BREAST AUGMENTATION...A HAPPY STORY

The media has delivered countless stories of breast augmentations gone "bad". We have all heard everything from Frankenstein-like scars to death on the table. Yes, there are risks involved like with any surgery. But not every breast augmentation goes awry. I am proof of that; or rather my breasts are. Even when everything goes perfectly well, there are "things" that happen over time thanks to aging. I'd like to tell my breast augmentation story, as it's a happy one.

People often asked "why did you have a breast augmentation or boob-job as it is known by strippers. Yes, i did say strippers. Let me start at the beginning. My breast were always generous in size. In elementary school this was a curse. But the older I got, they better it was. By the time I was in college I was a very generous "C" cup. I was lucky enough to be chosen for "GIRLS OF THE S.E.C." Playboy magazine spread. I wasn't even curious about increasing my breast size at that time. The Playboy photographer certainly didn't think I was a candidate for breast augmentation either. They were firm, nicely shaped and had great sensitivity to the touch. There were no lumps, thank goodness, and no health issues. I was blessed with healthy, happy breasts.

After two years at the University of Florida, I moved home to Bradenton, Florida. Not for the smartest reason, mind you, but I had found love. Or so I thought, but that's a different story. Moving into an apartment at 21. My first real place was very exciting. However, the cost of living was shocking. I was lucky enough to have a father that paid for school and housing when I was in college, but now things were a little different. The "love" of my life left and I was stuck trying to manage all my bills on a $6.00/hr preschool teaching job.

It was impossible. One day I was looking in the want-ads and saw "DANCERS WANTED...$500 per week". I went to the address and found myself at a strip club. So as not to drift from the breast augmentation story, I'll save the details of that night and many more for another blog entry. As you've probably figured out, I became a stripper. Some ladies prefer the term exotic dancer. I was twenty-one then.

I saw thousands of breast augmentations from age twenty-one to thirty. I saw good ones, bad ones, over-the-muscle, under-the-muscle,incisions under the arm, under the breast, through the nipples, and even through the belly button. Being in that business was a definite plus when it came to breast augmentation research. First thing that every breast augmentation candidate must do is research, research, research! And a strip club is a great place to see the actual product.

There are many things to consider. I chose my surgeon based on other breast augmentations that I saw on co-workers. Dr. Harry Eisenburg based out of Maitland, Florida did an outstanding job on every girl I saw. I felt the implants too. This may seem awkward to most, but in that business, you just become desensitized to things like that.

There are two types of implants: saline and silicone. At the time he did not offer silicone implants for breast augmentations. The saline, or salt water, implants were encased in a silicone bag.

By the time I was thirty, I had been dancing nine years. I felt like a breast augmentation would be a great investment. Everyday there is another eighteen year old getting hired in that business and competition gets intense the older you get. I felt like I needed a "boost". So after lots of research I made the decision to get the breast augmentation.

I knew I wanted Dr. Eisenberg as my plastic surgeon. My first step was done. The next step was to go for the consultation. This was fun! I got to pick the size I wanted. To do this the nurse fits you with a sports-like bra and gives you the actual implant to stuff it with! I was already a generous "C" cup so I new I was going to go big. I saw so many girls get them done and within a year's time they wished they had gone bigger. I decided to go bigger than I thought I wanted so I would be happy with them long-term.

Breast implants used in augmentations are measure in cc's. The largest implant the doctor offered was eight-hundred and fifty cc's. That would have been a triple "E" cup on me! I wanted big but not too big. I am only 5'2 so triple "E" just wasn't an option. I chose five hundred seventy-five cc's. This would be an "E" for the first six to eight months. After that the swelling would go down and leave me with a double "D". 36DD!

At the consultation we set a date for the breast augmentation surgery for about six weeks later. And just so you know most surgeons will require payment in full prior to the procedure. This was not an issue for me, as exotic dancing provides a nice income.

The surgery took about an hour and a half. I was all bound up with bandages and a bra. Because the surgeon needed to see me for a follow up in two days, I had to stay in a hotel room in Maitland. Luckily I had my boyfriend at the time to stay with me. For the record, it hurt! I mean I had never had a surgery hurt so much! And I was no stranger to surgery. I had three ankle surgeries, brain surgery, herniated disc surgery, thyroid surgery, appendectomy, laporoscopy, and none of them hurt so bad. I was given Demerol pain pills and I had my own Xanax. It was explained to me that because of the number of nerves in a breast, breast augmentation is quite painful. I was also told by patients that were moms, giving birth was much worse. I've never had a child so I can't compare.

I was instructed not to lift anything and not to raise my arms for four weeks after the breast augmentation surgery. I was also told to lie on my stomach with my arms at my side and roll from side to side on my breasts each night every night for the first year. This would help shape them to a very natural shape. It would be six to eight weeks before I could return to work.

Because I had large breasts before my augmentation, I chose to have the implant placed over the muscle. This allowed for a more natural "dropping" of the breast. That's a nice way of saying they'll hang like a real boobs! Within six months they started dropping and the swelling went down.

It's been eight years since my breast augmentation. I have never had a complication. My sensitivity is phenomenal. I chose for the incision to be under the breast and the scars are barely visible. Thanks to gravity, my breast covers the scarring. But even if they were "perky" the scars are so small and faint they'd be hard to see.
I retired form the exotic dancing industry when I was thirty-five and saved nothing. Again, another whole string of stories. Money is crucial long after the initial breast augmentation. It's a good idea to have $8,000-$11,000 on hand after an initial breast augmentation so they can be re-done ten to fifteen years later. The integrity of the implant does become compromised with age as does everything. Also, with age comes the joy of fighting gravity. With eight pounds pulling on my skin and chest, this fight becomes almost futile. If I had the money, I'd start shopping for a new surgeon in 2010. Dr. Eisenberg has since retired and I don't have the "insider's tips" I had while being in the club.

I have loved my breasts everyday since the augmentation and I never regretted it once. It was an exciting experience and I recommend it to anyone that wants it. Just remember research, research, research, when considering a breast augmentation. Then, enjoy them!