Why I Got My Breast Implants Removed (my experience with explant surgery)
First, a little raw and revealing love note from me to you. This is one of those posts that I know in my heart can help people, and I think it’s part of my responsibility not only as a blogger, but as a fitness professional, to not just share fun pictures of workouts and food, but to show the struggles and obstacles that come along, too.
But letting you in on some of these moments that are more personal and private means that I’m putting myself out there for criticism and judgement. To be totally honest, I wrote this post, trashed it…and then brought it back. So, as you read, please know that I’m as vulnerable as anyone else, and while questions and even dissenting opinions are always welcomed, any personal attacks on me or anyone else who comments and weighs in will be removed.
Breast Implant Removal Results: My Explant Surgery Story
Why I Got My Breast Implants Removed
Recently, just a little over 11 years after having my breast implants put in, I had them taken out.
Aesthetically, they stood the test of time, and still looked pretty darn good.
They were soft and I had no capsular contracture.
So why the heck did I say goodbye?
They starting hurting almost two years ago, and it slowly turned from a dull pain to a burning sensation.
It started in the fall of 2015, shortly after I had P. I figured it was a fluke from breastfeeding and pregnancy, so I waited it out until she was a year old before going to ask about it. I visited my plastic surgeon’s office in Tucson over Thanksgiving, and had them checked out to make sure nothing was wrong. The doctor assured me it was just hormonal, and that if it didn’t get worse, to leave them alone. Well, they continued to get worse, and it reached the point where I fantasized about ripping them out from my skin. It went from being an inconvenience, to a “these things have to be out of my body now.”
Some Facts About Breast Implants
-According to the FDA, they’re not intended to be lifetime medical devices. You will need to have your implants removed or replaced when (not “if”) you have problems with them (usually pain, rupture, and/or capsular contracture). The life of a breast implant depends on so many different factors. Some women can have them for two years and need a replacement, others can have theirs for 22 years without problems. The type of implant and fill volume can impact this, too. If you have saline implants, you’ll almost immediately know that you have a rupture (because it will deflate quickly) and with silicone, you could potentially have a rupture and not know. With saline, if they used valves to fill the implant, you could have a “slow leak” and be unaware that it’s rupturing, but the salt water is absorbed by the body. Saline implants are in a silicone shell.
-My plastic surgeon had told me that they would “last a lifetime” but now it’s commonly recommended that they should be replaced every 10-15 years. Since you need to replace implants, possibly multiple times over the course of your life, I decided that I wanted to be free of them. I could have gotten mine replaced, but know I’d need a future breast surgery (or surgeries) to maintain them, or I could just stop with the surgeries already. I decided to roll with the latter, especially since I had two surgeries last year (one to repair a severed nerve in my hand, and the other was a repair after P was born and I wasn’t stitched correctly. woof) and 6 weeks of downtime sucks.
My Decision to Get My Breast Implants Removed
When I first got my breast implants, I 100% made the best decision for myself at the time. I remember riding in the car to surgery and not feeling the least bit concerned about the result; I was so excited to finally have symmetrical, regular-sized boobs! I was looking forward to being *even* again since I had a benign tumor removed when I was in college.
My implants were, by far, one of the best purchases I’ve ever made, and I’ve never regretted it. They’ve been with me through a lot: our wedding, many moves, 3 deployments, 2 babies, and a lot of sports bras and workouts. 😉 Even though I enjoyed them and thought they looked awesome, they never defined me. That’s why I felt similarly going into this surgery: even though I was nervous (anesthesia always freaks me out a bit), I was confident I was making the best possible decision, and was ready to let them go.
Breast Implant Removal and Diastasis Recti Repair
I did a lot of research in the process, and found a Plastic Surgeon in Atlanta who is double-board certified and does implant removals often. When I called the office, his receptionist said he does 4-5 explants per week, and has been for the five years since she’s worked there. He’s so kind, and Facetimed me three times to answer all of my questions. His bedside manner made me feel at ease, especially paired with the fact that he had hundreds of awesome reviews online and lots of great testimonials.
