Margaret’s Story
by Margaret
November Contest Winner

In the year 2000, I was a single, 31 year-old working mom going to college trying to build a future for my son and me. I had been through two marriages that left me feeling worthless and without any self-confidence.

I was laughed at, and called a boy in high school because of my small breasts. I had no idea what to do. I was at the point of giving up and accepting the fact that I was to cover up and wear padded bras and just hope that no one ever took enough of an interest in me to want to "get to know me better".

I read several articles on breast augmentation and even ordered a video on the subject. Even if I wanted to do this, it was just too expensive at that time. I saved for about a year and then came into just enough money for the surgery. I was ecstatic. I called my sister and asked her if she would come with me to the consultation visit.

The doctor was so great. He asked me what I wanted and told me what he thought would look best and most natural on me. I was almost in tears when I looked at the before and after pictures of some of his patients.

We scheduled a date for the surgery in March 2001. I was so scared; more so than I had ever been in my entire life. We went to the city the night before the surgery and were at the office early the next morning.

The next thing I knew I was waking in the recovery room. At first before I moved I couldn't feel anything, but then I tried to sit up and it felt like a dump truck was sitting on my chest. It wasn't really pain, just an enormous pressure.

I guess I was still groggy because they had to help me to the car. The ride back to the motel room was torture. Then the two hour ride home was pretty bad too. After we returned home I was in bed for the first couple of days and then started getting up and around.

I experienced several instances of sharp pain that started from the nipple area and spread out over the entire breast. I was concerned about this, but the doctor said it was normal. I was back to work in a little over a week

This has made such an impact on my life. I went from an A-cup to a C-cup. I actually can wear clothes now that aren't baggy or hi-necked. I had the incisions in the crease of the breast, and the scars are barely visible.

I bought my first bathing suit last year and cried when I was trying them on at the store. I just couldn't believe that the image that was looking back at me from the mirror was me and looked beautiful!

I am so pleased with my augmentation. I would recommend to anyone who is not pleased with the way they look to go see a cosmetic surgeon and just talk with them. It lifts your self-confidence to a limit you would never think possible.

Before I had my augmentation I met the most wonderful man in the world. I talked with him about it and he, of course, said, "I love you the way you are." The problem wasn't that. It was that I didn't love me the way I was.

I knew that I could look better and feel better about myself. He was very supportive after I expressed my feelings about it.

It has been almost three years since I had my surgery and I am still so very pleased and thankful to the surgeon that transformed me into an even more beautiful person than I was before.

Thanks for allowing me to tell my story.

Margaret, Midwest