Breast Reduction: Stories

I am 33. I have had all my children. I have an 8 year old and twin 4 year olds. It was important to me to be able to nurse my children and I did so for all 3 of them. Now I am ready to do this surgery for me. I am a 38K cup. Last Sept 2011 I weighed 258lbs and I was overflowing the Kcup, but it was the largest I could find.
Last January I got VERY sick with a mastitis infection (I was not nursing and hadn't for 3 years). The infection was aggressive and in the first 20 hours of having mastitis symptoms I had an open wound that resulted in surgery to remove dead tissue and a wound that was about 16cmX14cm on the underside of my left breast. Oh and a wound vac attached to me for 15 weeks.
With that I had met my high deductible at the beginning of the year, so I decided it was definitely time to have my surgery.
I met with my first plastic surgeon the week after I got my wound vac off. He was too inexperienced and didn't have the best results I could see from his pictures. Inverted nipples, lumpy misshapen breasts and said I couldn't expect they would be aesthetically pleasing when done. He was very nice and encouraging and had good information. He gave me a goal weight of 190 by Oct 1st. I'm going to be 10lbs shy of that goal, but I will be under 200 for the first time in 8 years!
The second Plastic Surgeon I met with seemed like a putz. He made me feel uncomfortable, took a phone call and LEFT the room in the middle of our conversation, didn't bother to bring his gallery to our consultation and I had no rapport with him. He also said that would be the largest reduction he'd ever done. He said I would need a skin graft of my nipple and there's a possibility that it wouldn't take and my nipple would slough off! This scared me and had me upset and worried. I left crying and feeling defeated.

I finally set up 3 more consultation appointments and the first of the 3 was THE ONE! Dr. English was congenial, took his time with me, answered my questions and I instantly liked him. I felt he was confident and could perform the surgery well. He set me at ease. So much so that I cancelled my other 2 appointments.
I'm glad I went to the first two. It's hard to do and it's a very personal surgery, so you HAVE to make sure you feel comfortable with your doctor!! Dr. English also told me I would need a skin graft. I told him my reservation and how I didn't want this to happen. He explained to me WHY it needed to happen making me understand. I told him what Dr. #2 had said about me loosing my nipple and he said he had NEVER had that happen in the thousands of surgeries he had done. The distance my nipple would be moved if I don't have the skin graft my chances of loosing the nipples goes WAY up if I don't have it removed and re-grafted on. Once I understand my fears were relieved.
So I had to have a mammogram about a week and a half ago, I went for my pre-op appointment last week and I get blood work done this week.
I'm still scared, but just more of the healing process. After the infection at the beginning of the year I have had my share of boob related problems. Hoping and praying for a smooth and easy process.
I was smoking this summer. I have quit, but just recently. Hoping that I have quit soon enough that it wont cause me any problems.
I will be adding photos of my before and after pics soon.

Just a day and a half and I will be having my surgery! I feel like I have a million things to do. We go tomorrow night to stay in the city so we will be close to the hospital. At this point I'm just trying NOT to think about it so I don't have an anxiety attack.
I had a biopsy because my mammogram came back abnormal. So I had to worry about that for all of last week. It was a fibro adenoma which apparently shrinks and calcifies over time and is nothing to be concerned by. Fairly common in "younger" women 20-30 although I am nearly 34. I just wish I knew what to expect exactly. Nerves are setting in BIG time.

I'm home 1 day post op. worst if it was the bladder problems. I couldn't pee for the longest time like 6-7 hours. They had to put in a catheter but even that didn't drain my bladder. It was starting to get painful. I finally peed about 200mL but it came in a slow trickle. Finally now 24 hours later I'm almost back to normal.
My breasts seem small and they are hard. I've read that you are supposed to massage the breasts but I don't know anything about that. Been sleepy but up and moving around today. Ate breakfast and lunch.

Second day home. My left nipple graft was oozing a gooey bloodiness just a bit. I got REALLY worried because the dr stressed to me that I needed to keep it dry and not to get it wet at all or it could affect the blood supply and how the graft takes.
I called the dr and the nurse said it was fairly common and to keep it covered with gauze, so it wouldn't get scratched or hurt.
Whew! Really hoping the grafts turn out okay!

