Hello everyone, I wish I had found this site maybe 2 months ago before my inital consult with the plastic surgeon, my insurance referred me to. I have found so much information here that I could have used long ago. With that being said let me share my little life story and how I have come to NEEDING a breast reduction done.
I am turning 28 in a few weeks and I have had large breast for over half my life already. My breast started growing when I was 12 and by the time I was 14 they were a full 36C cup. They never seemed happy big because I have always been rather tall (5'8) and proportionate.
I got pregnant at 20 and could not find a nursing bra that fit (which was a part of reason why I didn't breast feed for long) I bought 38DD and the band was too big and the cup too small. After my child, I lost a lot of weight and was very happy at 34D. I joined the Army and with all the PT, my tatas went down to a 34C.
I've always had scoliosis, but it's never bothered me until the last 1-2 years. I tried strengthening my back with exercise but it's only caused more strain in my neck and shoulders. It's gotten so bad that I can't even roll out of bed in the morning and I have trouble falling asleep. It's not like a break your bones pain but more of a stiff pain and every movement hurts in my neck, shoulder and back.
With that being said, my beast also grew in the last 2-3 years. Honestly, I think they are still growing. I haven't been pregnant in 7 years and my hormone levels are fine. What size are my breast now? I can't even determine. The last bra I bought was 34F and I am spilling everywhere!!! The band feels wonderful but the girls are struggling for air. It also upsets me because I spend a GAZILLION BUCKS on a item, that I hope supports the weight but it doesn't help the pain.
I want to be a full B cup because that is when I was the happiest. I want to be able to run again, sleep face up or down (the only way I can now is on the side and I wake with sore hips), see my feet if I am standing, wear button down shirts without the girls trying to show people what I've got, I want to buy regular organic fabrics that do not stretch, not be in pain and not worry about my back.
I'm going to post some pics in the morning.. It's 2:41am where I am in Texas. After going through a lot of the other reviews, I felt it was only right to share my story also. I will talk about the PS I've been appointed to and why I am hesitant on the surgery next post. I swear!!!
14 wks update plus pics
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Barbi13
- Not Sure
- Charles R. Day, MD FACS, Killeen, TX
Hello everyone, I wish I had found this site maybe...
After the storm..
So I have been away for some time. I was originally schedule for February 15 for surgery and due to my hectic schedule and some frightening stories I back out. Here we are three days post op and I fell wonderful. I have no real clue what size I was prior to the surgery (never found a bra that fit right) but the doctor removed roughly 2.5 lbs from each boobie.
The day of my surgery I was very nervous but more excited than anything else. My doctor was a little shocked at how calm I was but I told him I had to find a balance. Due to my back issues, I was experiencing a lot of pain and I was more focused on living comfortably. My doctor moved pretty quickly and I was in surgery and recovery for 6 hours. Throughout my short stint in the hospital, I was always comfortable and felt very secure. The staff was wonderful and the surgery went well.
My sis in law picked me up and I was very much medicated. She tried to get me to eat but all I wanted to do was sleep. And sleep I did, although that was uncomfortable for me. I am used to sleeping faced down or on my side. I used all the pillows I could find to prop up everything. In hindsight I should have gotten a recliner ahead of time. Albeit I spent most of the surgery day sleeping, drinking water and taking meds.
The next day, I woke and instantly felt the need to bathe. My doctor did not use drains and did put tape over my incisions. I had a lot of oozing through my dressings and I was a little scared. I had a follow up with the doctor that morning so I was going to address my concerns then. I ran a bath and sat in it. I was careful not to rub my breast because the were still sore. After my bath, I went to my appointment and the doctor reassured me that everything was fine. He said the seepage happens just try to keep the area clean and not agitate the area much.
The next day went much better. Still sore and seeping. Here we are on the third day and I am feeling pretty great. I found a old sports bra that fits again and I am pretty happy about that. I went out and spent some time just walking around the lake today in this Texas heat. Walking was an activity that my surgeon recommended and I took advantage. I actually spent some time walking and just hanging some shade but once I started sweating like crazy, I called it quits and went home to take a shower.
