Breast Reduction: Stories

Hi everyone! I had my consultation with PS on 6/22/12, got insurance approval in about 8 days (luckily as that is not the norm) and surgery scheduled for 8/20/12. Just over 2 weeks to go!

I've been considering BR surgery for a few years now. I've lost close to 70 pounds in the last year and a half and lost *maybe* one cup size. I measure to fit in a 36DDD but wear all kinds of sizes based on bra brand. I hate them all! I love this website!

2 weeks to go from today!!! I hurt my knee early on Saturday morning and have been taking a high power anti-inflammatory drug (Mobic) for 2 days and feeling fine ... calling PS office this moring to see if I can continue to take it for another day or two or if they are going to make me stop. 2 freaking weeks - I can't believe it!!!!!

Well here I am 1-week prior to surgery and FREAKING OUT! My nerves are terrible lately unless I can keep myself occupied and mind off of things. Easier said than done! I am a list-maker so I have a cleaning list, grocery list, and other general to-do list to do this week and upcoming weekend. I've had my surgery date since mid-July and the time has really flown by. I know this last week is going to fly by as well. I almost threw out one of my bras last night because one of the hooks is broken, but decided instead, that I would save it and add it to my Bra Burning Pile post-op! Can't wait to use that firepit in the back yard!!! LOL!

Beginning Stats:

5'10"
195 lbs
36DDD/E/F (?)
Goal: C cup
PS estimates 600 grams on each side to be removed

Here I am about 17 hours pre-op.

I didn't sleep hardly at all last night. ;( I have been fine up until the middle of the night and my stomach was so upset with nerves. My kids (boys age 5.5 and 7) know that I'm having surgey tomorrow but not specifically what - and this morning they keep saying things like: "I had a dream you already had your surgery and you were already all better." And, "I will be taking care of you after your get your surgery, mommy." Me thinks I will be doing a lot of tearing up and crying on and off today.

I am not scheduled until 12:00pm tomorrow with an arrival of 11:00am. PS is estimating to take 600grams from each side for a D cup result, but I've been thinking lots in the last 6 weeks since my consult and think I'd much rather have him try and take me to a C if he thinks he can.

I did get my pedicure yesterday with my girls and got my hair did last night by my awesome sister (highlights and lowlights), then we went out for dinner with my mom, sister, myself and niece.

I don't have much to do today for nesting, a little dusting and vaccuming but that's about it. I did much of my nesting on Friday and Saturday. Hoping to keep myself occupied somehow. Now hoping for some sleep tonight.

Day 1 POST OP: Good Morning everyone! Well, I'm home. Surgery was scheduled for 12:00pm yesterday, the 20th. And I was walked back to the OR at 12:07. I was a ball of nerves but never offered anything to help calm me down. So we arrived at the surgical center, checked in, made my co-insurance payment, answered 1 million of the same questions. STEPPED ON THE SCALE and I had lost over 5 pounds in the last few days!! Rock on!!!

Got my gown on and hospital slippers and hat. Hot look (note sarcasm). Doc marked me up which was somewhat awkward with my husband in the room but I made it. PS was great to mention I had the "boob sweaties" going on. Nice. LOL! I asked if I would be put in a surgical bra after surgery or just bandaged. He told me just the bandage and it would look like some kind of redneck state fair tube top deal. Hot again!

Walked into the OR, anesthesiologist asked if I liked to go on vacation ... how did Hawaii sound ...I said sure and he said Aloha and just like everyone else, woke up in the recovery room with a sore throat from being tubed. I was awake but couldn't keep my eyes open. Painlevel was an 8 I guessed so they gave me 2-3 doses of something in my IV then eventually wheeled me to my discharge/recovery room and made me stand up and take a few steps to the ugly recliner in there - about fell over and instantly got very nauseated and dry heaved a few times.

Surgery took about 3.5 hours, about an hour in recovery, then another hour or hour and a half in discharge/recovery room. My husband went to Walgreens to fill my prescriptions right after they took me back for surgery so it was a straight shot home - which I slept most of the way with my mouth open and drooling. Truly a hot mess.

I am a Diet Dew addict so that was my first priority once we got home.

Rough numbers from PS are that he took 600 grams from lefty and 500 grams from righty. He did complimentary lipo in the pit area so I'm wondering what that will look like. I'm wrapped up pretty tightly, and I do have the drains which will come out on Wednesday (tomorrow) and that's when I will get my grandma surgical bra also. My husband set the alarm clock for meds in the middle of the night which was completely unnecessary because I didn't sleep for more than 2-3 hours total.

I got Percocet and Valium, as well as an antibiotic. I think the Valium wired me up because there is no reason I should have been so wide awake. All in all, I guess I feel pretty good considering I just had surgery. I'm sore in a couple places, the bandage is tight.

Visited the PS this morning to have my drains removed. I didn't think it was too bad, but definitely weird - I could feel the small tubing moving around in my boobs! PS says, "Didn't I tell you we put worms in there before we finished?" LOL. It felt SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD to have the gauze and Ace Bandages taken off today and not be so smushed! Lots of swelling and it looks more like I have one big boob compared to 2 little ones. My surgical bra has this wedge type thing to push in the middle and kinda separate and form the cleavage. Not much bruising to see right now. He did do lipo under the arms/sides. He said he took exactly 600 from leftie and 500 from rightie. The surgical bra feels really good. Boobs have an odd shape to me right now, and are as hard as a rock.

Been taking my pain meds as directed - figure I paid for them, why not take them and stay comfortable! I will work on weaning myself down though. PS said everything looks super duper and no issues at all. I go back in 1 week.

Enjoy the new pix!

Today I am 1 week and 2 days post-op. Feeling much better with some pressure, swelling and discomfort but all in all starting to feel like myself again. Visited the PS today and he left the steri-strips in place as they looked clean and no problems (yay!!) I go back in 9 days and he said at that time he will remove the strips and clean everything off. I was given the go-ahead to sleep on my side (THANK GOD), ok to drive, and ok to start resuming light activity as my energy comes back. No "exercise" but walks are okay.

I can't tell how much swelling I have but PS seems to think I will be C/D. I wanted to be C. Not unhappy or regretting anything, just hoping for C more than anything.

I updated some pictures - let me know what you think!

Whoa Mother - I am having some MAJOR sensitivity issues. If I am outside and the wind blows just right or if I happen to get the chills from the air conditioner or something my nips and the rest of my boobs FREAK THE HELL OUT! I mean I guess having the sensitivity is a good thing but damn it's almost painful at this point! Did anyone else have this super sensation? I was thinking I might be up for a little bedroom action but I'm kinda scared about how much it might hurt.

I have an appt. on Friday (which will be 2 days short of 3 weeks). I don't think I am ready. I still have my steri strips on and I noticed in the shower tonight that there is a section of my steri strips starting to peel a little so I kinda pulled on it just a little bit to see if I could see the actual incision - GROSS. All I saw was two stitches and I was freaked the HELL out. I don't think I am prepared to see myself all raw and "frankenstein-ish". :(