I was always a small, slender girl growing up. My breasts developed normally, maybe even a little bit slower than everyone else's my age. I was most happy with my breast size in about Grade 9 or 10, when they were hovering between a full B/small C cup. I was about as tall as I would get, but my breasts were not done yet. Grade 11 saw them continue to grow and was the first time I remember feeling a little out of control and embarrassed of the chest situation. Not believing it was happening, I stayed in a C cup for about a year and kept moving up band sizes. I remember at one stage, when I was 16, wearing a 36C bra that did not fit at all.
At the end of that year, I broke up with my first serious boyfriend and took up running. It was hard (read: impossible) to find a bra that contained the girls enough to feel comfortable running. I too went through the double-bra-for-athletics stage and eventually found one in a sports store in a D/DD size that sort of did the trick. I remember paying what I thought was a whopping $50 for it, and when I showed it to my mom, her jaw dropped open and she said it looked like a surgical bra (how ironic). I'll never forget that.
In Grade 12, it was time to go grad dress shopping, and though I was about 5'5 and maybe 130lbs, I feared I'd not find a dress that fit my chest. The day I went dress shopping was the first day I ever got properly fitted for a bra...I was a 30F! While the new letter embarrassed me to no end, finally having my breasts separated, supported, and under control elated me, and I was so excited about all the clothes I could now wear (including a beautiful strapless gown I ended up wearing to my high school graduation).
Enter: the university years aka second puberty? Residence life, binge drinking, and eating greasy food caused me to gain the classic Freshman 15, but for every pound my body gained, it felt like my breasts gained 10. By the end of second year, I was fed up with feeling out of control of my breasts again and went in for another bra fitting. The verdict? 30H, and $100 for every bra I'd ever buy from then on.
I've since lost lots of the weight I gained during those first crazy years in post-secondary, but my breasts have stayed the same size (if not continued to grow). For the past two years, I've hovered between a 30-32 band and worn between a G-H cup. Too. Damn. Big.
I've been through it all, ladies, every #hugeboobproblem you can possibly think of. Disgustingly expensive, ill-fitting lingerie. Stretch marks on the girls. Constant aching back pain. Stabbing pains when standing for long periods. Embarrassment/self-conciousness during exercise. Shirts that never fit properly. Terrible posture. Looking WAY bigger than you actually are. Inappropriate remarks directed at the boobies. Size never carried in regular stores. Impossible to purchase bathing suits. Buttons popping open. Sagging, unattractive breast appearance. Chafing, bleeding, scarring on the ribcage. Irritation between the breasts. Industrial-looking, 4 hook bras. I'm not sure if this is common, but I've personally always felt self-conscious letting men anywhere near them (though no man has ever raised a concern...). Most importantly (to me), I am an avid runner (4x half marathon finisher) and outdoor enthusiast, and my breasts are impeding my ability to enjoy physical activity and stay fit and healthy the way I need to be. The list goes on, and I have a million stories to tell about how horrible it is to have breasts this size, but it's only now that I've decided to do something about it.
After many years (years!) of research and consideration, thinking and re-thinking, and trying to convince myself that I was meant to have these breasts and they were here to stay, I got fed up. A few weeks ago, I finally went to the drop-in clinic at my university (to a doctor I've seen before), to see what could be done about this. When I told him I had been experiencing chronic back pain since 11th grade, he didn't flinch. When I continued on to say that I think a breast reduction would alleviate these symptoms and many others, he looked shocked. "Are they really that big? Sit up straight...let me see...wow, they are enormous. What size do you wear? WHAT?! A 30G? Do they even make that?! Oh my god. Let's get you to a surgeon."
Needless to say, I cried my way through that visit...but all embarrassment aside, my doctor was very supportive and wrote a letter to a local PS making my case for me. I just received a call last week, and though my initial consultation isn't until Dec 4th, I wanted to get a head start on sharing my story here with fellow well-endowed women who might just understand.
And as a side note, if I have one more small-chested woman say "poor you" when I raise complaints about my large chest, I am going to lose it.
At the end of that year, I broke up with my first serious boyfriend and took up running. It was hard (read: impossible) to find a bra that contained the girls enough to feel comfortable running. I too went through the double-bra-for-athletics stage and eventually found one in a sports store in a D/DD size that sort of did the trick. I remember paying what I thought was a whopping $50 for it, and when I showed it to my mom, her jaw dropped open and she said it looked like a surgical bra (how ironic). I'll never forget that.
In Grade 12, it was time to go grad dress shopping, and though I was about 5'5 and maybe 130lbs, I feared I'd not find a dress that fit my chest. The day I went dress shopping was the first day I ever got properly fitted for a bra...I was a 30F! While the new letter embarrassed me to no end, finally having my breasts separated, supported, and under control elated me, and I was so excited about all the clothes I could now wear (including a beautiful strapless gown I ended up wearing to my high school graduation).
Enter: the university years aka second puberty? Residence life, binge drinking, and eating greasy food caused me to gain the classic Freshman 15, but for every pound my body gained, it felt like my breasts gained 10. By the end of second year, I was fed up with feeling out of control of my breasts again and went in for another bra fitting. The verdict? 30H, and $100 for every bra I'd ever buy from then on.
I've since lost lots of the weight I gained during those first crazy years in post-secondary, but my breasts have stayed the same size (if not continued to grow). For the past two years, I've hovered between a 30-32 band and worn between a G-H cup. Too. Damn. Big.
I've been through it all, ladies, every #hugeboobproblem you can possibly think of. Disgustingly expensive, ill-fitting lingerie. Stretch marks on the girls. Constant aching back pain. Stabbing pains when standing for long periods. Embarrassment/self-conciousness during exercise. Shirts that never fit properly. Terrible posture. Looking WAY bigger than you actually are. Inappropriate remarks directed at the boobies. Size never carried in regular stores. Impossible to purchase bathing suits. Buttons popping open. Sagging, unattractive breast appearance. Chafing, bleeding, scarring on the ribcage. Irritation between the breasts. Industrial-looking, 4 hook bras. I'm not sure if this is common, but I've personally always felt self-conscious letting men anywhere near them (though no man has ever raised a concern...). Most importantly (to me), I am an avid runner (4x half marathon finisher) and outdoor enthusiast, and my breasts are impeding my ability to enjoy physical activity and stay fit and healthy the way I need to be. The list goes on, and I have a million stories to tell about how horrible it is to have breasts this size, but it's only now that I've decided to do something about it.
After many years (years!) of research and consideration, thinking and re-thinking, and trying to convince myself that I was meant to have these breasts and they were here to stay, I got fed up. A few weeks ago, I finally went to the drop-in clinic at my university (to a doctor I've seen before), to see what could be done about this. When I told him I had been experiencing chronic back pain since 11th grade, he didn't flinch. When I continued on to say that I think a breast reduction would alleviate these symptoms and many others, he looked shocked. "Are they really that big? Sit up straight...let me see...wow, they are enormous. What size do you wear? WHAT?! A 30G? Do they even make that?! Oh my god. Let's get you to a surgeon."
Needless to say, I cried my way through that visit...but all embarrassment aside, my doctor was very supportive and wrote a letter to a local PS making my case for me. I just received a call last week, and though my initial consultation isn't until Dec 4th, I wanted to get a head start on sharing my story here with fellow well-endowed women who might just understand.
And as a side note, if I have one more small-chested woman say "poor you" when I raise complaints about my large chest, I am going to lose it.
