39 Yr Old. 38E/36G to 38B/36C. Should've Done It Years Ago!-Beverly Hills, CA

My incisions have finally all healed! It took awhile but I'm relieve that I don't have any open wounds anymore. It was not until a couple of days ago that I realized that my "T" incision finally closed up on my right breast.

Before hand, I had quite a few"thread spitters" come out threw my skin. My PS use soluable threads so he said that my skin will heal around it but impatient me...I took it into my own hands. After reading something from some forum stating that when threads are poking through open wounds, it takes them a little longer to heal because the body is thinking it's a foreign object...something like that; so I decided to clip the threads off . Low and behold, within a day or two, these little holes closed up! I was ok with the little threads but I was scared to touch the thread peeking out through the sides of my "T" incision scab. When the scab fell off, the skin was still fresh but it was irritating feeling this stiff thread. I know I should have had someone do it for me but I decided to clip it off myself. With constant cleaning, Neosporin, and some gauze, the skin around it has healed! So now I'm using a new scar therapy ointment/lotion that my PS is having me use, BIOCORNEUM. I've only been using it for 2-3 wks and I'm already noticing the scars start to fade.

Even though my skin has healed, I'm still cautious of how I'm moving. I still use my claw grabber for high reach, throwing my garbage half full, doing my laundry with my basket half full, or even lying on my side too long when I sleep. I don't want to stretch any skin open!

As for the look of my breasts, I am noticing that they are beginning to drop. My right breast more than my left breast. Just as long as my nipples are at the same level, I'm ok with it. All the skin have softened up, except this pesky spot on the side of my left breast. On my next visit to my PS, I will ask him if he can do something about it.

I'm still wearing the compression and sports bras. I haven't bought any new bras yet. I'm in no rush, it's kind of nice not having to always wear those underwire bras. Before surgery, I was measuring 43 1/2" on my bust, now I'm at 40". I hope it goes down a little more but if not, I'm ok with it.

Lastly, I love going to the beach in the summer. Since my skin's healed, I can finally go into the water. I tried on my bathing suit top last night and I didn't have to wear my bra underneath it! It's was so hard to find a supportive bathing suit top for busty girls pre-surgery that I would sometime wear my bra underneath it. No way was I ever going without support @ a public beach! It's such a relief to not feel like I'm spilling out...wooohooo!

I went to my PO Box last weekend to get my mail and I received my first batch of EOBs from my OBAMA care insurance(Blue Shield) and I freaked out when I saw the amounts that was being billed! On one of the EOBs"PATIENT RESPONSIBILITY" it had $17,000+ and another had over $71,000+! I called the insurance immediately and spoke to them to see if indeed the amounts I was seeing was correct, they rudely and condescendingly responded that it was. I won't go into detail of the conversation but I think a lot can relate to BAD customer service. The person that I spoke to actually admitted that they didn't know much about what is on or anything about the codes on the EOBs.......how shocking! First, they give me attitude. Second, they admitted they don't know much about what I'm calling for?! Alarming to hear when you call customer service! I know the accents they speak, every time I call, it's the same. The insurance company needs to train their OVERSEAS customer service better and to train them more on how to tread more lightly with frustrated customers who want clear answers!

After, I called my PS's office and they directed me to their biller's office since the patient coordinator was out. When I spoke to the biller and emailed them the two shocking EOBs, and mentioned that I paid my $4600 in co-payments, they told me not to worry and that it was standard practice on the billing, that the doctors and the insurance would negotiate with each other.

Today, I just got a call from the patient coordinator and got reassurance that I don't need to worry about the amounts on the EOBs and told me the exact thing that the biller said to me; I've already paid my part. I'm relieved because for almost a week already, I haven't been sleeping soundly because of me thinking about the$$$$$bills$$$! It doesn't matter to me if the doctors get more money from the insurance just as long as I don't pay more than what I'm supposed to. Shoot....I'm already paying an exorbitant amount for my insurance premiums!

So I'm praying and crossing my fingers that everything works out in the end and indeed that my breast reduction indeed is paid for in full!

I don't know about others but prior surgery, I sometimes would catch myself staring at some women who showed their cleavage so freely. Regardless of what size, I wondered how they were so comfortable showing it ,when for me, I was constantly covering it?! Maybe they were all comfortable with their chest? One thing I find though after the surgery, is that I no longer care or look on how other women showing their clevage . I'm actually(well slowly) feeling comfortable wearing a tank top and showing a little cleavage! Am I the only person who feels this way?

It's been over three weeks and I still have scar tissues on my axilla that's still hard. I've actually broken some of them but I still have some that feel like little rocks, regardless of how much I roll against a tennis ball to break them. My PS says it will soften up with time and says I should be patient with it .

My PS started me on EMBRASE for my scars. It's these silicone strips that adhere to your skin. It's my first week on it but I don't think I will continue with it. It can get pricy, for the four strips, I paid $140. You're supposed to keep them on for a week. Also, they're hard to keep on as they have to sit on the crease of my boobs. Just on the first day, two of the strips came off because of air bubbles and water. I had to ask a friend to help me re-apply them on again and to rub them securely. Painful, I say, especially when rubbing the strip over the incisions. In order for them to stay on, I bought these clear bandage patches to put on top of them. If I'm going to pay that much for these strips, these suckers are going to stay on my skin! Does anyone have any other suggestions for some scar therapy aside from silicone gel?