Finally Perky and Normal Size at 58 Years Old -Grand Rapids, MI

Pretty Fearless: Congratulations, I hope you keep moving forward and have your surgery as soon as possible even thou I'm sure you are scared. As I was walking into the hospital the morning of my surgery I told my husband I was scared and he said I could turn around and go home if I wanted. Of course I didn't and I've never been sorry for 1 moment. I'll admit I was in pain, I spent many a night with ice packs on the couch, I had some other things that went wrong-they found a-typical cells in my right breast (could of been cancerous), had staph & mersa in my left breast (which I've had before & was no fault of my PS) 2-1/2 months after surgery but I never for 1 second regretted having it done and you won't either. I can't believe how much relief my back & shoulders feel from having 5# removed. I went from a DDD super support underwire minimizer bra to a size C little cotton bra. I'm looking forward to going braless or wearing strapless bras this summer with sundresses and spaghetti strap tops. Keep me posted on your surgery & results. I'd also love to see your pictures.

Pain B Gone: I'm so happy for you that you also decided to have this life saving procedure done even at our "advanced" age. I did have some problems since my Mother was in the hospital for 7 days before my surgery and I was with her everyday. She went home the same day I had my surgery,same hospital, then she went back in 3 days after my surgery and I spent a few more days at the hospital with her, went home at night to do icepacks & pain pills. The pathology report showed a-typical cells in my right breast so I had to do cancer screening, a mammogram 6 weeks after surgery (ouch) and an MRI 2-1/2 months after surgery. THEN less than 48 hours after the MRI I woke up with my left breast huge and hurting. The surgeon thought it was a rash and by Thursday (3 days later) I thought I was having a heart attack. My Dr. sent me to Lemon Holton cancer center (Friday) for an ultrasound which showed a 4" mass. They biopsied it and found staph & mersa. I was finally put on the correct antibiotic and 4 days later it started to recede so I didn't have to spend Christmas in the hospital on antibiotic IV's . I took my suitcase with me to the surgeons office since he said I'd be in the hospital if I didn't start to clear up. The good news is, if I'd actually had cancer it had only been 6 mos. from my last mammogram so it would of been early and since I wasn't scheduled for another mammogram for 6 mos. later the cancer would of been more advanced. Thankfully I'm only slightly higher risk than the "average" woman to get cancer. Now I have all new baselines with my new breasts-mammogram & MRI and they will watch me every 6 mos. so if I ever get breast cancer it will be detected early. So my surgery might of saved my life if the a-typical cells had turned out to be early cancer. Good luck to you and I hope you enjoy your new perky breasts. I keep looking and feeling mine since I'm amazed. Going from a DDD to a C cup has been amazing for me. Now if I could just lose about 50# I'd be happy. When I can afford it I do plan on having lyposuction on my stomach area since my insurance will not pay for that.

Oh my gosh, your poor thing. What a horrible scary experience for you. I'm so sorry, but happy to hear you're doing so much better now. OMG, a mammogram after this must have been so painful. I will keep you in my prayers and it's good they are going to watch you closely. Save those pain meds for when you have to have the mammogram! I have good advice for you to lose the 50 lbs. If you like gentle exercise and walking, I ordered online from Collage Video (who I absolutely love that company) Leslie Sansone Walk at Home (3 Mile Weight Loss Walk), a "Power Walk" at Home! It's a super easy way to walk away the extra weight and I promise you, it's fun, her energy is fun, and you feel proud and good hearted after the workout. I love all of her videos, I own about 4 of them! I should write to her and try to see if I can get on one of her workouts because I promote them to everyone I know!!!! Anyway, another good diet to check out is "The 17 Day Diet". Drops all sugar from your diet, but from natural foods like fruits, and you also ditch the bad carbs. After following that for one week, you will loose all cravings for bad foods and just watch the pounds drop off. Combining both of those really works. Raspberry ketones are another good supplement to research. Saw them on Dr. Oz and they rev up the sluggish metabolism which is my problem due to my age. They really make you NOT hungry and you're not all wired. I love them. Good luck and I hope to hear you're doing well. Diet, lose the weight and do sit-ups now that your boobies aren't in the way!!! TTYL. Sending gentle imaginary hugs your way, take care my friend. Perkysets

Thanks for the great advice for weight loss. One of my problems is I have alot of arthritis in my feet. This causes me cramping in my feet and stirs up a heel spur so I try to do water aerobics most mornings and this is much easier on my joints. I know most my problems are being lazy and not wanting to give up my life style of eatting what I want, when I want it. I will try harder in the future...thank-you.

Thanks.......

Birch I'm happy for you that you finally made the decision and are following thru. I haven't regretted it for one minute. Keep us all posted.

Thank you! I am so very sure that I want this done, and I am so happy I was approved. My only concern is that not enough will be removed lol! So happy for you that you are at a size you are comfortable with now!

I told my PS I wanted to be a C cup when it was done and he said he couldn't plan that since he had a minimum amount he had to remove so the insurance would pay. So now that it's almost completely healed and the swelling is all down I think I'm a perfect perky C cup. Best wishes & keep everyone informed please.