Since I was already going to be knocked out and under the knife, I made another decision: to have my abdominal muscles repaired. After working to rehab my diastasis recti for the past year and a half, it got to its *best* point, which still left me with protrusion around my belly button and abnormal ab separation. As Katy Bowman would say, sometimes the connective tissue becomes a “quitter,” like an old sock. Friends, my linea alba was a quitter after growing and birthing two babies (one of whom was 10 lb 13 oz and stretched me out to the max). I wasn’t stoked about the recovery time, but my heart was telling me to go for it. So, I did. While he repaired my abdominal muscles, he also got rid of the excess skin from being stretched out so much.
Thoughts About Plastic Surgery
I’ve always been an advocate of making the best decision for yourself; no one else. If you have the means and desire to change something, do it! Excess skin following weight loss and ab separation post-pregnancy are things I’ve seen so often with my personal training and postpartum clients. They hit their goal weight, but are left with a lot of loose skin which honestly will not likely disappear over time. With DR, sometimes you can repair it to the point where it’s within a normal, functional, range again; other times, it can be so stretched out that the tissue doesn’t have the ability to fully recover. My doctor told me my abs were still a solid 3 fingers apart, and that’s after 8 months of Physical Therapy and daily rehab exercises.
Women on Instagram and celebrities will sometimes say they look awesome because they “work their ass off.” They also got lucky. So many women work hard, eat clean, and are super consistent, and left with things that will not change, no matter what they do. You can’t change skin elasticity, and you can’t physically repair connective tissue. I have to admit that it was really frustrating to work daily on my core rehab, work out wisely, and eat extremely clean, and know that nothing I did would change the appearance of my skin or the protrusion of my stomach.
Even though having smooth skin again is awesome, I really wanted the functionality of my core to be restored. I’ve been modifying exercises for so long, and wanted the freedom to do everything I used to do, without feeling like I was compromising or overcompensating. If I did the full ab series in my barre classes, I looked pregnant afterwards because it was so much stress on my connective tissue. After filming the HIIT workouts for our last Winter Shape Up, I was severely bloated and had back pain for the rest of the week. Any time I did anything that wasn’t DR-friendly -and most of the time I was really good about sticking with *safe* exercises- I paid the price, usually with back pain, or uncomfortable intense bloating.
Honesty and Transparency
I wanted to share this story with you and be completely honest with my situations. I wanted to share this for any of the mamas or friends out there who may be having issues with their breast implants, or struggling with abnormal ab separation postpartum.
I feel like there’s a lot of dishonesty in the fitness world, and the online world in general. There are Instagrammers who post these gooey decadent food photos, and throw them in the trash to eat chicken and broccoli instead. There are fitness celebrities hawking a healthy diet and exercise plan when they’re loading up on steroids and fat loss pills. There are a LOT of people who have gotten plastic surgery, and haven’t said a word about it. It’s all “Buy my diet plan!” even though they had lipo and a lot of Photoshop.
This is where the gray area comes in. If you have Botox, and someone comments on your beautiful, smooth skin, do you HAVE to tell them you had Botox?? I don’t think so. But, if you make your living promoting healthy skin and selling a skin rejuvenation program, I think it would be important to share.
This is one of the reasons why I want to share this story. (In addition to the fact that I’m an oversharer and like being real with you all.) You guys know what I look like. I eat well, I exercise, I enjoy life and drink a lot of red wine. I also promote health and fitness, and doing what’s best for you, and what makes you happy. I want everyone to live their best and happiest life possible.
My Body After Plastic Surgery
I had something done that altered my boobs (they’re tiiiiiiiny again! and they also don’t ache and burn anymore) and my stomach is totally different, though I’m the same size. (My separation is repaired, and my wrinkled skin is smoothed out. I also have a visible scar. I also got a lift at the time of explant so I wouldn’t have deflated water balloons.) But you guys who know me and read the blog know I didn’t do this as a way to swindle or cheat anyone. I’ll continue to promote my post baby bod plan; all of the photos within are indeed my post baby bod, and I have zero plans to reshoot them. But now you know any pictures from now on where my stomach looks different, it was the combo of my hard work over the years, plus the repair from Dr. Ghazi. He ended up not needing to do lipo (which is awesome because I heard it could be painful), and just stitched my abs back together, pulled my skin down and made a new hole for my belly button to live. While my breasts look tiny compared to what they were, they feel amazing. They’re free of the large bags that were making my entire chest ache and burn, and I feel a lightness. I can take a big, deep breath again, and man, it feels awesome.
