I used to judge. Before I ever met with Dr. Harper at Graper Harper Cosmetic Surgery I thought getting ‘boobs’ was completely unnecessary. Ridiculous. Why would anyone risk surgery? Vanity at its finest. Something someone does with money to burn. Only for someone who wants to flaunt themselves.
I would never be that desperate.
Then I breastfed two kids for a combined total of 36 months. Thirty. Six. Months.
My breasts, which had always been perky and cute had turned unfortunate. They had made the ultimate sacrifice. I had fed my soul to these babies and the process left me without much of anything. Wait, what?
But most significantly, I was in the middle of a free-fall — battling daily life with the lingering demons of postpartum depression so severe my happiness was off the rails.
I needed to do something — for me. To bring me back to me — or at least find part of something familiar.
I got botox a couple times. It was nice. But it wasn’t my face that needed a lift. Maybe a breast augmentation could be just the feminine resurrection I needed.
I wasn’t looking for more than a re-inflation, if you will, but of course — not gonna lie — my husband, Brett, encouraged a size upgrade if I was putting breast augmentation on the table. Fair enough.
B, no more? That was the question.
So when looking for someone to help, I did research. Lots of research. And of course, so did Brett…if you call tagging me in pictures of Emily Ratajkowski on Instagram “research.”
Dr. Harper was it. Charlotte had access to one of the most talented plastic surgeons in the country. He had everything I needed — but most impressive was his artistic side. I quickly realized he had a creative vision that allowed him to see beyond the procedure and read what I needed from the transformation. He also had the surgical chops to pull it off.
And he knew exactly who Emily Ratajkowski was.
Here’s a timeline of how things went:
The Meet Cute
I wasn’t nervous to meet Dr. Harper. I did have questions though. Lots of them. He answered everything honestly after a quick exam. I knew he was a genius when at one point he flipped my exam worksheet over and drew, freehand, a drawing and an easy-to-understand list of options.
Turns out size of the implant, or ccs, wasn’t the only decision to be made. Dr. Harper wanted to know about my lifestyle, my kids, he wanted me to be comfortable and confident — to consider him a friend.
What he needed most from me? Pictures. Turns out Brett’s research wasn’t for not.
Dr. Harper wanted to see images of the kind of women’s bodies I admired. Then we spoke, realistically, about what I wanted to look like clothed and unclothed. His ultimate goal: to create the perfect shape for my body.
Communication was key. Dr. Harper wanted me to share pictures for the ultimate success.
Size or cc of the implant was only part of the discussion. Here’s what we talked about:
- high profile vs. tear drop shape
- over or under the muscle
- lift or no lift
- size of implant, including the possibility of different sizes on each side, if necessary
Turns out there are 100s of shapes and sizes of implants that provide different results depending on an individual’s measurements. Everyone is different.
Dr. Harper shared that he will actually bring a few different sized implants into the operating room with him and will sometimes change them out depending on results. He also shared he would sit me up mid-procedure to check how I looked. All while comparing the outcome to the pictures I would provide.
He took my measurements and had it narrowed down to a few options instantly.
He was confident. And I liked that.
Commit
I brought Brett back a few weeks later to meet Dr. Harper. He was eager to ask a lot of the same questions — to hear the answers for himself. Took him only a few minutes to know I would be in good hands — he was impressed.
We booked the surgery date with a down payment to hold our spot. I wanted a Friday appointment to have the weekend to chill.
We were pumped.
Pre-Op Things
The day was approaching and there was a quick pre-op appointment. Got a beautiful bottle of the most powerful scar cream on the planet to take home. Turns out scaring is normal but often fades quickly. (Truth)
Dr. Harper’s nurse reviewed what I could eat the day of. No coffee? They sent us home with a few prescriptions to fill.
The Big Day
I was nervous. Really nervous. And then it was over. That’s what it felt like.
I checked in, got changed, hung out in the back wearing those sticky-bottomed socks we all love, ‘walla’.
Then I came to. I was sitting in a wheelchair, dressed and I could hear Dr. Harper going over ‘how to take care of Angela at home’ with Brett.
This guy gets better and better.
Recovery
Dr. Harper checked in on us later that day. I felt sore. I felt tired.
A week later the swelling was down. I felt different but the same. I felt like me.
1 year later
It’s as if nothing was ever was done — they aren’t “fake” — they are part of me. They make my waist look smaller and my arms look thinner. They don’t feel strange or look obvious.
They look amazing. The scaring is hidden and minimal. I have no regrets.
None.
Editor’s Note: While this article was sponsored by the practice, no part of Angela’s procedure was provided in exchange for any coverage or advertising in any way.