You are definitely a beautiful, perky C cup! Your PS did a beautiful job. I can't wait to be smaller and perkier! I want to be as small as possible... I told my PS if I thought I could talk him into an A, I would lol. In all honesty, I will be very happy with a B or small C. I recently met with my PS to discuss my desired size, and the conversation really put my mind at ease. He did a good job listening to me and sharing information with me, and agreed to make me as small as possible. I feel like he and I are on the same page now as far as what I am hoping for. Best wishes to you & good luck in April.

I think that's the best thing-open communication with your PS. When I was doing my preop appointments with my PS I kept "hinting" about if he wanted to do any liposuction other places, etc. but he said since my insurance was paying he had to stick to the procedure only. Now that I'm going to be paying for the tummy tuck I feel I can ask for what I want too.

It's so funny Birch, I was telling my husband about my new realself friends tonight and the ones getting BR's. He said women are paying to have bigger ones all the time and couldn't really believe that many women wanted smaller. After all the relief I've had and talked about he still doesn't get it? I told him after you've hauled all that weight around for so many years you just don't want big ones anymore, you want relief and to feel more normal. They are no longer sexy but a huge saggy burden to lug. MEN!

I think it must be really hard for some people to comprehend how PAINFUL it is to have such weight pulling on your shoulders, and how that affects your neck over time. My shoulders have really been hurting this week, but it's not getting me down at all... pretty soon that will not be a problem anymore!! :) 19 more days until I get my small boobies!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope it goes by fast for you. I love my smaller girls. I think men are the only ones to like big boobs.....to look and touch but if they had to carry them around they'd have them off right away. Keep in touch I want to see your after pictures.

Keep in touch after you finish...you look like you need the reduction.

Thanks NannyOgg for the encouragement. I'm really geeked by my upcoming surgery. Now I don't look down at my rolls of fat with discuss (well maybe still a little) so much as anticipation of having them all gone, gone & gone.

I can only imagine the feeling, I've seen some of the before and after pictures on the site for tummy tucks, and I'm amazed at the results.

I met with my PS last Wed 4 days ago, made up my mind to do it and set the surgery date and it's coming up in just over 3 weeks which is great. I don't have a ton of time to stress over this. I'll have to compare this surgery to my vaginal hysterectomy 32 yrs ago. I really hurt and didn't feel like myself for 6-12 months. If I keep that in mind maybe this won't be so bad. At that time I also had a very demanding husband (now ex) who was no help and 2 kids ages 1 and 5. I know I'm older so the healing will be slower but now I have a wonderful husband who will take good care of me, my adult children & grandchildren will come visit so I'm in a much better place than I was back then.

Very good because you will need support from hubby and kids . Especially those first couple days:)

He's a farmer and shouldn't be busy in the fields yet so he'll be home. If not I have friends that don't work and can sit with me in the daytime if he's busy. I plan to rest, rest and rest. Thanks,

Oh very good, just enjoy all you can do independently now because when the time come it becomes limited . I'm doing everything now lol getting all the supplies that these ladies have said to get and I'm renting a recliner lol.

Me also 35look. I'm checking into a hospital bed tomorrow, shower chair, elastic exercise band (to hold drain tubes in shower), going to grocery store and added all kinds of goodies to that list. I'll be ready for anything when the day finally comes.

35look I feel like I've cut in line since my surgery has now been moved from April 9th to March 28th-next Thursday! They had a cancellation and had the opening and knew I wanted to get it done ASAP so they called me 1st with the opening. I had to quit my premarin & vitamins & supplements right away. I'm so excited so I don't have to stress for 3 weeks only 9 more days. This will work out perfectly since we had alot of things planned for mid-late April and I will feel so much better than I expected to at that time. I'm sure we'll keep in touch after I'm done with that.

Wow,very good so you will now lead lol,very happy for you . You mention you stopped your vitamins.I thought taking your regular vitamins is good for you for healing just regular multivitamins.

They said they can not be sure of the contents of multi vitamins and other supplements I take-glucosamine & condroitant, fish oil (thins the blood), cranberry pills,calcium-magnesium-zinc, vitamin D. Some can thin the blood, some tend to possibly lead to blood clots so to know what to expect with my blood & surgery I guess it's best if I'm off everything. It's only for 9 days then I'm sure I'll go back on the pills as they suggest I resume them.

Yes No Fish oil ok the stuff you taking will cause blood clots ok. I got concerned because I am just taking multivitamins and folic acid only.

If you disclosed it and your PS didn't say anything you are probably okay with those. They told me it's just too much variance in supplements for them to know exactly which are safe. A few days without vitamins & supplements should not cause me any problems.

