Prada or Nada... The New Boob Experience

Prada or Nada..

B I G Life Update:

Hello my loves!

I feel like I keep apologizing at the beginning of my blog posts because I have been so inconsistent with my writing lately... But I really need to stop apologizing for things that I need to do for myself. Unlike most bloggers, I have been growing my new 'big girl gig', Meals by Maddie business with a local franchise! No shade, I just feel the need to break my ventures into different branches when I can. I do promise once these things iron out that I will be on here a lot more often with allll the lifestyle tingssss for you guys!

First things first, I have been DYING to write about my breast augmentation with Dr. Prada! If you have been following me since July you know I have been in the healing process/ transition from my surgery. I can honestly say that this experience has really taught me how delicate our bodies really are and that is really is important to LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! Unfortunately telling someone who has been going thru a fitness transformation that this past year is well.. difficult to soak in, I'll get into that after I describe my personal process!

I have been getting so many personal questions about why I decided to get a breast augmentation, about the surgery itself, recovery, and getting back to the gym... So I thought that this would be the BEST way to answer all your questions and express myself a few months post surgery.

Fitness Journey// Pre-Decision Recap:

For those of you who are maybe a new reader/ follower I lost 35 lbs from January 14, 2017 to now and 11-15% body fat (depending on how great my diet/ workouts have been). I became super comfortable with my body after college and eating bad, partying, and no workouts slowly sadly caught up with me at 25. I decided to join Faster Fitness after losing 17 lbs my first six week challenge and I promise you I have never made such a positive life change for myself. 2017 was a great year for me because I changed my entire lifestyle, worked out 5-6 days a week, and saw my body change so much! However, I slowly watched my small D cups boobs shrivel down to a small B cup! UGH! How sad! Of course, I won't complain now that I understand being healthy and having small boobs was better then not being healthy and having large ones.. but still dang! Not only did they get smaller but they actually started to droop way more then they used to. Weight loss can do crazy things with extra skin in all areas, especially if you lose it so quickly :/ But I am solution oriented and decided that I was done looking in the mirror and wishing I still had what was now gone.

At this point in my life I was working for a wedding venue as the marketing director and event coordinator and was doing better then I had in the past, however since I meal prepped every weekend for myself I also started prepping for my best friend Carly, and one of her friends to make some extra cash. I started a 'boob jar' and made my two clients pay in cash so I could get the new boobs I wanted! I slowly started to obtain about two more clients and really was able to start seeing this surgery as a possibility. That's when I started my research....

Researching the Right Doctor:

This is probably the most important step that I encourage all of my readers who are interested in a breast augmentation, or any cosmetic surgery to really take your time doing. Do not react on emotion when doing this! Dr. Prada at St. Louis Cosmetic Surgery was my first candidate because he has done at least five of my friend's boobs however, I still made sure look into all other local St. Louis doctors and also spoke with a well known doctor in Chicago.

When you decide to talk to these doctors in person and get a consultation make sure you have any questions you have initially written down so that you don't forget to ask, there's nothing worse then leaving when you know you have burning questions to be answered. Despite researching other doctors, I went to Dr. Prada for my first and only consult and was immediately ready to commit to him as my doctor. Dr. Prada is not only a super great guy, he's a very smart and intricate surgeon. When I went in for my consult his nurses took images of my current breasts with their 3-D image x-ray so that Dr. Prada could show me what my breasts would look like post opp with the implants in. He did have to examine them to make sure I didn't need a lift because of how much weight I had lost. It's funny because this was 8 months into my fitness journey and Dr. Prada initially said I was going to need a lift, as you'll read here in a little bit I didn't get my surgery until July 2018 where we decided I didn't need a lift anymore because my body actually changed so much within those 9 months!

