AL's Story continued

   It's unbelievable how much we use our chest muscles and we don't realize that until surgery like
that. Simple things like tying shoes, zipping my jeans, slamming the car door shut, combing my
long hair was impossible in the first week. I was walking hunched over, holding onto my breasts.
It felt like they were going to fall out.

   I really loved my new look but I was tired I guess of how useless I felt and after 1 week I was kind of
depressed. I started crying for no reason. Fortunately that didn't last long, I started feeling better in
my second week. Every day I felt better. It took me 2 weeks to get back to work.

   The breasts were slowly dropping and rounding up on the bottom. The incision area (crease) was
still numb all the way up to the nipple. I was getting strange sensations inside of the breasts, like
pins and needles or like a shooting pain. Later on I've learned that's from the nerves being squished
and them regenerating I guess. That went away after 1 year (but after several months I would get
that only every couple of days just for a second or two)

   Overall I felt almost my usual self after about a month. The left shoulder area felt still tight when I was
shaving my underarms. It took actually almost a year for the breasts do drop completely. It takes the
scars about 2 years to fade and look better.

   I must say, everyday when I look at myself I'm so happy with the results. It's the best thing I ever did
for myself and if I had to, I would do it again in a heartbeat. The implants don't feel heavy inside of
your body as they felt when I was "trying them on". I can feel them inside when I flex my muscles, that
feels a bit strange, but I'm used to it and it's not a big deal. To me they feel pretty soft and natural, but
then again I have nothing to compare them to. My husband must like them too, since he can't keep
his hands off them. I wear 34 C or 36 C bra, depending on the brand. Good thing that Dr. Levine
didn't hear that "large B (small C)" part, and went with "C". He really knew better.

   They say that plastic surgery doesn't change your life, but I would say it does. I'm much happier.
The only advice I would give to women considering BA. If YOU REALLY want to do it, go for it. Don't
listen to other people and don't do it just because you husband/boyfriend/ whoever suggests it.
You have to do it for yourself.