Just after surgery:
What I Learned From Explant Surgery and Diastasis Recti Repair
During this whole experience, I fully realized that health is wealth. My boobs looked great, but were causing me significant pain, so I was happy to get them taken out. Now that the implants are gone, I LOVE my new (aka old) boobs. They’re small and perky and cute, and ME. I couldn’t be happier with the results.
As far as the implants go, I’ve done a lot of research, and started to discover that thousands of women all over the world are having problems with theirs. When I asked my naturopath if he had any suggestions about how I could heal the pain they were causing me, he said that the burning and aching was an immune response to a foreign invader. Some people do well with implanted devices in their bodies, while others start to reject them.
I also learned about breast implant illness, which is how I found the Facebook group I’m currently in. I learned that thousands have suffered various ailments from the implants (silicone and saline), and I feel like they definitely may have contributed to the fact that I persistently felt exhausted, had increased depression and anxiety (I always had anxiety but didn’t suffer from panic attacks until the summer I had them put in), numbness and cold in my limbs, and dry, red eyes. Over the past couple of years, I got comments saying I looked tired or worn down. I felt tired and worn down. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was the pain and inflammation in my body, or the fact that I am indeed getting older. You can’t really pinpoint what caused what, but I can say I feel markedly better after having them removed, which is all the matters. The constant pain and burning is gone, so I’m calling it a win. When I told a good friend and teaching coworker that I was having mine removed, she told me that she had also gotten rid of hers after they began to wreck havoc in her body, and it was the best thing she ever did.
I don’t want to share this story to freak anyone out who has breast implants. If you have them and you feel great, that is amazing news. This is just my story; it doesn’t necessary mean it will be your story, and I’m just sharing my experience. My implants had reached their figurative expiration date, and my body was letting me know. I don’t hate on plastic surgery at all -I just had some more to fix my core!- and wholeheartedly believe that it’s a personal decision.
My husband is the best man in the world, and I’ve never felt so loved on by our tribe. When I first told Tom that my implants were hurting, he was like, “How do we fix it?” and has supported me along the entire way. He wanted me to get them out as soon as possible, and made me feel so cared for and loved while I was recovering, with drains sticking out of my body and scars and bandages everywhere. He lifted me out of bed when I could hardly walk, set alarms for my medicine, changed wound dressings, emptied drains, REMOVED said drains (I was terrified but it was NBD), and it brings me to tears when I think about how much love and support he gives to all of us. My madre was here, helping us wrangle the girls, making food, doing laundry, giving everyone baths, and here to keep us company at night. We were helped out so much by our friends here in town, and I feel overwhelmed with gratitude and love for all of the wonderful people we’re so blessed to have in our life.
What’s Next
Here I am, 5 1/2 weeks after surgery! It’s been hard to take time off from the gym -gosh, I love those endorphins- but I’ve been walking in between Netflix sessions. I’ve enjoyed just being: enjoying the girls, relaxing, just taking it easy and loving on my family.
I’m not going to flood the blog with posts about this, but I do have a post about recovery + some tips that I may be publishing in the next week or so. I just wanted to wait and see how this goes over with everyone. (aka if people are being hater-y about it, I might just let it be.)
So there’s my story. Thank you so much for reading and for your kind and heartfelt comments as I continue to heal. I’m thankful to all of you for being here, and for all of your support on life’s crazy adventures over the years.
xo
Read about my recovery and healing timeline after surgery.
348 Comments
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I’ve never commented on a post before but have been a reader for many years. I just want to say WOW. Your transparency, strength, and relatability are admirable, and I respect you so much. You are one amazing and inspirational woman. Thank you for all you do and for being YOU! You are helping so many women to feel empowered and be kinder to themselves, myself including. I’m more grateful to you than you’ll ever know. Much love and prayers to you! You just keep doing you 🙂
This! I was going to write my own comment but Vanessa said it perfectly! Hugs!
this comment gave my heart the biggest hug- thank you <3
sending lots of love your way. thank you for being here and for your kindness and positivity
Gina! First of all — so glad you are through the worst part of your recovery from the surgeries! I imagine it was SUPER tough, after the move, with the girls, to just let your body repair while you rested, when you had so many other things you need to be doing. Thank goodness you had some help around the house and to do some of the dirty work with your incisions and wounds.
