Family has always been my number one-priority. When I had my two children, I was hell bent on nursing them both for a full year. I had no idea the toll it would take on my breasts and didn’t realize until after my second child that they weren’t returning north. This is where my breast augmentation personal journey begins…
In order for family to be my number one, I had to love myself and my body. I realized it wasn’t selfish to take care of myself first; it was necessary in order to serve those around me. Self-love and self-care are critical. “If we are filling our own emotional tanks with self-respect and loving care, we have much more to give to our families, friends, and the world in general.”
No amount of exercise and eating healthy returned my breasts to where they were pre-kids.
I just didn’t love the way I looked.
Loving Life, But Missing Something
When my youngest was not quite two years old, I was in incredible shape, back to work, and loving everything about life, except that one thing (or two) — my boobs.
I decided to get a few consultations for a breast augmentation but felt I had to be super secretive about it. I didn’t want others to judge me, I didn’t want my family to be disappointed or embarrassed, and I didn’t want to send the wrong message to my daughter about self-image.
No matter how badly I wanted to do this for me, I still felt all of these emotions and more.
I Needed Support
Now let’s talk about others for a moment. I grew up in a very close family and very small town. People in my home town weren’t getting “boob jobs” and making “selfish” decisions to undergo elective surgeries. If they were, they certainly weren’t talking about it.
I know that my mother didn’t support my decision to have surgery. I’m not sure if that was because she loves me so much and wanted me to have confidence without having to go under the knife, because she was more embarrassed of what others would say or do, or a combination of both.
Either way, she was not pleased with my decision. However, I’ve realized that it was just that- MY decision and nobody else’s. The last thing I ever wanted to do was embarrass my mom or make her ashamed of me.
But finally in my 30s, I knew I had to go with my gut and make this decision for me and nobody else.
Our Bodies, Our Decision
It took me years to be comfortable to talk openly about the fact that I had breast augmentation surgery.
That it was OK to make that decision for ME.
That it was normal and OK for my recovery experience to be harder than I thought it would be.
And over those past several years, I realized a whole lot more, too.
I realized that women:
Deserve to make decisions about their bodies.
Want to be superheroes and “do it all” and not ask for help.
Experience emotions more than men and sometimes those emotions make zero sense in hindsight.
Go through a lot and keep it to themselves or “hide” their feelings.
I’m no expert in psychology and a lot of things still don’t make sense to me, but from what I have learned from my experience of both going through a breast augmentation and being a Doctor of Physical Therapy, there has to be a better way.
I hope women realize that the recovery period after surgery doesn’t have to be the way it has always been because some surgeons are set in their ways. Many don’t want to change how they’ve always done things, and they don’t want you to “mess up” their work.
You don’t have to be sedentary, keep your procedure a secret, and be afraid to ask for help.
The Birth of Chrysalis: A Comprehensive Breast Surgery Post-Op Program
There are so many things that when combined can make this process so much easier. A comprehensive breast surgery recovery program designed with the combination of support, nutritional guidance, and movements was specifically created for this sole purpose. Recovery can be intentional, safe, supportive, and clear. Chrysalis makes this possible.
Women deserve support for their decisions.
Women deserve to make decisions judge and shame-free.
Everyone walks a different walk, goes down a different path, and ends at a different destination.
Why can’t we all raise each other up and show support for one another regardless of our own beliefs or backgrounds?
Can you imagine a world where this is how people truly act? I say act because it’s all in your actions. How you act towards others is all that matters.
Am I perfect and making perfect actions all of the time? Absolutely not.
But with time and experiences in life, I’ve learned a lot and all I can do is try to be better the next day. I try each and every day to make a difference in myself and by helping others.
There’s a Better Way to Recover from Breast Surgery
If it weren’t for everything that I’ve experienced being a Doctor of Physical Therapy, talking to women in my 12 years of experience who
Went through cosmetic surgeries,
cancer-related surgeries,
explant surgeries,
meeting friends who’ve undergone similar surgeries,
and going through a surgery myself, I would not be where I am today. I will continue down this road with passion and perseverance because I know that what I have created will help others have a better experience. This is my calling. This is my purpose.
And it all started with a decision that I made for myself. I created Chrysalis to optimize your recovery period with structure and clarity, while providing the much-needed emotional support for women undergoing any type of breast surgery. Chrysalis wants to support you during your journey.
Remember that everyone walks a different path. Some women are getting implants, some are getting their natural breasts lifted and/or reduced, some are getting them removed and/or reconstructed and some are getting their old implants out due to BII and/or BIA-ALCL. We all deserve to recover from breast surgeries in the most optimal way.
Let us provide you with the necessary tools for your recovery regardless of its origin. Chrysalis has different memberships based on your type of surgery to ensure your recovery is safe, clear and structured. If you’re considering breast surgery, we can help! Click here for more information about the program.
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