I'm liking my results so far but I am praying that once the swelling goes away, I'll be in a C cup.
The day of my surgery I was very nervous but more excited than anything else. My doctor was a little shocked at how calm I was but I told him I had to find a balance. Due to my back issues, I was experiencing a lot of pain and I was more focused on living comfortably. My doctor moved pretty quickly and I was in surgery and recovery for 6 hours. Throughout my short stint in the hospital, I was always comfortable and felt very secure. The staff was wonderful and the surgery went well.
My sis in law picked me up and I was very much medicated. She tried to get me to eat but all I wanted to do was sleep. And sleep I did, although that was uncomfortable for me. I am used to sleeping faced down or on my side. I used all the pillows I could find to prop up everything. In hindsight I should have gotten a recliner ahead of time. Albeit I spent most of the surgery day sleeping, drinking water and taking meds.
The next day, I woke and instantly felt the need to bathe. My doctor did not use drains and did put tape over my incisions. I had a lot of oozing through my dressings and I was a little scared. I had a follow up with the doctor that morning so I was going to address my concerns then. I ran a bath and sat in it. I was careful not to rub my breast because the were still sore. After my bath, I went to my appointment and the doctor reassured me that everything was fine. He said the seepage happens just try to keep the area clean and not agitate the area much.
The next day went much better. Still sore and seeping. Here we are on the third day and I am feeling pretty great. I found a old sports bra that fits again and I am pretty happy about that. I went out and spent some time just walking around the lake today in this Texas heat. Walking was an activity that my surgeon recommended and I took advantage. I actually spent some time walking and just hanging some shade but once I started sweating like crazy, I called it quits and went home to take a shower.
I'm liking my results so far but I am praying that once the swelling goes away, I'll be in a C cup.
Day 4 Another day and a new phase of recovery..
First off I have to mention how much I love this site.. the support is wonderful. My hubby is deployed so I am just here with my 8yo girl. She is wonderful but she does forget I'm recovering every so often. She helps a lot but she is dying to be held tightly. My heart bleeds for her, I'm just wishing to speed the process along.
Today I have been having the immense itching sensation. I know that means things are sealing up but I cannot not shake the urge to scratch.. grr! It's past annoying but Im just trying not to focus on it. Another thing I need to share is that both my nipples are supremely sensitive.. I know some freak that they can't fetheir nips but I'm freaking for the other reason! Your damned if you do and damned if you don't. I'm gonna just work on uploading before and after shots so you guys can see for yourselves.
FYI I didn't take pics the first couple of days because that was The last thing I was thinking of. It was kinda gross and lots of seeping nasty stuff. I just wanted to wipe and redress my wounds while the girls were al fresco.
Today I have been having the immense itching sensation. I know that means things are sealing up but I cannot not shake the urge to scratch.. grr! It's past annoying but Im just trying not to focus on it. Another thing I need to share is that both my nipples are supremely sensitive.. I know some freak that they can't fetheir nips but I'm freaking for the other reason! Your damned if you do and damned if you don't. I'm gonna just work on uploading before and after shots so you guys can see for yourselves.
FYI I didn't take pics the first couple of days because that was The last thing I was thinking of. It was kinda gross and lots of seeping nasty stuff. I just wanted to wipe and redress my wounds while the girls were al fresco.
ONE WEEK!!
Hey gals and maybe some guys.. I had a post op scheduled today but I actually went to the PS yesterday. I had some greenish discharge that freaked me the hell out. It was a significant amount but it didn't smell. I immediately called the doc and scheduled me to come in. He reassured me that it wasn't pus and actually took the time out to show me what infected incisions look like. Rest assured I am feeling much better about that. Since I was there I mentioned that I thought I would be smaller. Even though I am still swollen, I just feel like they are still big. He told me that I shouldn't be concerned with size so much now because I need my body to recoup from the trama to the area blah, blah, blah.. All in all, I am still glad he took the time to address my concerns. He took the tape off and I actually wish that he kept it on. I was not reay to see all the incision areas and now I am just want them to seal up completely. I had an idea what they looked like but I actually see them.. in real life.