Second of all — our bodies are our own choices. And being that you’re in the public light with this blog, it’s easy for people to say whatever they want about what you do or do not do — but at the end of the day, you live in your body, and you don’t have to answer to anyone. I’m really happy you can stand up for that, and with this post, show that yes — it’s okay to make changes and get fixes if you need them. I don’t have any experience with breast implants or DR (and hopefully won’t have to deal with it too much after I give birth here soon), but I see no problem with getting a little help if things are not right, after a ton of hard work.
You are a fit and healthy momma, spreading all sorts of good will out in the universe! So happy to be your friend! Love this post, and I LOVE that I see all positive comments from your fans and supporters so far too! Thanks for writing this!
thank you so much, friend. <3 sending lots of love to you and that sweet baby! you're getting SO CLOSE 🙂
I don’t think there’s anything I could say that the other commenters haven’t already said a few times, but I wanted to chime in with my support.
Your blog has continued to be my favorite because you just seem like the most sincere and kind person and I appreciate your transparent and real content. I know it’s scary to put yourself out there, but I think the world (at least this little corner of it) is all the better because of you and this blog.
100% agree!
thank you so much, jen. i appreciate your kind words more than you know <3
xo
???????? Thanks Gina – you are a light in a dark world. Mil abrazos y felicidsdes !
thank you so much for reading!
gracias por su cariño <3 xoxo
I cant say THANK YOU enough for this post. It gets tiring and draining not having people tell you the truth and to hear your honesty is so helpful and more appreciated than you know. I’m glad you did what is right for you!!
thank you! and yes. it’s frustrating as a reader (i feel like this myself) to feel like i’m not getting the full story or picture
xoxo
I really appreciate you making such an honest and raw post about this. I agree with you – so many people online are trying to project being perfect when really they’ve had plastic surgery or are struggling with something else. I’m much more inclined to like and read from blogs where the author is 100% honest even when the going gets tough. I hope your recovery is going well so far and thank you for being so brave!
<3 thank you!
Just another reason why I’ve been reading your blog since the beginning of time <3 Haters are always gonna hate– I'm so happy that you are willing to put yourself out there and stay true to YOU. I am sending prayers your way during this recovery! You have always been/will always be so beautiful, on the inside and out!
Thank you for your vulnerability <3
thank you, and thank you so much for reading for so long!
Thanks for always sharing your heart and truth!! Prayers for a speedy recovery and cheers to a new even healthier mind and body!!
thank you!
Gina Gina Gina. Thank you soooo MUCH for sharing this! No one ever talks about the problem implants cause. Only how great they are because of how nice they make someone’s body appear. I am like you and have “tiiiny” boobs lol. You know what though, it’s ok. Mine are all natural and I never have to think about going under the knife. So I’m ok with them. Would I like bigger boobs. Sure. What girl doesn’t. But not enough I want to go through implant surgeries.
As for the tummy tuck you had done. Would you be willing to share before and after photos. This is something I have debated doing for YEARS. No matter how much I work out, my stomach has never gone back to looking the way it did before having a child. My stomach is actually what I have major self confidence issues over. Nothing else about my body bothers me near as much as my stomach. I would LOVE to hear more about that particular part of your surgery and see pictures if you’d be willing to share.
Thanks for being REAL with us all the time! Long time reader here!!
thank you so much for reading for so long!
i’m on the fence about posting pictures. i just feel like it’s something i did for myself, and i don’t really want to have to drown out the nasty comments that will eventually come my way. if i don’t end up posting them, i’d be happy to email them to you and answer any questions you have
i’m SO, so glad i did it.
xoxo
Good for you!! So glad you got the implant situation taken care of so you can get on with life!! And I’m so jealous of your diastasis recti repair. I’m still working on mine and have hopes I’ll be a to fix it. I started at 4 fingers and am at about 2.5 still 11 mo pp. My hubby has already promised me if we were to have an oops 4th baby he would 100% find the money to get mine repaired because they’d for sure need it then!! Hope you continue to recover well!!
