Breast Reduction: Stories

I am 5ft tall (really 4'11 1/2 but don't tell anyone) and 100 lbs. I have always been that tiny and have had large breats since I was 16 years old. I wear a 34DD bra but am probably closer to a 32DDD. I am currently 36 years old with two kids. As many other I have ALWAYS wanted a breast reduction. I tried at the age of 20 but couldn't get my insurance to pay for it. I decided to wait until after I had kids to try again. I thought having kids and breastfeeding might change my breats. My kids are 4 and 7 now and yes my breasts have changes slightly. Mainly they have deflated and became pretty saggy. They are still large however (my bra size hasn't changed) and now less perky. I have lots of should and neck pain. Worst of all I have a slight hunch on my neck/back.

Early this year I started the process of trying to have the insurance cover the reduction, and woot woot, they approved it! My surgery is scheduled for July 23rd. I have all sorts of fears from death on the surgery table to having too small of boobs. I have two speficic questions that I am hoping others can help answer.


1)Even though I have hated my boobs all my life I am now realizing how much my large breasts have become a part of my identity. Honestly, I don't want small boobs. I really want a C...probably a large C. Am I crazy? Does anyone else worry about being too small? Has anyone being disappointed with the smallness of their breats? If so, how did you adjust. I know I am going through with it(I can feel the pain in my shoulders as I write) and that it will be okay but I wanted to see how others dealt with this. I am also concerned about my stomach (remember I had two kids) looking bigger when my boobs are no longer the focus.

2)For those who already had surgery how long did you take off work? I am hoping to go back in one week. It's an office job so physical activity is extremely minimal. Also, it is a very slow envinroment where I can set the pace. I do have one imporant work activity that has been scheduled for 4 days after the surgery. If possible (I don't have to but it is kind of a significant event) I would like to attend. When did others go back to work and is there any chance I could make the event scheduled for 4 days after?

Thanks everyone I appreciate yor help.

Today I had my pre-opp appointment and am feeling very excited about the surgery. I figured out I will be staying in the hospital overnight and that the PS will remove my drains before I leave the hospital. Thank God, I have a weak stomach and did not want to be taking care of that myself.

Also, he told me I should be up and walking around within a couple of days. He said "you should be able to go out to dinner after three or so days". This means I should be able to attend my event at work 4 days after surgery.

So, for today I am feeling good. I'm sure the nerves will come back and probably peek before the surgery. No matter, I am going for it regardless.

I just wanted to write a quick update. I had surgery on Monday and it all went well. Today (two days later) I am taking only Tylenol for the pain since the stronger medication makes me very nauseaous (sp?). I only got to see my new boobies for a few seconds yesterday when the drains were removed but I loved what I saw. They are so perky and most surprising of all they look very firm. I imagined new boobs that were smaller but still had the saggy deflated feel. These look like I have implants. Really surprised and totally pleased. I look foward to checking them out some more tomorrow when I take a shower.For some reason I am nervous to look at them before that. Anyways so far I am very please I went through with it.I can't believe I second guessed myself.

Today was a big day. Four days after surgery and I took a shower for the first time. This was also the first time I had a real chance to check out my new boobs. I am pretty happy but wondering what they will look like once the whole recovery process is over. They are perky and firm. The scars are covered up by glue so it's hard to tell what the scars will be like. I am afraid to touch them. I've only poked them a little. I have to say that other than getting on the surgery table the second most anxious moment was the moment I took off my surgical bra and was really able to take a good look. Thankfully so far I am pleased.

At this point I am only taking Tylenol. What I feel is not really pain but more of soreness and tightness. I don't feel like I have full mobility in my upperbody so I am walking kind of stiff. Nonetheless I left the house for a couple of hours and ran some errands. I also did some cleaning which included sweeping and light mopping. Right now I am having a glass of wine. The good thing about not taking super strong pain killers is that I can do a lot more. Tomorrow I am going to attend an event at work for a few hours. This weekend I plan on doing my normal activities with the exception of toning it down on cleaning and makings somebody help me carry bags when I go grocery shopping.

I am hoping that over the next few days I feel more free and mobile in my upper body. I also need to find a couple more comfortable bras. Overall I am looking forward to seeing my boobs start to settle into what they will ultimately be like.

I wanted to post one final update for all those wondering what the first week after surgery is like. Today is 1 week and 1 day since I had my sugery and I am doing great. I am pretty much back to my normal activities and returned to work yesterday. I feel normal except for some soreness and pain in the chest area. The last couple of days my boobs have become very sensitive. Going through the freezer section in the grocery store was quite the experience. Also, wearing a seatbelt is uncomfortable because it rubs against my breast. Other than that I am doing well.

Today I had my one week appointment with my PS. He said I still had some swelling and that they will get a little smaller. I like them the way they are right now but I suppose a little smaller won't hurt. He also advised me to take it easy and not do anything that is physically extrenous. He said this would prolong the swelling and could create problems. So, I plan on trying to take it a little eaiser. It is hard because I have a busy life (who doesn't) and get bored very easily. Still, I will try to be careful for the next few weeks. I wantto give myself every opportunity to heal completely.

Prior to the surgery I had been very worried about my identity and how that would be impacted. I have to say it has not been a problem at all. With clothes on my breasts don't look all that different since I had learned to hide it so well. So nobody is the wiser. If anything it has been incredible to see the shape of my body take center stage and not my boobs. I never realized that the smallest part of my body is right on my breastbone line. This was pretty much hidden before but now that my boobs are smaller I can actually see more of my actual body frame and natural curves. My husband can't stop commenting on how slim it makes me look. I was also worried about my stomach being more obvious with smaller boobs. Once again that hasn't been a problem because the shape of my body has become more of the focus rather than my boobs or stomach. Nonetheless I did get a quote for a tummy tuck. Someday when I have an extra $6000 I will take the plunge once again. One last note throughout all of this my husband was trying to be supportive but I could tell he had doubts. I was careful not to share my doubs with him because I didn't want him to discourage me. Now that it is done, he is so glad that I did it. He said to me "wow, all that extra volume wasn't really adding anything to you". So everyone is happy. Yey.

I wish everyone the best with your surgery and recovery. I am so glad I went through with it. I had many doubts and fears along the way but none of them were realized and the results were so much better than I could have imagined.