We then proceeded to decide what CC (implant size) would be the best range for me, and what type of implant would be best for the results I was wanting. I decided to do the newest and longest lasting implant called Inspira Soft Touch Implants. They are more natural looking and a little more soft and soft then the gummy bear option which is exactly what I wanted :) I highly encourage you to also look at the doctor's your researching's before and afters. They should have them via their website or social media! This really shows you what the doctor's work is like as well and is one of the reason's I knew Dr. Prada would be at the top of my decision bracket.

Financing:

After meeting with Dr. Prada I was walked to his financing lady and she proceeded to explain all of the fun surgery fees that go into getting a breast augmentation. THIS was the worst part for me because I really didn't have a clue on how soon I would be able to pay such an expensive procedure off being that I was only about half the way done saving for it. I was considering financing it with their Care Credit plan but honestly the rates are a little high... So I decided to sleep on it and think about it.

Then something super shitty happened... I got laid off from my 9-5 job. Thankfully I hadn't committed to putting it on my card or the financing plan because I had no idea when I would be working again. Long story short I started my Meals by Maddie business and ended up being able to set my surgery date in July of this year. At this point I had enough money saved to pay in full which was a huge relief for me because I hate making payments that aren't necessary. I decided to get my surgery on July 18th because it would allow me to be healed by my birthday in September, and honestly this was my early birthday gift to myself! Dr. Prada's finance lady was super helpful with making sure that I got the best date possible for me, and called and made my surgery reservation with the hospital right in front of me! I also paid my fee for Dr. Prada at the office that day to officially pay off 1/2 payments. The other money owed was for hospital fees (anesthesia, the room fee, etc.) and this I paid for the day of surgery at the hospital.

My best advice for this part of the surgery is to be smart about it. Don't finance it if it is not realistic for you, and don't pay in full if that's not realistic either. I actually decided to open an American Express' Cash Back card prior to my surgery so I would be able to get money back for putting both payments on and then paying them off right afterwards. This I would highly suggest, even if you are going to schedule payments monthly to pay it off. Be smart and reward yourself for spending A LOT OF MONEYYYY HONAYYY! If you feel pressured at a doctor's office you are pursuing and they aren't interested in helping you find the best way to finance or pay for this surgery then I would go somewhere else. You should be comfortable with letting the doctor alter your body, and knowing you are in the best hands babes!

Pre- Opp Consultation:

A week before your surgery you are scheduled to meet with your doctor and his nurse practitioner to make sure you are happy with your implant size, your medications are written, pre-prep opp and post opp directions, and all questions are answered! Dr. Prada's nurse Tracy was so helpful in my journey because she was so sweet and informative and didn't get tired of all my never ending questions! I think she could tell I was super nervous for my actual surgery and honestly choosing the right size because I was horrified I would go too big lol. Dr. Prada and I decided to do 605 CC's because I needed to fill my breast socket post weight loss without getting a lift, and honestly I was used to having bigger boobs so I wanted to be bigger :)... I mean go big or go home right? All I can say is if you can't trust your doctor's opinion you're screwed haha!

Pre Surgery Instructions:

After I left my last consult I was a little overwhelmed because there were several things I needed to have done prior to the surgery. I'm a super big planner person aka why I've been in events for over 4 years hahaha. I made a list when I was with Tracy of all of the things I needed to do from most urgent to least and started executing. I picked up my prescribed Oxy, Valium, and antibiotics and filled out my hospital surgery form that needed to be completed asap. I also made sure to get antibacterial soap to use the night and morning of my surgery, and all the food I needed prepped for that week + snacks and ginger ale. I definitely advise everyone to make sure you are prepared to be on your couch and bed for several days because everyone's pain tolerance is different. I will be 100% transparent with you that I am VERY good with pain for the most part, but made sure to prepare myself for the worst. Every doctor has different instructions for pre surgery and the day of, so please make sure you are following all the instructions given to you.