Would you ever mind sharing photos once you’re all healed? Totally understand if that’s not up your alley. Just wondering if I would feel better afterwards. And how did they actually perform the surgery? I’ve had 3 c sections so having another scar wouldn’t be the end of the world, just curious.
i’m not sure if i’m going to post pictures, but i’d be happy to email them to you if i decide not to post them.
i have a hip to hip scar. it was a full tummy tuck since i had ab separation and loose skin above my belly button (if it’s just below your belly button you can get away with a mini tummy tuck but that doesn’t always give full results)
please let me know if you have any questions! i hope your DR continues to improve.
xoxo
Thanks!! 🙂 🙂
Gina what a great decision! I can’t wait to see you post surgury workouts and of course see your progress! Rest up, mama!
thank you!
Thank you for posting this. Honesty is rare in the internet world especially when it comes to fitness and it’s so refreshing to read this post about it. Happy healing!
Tara
thank you, friend!
Thank you for sharing your experience. Did your regular OB check your DR? I was lucky enough to avoid it with my first, but now I’m 24 weeks pregnant with #2 and have no recollection of how I knew it wasn’t an issue.
the midwife did not, even though i asked her to. i didn’t have a great experience with the midwives in san diego.
my PT ended up checking it for me!
xo
Thank you!
This was a great post! I also had a softball sized benign tumor removed from my chest in high school and have always been embarrassed by my uneven breasts. Dresses were hard to shop for because of the scar, swimsuits and tan lines made it more obvious. I always toyed with the idea of getting breast implants but I’m glad I didn’t. I love the way I am and my husband loves me so matter what they look like. These ‘battle scars’ make us the strong and powerful women we were meant to be! 🙂
AMEN to that <3
…..aaaaaanndddd THIS IS WHY I LOVE YOUR BLOG! I’ve never met you but I feel like I know you. You are beautiful outwardly but inward as well. Transparent, Raw, Real,Strong and AH-MAZING!
thank you, friend, and thank you for being here for so long <3
Thank you for sharing your journey. There will be no hate from me because I am all about “you do you” motto.
I am glad you are not in pain (aside from the recovery) and that you are taking it easy.
Life is too short to be in pain and not be happy. Glad you are getting alot of Netflix time. I know what you mean how you miss exercise. You will be back at it in no time.
Until then, enjoy the down time.
Cheers!
thank you, friend. i appreciate it <3
I have loved reading your blog for years Gina. You are so loved and supported by this community! I am so happy for you and for your future with your new abs and perky boobs!
haha! thank you !
Thank you for always being honest and real! It’s why I’ve kept reading for 9-10ish years!
<3
thank you, and thanks for reading for so long <3
You go, girl!! I agree 100% with your views on blogger transparency. I remember back in the day when you chose not to share harder subjects on the blog because you wanted it to be a positive space. While I totally understood that decision, I think your blog is now much more relatable, real and honest because you strive to share touchier subjects that other bloggers shy away from. I know doing so puts you in a vulnerable position, but you have a very tactful and respectful way of writing about these subjects. Thank you for opening up and I hope your healing continues to go smoothly!
thank you, liz. i appreciate it <3
Always appreciate your honesty!
thank you!
🙂 so happy you’re feeling better now!
thank you 🙂
Thanks for keeping it real, always. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been to put this all out there in public, but what a great thing to do for your readers, especially those who may have similar struggles.
What you went through is no joke, but it’s so nice to hear that you are feeling well and happy with your decision to get this done. Keep doing you and here’s to a speedy recovery (hopefully you were still able to drink wine during this!!!).
thank you! yes, i was cleared at my 2-week appointment and am pretty sure i had wine that night haha
Good Luck, thanks for being so honest. Respect you even more, to our health 🙂
thank you so much <3
Wow! What an amazing post. Thank your for sharing your honest experience. I respect your transparency and look forward to see how you will handle everything in the future. xoxo Jessica | http://www.roomforgelato.com
Thanks so much for your honesty!!! I would love to hear more about your DR repair – I totally feel the same way you did. I do orangetheory 5-6 times a week (with mods) and I am in really great shape and the other day someone asked me if I was expecting I don’t know that it bothers me enough to have surgery but I would love to hear more if you are willing to share
Thank you for sharing, Gina! Listening to your body is so important and I love how transparent you are being with your readers. I would love to read a post about recovery. I will soon be undergoing surgery for a recurring shoulder injury and I am very concerned about how the recovery down time that I need will impact my overall fitness and health. So hearing your experience would be so valuable to someone like me. So glad to hear that you are on the mend!