As for the pain department, I think I have been pretty lucky with that also. My breast are really tender but not painful. The best time is when I am in the shower and the water is soothes the slight aches. I think my internal stitches are healing because from time to time I feel like scratching but it isn't very bothersome. Right now I am most glad that I only have 2 antibiotics to take. They make me very nauseous and so did the Vicodin. I only take one Vicodin at night to help me sleep because I still have to sleep face up.
I am dying to get back in the gym. I always felt awkward because of my breast but now that I have a normal breast size, I wont be so self conscious and I wont have to quit because my back is in excruciating pain.
Since my tape is off I started to uses an arnica salve. I read a little about and it people have posted rave reviews. I am somewhat of a product junkie. I love tea tree for my hair so I also have that. I might alternate between them. If anyone has anyone experience with scar treatment products please comment or message me :)
As for the pain department, I think I have been pretty lucky with that also. My breast are really tender but not painful. The best time is when I am in the shower and the water is soothes the slight aches. I think my internal stitches are healing because from time to time I feel like scratching but it isn't very bothersome. Right now I am most glad that I only have 2 antibiotics to take. They make me very nauseous and so did the Vicodin. I only take one Vicodin at night to help me sleep because I still have to sleep face up.
I am dying to get back in the gym. I always felt awkward because of my breast but now that I have a normal breast size, I wont be so self conscious and I wont have to quit because my back is in excruciating pain.
Since my tape is off I started to uses an arnica salve. I read a little about and it people have posted rave reviews. I am somewhat of a product junkie. I love tea tree for my hair so I also have that. I might alternate between them. If anyone has anyone experience with scar treatment products please comment or message me :)
The blues
I am 12 days post op and things seem to be healing well but I can't shake this mood. I think partly because I still don't function at 100% and I realized this healing process isn't moving at my kind of speed. I don't regret having the surgery but I am still in some discomfort.
I big obstacle right now is still sleeping. I can't wait to be able to at least sleep comfortably on my side or faced down. My sofa has become my bed right. I use almost all the pillows in my home. I still have some fatigue when I am up and about. Dear Hubbz hasn't been around to help which sucks but my daughter has been a blessing in disguise. I do not get sharp pain but I am hyper sensitive. I still do not feel secure enough to go completely bra-less quite yet. I went to find a genie bra at Walmart, but they only carried 1X & 2X at the time. I did get a Hanes sports bra which is helping for now. I am not weeping any fluids and every time I look at my boobs they are peeling more and more. I just ordered some silicone but I won't apply until all the scabs have seal completely. I have used some Arnica around the girls which I think helped some swelling, but I still feel pretty large. I am so anxious for this healing process to be done already.. :-/
I big obstacle right now is still sleeping. I can't wait to be able to at least sleep comfortably on my side or faced down. My sofa has become my bed right. I use almost all the pillows in my home. I still have some fatigue when I am up and about. Dear Hubbz hasn't been around to help which sucks but my daughter has been a blessing in disguise. I do not get sharp pain but I am hyper sensitive. I still do not feel secure enough to go completely bra-less quite yet. I went to find a genie bra at Walmart, but they only carried 1X & 2X at the time. I did get a Hanes sports bra which is helping for now. I am not weeping any fluids and every time I look at my boobs they are peeling more and more. I just ordered some silicone but I won't apply until all the scabs have seal completely. I have used some Arnica around the girls which I think helped some swelling, but I still feel pretty large. I am so anxious for this healing process to be done already.. :-/
24 Day out
Hey people.. SO I have been soooo super busy it's not even funny!! For some reason, my right boobie has been healing better than my left. But I have been healing pretty good, with God's graces. I saw my PS for the 2wk post up last week and he loved how everything is healing. I was informed then, to do lots of walking, light exercise and massage the girls with cocoa or shea butter about 3x daily. He mentioned how he hadn't seen significant results with his patients that used silicone but if I wanted to use it, I may. Since I am allergic and sensitive to almost everything under the sun, I will just stick to the natural products for now. I brought up how one breast is still bigger, my rope like scars from the internal stitches (in the cleavage and outer breast area) and the sensitivity issue and he said that with time, that will diminish also. NannyOgg mentioned using silk fabric in my bras to help, and it has. Thanks girl!!!
