Gina’s Blog: The Price of Looking Good!
July 27th, 2009
I am giving up a lot to have this surgery done. The modifications to my life style that will have to be made are many. Let’s start professionally. I teach and train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and during my recovery from surgery, I’ll have another instructor cover my classes for the first week. The following weeks 2- through 5, I will have another instructor helping me with the demonstration portions of class, while I instruct using verbal cues only. As far as my personal training business being affected, I will have to take a few days off. When I return to training my clients, I won’t be able to demonstrate most exercises, because I am not allowed to lift more than 5 lbs for three weeks following surgery. Again, most everything will have to be done through verbal cues alone.
Now let’s hit the personal modifications… and there’s a lot! I usually train 2-3 hrs a day, 6 days a week. I do a variety of things from Jiu-Jitsu, kettle bells, yoga, Pilates, lots of cardio (running & walking), and tons of body weight stuff. Clearly, all of this is going to have to be put on hold while I recover from surgery. Some of it will have to be put on hold a little longer than that.
Dr. Bashioum has cleared me for a slight increase in activity after the first week of surgery; I can start to raise my heart rate again (thank goodness!!) by fast walking and possibly some light jogging, if there’s no pain. Once I hit the 3 week mark, I can start to incorporate things back in to my workout routine… slowly and without pain, of course. This is by far, the hardest thing for me to give up. It’s my life, my profession and my passion.
Giving up all supplements prior to surgery has also been extremely difficult! It has affected my training and recovery time greatly. I realize how much I take my health and physical performance for granted at times. It has once again proven to me how important proper nutrition is for a body to function at its true potential.
The other lifestyle area that will be affected by my surgery is caring and playing with my dogs. We have two Boston Bulldog’s of our own and one foster dog. I will be unable to walk them, hold them, or have them play rough with me. I can have them sit in my lap, provided that I don’t pick them up.
In addition, I will be unable to some of my normal household duties without assistance from my husband and friends because of the 5-lb/3 week rule. I like to do things on my own and in my own way, so this will be challenging for me to have help. It will be interesting couple weeks for us. Although I’m complaining a lot, I will be very happy to have the symmetry of my breasts restored, when this is all over!
I do feel sorry for my husband, Brian, because he is going to have to deal with all of this during my recovery. And I know I won’t be too much fun to be around. I have one final consultation with Dr. Bashioum tomorrow, to answer any last questions that I might have. Please check back for video clips of both my consultation and my actual surgery later this week.
Gina’s Blog: To Lift or Not to Lift
July 22nd, 2009
To lift or not to lift… that is the question. I need to make the decision about doing just a reduction or doing a reduction and lift on the left breast and lift only on the right breast. I have been a serious athlete for quite sometime and needless to say, that has taken a toll on the state of my breasts. All of the running, jumping, being squashed underneath someone while doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, not to mention the fact that I’m almost 40 yrs old and all these things combined are not conducive to perky breasts.
So, with all of these factors going against me, the decision has been tough. Dr. Bashioum gave me information about my choices and he is supportive of whatever I choose to do. Now I have to look at several factors while figuring this out:
1) Children- We have none now, but I might want one. Having a baby after the surgery is done would call for a re-do of the procedure and that requires more money and more recovery time.
2) Recovery on one or both sides- Having never done this procedure before, I don’t know if that would make a difference. I’m thinking it might be good to have a functional side but again, I have nothing to compare it to, so who knows?
3) Scarring- The scarring for a simple reduction is a lot less noticeable than the scarring for a lift. I am very hyper about my body (obviously!) and I’m not sure how I’d feel about looking at those scars day after day. I’m afraid I would find it unattractive/unappealing.
4) Loss of sensitivity in the nipples- That’s a big deal to me. I lost some sensitivity in my left nipple after liposuction and, not to get too personal, but that’s important to me when I’m being intimate with my husband. I don’t know if having perkier looking breasts by doing a lift is worth forfeiting my pleasure. I don’t think it’s a fair trade-off.
As much as I would like to have rounder, higher breasts, I think what’s most important to me is the symmetry of them. Writing has helped me sort out my options. After finishing this blog entry, I guess I’ve made my decision. It seems pretty clear in now, don’t you think? I’m only going to do the reduction on the left side. Stay tuned…
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