Guest Blogger @takentheplunge_mya

MYA & ME

I think I will start by introducing myself. I'm Ellie (or El as my friends call me) and I had a Breast Augmentation with MYA.

From being a teenager I had always been conscious of my boobs. No tops ever fit me, I was always wearing sports bras instead of normal bras and fast forward to adult life, still no boobs. So I made the decision to have a breast enlargement with MYA. When I told my Mum what I was planning to do, she reacted the way I knew she would, hesitant. But as soon as I took her to my consultation with my surgeon and to meet my patient co-coordinator she realised I had done my research and that this was something I was serious about. From then on she has been nothing but supportive.

I had my surgery on the 15th October 2018, where has the time gone since my surgery? I suppose time flies when you're having fun aye!

I get asked the same question a lot, 'Do you regret anything?'

I always said no up until recently. I've started saying "Yes, yes I do. I regret letting people tell me cosmetic surgery was bad and that there are so many stigmas around it, and I’m not that kind of girl who gets cosmetic surgery". Who are 'those types' of people anyway?  Also, who are they to tell me what I can do with MY body. I am the happiest and most confident I have ever been and it's all because I stuck with what I wanted and what I believed in. I didn't suddenly make the decision to have a Breast Augmentation overnight, for years and years I struggled with body confidence issues and felt completely out of proportion and when I felt ready, I took the plunge.

The MYA community

At my first consultation I was told about the MYA forum where I could chat to other girls having surgery or having had surgery and ask them questions and see photos of their results and before and after pictures. I thought this was great for people to see work done by certain surgeons or their potential implant size their surgeon had recommended for their body type. So, I went on and started looking at other girls results. I noticed that a lot of girls made private 'boob' Instagram accounts to document their journey,but at the time I thought nothing of it.

Starting my Instagram journey

Fast forward a few months later to 16th November 2018 after my surgery and I created @takentheplunge_mya.  I created this page for a few reasons, the main one being for myself. I did it for me. I wanted to document my own progress and I knew that the photos would get lost on my phone so, every few weeks/major changes I would upload a new picture. I would upload photos of  my 6 week check up with my nurse, comparison photos from my holiday the year before and my sign off check up with my surgeon, or just photos that I liked!

Setting up @takentheplunge_mya was easy, I just created a new Instagram account and I was off. I started by following @myacosmeticsurgery (obviously had to be my first follow), then I started looking at MYA's page and following a few breast augmentation accounts through their page.

My top tips

Now, if you do set up a procedure page, or you want to follow a MYA Instagram journey account, make sure you message the account first and ask to follow them because otherwise 9/10 times they will not accept you. This is for privacy reasons. My account is private for a reason, I don't want any men on there. This is my personal choice, if you choose not to make your account private that is up to you but I chose to go down the private route which most breast augmentation girls do.

Supporting other patients with their journey

A few months down the line @takentheplunge_mya started to get noticed, then I started to worry about what to post. Am I posting enough? Am I posting what people want to see? I gave myself a bit of a reality check at this point because I had to remember who I started this page for, ME. So, I never worry about what to post because I always just think, 'If I was researching into a Breast Augmentation, what would I want to see?'. I've done a few things on my page such as Q&A's so girls can ask me questions, I've given my opinions on things I've come across post-surgery such as post op bras, scar oils and my own advice on after care based on my recovery, things like that. Things that I would want to see if I hadn't already had my procedure.

Girls message me every day asking questions and I love that! Ask away girls because even though I started this page for me, it's turned into something much bigger than I expected. I post my photos and MYA reposts them, how does that even happen? I've realised that being a MYA patient is more than just being a patient. I'm part of a community, a family. We support each other. Whether it's through the MYA Forum, through the clinics around the country or social media accounts. It just happens to be Instagram that enables me to help other girls on their journey.

If anyone has any questions about anything you know where to find me. Love Ellie xx

@takentheplunge_mya