At 5'2" and 34G/H, It's Time to Lose Some of my "Assets"! Chicago, IL

I had my 2 year follow up with my surgeon a couple weeks ago, and he was very impressed with how well I've healed, and the scars look great! He also noticed I've lost weight since surgery (woohoo!).

The area that had post-op necrosis is completely healed, with brand new, baby soft skin, and the scars are very pale. I can easily go bra-less and there is zero droop!

I've been a solid 34D since surgery, and I'm exactly where I want to be. People always think "a D cup is so big!" But it is really quite average (and I'm happy for that). I did notice a few changes since my 1 year post-op post. The first is that I still occasionally get tingling and slight zingers as the nerves continue to come back to life - it happens rarely, so it's always a surprise. The second thing is that the feeling in my left nipple faded away. I've had normal sensitivity in the right nipple since surgery, and hypersensitivity in the left while healing, but it's gone bye-bye. At least I still have 1 good one! ;-)

The last thing, which was most troubling, was that I had what looked like a bruise on the left breast. I didn't pay attention to it for a couple weeks, thinking it would go away (thought one of my cats jumped on my chest and caused it). It didn't go away and I pressed on it and there was a pea sized lump under it. I saw my PCP and she sent me for a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound. The radiologist looked at the X-ray and said "I think I know what this is" and as he did the ultrasound, he confirmed that it was an "oil cyst". It's a small cyst filled with liquified (necrotic) fat. He said it can happen after breast surgery, or spontaneously. He said we could do a needle biopsy or I can just come back for an ultrasound in 6 months, then again for my annual mammogram, and it should dissolve over time. My plastic surgeon told me that nearly every woman that has breast surgery will develeop small cysts after but they are usually not noticed, because they are deeper inside the breast.

So all's well, and I do not regret my decision to have surgery one bit!

I saw my surgeon late last month for a follow up, and he is extremely pleased with my healing! My scars are barely noticeable, and we decided to forego any side lipo. He said there is so little to do, he'd be afraid of messing up the shape! I have no problem with that, there's not much side-boob, and with the scars so faint, I agree it's best to leave well enough alone! He wants me to come back once a year, so he can monitor how well they keep their shape.

I notice a bit of tenderness in my left breast every so often, and when I go running, the kind of tingle all over, like the nerves are trying to come back. I do have a small amount of feeling on the bottoms now, but it's very faint. The numbness was odd at first, but I'm so used to it now, it's weird to have some feeling back. My left nipple isn't very sensitive anymore - the sensitivity I still had post-op has kind of faded away, but righty is feeling just fine. ;-)

I went on a 3 day beach trip this weekend and it was so awesome to wear a bikini top and not worry about my old H cups popping out in the water, or turning on the blanket and flashing someone because my top slipped. I didn't have to think about them at all, they stayed put the entire time.

Pain-wise, I haven't gotten headaches like I used to, my back and shoulders are great and the numbness in my arms at night is practically non-existent (unless I sleep on my arm weird). An old, non-breast related neck injury has been bothering me, but because it's the only place I have pain, it's completely tolerable. And my summer wardrobe is so much cuter now - my favorite dress is a smocked elastic top sundress in white, of all colors (I never wore white before) in a size small (!!). I recently went to my 30 year high school reunion, and everyone commented on how amazing I looked, and I think I owe it to my smaller breasts - my demeanor has changed overall.

So I finally took the plunge and tried on a bunch of bras at Nordstrom rack. I took about 15 bras in the fitting room with me, and found that a 34D fits very well. I tried some 36Cs and those also fit, which makes sense, if you go up a band, you go down a cup.

The DKNY bras I tried fit me better in a 36 band, while the Chantelle and Felina bras are better in 34. I actually think one of the bras I bought (Felina) is the same style I once owned in a 34F (and outgrew)! I wish my breasts weren't so wide, but that seems to be par for the course when our breasts are so big. Wearing an actual underwire bra really changes their shape though, they are super high and perky, and I can cover them completely with my hands, and I have little hands! Woohoo!

I will probably stick mostly with the soft stretchy bras and wear the "fancy" underwire ones when I go out. ;-)