I did however do something stupid last week which I regret now. I was in the shower and instead of using a washcloth, I absent-mindedly used a body puff. I peeled the scab on my left boob and now its scarring differently than the right. Since I am dark skin, when I have hyperpigmentation it is very dark compared to my natural skin tone. That is bumming me out right now, but I need to keep my spirits up. I have been sharing this experience with my little girl (soon to be 8) because I want her to know what surgery is like and you need to accept your body no matter how it looks. I am hopeful that with time things will continue to improve. I am pretty happy otherwise and I have been supporting my friends who also want to get the procedure done.
I did however do something stupid last week which I regret now. I was in the shower and instead of using a washcloth, I absent-mindedly used a body puff. I peeled the scab on my left boob and now its scarring differently than the right. Since I am dark skin, when I have hyperpigmentation it is very dark compared to my natural skin tone. That is bumming me out right now, but I need to keep my spirits up. I have been sharing this experience with my little girl (soon to be 8) because I want her to know what surgery is like and you need to accept your body no matter how it looks. I am hopeful that with time things will continue to improve. I am pretty happy otherwise and I have been supporting my friends who also want to get the procedure done.
1 Month and feeling pretty good
Hello gals!! I am a complete month and 4 days out from my surgery and I thought I would write to catch up a bit. I must say that I feel better with each passing day. I am a little worried about my left boob because it is a bit larger that my right. I am hoping that it is just swelling and healing slower that the right. Either way I will see my PS next Thursday in order to ease my suspicions. I know it's too early for any revisions but honestly I hope that is my last resort. As per my last post, the scar on my left boob has blended a bit but it's still very noticeable. Also the ropiness along the outside and cleavage is still there but I really couldn't care less. Do you know why? Because overall, my neck shoulders and back have not been hurting. What I do get are the little "zingers" from time to time. They come for a few seconds and ease right away. I have regained much of my upper body strength and been trying to work out with light weights in order to tone. My diet kinda went to the pooper lately but I am going to get back to doing right again. One thing I am religiously doing is rubbing shea butter. I tried an old bathing suit that I had on and it looked so awkward (the cup was way to big).. I guess it's time to go shopping!! I will post pictures after I see the doc next week.
Til then good luck to those who haven't had it done yet and happy healing to those who have.
Til then good luck to those who haven't had it done yet and happy healing to those who have.
I can not believe it's been over two months now
I am sooo sorry I haven't been writing. I feel disconnected from my BR sisters. I have been on vacay, which didnt go so well and now my mom has been staying with me. Between that, being a mama, school and working at events I've had zero time. I have not been exercising like I should which is why I think, I don't feel like I've gotten very far. It's actually detered me from shopping because I gained weight and I feel abnormal, a little. It's been a month since I last saw my PS and he reassurred me that the uneveness will settle, which it has a lot (but not completly). I just still feel big at times. My physical pain only occurs now when I lay on my stomach too long. I am thanking the good lord for my recovery. I am also praying for those who haven't had it so easy. I miss you ladies and I will post pics later tonight. Take care until then.
Pictures and brief update..
It's been 14wks since my procedure and I just want to show what my progress is looking like. Since then my boobies have soften and dropped.. No where near where they were before but into a natural shape. I'm feeling pretty good, I started my clean eating again and exercising. Falling to temptation is too easy on vacation but I am strapping it back down.
I didn't choose him, Tri-Care did
3 out of 5 stars
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