Day of Surgery:

I choose to have my surgery on a Wednesday at 6:30 am so that I would have that full day to recover and hopefully be able to get back to work that following weekend with three full days of recovery. Talking to my friends who have their boobs done said that they were either up and feeling better in three days and the others said a full week, so make sure you're scheduling this surgery accordingly. The day of surgery you have to have someone take you to the hospital and stay with you while you're in surgery. Dr. Prada and the hospital staff asked that I got there an hour early to be able to check in and get prepped for surgery so I actually got there a little after 5 am. Once I was prepped and ready for surgery the anesthesiaologist came back and instructed me on how the actual surgery would go and if I had any questions. I'll be 100% real with you guys I scared myself way more then I should have about the actual surgery, post opp is honestly what I should've been more worried about lol!

Dr. Prada came in last and made sure that I was happy with the CC size we had chosen and was comfortable to move forward. I honestly was more relieved then anything to see a familiar face in an unfamiliar setting! The next thing I know I was given my anesthesia and taken back into the operation room. Two seconds later I woke up in the recovery area with my girlfriend Bri next to me waiting for me to wake up with the nurse. The surgery only took an hour! So crazy. From then on everything was a little hazy, all I honestly remember was waking up in a ton of pain with a massive amount of pressure on my chest, but my nurse was an angel baby and gave me plenty of pain meds to make sure I was dosed up enough to come home to and sleep it off. I was definitely a little kooky post surgery Bri said hahaa so bring someone who will appreciate this.

Dr. Prada came and made sure I was ok and discharged me with Bri when I was ready. I was slightly nauseous and threw up a little bit but then felt a lot better afterwards. I kind of blacked out a little bit on the way home and slept for what felt like foreverrrrrr. I highly suggest having saltine crackers or Cheez- Itz for your first day of recovery because I really wasn't super hungry due to the pain killers and surgery fluids. Ginger Ale was for real a life saver all week for me as well. I would say I started getting back to my meal preps after two days. The only super negative thing about my surgery was that my room mate worked my whole recovery and so many of my other friend's have 9-5's so I was having to prop myself up to go to the bathroom and get food, water, etc. That part was SO painful because your body is adjusting to the new weight on your body, and of course your stitches are fresh and sensitive. Recovering is a very important process with any surgery so the more you push yourself, the more exhausted and worn out you're going to be. That's why I did make sure to stay glued to my couch and sleep, sleep, sleep

Recovery Journal Log:

I ended up keeping a journal that I turned into my nurse and am going to put that in here for you guys as well so you can see how each passing day was from start to a month post surgery :)

Day 1: Day of Surgery- Wednesday

I feel like this day and day 2 were the worst part. Post surgery I was in a lot of pain. Nurse Amy was very helpful with making sure I was given more pain meds before I was sent home. When I stood up I was nauseous and threw up a tad but then was ok. I went home and slept a ton and took my medication.

Day 2: Thursday

I feel like day 2 was probably the hardest because of discomfort. Sleeping on my back has been hard since I sleep on my sides. I'm experiencing a little more nausea due to the oxeyes so I've been eating crackers and drinking ginger ale. I also slept almost the entire day.

Day 3: Friday

I feel my back has been pretty stiff but I was able to move around more and go to the store today. I slept a few hours after but was able to prep veggies for my clients and prepped a little bit. I ended up getting sore and ice more prior to sleeping again.

Day 4: Saturday

I feel pretty uncomfortable still because I am still swollen. However I was able to meal prep a few hours and stopped when I was tired. This day definitely wasn't as 'sore' for me as day 5 was.

Day 5: Sunday

I feel day five I think not icing and prepping all week made me very sore today. I also realized how much the pills were hindering my bowel movements :( I definitely look 10 lbs heavier and have had little appetite. I really need to increase my protein and veggie intake but I really haven't been hungry. My goal is to stop taking the oxys whenever possible because of these digestion issues.

2 Weeks Post Opp:

I'm feeling a lot more like myself however my back was bothering me earlier in the second week. I was hoping to get back into the gym at this point (walking and stationary bike) but chose to listen to my body and rest. At the end of this week I started having the 'sunburn sensation' which was if anything more annoying then painful. But I rubbed them lightly and that helped bring some sensitivity back/ stop the burning.

