52 Years Old, Waited Long Enough! - Seattle, WA

I am a 52 year old married lady with no kids from Seattle, who hasn't felt good about my body in many years. I lost over 100 lbs about 17 years ago, but no weight came from my chest, so the pants were a size 6, the tops were an XL or XXL, which was humiliating and very disproportionate. I wore a 42J bra. I finally told my husband this was something I was doing with or without insurance help. He was shocked, but ended up being supportive. I was approved by insurance for 80% of the reduction, but I paid another $3000 out of pocket for the "bra roll" on both sides. I'm 3 weeks post op now. For the most part I'm good, but I still swell so much in the afternoon and evenings. I work from home, so I at least can wear a Spanx type tank all day long, the surgical bras and even sports bras dug into the side incisions.

Seeing photos of my breasts now they look horrible, but I know it's temporary. In clothes I look much better obviously! My most comfortable bra has been the Bali Comfort Revolution stretchy non-wire bra. I wore a 42 before, I'm in a 40C now. Hoping that when the girls soften and drop I will still be in a C cup, which is what I wanted. My incisions are healing, I have no "holes" that I can see, just oozy now and then underneath. I'm still wearing paper tape. The side incisions are the most painful and the most uncomfortable naturally, but I'm hoping within a few weeks I will look and feel better. All in all, I'm very satisfied my reduction, and my surgeon in Bellevue, WA Dr. Jourdan Gottlieb and his entire staff has been amazing.

At week #3 the oozing underneath both breasts became more constant, and I developed a hole underneath the nipple where it meets the vertical incision. I went in to see my surgeon in week #4, who pulled probably 12 different stitches, some over 2" long. My body was trying to push them out, and ripping open incisions to do it. After he pulled them he said I would drain for a day or two, just cover with a bandage. I left feeling happy and relieved. Under left breast scabbed over within days and is healing. Under right breast opened up... I have about a 2" x 1" area under my right breast that is healing with dry bandages only, but I look like a burn victim. I have soaked thru two gauze bandages each day and one each night for close to 2 weeks now. During my business trip last week I felt some pressure on my right breast while I was working, went into the bathroom to discover the incision around my areola on that same breast was separating, and now I have a one inch long "gash" that I am trying to hold together with three butterfly closures while bloody grayish fluid is leaking from it constantly. I am freaking out. My left breast looks beautiful. My right breast is draining fluid from the separated area under it and has been for 2 weeks, I'm trying to get a 1/4" hole under the areola to scab over, and I'm trying to keep this areola separation together. I have not left the house in 3 days, all I'm doing is sitting in a Tshirt waiting for Monday morning so I can call the doctor's office and get in ASAP. I don't know if he can re-stitch this area or if butterfly closures are the only way, but I'm petrified. I was doing just fine.... and 6 weeks post op this happens?