Breast Reduction: Stories

Like so many women on this site, I have had huge breasts since puberty. I feel like when you look at me all you see is breasts, when I move, breasts, try on clothes, breasts, it is like they have taken over my whole existence. I am also very short waisted so that adds to the misery. I have wanted a br for several years, but fear kept me from it. But now the pain is driving me to it. Having first consult today. I am afraid I won't be approved right away and I will give up the fight. I have taken a great deal of comfort from this website, thanks to all the ladies posting their experiences.

How annoying, called ins. co on friday, just to see how things are processing, anxious I guess, said they had not recieved info from PS! Nice. Called PS and they said they sent it and sometimes it can take 4 days to update in system with ins. co..blah blah blah, I feel like I wasted a week of worry and wonder for nothing. Guess i will just keep waiting. Still wanting to chicken out then wanting to have surgery tomorrow. I am worried about being recovery now, seems like all you ladies are laid up for so long, not sure how I will survive, my sister will come for a week maybe but then I am kinda on my own.....yikes. Been working out, trying to lose 10lbs before surgery (just for myself) dont want my gut to look huge after surgery...haha. Can anyone advise me on how often to call insurance company and check on things?

Okay, so I call my ins co to see status of pre-authorization, and they say they needed my physician to submit more information, as in, how much tissue they would be removing. I would have thought that my physician would have submitted that information the first time they sent pre-authorization. Is this strange to anyone else?

WOO HOO!! I got approved today, no surgery date set yet, but insurance approval!!!! Yeah!! now I think I might puke....

Surgery Date is Set! May 25th. The down side is that if I need drains, I will have to keep them from Friday to the following Tuesday because of Memorial day. I just want to get the surgery over with so I am willing to tolerate this minor inconvenience. The only strange thing I should report is that my ps office did not really explain what I would need after surgery so without this site I would be it the dark...thanks again to all you ladies out there posting on this site. I am trying not to think about the surgery too much or I will freak out. I just keep thinking about the end result. Now I really have to work on my weight loss goal...lol. I have a pinching nerve in my back almost constantly now, so it is good incentive to stay focused. To any ladies who have had the surgery, I understand the part about not raising arms above head after surgery but for how long? Also, will I be able to use my arms to tie my kids figure skates: it requires a bit of strength, don't know how to deal with that.

Great, going along fine then I had to read about that poor girl who had her leg amputated because of flesh eating disease..more worry:(

I just want to say a special thank you to all you ladies out there who are so supportive because frankly today i feel like I have no one to support my decision...WTF? My husband does the best he can but it doesn't come across as that supportive. One of my friends keeps bringing up all these negative questions...what if this, what if that (like I havent alread thought of these things a million fr&^%in times) then today shopping I was drooling over this "small" bra dreaming that I can wear it someday, and btw, it was pink I have NEVER had a pink bra in my life and my other friend says "you better wait" yeah yeah I know, nice friends. Any way a shout out to all you ladies waiting for surgery or questioning your decision. "Hang in there cuz I got your back"

10 sleeps till surgery,freaking out a little, I keep trying to justify not having the surgery..."they aren't that big" or "if I just lose weight" all the usual things. Scared I won't have enough help after surgery. scared scared scared. Although yesterday I "broke" another bra so you would think this would be easier. Stressed about the out of pocket costs. God I hope I am doing the right thing.

Everyday I count down.."10 more mornings of putting this bra on" etc. I bought some tank tops I can pull on over my waist and two sets of button jammies. I have no information from my ps on what I will need so I am just going by all the info I have read on this site. I know a nurse is supposed to call me a few days before surgery but i am not counting on getting too much info from her...just a feeling. I have an incredible urge to throw out old bras and tops but am resisting the urge....just in case.lol. I am very scared but also just know I have to go through with it, I just have to.. Im not gonna lie, when I see the pictures on here of recently done breasts, when the scars are just a few days old, I want to puke. I dont; care that I may have scars, just seeing the scars tells me how serious this is and frightens me. How on earth can I get through this? 8 more sleeps.

3 More sleeps left, a little excited rather than scared now. I took photos (not brave enough to post them) to keep and let me tell ya, I NEED this surgery, I don't know why they look so much worse in photos than in the mirror but I am totally confident this must be done regardless of fears. That being said, I am totally confident in my decision, my only fear is death now. Still did not hear from my nurse regarding pre op care etc,. maybe tomorrow. I am ready though thanks to all the ladies posting on here.

