Case Details
I had a breast augmentation. Here are my stats:
Age: 27
Race/Color: Caucasian
Children: 2, breastfed
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 118 lbs.
Size: I went from an AA cup to a C cup
Implant Manufacturer: Mentor
Implant Fill: Saline
Implant Size: 350 cc’s, filled to 350 cc’s
Implant Profile: Moderate Plus
Implant Shape: Round
Implant Surface: Smooth
Implant Placement: Under the muscle
Incision: Crease (inframammary)
Plastic Surgeon: Dr. David E. Berman, Sterling, Virginia. I found my plastic surgeon on ImplantInfo by Nicole!
Comments: I’ve always had issues with my appearance & have been totally encompassed by self esteem issues in life. I suppose it started as a child, looking up at women thinking that I would be like them when I grew up and I wanted to be: tall, beautiful, with a gorgeous body. Jr. High School is when I started to notice it the most when everyone except for me seemed to be “blossoming.” So I waited and waited then thought that High School would be my time to shine (P.E. was the worst, I would get dressed in the bathroom stall to avoid embarrassment.) I did have a really great High School experience, involved in sports, clubs, student government, even competing statewide in Business Law and English, what really floored me was when I was a senior, being voted Best Dressed and Most Desirable Date… I enjoyed the attention, but surely didn’t let it go to my head because I was still very disappointed of whom I saw starring back at me in the mirror every morning…
When I graduated from high school I probably weighed in at about 100 pounds and was about 5’7″-I’ve always been real slender, therefore, having to deal with no butt and no breasts, always a great combination, huh? Well, after graduation another stepping stone arose…College! The melting pot of all teens… My biggest struggle by far was dorm life, sleeping in the same room with a perfect stranger and all of her friends, showering in open shower stalls in a bathroom full of drop dead gorgeous girls…I felt like such the ugly duckling, my face wasn’t that bad, I was tall and lean with legs that (as my aunt would say) go all the way up to my armpits…just not confident in the whole breast/boob department. Plus, no one wanted to date the “flat, skinny chic.” Every night I slept with a padded bra on just to make myself feel better, you never know when we’d have fire drills…
Of course my relationships were affected by my lack of confidence. I blame some of that lack on a failed marriage, but of course other factors surpassed that. I couldn’t satisfy someone when I couldn’t bear the thought of being naked! I thought that after having kids, my body would change, well, after gaining 76 lbs with my first whom weighed 10 lbs, all I noticed about change were stretch marks, surprised that they weren’t in my toes at that point. With my second, I gained 78 lbs- both times, my breasts were largest at a small B (I nursed my 2nd for 2yrs and got no bigger than a B) I lost the weight quickly but when I stopped nursing my daughter in January 06, I still wore my nursing bra and pads to help myself ease back into the body I’d been left with…just to help me feel like a woman still. Then the day came that I tried on my old bra, a 34A,I sat and cried for hours, I couldn’t even fill an A cup anymore. Where was the woman I was supposed to be by now? It was horrible.
So, after many years of being uncomfortable with my appearance, unsatisfied with the way I looked back at myself in the mirror, I finally stopped the years of research and did something about it. I had been a fan of ImplantInfo.com for years, following all the advances, the news and what not of the breast enhancing world, I finally decided, time to do something for me, I give my all to my family every day, it’s ME time!
With the help of ImplantInfo.com, I found a several surgeons and contacted them all. All were the same, general questions: I’m a stay at home mom, looking to get an enhancement, could I breast feed if I ever wanted to again, how about picking up my two yr old…the questions a mother of young children may be inquiring about. While waiting for the replies I began getting really depressed, I felt horrible for wanting to spend “that” much money on myself instead of my new home or kids…
Within a couple of days I had gotten responses from a few of the surgeons, most were cold, to the point with no concern, but then one came to me on February 23rd from Dr. David E. Berman, a surgeon from Sterling, VA. His email started out a bit like the others but then he continued to elaborate on how I couldn’t pick up my 2 yr old, but there were tricks to do to spend more time with her…this caught my attention, out of all the replies, I saw that this surgeon had patience, compassion and general concern…It was great! I called Dulles Cosmetic Surgery & Skin Care Center a few days later to schedule a complimentary consultation. It was set for March 27th. I had many questions in between. I emailed Dr. Berman several times and received a timely response.
The day of my consultation, I was nervous, excited, sick to my stomach, but all was well when I walked through the doors. I was greeted and taken back to a room. Waiting, Cheryl (Office Manager) came in to talk with me about which procedure I was interested in and went on to tell me her daughter had felt the same way and whom was also a patient of Dr. Berman. She really eased my nerves. Within a few minutes Dr. Berman was in the room with us talking about the procedure, going through all of the information to make a healthy and thought out decision. He took pictures…I was super embarrassed now. After the pictures were taken and Dr. Berman was finished with the consultation, I was taken to a room to discuss the procedure date…I left there with my surgery scheduled for 10 days later! I was horrified. I was elated. I was going to become a woman!
April 6, 2006 did not come soon enough…I was so excited, but the day did come. Again, any questions I had, I emailed to Dr. Berman and he responded quickly! It was great. I went in to the surgery with confidence and was well informed of everything, I was at ease (and so was my father who is in law enforcement whom usually threatens the lives of people who even come in contact with me…we all decided it would be better if he stay at home that day to help him and the surgical staff have a rested mind.) My surgery was scheduled for 12:45 and I was back and being prepped at 11:45. All the people at the surgi-center were wonderful, all very nice and light hearted! I remember taking a pill…..seeing Dr. Berman….listening to a lady talk about “the twins” she’s going to leave there with…Then I remember being taken back to the room and then I remember the nurses coming to me asking if I am okay and how I felt and I was like…”It’s done..all over?” Then I peeked down my shirt, my first reaction was, “That’s it? That’s a C? I thought they would be bigger.” I was in and out of there at home in 4 hours. Dr. Berman was leaving for vacation in a few days, between the day of the surgery and the time he left for vacation, he personally called my house 4 times, the nurse at the surgi-center 2 times and Cheryl, the office manager at Dulles Cosmetic Surgery & Skin Care Center had called once. I felt so taken care of and so wonderful that people were actually taking the time to care about me…one patient.
The Day was here, I was so excited. I went in to the surgery with confidence and was well informed, I was at ease (and so was my father who is in law enforcement whom usually threatens the lives of people who even come in contact with me) All the people at the surgi-center were wonderful, all very nice and light hearted! I remember taking meds, seeing Dr. Berman, listening to a lady talk about “the twins,” then being taken back to the room, then I remember the nurses coming to me asking if I am okay and how I felt and I was like…”It’s done.. All over?” My first reaction, “That’s it? That’s a C? That’s all I get?” I was in and at home in 4 hrs. Dr. Berman was leaving in a few days, between that day and the time he left for vacation, he personally called 4X, the nurse/surgi-center 2X and Cheryl, the office manager at Dulles Cosmetic Surgery & Skin Care Center called 1X. I felt so taken care of and so wonderful that people were actually taking the time to care about me…one patient.
If you are here searching for a surgeon or looking at the experience and thought process going through your mind trying to decide whether or not to have a procedure done…You should. You are beautiful the way you are, but you are even more beautiful when your mind agrees with your appearance. It’s okay, it’s not about vanity as much as it is self acceptance. Not all things in your life can be changed by a procedure, but some, if very thought through sure can help a bit. If you’re scared of what my happen, look at the pictures I’ll put in here and if you are in the VA, WV, DC, MD area…I would highly recommend Dr. David E. Berman, check him out on this site…He’s wonderful! Good Luck.
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