Day 3 post op: I'm feeling some itchiness under the skin graft coverings which I guess is a good sign. I don't dare scratch or mess with them. Feeling better each day. The hydrocodon makes me dizzy but it's better than hurting and it's WAY better than morphine. Bruising is showing up more each day. Most of the dark or multicolored bruising is on the side. I slept well last night. I highly recommend getting ear plugs. It's seems to help me a ton!! Now it's nap time.

I got my drains out this morning! I felt 10Xs better immediately! My left one was getting very irritated and red. I took some Tylenol before I went because I heard it was painful. Basically sting for just a second and then relief! Not bad at all.
I'm still quite bloated but feeling better. I go back to see my PS on thurs for my post op appointment.

I got my nipple coverings off yesterday. I'm going to post pics but beware!! They are pretty ugly. They will get better (I hope) but they don't look pretty!
It didn't hurt to have the coverings cut off.
The dr said to keep them covered and keep them with the ointment on all the time.
Doc also said my skin looked a little pink and put me on antibiotics. That night I was changing for bed and took a look and my whole left breast under the nipple was red and swollen and tender. I called doc the next morning and he wanted to see me today again. He took a look and said it looked better in some areas and worse in others. He added another antibiotic to my first one.
I'm bummed that I'm having some complications but I have lots of help and I know I will make if through this long Year of the Boobs!

I am two and a half weeks post op. I am still on antibiotics but I think my infection is gone. The redness is gone and its not tender like it was.
All of the glue and scabs have come off the incisions to reveal nice closed up seams. So far there has been no wound separation, bit I see others this has happened to at three weeks or so.
My nipple grafts are changing. They brown outer skin is coming off slowly and underneath is nice bright pink new skin. I have stitches that are sticking out of the nipples still. I thought they would have come out or off by now, but they are still there. It's like little whiskers! :(. I don't want to pull on them though. I don't think they look like nipples just yet.
Overall feeling pretty well and I'm mostly functional. I get dizzy and swollen still if I am up too long. Still resting when possible.

Sorry I don't know why my pics keep posting upside down.

Not much to report except I did have a post op appointment this week. Doc says all looks good. I can now lift a whopping 20lbs. I was a little concerned because my right nipple graft seemed to be lifting just a tad on the top whereas the left nipple graft is more flat with my skin. Doc wasn't concerned and promised my nipple wasn't going to lift off!
My breasts seem bigger this week. I'm not sure what size but at least a D cup now. I still have swelling on the sides and they haven't dropped any yet. They are still mostly hard and don't really move at all.
Doc says I can just cover to protect the nipple grafts and I don't need the ointment anymore.

I'm 6 weeks post op this past Tuesday. Feeling pretty normal now. I have some pulling if I sleep on my side and then roll over. My grafts are doing pretty well. I think the last of my staples have come out this week from my grafts. I have a scab left on the right graft still. I think they look like they are supposed to look but I don't like them much :(. I guess I can't be disappointed since it turned out as I was told it would.
The breasts are starting to drop into place now and are taking on a better shape. Oddly I measured still at a 44 in the bust which would make me an H cup!! No way these are H cups!
Breasts are quite hard. I hope they are still swollen. They won't really move to form into a shape needed in a bra. They just stay where they are.
Still having a LOT of back pain. I'm kinda feeling bummed right now that it didn't alleviate more of that pain.
I'm looking forward to getting back to the gym soon and maybe I will feel better then.
Sorry for the downer update... I still have high hopes if being happy with it all in the end.

Not much to update aside from pictures. I'm finally back to the gym full swing. I still have some discomfort on my sides if I sleep on them the incisions tend to hurts some.
They incisions under the breasts are very light and not very noticeable but the sides are flaming red still. I got measured at a 38DD which I am pleased with :).
The shape is still odd to me but I know they will continue to change some.
The nipples have very slight protrusion. More like the center of the nipple is higher less like an actual nipple with definition. I like the way the breasts look with clothes on and I really don't like the way they look without. So that's where I am now.

Not much to update aside from pictures. I'm finally back to the gym full swing. I still have some discomfort on my sides if I sleep on them the incisions tend to hurts some.
They incisions under the breasts are very light and not very noticeable but the sides are flaming red still. I got measured at a 38DD which I am pleased with :).
The shape is still odd to me but I know they will continue to change some.
The nipples have very slight protrusion. More like the center of the nipple is higher less like an actual nipple with definition. I like the way the breasts look with clothes on and I really don't like the way they look without. So that's where I am now.