Thank you for this post Gina! It really is refreshing to read these posts that talk about the “real” parts of life and that setbacks happen in life and not everything goes by smoothly! I love how you are open with your anxiety and depression and others snipits of not so nice things along the way in your blog. I’ve been a reader for a while and I can relate to a lot of things you write here. It’s important as a blogger to engage your readers and make yourself relateable. When I read a lot of blogs and if every post talks about how perfect the day was, how amazing and perfect their family and life is, it puts me off, because no one’s life is ever all that perfect and it makes me think they are being fake, so when a blogger is not afraid to be real and share these stories in the attempt at helping others it’s just amazing! So thank you for being YOU. All the best in your recovery. You’re still beautiful inside and out no matter how big your boobs are haha ;-). BTW your husband sounds so very sweet and you are both lucky to have eachother! xo
I don’t have breast implants but still I found this one of the most interesting posts I’ve read from you! I applaud your transparency and I hope others will as well instead of being all, you know, “people of the internet” about it. I’m so glad you’re feeling better!
I’m happy to hear you’re doing well. I was surprised at your comments about feeling bloated after exercising, mainly because last year I worked hard to get back into shape after my third pregnancy and before my fourth. And when I was doing that, I will tell you that I was wondering why my stomach seemed bigger (now I know why ha). I’d gladly read more posts on the topic as you’re a voice I trust in the online world. Keep getting well, Gina! You’re amazing for sharing.
Thanks for your honesty! I really appreciate it and enjoy your writing so much. Keep on keepin’ it real!
Thank you for sharing. I don’t think it’s any of our business to judge your journey. I look forward to reading you blog for fitness tips and will continue to follow your plans! I hope you are healing nicely!
I have had foot surgery and a rod was inserted to straighten my toes. It’s been a few years and the rod was supposed to dissolve from what I understood. Recently I’ve been having itching, aching and a really hot feeling in my foot. I’m wondering if there is something going on in there as well. I’m now thinking of looking into this.
Thanks so much for sharing this!!!
Thanks for being so open & honest, Gina!!! I applaud you! Hope you have a continued healthy and speedy recovery!
<3 for sharing your story. I hope you continue to feel better (and more like yourself) every day as you continue to recover and get the ok from your doctor to resume your normal levels of fitness. I wish we lived closer so that I could bring food to you and help entertain the girls during your recovery.
Kudos to you for taking care of your body! And I love that you tell it like it is: hard work doesn’t always give the result desired. Genetics, life circumstances, etc. play a major role in how we look. But moving isn’t all about looks, is it? It’s about health, and I appreciate that you emphasize that in your space! Enjoy movement again, now that it sounds your recovery time is mostly up!
Gina, thank you for this post! Your honesty and real-ness is the reason that I love reading your blog. I’m sorry that you have had to go through all of the pain and surgeries. I myself have gone through multiple surgeries for various reasons and can imagine how you feel. Please get well soon and know that your readers wish nothing but the best for you and your family! <3
I’m so very proud of you for being honest – I cannot imagine how difficult it is to put yourself out there like that. I also cannot believe that people would tell you that you look tired and worn down – what is wrong with people??? I will say a prayer for you today as you continue to recover!
Good for you! Any positive steps you can take toward making yourself feel better are to be applauded.
I had a breast reduction when I was 15 (I’m now 37) and have been thinking about implants due to some loss of elasticity and unevenness that occurred from weight loss and just aging in general. Some people think I’m crazy for even considering making them bigger again (though not to their original size) but I truly believe everyone can make their own best decision for themselves.
I’m glad to hear you’re recovering well from both procedures! You always share so much positivity in this space; I hope you’re getting that in return.
