs in the pre-op room. An injection of a “calming” medicine is put into your IV and you just chill out…you are wheeled into the OR and any memory after that will probably be pretty vague.
IV. AFTER SURGERY!
A. Phase 1 recovery: In this stage you have just been taken out from the OR with surgery completed. Still asleep, your vitals will be monitored constantly until you come to. This can take anywhere from 30minutes to an hour and a half. When you come to you will probably be very groggy.
Be prepared for a myriad of nurses to swoop on you asking about “on a scale of 1-10 how is the pain?” Say 6, you want them pain meds before you actually NEED them. Also, they offer saltines and some juice or water for nausea. I took a saltine, but wasn’t really nauseous at all. You will remain in Phase one until the Nurses are satisfied that the anesthesia has worn off enough and you are fit to move into Phase 2.
B. Phase 2 recovery: In Phase 2 Recovery you will be sat into a nice recliner and your vitals will again be constantly monitored, expect your blood pressure to be taken at least 3 times. The Nurses will ask you how you feel and if you are ready for them to send your guardian or friend whom accompanied you into the room. Then you just chill out for a bit, talking, drinking water, etc. One thing you may notice is that you may be a bit puffy. My fingers were swollen like I just had a refeed on white bread and salt shots…ick.
C. Leaving the Hospital: After about 30min- 1 hour in Phase to, you will most likely be allowed to go home. Into the wheel chair you go (your guardian or friend/ whatever will be asked to bring their car to the front) and the nurse will wheel you out to your get-away car. Watch out for that seat belt; best to clamp is and hold it the band that crosses your torso down so it doesn’t touch your chest.
D. At home: Try to have the area you will be resting in all ready when you get home. Keep your cheat elevated by propping yourself up on some pillows. In reaching distance you should have: water, your meds, something like chicken broth to sip on, mints or bland crackers for nausea, books. Anything to keep you comfortable.
E. Doctor’s orders: The following are some strict orders that my Surgeon gave me:
•Try to keep elevated as much as possible, this will keep swelling down and be much more comfortable for you.
•Keep a bra/ace bandage on 24/7 for 4 weeks or until otherwise instructed. (Yes, of course you may take it off in the shower).
•
You may shower the next day (unless other wise instructed). Wash the area with antibacterial soap, but don’t move any tape or cord around, don’t wash over the actual incisions which should be covered by a very sticky industrial medical tape. Be prepared for some icky bruising under your breasts and into the cleavage- that’s ok! Don’t freak. It would be strange if your body wasn’t bruising, as it is part of the natural healing process. Consider it body tie-dye if ya want.
•Take your pain meds regularly. It is best to take them before you begin to really need them. Also make sure you continue to take your anti-biotic till it is all gone.
Failure to do so may increase your chance of infection because the germs become immune to the antibiotic you were taking.
•Massage the Breasts to ease muscle pain and break up scar issue: gently, as though you were doing and home breast exam, press lightly into the tops of your breast moving in small circles, and do this on the sides as well- Not from the bottom- this is where the bruising will mostly be…don’t mess. Also, don’t massage too hard- this might be sore but it should feel like some relief.
•Call or page him (he should give you his pager number) if you are concerned with ANYTHING! Everyone wants you to recover well, so don’t think you’re being annoying by making sure that you’re bruising isn’t the first signs of infection, etc. In fact infections usually don’t show themselves till at least 5 days post-op. Um, yay?
oSigns of infection can be redness, increasing swollenness, your breasts feeling feverish, oozing at the incision site or at the catheter site, pain that is sever and not relieved by medication, vomiting, etc.
Tips:
1.I wasn’t joking about those meds. I made the mistake of going linens shopping for college. Ya’ll know how girls can be with this, a 30 minute trip turned into a 3 hour and by the end I my back was killing me and the tension in my breast was very uncomfortable.
2.Sit up straight! Don’t let the muscles in your back get tight, this will make you hunch a bit and cause more upper back tension.
3.Keep comfy, relax, sleep…
4.
Sleep a lot, it helps your body’s batteries recharge.
5.When opening things, like med bottles, pretend you are a lobster or crab and open them with a pinching motion. By this I mean, make your hand like a claw (or a C) and put your thumb on the bottom of what you are trying to open and then use that as a steadying point from which you can push-down and twist the top off with you fingers. This totally takes the pecs out of the operation.
6.Lean over to take off shirts, do hair, etc. Again, this takes pecs out of the motion.
7.Walk around as soon as you feel able to- it will loosen your muscles and keep your active self sane!
8. Make sure the person you have chosen to stay with you is up for the task. The last thing you need is someone getting testy with you for asking for help, food, etc. Also, you may be a bit cranky, but try to be as pleasent as possible- it makes life easier for you and the person watching out for ya.
** I’m gonna add a tone more tips to this later! Wahahaha!
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All this B-day and surgery support is amazing!!! I just wanted to give ya'll a heads up that my breast augmentation went amazingly well.
Food: 
thanks for the reminder Miz B)...yea, the meds must have finally driven me crazy. Ok, nutritional requirements rehashed:
mmm, hash browns...well the appetitie must be coming back 
)
Ice the girls once they can handle it. DO NOT PUT ICE DIRECTLY ON SKIN. You could put the ziploc or w/e bag you are using directly on, but it is best to avoid direct contact because you don't want your incision area/ stiches wet more than necessary. I'm using a gallon size zip loc filling it 1/2 way with ice and wrapping it in a towel before setting it on. Helps sooo much.