ShirleyPWD :I'm extremely happy with my BR, it was also more serious and longer healing time than I expected which was my own fault I guess. I felt so good immediately I thought it would stay that way. I had some bumps along the road. It's been 5 mos. now and I couldn't be happier. The only thing the BR did was show me all the fat I have on my middle-roll after roll that I couldn't see before (I didn't look very hard either) with my 46 DDD's blocking my view. That's the reason for my TT on March 28th to remedy that problem. I'm sure as I fix one thing, I'll find something else I want to "fix". I'm already thinking about an arm lift/liposuction, thigh lift/liposuction and the list goes on & on. At "our" age things just want to sag and no amount of diet and exercise seems to help anymore. So are you all done now with plastic surgery now that you're perky? Why do you have a scar under your arm? Did the PS do liposuction under your arms or was it part of your BR to make them round? My incision is on the bottom of my breasts, nothing on the sides. I think this makes them a bit flatter but I didn't know any different and the PS didn't mention any other techniques to me. I would of liked to have him do lipo under my arms at the time so I'm wasn't so big around (46-48 C now). I mentioned doing lipo with my TT under the arm and he didn't act like he wanted to. I guess he doesn't think $11,000 is enough to do that also.

Yes, I am done ... I don't do well after I've had surgery ... lots of vomiting etc. I don't know why she went about 3" into my side. I did not have lipo, but I was hoping she would throw that in ... that never happened LOL. I'm going to start Weight Watchers as soon as we return home (we have been in Florida since Jan.1). I also have a roll that I didn't know was that big because of the large shelve blocking the view of my lap. I didn't realize the surgery was as serious as it turned out to be. I remember the next evening after the surgery I was laying in bed and asking my husband what the hell did I do to myself ... I wasn't happy for a good two weeks afterward.

I've been sick after scope down my throat, carpal tunnel & gallbladder surgery. I keep telling everyone before surgery how sick I get and they give me extra stuff to keep me from being sicker. I remember hurting and being dizzy and nauseuas after my BR. The nurse would give me more of the good drugs & I'd go back to sleep. I finally had to force myself to get up and pee so they'd let me go home that night from the hospital. Luckily with the TT I'll be staying the night at the Amway Grand Hotel (where the PS office is and so is their surgery dept) and checking in with the Drs. in the morning to make sure I'm okay before heading home. This will be nice to be able to sleep all night without having to go home. 3 days after my BR my Mom had a stroke so we headed to the hospital and then I spent the next 3-4 days there with her. I couldn't take the good drugs because I was driving and had to stay awake. I know I was miserable at night and finally remembered I had vicodin for pain and started taking them again so I could sleep. It was rough for awhile.

I know what you mean I told them I get sick to my stomach and they gave me 3 different things for that and nothing worked until Iwas so sick after surgery they gave me a shot of Benydryl in my IV. That did the trick.

I ended up in the hospital with the flu (we thought it might be my gallbladder) the day before my gallbladder scheduled surgery. After throwing up and having diarrhea all night (bless my husband who cleaned up all the messes and stayed with me) I showed up at the hospital and they gave me drugs to make it all quit-sure wish they had some of that for at home. I think I still have some zofran in the cubboard which is prescription for upset stomaches and works good if I need it after I get home.

My husband didn't want me to have the surgery so there wasn't much sympathy from him ... he was good and helped me with the drains and getting meals for the first week, but after that I was on my own. When I started this journey I just asked him for his blessing and told him he didn't have to carry the girls around and neck and should pain at times where awful.I guess at this point in my life I needed to do this for myself and not worry about what he wanted. I bless this site ... it is great to talk to people that have gone through this and now I want to pay it forward and encourage others to make the leap to the "otherside".

ShirleyPWD it's great to hear from you since you had a very similar story. This website has been such a blessing. My new RealSelf friends are encouraging me and letting me know after years of doing for everyone else that it's okay to do for myself without feeling guilty or like I have to ask for their blessings. Since my surgery is on Thursday I know my hubby will be here for me until Monday then he has farm work (hauling corn) to get done. By then I figure I'll be pass the blood clot danger and should be able to manage. I've had friends offer to come and help and will ask them if I'm still unable to get up and to the bathroom, etc. by myself.

Thanks, I'm sure I'll be posting along the way.

Birch: We need eachother since men just don't have the emotions to understand and comfort us like we need. My husband still thinks I'm crazy to put myself thru all this expense,surgery, pain & time recooperating for something so vain. Hopefully he'll like how I look "on the flat side".

Thank-you. Hopefully I will be able to post a few "after" pictures on Friday. My PS surgical center is in a very nice hotel and so they pay for 1 night in this nice hotel after surgery. So I should be out of surgery early afternoon, we'll spend the rest of tomorrow and tomorrow night and get home sometime on Friday morning. I told my husband I wanted him to take pictures after I'm all marked up for my surgery and his response was "why"? He doesn't understand all the sharing we do on RS and would never consider taking 1/2 naked pics of himself and posting them on a website for the world to see. Gee after I say that it doesn't sound so great does it? Ha,ha I'll be posting more 1/2 naked pictures I'm sure in a couple days. Thanks again I'm excited and quite calm I believe about tomorrow.

Ok and good luck ok, no rush when you feel up to it post it. Take your time