Tomorrow is the day, i am more nervous this morning than I thought I would be. I was actually excited yesterday more than nervous. I really do feel ready for this, no doubts. I was thinking that when I was younger, the size was an inconvenience but I felt sexy for the most part, but in the last years maybe because I am over 40 idk, but I feel not sexy, more like " a joke" or a freak of nature. Not sure why the shift but I know I am doing the right thing, lord just get me through the surgery. My ps office called yesterday with minimal instruction. "wear comfy pants and button shirt, no food/drink after midnight" that was it. I have to be there at 7, surgery is 8. This seems not real... I wish I could calm my nerves. I guess I can do some housework etc. I have a pillow for the ride home and a bucket in case I puke..lol.Good luck to all you ladies waiting on surgery! Wish me luck!

Thank you all for your well wishes. I am 3 days post op now and doing okay. I was given that patch behind my ear for nausea, which worked wonderfully but my vision was blurry for two days...still worth it though. I got to clinic at 7 and was marked, hooked up and ready at 8, I got a bit nervous walking into surgery and even said, "you better give me something or I am going to bail" then I woke up in a recliner with my chest on FIRE! So many ladies said they had such little pain but i had a good amount of it. I also had the lipo under my arms and that hurt like heck, the lipo was way more painful than the boobs, I dont know how the ladies in hollywood do it all the time. I am on percoset, one every 4 hours and it has been okay. Took shower yesterday. almost puked over fear of damaging something, a few oozy spots of blood, replaced bandages and put on bra they gave me. I don't care much for the comfort of the bra and I am serously considering using the ace bandage they gave me instead but I will look after my shower today, which I am procrastinating doing. I have lots of "zinging" and tingling and feel fragile. I am a little nauseated today anxious for time to go quickly so I can heal, I know each day will get better. That being said my boobs are ADORABLE! they are better than I expected, I will post pics when I feel better, i cant even tell you what size and I don't even care, they are smaller and cute and light and fluffy..lol. I have been lounging in a chair since surgery and my boobs don't rest on my belly anymore:) I wish I felt better but I am pleased. happy healing to all of you with recent surgery and good luck to those waiting..it is worth it

6 days out from surgery and I feel pretty good, had my post op appointment yesterday PS said things look great and i have do go back in two weeks, and continue to wear bra for 2 weeks 24/7. I find the bra they gave me to be uncomfortable, just because it is new and not a good time to "break in" a new bra. I like the support but the band is uncomfortable and sits too close to incisions. I tried the Ahh bra and it is the BOMB! It gives enough support for recovery and is soft and comfy, will be buying more when I can. I am still tender at the incision sights, but am planning to not take pain meds today...we will see how the day goes. I over did it yesterday so am trying to rest alot today but it is hard, my house is a mess and the laundry is piling up. I do feel fat, but I don't mind, I was worried the surgery would show my big belly and it does but I don't mind because I feel so great, and of course I know I will lose the belly fat soon enough. When I put on the bra from dr or bra i just mentioned, I think like I used to: "this ain't never gonna fit" then I put it on and it FITS! I guess my brain has to catch up to my body. I cannot wait to try on some tops I have I couldnt really wear before. I am only 6 days out and I can tell you this surgery was worth it! all the fears, nerves etc..totally worth it. Those of you waiting on surgery/approval, if I can do this you can too!

8 days out from surgery. I am feeling pretty good today. I was feeling pretty bad yesterday, i am sick of feeling so fragile and helpless. I prepared myself for the pain of recovery but not for the helplessness and I am probably over doing it. I don't have much help so I have to do more than I probably should be doing and maybe it is making my feel crummy. My incisions still feel sore and I still get zingers now and then and I am very bruised. I really feel so many ladies have done alot better than I have, not sure why. I am still sleeping in my recliner and I am definitely not ready for my bed yet. This is a much slower process than I expected.

2 weeks post op! I am doing much better the last couple of days, still some pain at my incisions beneath my breasts, like a dull achy pain but emotionally I am doing good. I don't need the gauze in my bra anymore, but if the bras rub the incisions it is very irritating. I wore a tankini type pajamma top last night (over my bra of course) to bed, can you BELIEVE it? a tankini for the first time in my LIFE! I almost got weepy about it, how strange that ginormous breasts can effect your emotions so much. Now that I am at the two week mark, dr said I could wear bra during day only if I want, but I cannot imagine not having the protection still so I will continue wearing at least the ahh bra at night, plus it seems logical the shape will be better the more you wear the bra, etc. I am feeling very blobby not working out and of course my gut seems huge without the boob camoflage..ha ha. I had some pretty good bruising in my left breast (new pic shows it if you look closely) I was so worried about it (mostly because I didn't see anyone else with such extreme bruising) that I called my ps office which of course they told me it was normal just trauma to the tissue etc, and i did feel better after the call. My only complaints now are that I have no place to rest my cereal bowl and no place for my cell phone when I don't have a pocket, I keep going to put it in my bra...LOL! Thank you all for your kind thoughts and correspondence