You’re so awesome girl, thanks for all the motivation and real-ness that you give! So glad the recovery is going well!
thank you!!
I’ve been a long time reader and have not commented very often. I just wanted to say that I am extremely impressed at the courage it took to write this post. Any steps for a more positive life is wonderful in my book. Thank you for writing this- I’m sure many people have been through similar situations and will be grateful that you did. Keep on keeping on girlfriend! Best wishes to you and your beautiful family! xo
thank you so much, stephanie! i’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it, and really appreciate the kind comment. lots of love to you
You ROCK!! You’re still my fav blogger – as for the comments in this post its evident you are loved and appreciated. Giant hug!!! Gina (from Mass) OX!!!
thank you so much, name twin. sending big hugs to you <3
You will never know how much posting this means to me! I have been researching this for MONTHS. I’ve had mine for 7 years and want them out yesterday. I had a consultation scheduled for July but had to cancel it because I’m still nursing my 18 month old. I thought for sure she’d be done when I scheduled it back in March but here we are. I have SO MANY QUESTIONS. I wish I could sit down and have a cup of coffee (or glass of wine) with you and ask them. I put it aside for a bit because I started having mom guilt that I was spending money unnecessarily and putting myself first when that money could be better spent elsewhere. But I also know that my health and happiness are important too – and investing in myself should not be a bad thing. At any rate, this was such a great read for me because I’m so close to doing the same. If you ever feel like being my explant mentor I would LOVE to hear more from you.
Good luck in your continued recovery!!!!
it’s crazy how fast you know you want them OUT. for me, it went from “well this is kind of annoying” to “get these out now”
i wish we could sit down for coffee or wine and chat, too! i sat with my friend who had hers taken out for 2 hours at starbucks and she reassured me and answered all of my questions
please don’t be afraid to email me, or we can FaceTime!
<3 <3
I’m a long-time reader (bur rarely comment!) and have always loved how honest and real your blog posts are! Thank you for being so vulnerable in sharing your story! I hope you have a quick & healthy recovery and enjoy your down time with your sweet family <3
thank you so much, kristin. i appreciate the kind words so much <3
Ah Gina! Thanks so much for your honesty. I know this post must not have been easy to share but I’m really glad you did. Plastic surgery is one hundo p a personal decision (who cares!?) but I liked hearing your perspective on and experience with it, because I’ve considered breast implants but mostly because I’m just a curious person 🙂
So happy to hear that you’re feeling better and are happy with your decision. And allow me to welcome you back to the IBTC (lol.)
hahah it’s great to be back in the IBTC 😉
Thanks so much for sharing. I seldom comment, but I appreciate the heart and thoughtfulness you put into posts like this. 🙂
thank you, kim <3
Thank you so much for sharing.
thank you for reading 🙂
Thank you for writing this! I appreciate your honesty and transparency, too, and have been wondering about the “expiration.” Thanks for talking about your experience. Your courage in sharing is inspiring. I’m glad the surgeries were successful and you’re feeling better.
thank you so much, cheri <3
I love this post Gina! Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts about it all!
I love your honesty and from reading your blog for a few years—-your honesty is one of the most intriguing things about you—via your blog:) readers at least, like me, want real…………..every time.
So glad you feel so much better!! What a great family you have too!
thank you so much <3 it's always scary to put myself out there, but i'm always so glad i did it
xoxo
It’s so awesome that you’re willing to be this vulnerable and transparent with us all. I’m sure your story will be helpful to so many of us. I know that it has helped me come to terms with all the extra skin I have after one rather large baby. For the last two years I’ve felt that I have worked hard at eating pretty healthy and working out plenty and that belly just doesn’t go away. I just recently started to come to terms with that, but I feel like not many women talk about it and then some women, like you said, are lucky and just don’t have a bunch of extra skin hanging out after a baby. Anyway, thank you and hope the rest of your healing goes well. 🙂
sometimes there’s seriously nothing you can do to fix it! i feel like women feel like they did something *wrong* when they can’t make it go away and it’s not the case at all
thank you so much for the kind wishes <3
What a powerful example of courage. Your honesty and transparency is admirable.
thank you, alexis!