My decision to make this journey was based on the fact that I had lost a lot of weight in a very short period of time. Yes, I looked great (in clothes), but my previous 36B bra had now been replaced with a 32A – and even that was too big!
Having booked my consultation, my thoughts throughout the whole journey to Spire were dominated by whether I was doing the right thing. At 57 years old, my friends and family thought I was mad.
As I waited to meet with my consultant, Mr Cameron Raine, I was still wondering if this was the right thing to do. This thought changed abruptly when Mr Raine expressed that, until he examined me, he could not say whether I was a candidate for surgery. My heart sank. I had not considered that this would be the case. I knew then that I had my answer, I knew that I was doing this for me.
Following a very in depth consultation, Mr Raine agreed to carry out my surgery, but wanted me to take time to consider everything that we had discussed, including the risks. There was absolutely no pressure on me to make a decision, although I had already made up my mind. Mr Raine invited me to make further appointments to alleviate any fears or to answer any questions that I might think of. I did make one further appointment, but had definitely decided to go ahead with my surgery after the first consultation. Mr Raine made me feel so comfortable and relaxed. A rapport was firmly built from that initial consultation. I did think of a couple of other things after the second consultation, and was able to email Mr Raine. These were responded to immediately.
The day of surgery arrived. 18th December 2015. I actually felt like I was going on holiday, as opposed to be going for breast augmentation. I arrived at 8.00 a.m. and was greeted by a member of the nursing team. I was taken to my private room, and was absolutely delighted. I was given a menu to choose what I would like to eat after my surgery. Following this, I had a really friendly chat with my dedicated nurse, and can honestly say that I did not feel that I was about to go to theatre. She was excellent. This was followed by a chat with my anaesthetist. He was fantastic. I mentioned that I always suffer from low blood pressure and nausea following an anaesthetic. He assured me that this would not be the case this time. Mr Raine then came to chat and advise that we were scheduled for surgery at 09.30 a.m. Once again, he made me feel very relaxed.
Post-Surgery
When I came round from my anaesthetic, I was greeted by my nurse. Again, she was fantastic. Asking how I felt, and was there anything she could do for me. My first thoughts were, why don’t I feel sick? Having had other anaesthetics, this recovery was completely different. I felt really well. I wondered if it would go downhill shortly.
Once back in my room, I slept peacefully for a few hours. I was awakened by the delivery of my lunch. I thought that there was surely no way that I would be able to eat this without being sick. However, the food looked absolutely delicious, and I thought that it was worth the risk. Amazingly, I was able to sit myself up, eat lunch, followed by a nice cup of tea and not once did I feel sick. This was a first ever. Only at this time did I remember that I had just had breast augmentation! I was not in any pain, although surmised that this was due to pain killers and braced myself for the onset.
By 4.30 p.m. I was up on my feet and made my way to my bathroom to have a first look at my surgery. I could not believe how well I looked – and felt. I was so pleased with the result. I felt fantastic, both mentally and physically. So much so, when Mr Raine came in to see me, we both agreed that there was no reason whatsoever that I couldn’t go home. Of course, this was ultimately my choice. And, as much as I loved my room and the service, I wanted to go home. I left around 7.30 p.m.
The following morning, I was up early and felt ready for a full day’s work. I had to keep reminding myself that I had just had surgery and to take things easy. I was geared up to be taking painkillers. The reality was, I took them, just in case the pain was about to come! I was a bit stiff and cautious about lifting my arms. I had a shower, and felt great. On day 3 post-surgery (no painkillers required), I went into work to show my colleagues the results and alleviate their fears. They were amazed at how well I looked and felt.
The hardest thing of all, for me, was that I couldn’t sit down and rest. It took me a while to accept that I had just had surgery and that I needed to rest. I felt that, physically I could have carried on with my everyday life, the day after surgery. I also found it hard to sleep on my back, but with a few trials and adjustments of pillows, I was able to find a sleeping position to suit.
Having attended my 10 day follow up appointment I was amazed to see very little in the way of scarring. There were no stitches to come out and all that was visible was 2 small red lines where the incisions had been made. The nurse who looked after me at this appointment was fantastic. She could not have been any more helpful.
To anyone who is considering this type of surgery (or any other) then I would not look or consider going elsewhere. Mr Cameron Raine, his team, and the facilities at Spire Murrayfield Hospital are second to none. I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Mr Raine, he is a first class surgeon and consultant and the most approachable health professional that I have ever dealt with – and I am a NHS service provider of 40 years!