A Month Post Opp:

My boobs no longer are feeling sunburnt! Yay! They're still pretty tinder, especially when I wake up because I sleep on my side. My nipples have been little drier then they have been but I don't have any stretch marks. My incisions had some raised scars that Tracy said I could massage in the am and pm so the scar tissue goes down.

Recovery:

Overall post week two I had really adjusted to the new me thankfully because those first few days were tough for me personally. It's also a mental thing because you can't lift anything for the first few days, then nothing more then five lbs the other three weeks. I asked my nurse if I would be able to resume cooking for clients that following weekend and she said as long as I didn't carry heavy grocery bags/ groceries that cooking would actually help loosen my muscles. My friend Natalie was super helpful and helped make sure I was able to prep that weekend with helping me cook and with the bags! I did take more breaks then usual because I needed to ice and not push myself.

Another part of the mental block for me was not being able to work out or honestly even having the energy to if I wanted to. For someone who deals with pain very well I was distraught that even by week three I had no desire to push my body in the gym. I think part of it was the thought of messing up my boobs, and the other half was because I knew I would only be able do the bike or walk and I'm used to HIIT workouts/ lifting. However if there's one thing that Dr. Prada continued to tell me was that as long as I followed the rules, I would heal perfectly. I wasn't given the clear to workout until four weeks out and even then I didn't start lifting arm weights until week 8 because I wasn't quite comfortable yet pushing myself. Overall it was nice to let my body heal and not push myself because the outcome was SO worth it.

Before and After's:

Results:

I can't even begin to tell you how empowering it is post surgery when you realize your new boobs are actually YOURS! I wasn't able to take off my bandages and shower for two days post surgery so once I revealed my boobs to myself I was like HOLY COW DR. P BLESSED MEEEE! Actually they were pretty high and weird looking alien boobs but I knew they would settle down and drop how they were supposed to. Patience is a virtue as they say.

I am officially four months post surgery now and can't believe how much they have dropped AND how soft they already are! To be honest they're seriously beyond perfect in the sense that sometimes I can't believe they are mine. I can't get over how much I freaked myself out about the actual surgery because now I look back and I'm like wow that was just one week in my life that was kinda shitty but now I have perfect boobs so it was worth it lol. This whole process really helped me understand and love my body so much more then I did before the surgery. That probably sounds very conceded or stupid but I mean it in the sense that I realized how much my body could go thru and what a human body needs to heal. I normally am always on the go and am super bad at relaxing and taking time for myself, this process really helped me learn to be patient with myself and that it's ok to listen to what my body needs. Of course this surgery helped my confidence, that's the main reason I did it for myself! I think every woman deserves to feel good about themselves so I am all for doing things like this to help grow your self love.

I have had so many people create fake Instagram accounts to call me fake or to tell me I am a super sad person, etc. you name it. There's always going to be people who tear women apart for wanting to feel sexier, so at the end of the day I wanted to write this blog to help any women who are considering a breast aug but have a ton of questions they don't feel like asking their doctor or nurse. I hate that it is so taboo to talk about cosmetic surgery or that women are shamed for doing alternations that make THEM happier beings. We all deserve to feel beautiful for ourselves first, not others. So if you're someone who has bashed me or other women for getting cosmetic procedures I encourage you to grow one and start living your life for you. Not worrying about other's happiness!

My last word of advice is to do this for you if you choose to get a breast aug! Don't let anyone influence you on how big or small you want to go, it is your body and you deserve to get what YOU want from it!

Thanks everyone who did support me and help me throughout this process, I had so many men and women check in on me and tell me they appreciated my honesty, which makes this blog post mean even more writing it. And thank you Dr. Prada for making me a new woman, I can't imagine having gone to anyone else!

Ok phew went off on a small rant there but anyways, if any ladies have anymore questions about this topic or my experiences please feel free to email me at theresmooretoit@gmail.com. Have a great week my loves!

Xo,

Maddie Moore

Here's some more information about my boob dude: