The last item on the list...BA

[sarahb]

I had my first FFS procedure in May 2008. I did the remaining FFS in January 2009. I just completed my SRS in March of this year. Now I'm finally getting the  LAST procedure done...a BA!

I've been on the fence ever since I started transition wondering whether I want a BA. I held out for years, thinking that I could go without it. It's not that big of a deal for me in the whole scheme of things. However, being done with SRS has lifted so much weight off my shoulders, being so close to being able to shut the door behind me with this whole transition. However, the door has remained cracked just slightly.

In the end, I decided it's right for me. I've always had such a hard time finding shirts, blouses, or dresses that fit right since I have barely anything to fill them out with. They always end up sagging on my chest and I have to constantly worry about my bra showing. So I'm finally going through with it and getting it done.

I've scheduled the surgery for August 6th. I'm getting saline implants, under the muscle, 300-325cc...the doc will decide on the exact amount based on his judgement when filling them. It's wierd because I shouldn't be nervous, since I'm a pro at surgery now, having gone through three major surgeries in the past 2 years, but I find myself with butterflies in my stomach.

The usual questions are arising in my head...did I make the right choice of surgeon, size, placement, etc...? I know this is right for me, and I've researched it for years now, so I'm just telling myself this and keeping myself calm and relaxed about it.

This will be my last...I reapeat, LAST...surgery (other than medically necessary procedures of course) and I just want to be done with it, which is why I scheduled it for just 2 weeks from now. After this I will have settled all my internal struggles and will be completely happy. Each procedure has brought me closer and closer to fulfillment and in two weeks I will have everything I could dream of, everything I've dreamt of since I was a small child.

So I have questions for those who've had a BA. how long was it before you were able to do normal activities like ride a bike, jog, or things like that? How long was it before you went back to work? What was the pain like? What type/placement/size did you get and how do you like it, what would you change about it?

~Sarah

[Debra]

Good for you girl! I am going a similar route. I'm still holding out hope that after 3-4 years I'll have a C cup but I realize that's not very likelyl. I'll have to see how I feel about it at that point in time though.

[Myself]

Hey Sarah.

I think it's great that you delayed it as much as you could (I feel very much like you felt and hoping they grow on their own ) and it's ok if you found that it doesn't work out and lucky there is an easy fix.

I think from what I heard it's about 5 days off work, although it can always take more or less.

What size are you planning to be?

[sarahb]

Yeah, it's been like 4 or 5 years now since I started hormones, so I think I've waited long enough to see what hormones will do. I'm planning on going to a full C, or thereabouts.

The surgery is on a Friday and I'm planning on going back to work the following Monday so I hope I can. Either way I can just call in sick if I need to take another day off. We'll see how it goes.

~Sarah

[lilacwoman]

The surgery is on a Friday and I'm planning on going back to work the following Monday so I hope I can. Either way I can just call in sick if I need to take another day off. We'll see how it goes.
Sarah
[/quote]
Sarah
if you get some big implants under your pectorals you are very unlikely to go to work a couple of days later - the op is really painful - it's surprising how much we use those pectorals just to turn over in bed, sit up, get dressed etc.
Even GGs say they are glad during the first 48 hours when the nurses come round and ask if some morphine would help with the pain.  I know I was.
Putting the big implants under the pectorals is the same as tearing the muscle during hard exercising and they need time to settle down and get used to the new stretched shape.
Plan on having a week off.

[sarahb]

So I had my surgery this morning. The pain level so far has been extremely manageable. I'm expecting the pain to be higher in the morning, but hopefully it's still ok.

From what I can tell right now, I think I'll be very happy with the size and how they'll turn out. They're not too big or too small. During surgery prep, the nurses and aneshesiologist were all very nice and supportive as my anxiety started rising a bit.

Overall, I'm shocked at just how easy of a surgery it is. I got there a half hour before surgery, signed some forms, and about an hour after surgery started I was done. About 45 minutes after that I was on my way home.

I've been going in and out of sleep pretty much all day. I had a little nausea earlier but it subsided quickly. I'm hoping it continues to be this easy the next couple of days and that I'll be ok to go back to work on Monday.

~Sarah

[sarahb]

So, I was able to go back to work the Monday after the surgery. The pain was manageable most of time. Sometimes it got pretty bad though. The worst part about it was the post-op depression though! I've had plenty of major surgeries now without much post-op depression, so I thought this one would be the same. Oh how I was wrong.

It started about Tuesday of last week and finally subsided over last weekend. It wasn't too long, but it was strong. I've never felt like that in my life. It surpassed anything I ever got because of my dysphoria, and that's saying a lot. I could barely work, and every morning I wanted to just call and quit, stay home curled up and die. It was bad.

Not only that, but work was especially stressful too at that time, which just added to it. My only saving grace was Tyler waiting for me at home after work each night. If I didn't have such a wonderful, caring person there to help comfor me I don't know what I would've done.

It finally subsided last weekend, and now I'm back to my normal self. As for the results, it's exactly as I wanted. They're not too big, not too small, just perfect! They're slowly dropping and softening up and getting more natural. Such a difference a couple of weeks make. Overall I'm extremely satisfied with this last surgery, aside from the horrible depression, and now I am finally completely and totally done with surgery. All my to-dos have been done and now I can focus totally on just living.

~Sarah

[shoegazer]

Overall I'm extremely satisfied with this last surgery, aside from the horrible depression, and now I am finally completely and totally done with surgery. All my to-dos have been done and now I can focus totally on just living.

Congratulations.. it must be a wonderful feeling! Do you have any new goals on the horizon now that transitioning is out of the way?

[sarahb]

Congratulations.. it must be a wonderful feeling! Do you have any new goals on the horizon now that transitioning is out of the way?

Thanks, it is a great feeling. It's been such a long time coming. As for my goals now, the one I've been really focusing on lately is traveling. I've had a pretty good life so far and have accomplished a lot of the things I hoped for, but I have yet to experience much culture outside of southern California. Starting next year I'm making plans to travel to some places I've always wanted to go...Ireland, New Zealand, etc.

Aside from that I'm just taking it day by day and hoping things continue to be bright in the future.

~Sarah

[FairyGirl]

New Zealand is beautiful! Go in summer (January or February) though, I think winters there are brutal!

Congrats on your BA. Right now I'm planning it myself for next year, with Dr. McGinn since she did such a wonderful job on my SRS. And thank you Sarah for sharing all your experiences here, I have found it to be very helpful in knowing what to expect!

Here's wishing you the best, and lots of fun travels in your future

Chloe

[Debra]

awesome girl! Glad to hear it went well. I wasn't aware that BA might have post-op depression. Was it just an unexplainable depression or was there some kind of reason, besides just having surgery?