Re: Explanting Friday - a bit scared

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Congratulations on scheduling your explant! I know how you are feeling

about this important decision. I think most of us were quite

trepidacious about it, not knowing what we were going to be dealing with

on the other side of the surgery. Unknowns always produce a certain

amount of fear. And when it entails our self-image, it is doubly-hard.

But I think there would be dozens and dozens of women, myself included,

that would say to you that going through explant was the very best thing

they have done for themselves when it comes to health and implants. It

is certainly not a cake-walk, but the rewards in health recovery and

long-term stability gained by being free of the implants makes it worth

every bit of the struggle.

You are in excellent hands with Dr. Kolb! She will perform a proper

explant to ensure you the best chance in regaining your health!

We have a couple of files in our file section that deal with explant and

the suggestions to make it a great experience. I would suggest that you

take a look at them. I can p0st them for you. You'll find great tips

on preparing for the explant surgery, as well as recovery suggestions.

Of course, it will take time to see results in your health returning to

normal. So, please be careful with your emotions to keep them in check

after you've given yourself a few weeks to recover. I made the mistake

of thinking that since I took my implants out I would start to feel

better in just a few weeks, like pulling a bad tooth or something. That

was wrong thinking! It actually took me over 4 years to feel normal

again, but I did get there! So, the biggest mistake you could make

with your recovery efforts is to expect to feel better immediately

afterwards, or even several months afterwards. Everyone is different,

and no two people ever have the same recovery experiences, but even so,

you can expect that it will take upwards of a year to begin feeling

better if you've suffered from symptoms of autoimmunity.

I'll post those other files. I am sure they will be of help. Keep

reminding yourself that this is the best thing you can do for your long

term health and future. Breast implants do not contribute toward better

health at all. That means by taking them out, you are doing a very

positive thing for yourself and you will not have to live in fear of

what else might go wrong. You can start healing with the implants out,

and if you use primarily natural therapies, that healing can be more

permanent as you keep your body free from the toxic load of drugs.

Ask if you have more questions! I hope this helped.

Patty

>

> Hi all. I posted a couple of weeks ago. After much soul searching, I

scheduled explant surgery with Dr. Kolb.

>

> I hope I'm doing the right thing. I'll be going back to a AAA 'cup

size' so I feel a bit like I'm turning in some body parts that I've

grown rather used to over the past 5 years.

>

> For those of you that explanted, did you feel the same sense of

confusion/uncertainty beforehand? What am I likely to face during

recovery? When might I know if I did the right thing or not? Any words

of wisdom to prepare for a smooth operation and recovery?

>

> Thanks!!!

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

It’s so easy to second guess our decision because we are

used to seeing our body a certain way and fear the unknown. We fear what we are going to look like, how

we are going to react to our new size, and question whether it’s the right

decision.

Nothing prepared me for how I would feel after explant. Everyone is different, but I had a difficult

time adjusting. I cried a lot, but I have heard that anesthesia makes a person emotional. My period was also delayed by 3 weeks. Go figure. I was a small B before

breast augmentation and went to a large D.

I had 535cc over the muscle. I had

the implants removed this past Feb and the doctor also removed the capsules and

did a full lift. When I got home, I

noticed that my chest was flat. I was in

shock and I couldn’t believe that I was flat, but in reality, it was the

bandages that were compressing my breasts.

The doctor had to do a lift because I looked in her words “deformedâ€

from the skin stretching.

I was in a lot of pain for 2 weeks. I couldn’t stand up straight. I think the lift was the reason why I was in

so much pain, but other women don’t have the amount of pain I did and so it

varies from person to person. I had

drains in too.

Showering for the first few weeks was difficult because of

the soreness and you aren’t supposed to reach overhead for some time. I wasn’t able to exercise for 2 ½ months. My chest was sore for 3 months.

My breasts were smooshed after surgery because the implants had

compressed the breast tissue, which is normal.

I had 2 lumps on one breast and could feel a crater in each breast where

the implant once was (the pocket). After

3 months, the breast tissue reorganized and filled in those craters and the

lumps dissipated.

I am having a different surgeon do a revision this September

to fix the scars from the lift.

I knew from the start that I was doing the right thing and 3

months after the surgery I was very very glad I had them removed. That was around the time that my breasts

fluffed out.

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed and flooded with emotions. I don’t know your reasons for removing your

implants, but if they are causing you discomfort or you fear that they may make

you ill, then know that you are doing the right thing.

Try to get as much help the first 2 weeks after

surgery. It’s important that you take

care of yourself for at least 2-4 weeks post-op to prevent an infection,

hematoma, or your incisions from splitting open. Use Neosporin 3-4 times a day until the scabs

fall off. It really helps accelerate healing. And please be proud of your new body and embrace it. If I had felt this way about myself years ago, I would have never gotten implants in the first place. Today, I am a different person and I am proud of what God gave me. Please give yourself that chance. You deserve it.

Best of luck to you this Friday. I wish you the very best.

From: vioneering <vioneering@...>Subject: Explanting Friday - a bit scared Date: Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 9:29 PM

Hi all. I posted a couple of weeks ago. After much soul searching, I scheduled explant surgery with Dr. Kolb.

I hope I'm doing the right thing. I'll be going back to a AAA 'cup size' so I feel a bit like I'm turning in some body parts that I've grown rather used to over the past 5 years.

For those of you that explanted, did you feel the same sense of confusion/uncertain ty beforehand? What am I likely to face during recovery? When might I know if I did the right thing or not? Any words of wisdom to prepare for a smooth operation and recovery?

Thanks!!!

[Guest guest]

,

I realize that it's Friday, so you probably won't read this for a few days - but

I wanted to post that I've been thinking of you today, sending you healing

thoughts.

I was explanted by Dr. Kolb 3 months ago, and am still recovering. Without

question, it was the best thing I've done for my health. I was scared too, and

the process afterwards has been a little bumpy, but my health is already better

than it was before explant.

My biggest advice -- follow the diet that you're given from Dr. Kolb after

surgery. When I drifted from the diet (2 months post-op), I had a rude

awakening, and a startling return of many symptoms. My body was not quite ready

to eat like a " normal person " .

So, I'm learning to be more patient with myself, as you will with yourself! We

all heal at our own rates, in our own perfect time.

Healing hugs to you !

Warmly,

Alyssa