Optimism

Hello - I've spent the last few days reading many, many of your wonderful blogs and hoping to be able to be an active participant here. I've been wanting to have a BR for at least twenty-five years and investigated it about eighteen years ago but wasn't able to get the insurance and thought that I'd be stuck with "them" forever. However, a recent challenge has turned into a cloud with a silver lining.

Following (yet) another poor mammogram, I went for a follow up, then was instructed to have a deep-needle biopsy which still left questions and was advised to have surgery to remove some questionable breast tissue for further testing. During the surgical consultation I asked if it might be possible to have a reduction...since they were going to be in there anyway. And they said "YES!" There seems to be no concern about insurance due to the history of suspicious mammograms and now i can hardly think of anything except ridding myself of these breasts that have been a nemesis for much of my life.

So, I have an appointment with the recommended PS on July 29th and hope to join the teeny weeny [RS bleep] club! We are aiming for an early September surgery and I've already secured three weeks off and am lining up a support system, as my hub might not be the best choice for the healthcare support. I'm also a little concerned about the expectations of those around me. The recovery time for enhancements is so much shorter and those who are not in the BR space don't really seem to understand the amount of recovery time that will be required.

I've been looking for common themes in your stories, especially for those near my age, give or take, and what I'm gathering is: it will take months to really recover fully and become fully operational (work, exercise, etc.) and for the new breasts to take their final shape; three weeks po there may be a setback in energy and progression if I overdo during the first two weeks; there may be a boxy shape to begin with until the breasts settle...about a month po(?) ; of all the surgeries listed on this site, BR ranks the very highest (along with one other) in satisfaction. I'm not likely to post my nekkid boobies anytime soon...you all are so brave! :)

I greatly appreciate all of the wonderful information you've provided, including and especially post-op recovery tips, and look forward to engaging with you over the coming months. I'd love to hear tips from you about what I should be doing to prepare for the surgery (physically, emotionally, and practically). Thanks in advance!

Hi there - I've been a little antsy lately and thought that I'd share some of these thoughts with you. My ps consultation is on Tuesday morning (3 days away) and I can't wait to meet the doc and hear what he has to say, but am also concerned that he may just say "no." In my head i know that this won't happen but I just can't convince myself that this is really going to happen. My older sister is going with me to the appointment. I invited her because she is also interested in pursuing this path (darn genetics) and this would be a good opportunity for her to learn more about it.

My family has been great, especially my husband. He is the worrier in the family; I tend to jump in and plunge ahead without too much thought about the particulars and he is at the other end of the spectrum, sometimes thinking about the particulars so extensively that nothing ever happens. BUT, given that I definitely will be having surgery to remove tissue, he agrees that I might as well do the br at the same time. He's a fan of large chests but he sees how I've suffered from this over the years (mentally, physically, experientially) and is supportive of my decision. I think he's been worried about the outcome of the tissue analysis that will take place later but I'm trying not to think about that too much since it's not in my control. However, it does weigh on me sometimes. My NP said 70% of the time the tissue is fine so I'm trying to keep my mind on the positives of the br. I think I'm going to feel so much younger without the neck and back pain, and avoiding mirrors will no longer be a regular part of my day. Some people have asked me why I don't do the br after I get a positive result on the tissue analysis... one word: Insurance. Plus, who wants two surgeries when you could just have one?

Anyway, where I was going with this post was to say that I've told my kids about the surgery: my younger son (19 yrs) seemed a little uncomfortable hearing about it, despite the way that I kept it to about two sentences and was very positive. My older son (21 yrs) gave me a big hug and seemed a little more concerned about the outcome of the tissue analysis and didn't pay much attention to the br part. None of that was surprising. What has surprised me is how sweet my husband has been. He's sent me little unexpected love notes (one was disguised as a QR code, lol) and has been very supportive overall, doing nice things around the house (he always does a lot, but even more-so now) and asking me how I'm feeling. It's nice to know that he is behind me, even though I'm sure he's worried about the outcome and how the itty-bitties will look and feel later on.

I will post with an update after my Tuesday appointment and hopefully will have a surgery date set for very early in September. Then, the get-ready will move into full swing!

I hope all of you who are recovering are feeling well today and are able to take your new itties outside. Have a great weekend!

Today was a very exciting day! My sister and I traveled to visit the ps to discuss first steps in getting this surgery on the books. They took my vitals, several pictures, and then the ps and I chatted about the process, surgery, look and feel, and post-surgical requirements/advice. I noticed when I got home that they had transposed the bottom number in my blood pressure so I called to straighten that out. I don't want "high" blood pressure to be an issue later when it's always low! They had 116/96 and it was actually 116/69.

I must say that the ps was not very forthcoming. He answered all of my questions succinctly and I was out of there in a flash. I trust that his surgical skills are stronger than the communication skills, which is fine by me. He didn't really give me any of the advice that I've seen from so many reviews on here; maybe that will come later once the insurance has been approved. It's not that I didn't like him; he seems very nice. I wonder if he didn't want to expend too much energy when the insurance hasn't yet been approved? Our conversation lasted about ten or fifteen minutes.

The shorter-than-expected appointment meant that my sister and I could go out for a nice late breakfast at one of my favorite Atlanta landmarks, The Majestic. Although the late-night crowd is more entertaining in this 24-hr restaurant, the food is always pretty good, especially breakfast.

Insurance is the next step and then a date will be set. They will send me home post-surgery with a surgical bra and he offered to give me a spare to alternate during washing, which means one less thing to order. Post-surgery there will be a one-week follow up and then a one-month follow up. He drew me a diagram of before not-ibt's/after ibt's and I must say that the new sketched boobies look very nice. :) The doc suggested a C-cup and I pushed for a B-cup. He wasn't sure about that possibility but asked that I remind him during the mark-ups that I prefer smaller to larger.

I don't mean to sound impatient but October is really slammed with personal and professional obligations so I would really prefer an early September surgery. Hope the insurance comes through quickly so I can get on his schedule.

I've been following several of you that have recently had surgery and think of you often. I wish for you a speedy and smooth recovery and hope that you will take this opportunity to slow down and recuperate. It seems that those who try to do too much too fast are the ones that have problems. I'm ordering some DVD's and books to keep me entertained...when the exciting time arrives. Hugs!