Breast Reduction: Stories

Hi everyone, I'm a 22 year old from southwestern Ontario. I've been "blessed" with large breasts since late grade school, oogled by boys ever since! I'm a size 34G, 165 lbs and 5'5" (I'd probably put on about 15lbs thanks to good ol' univeristy).

I've recently started my journey towards getting an OHIP approved breast reduction..as I'm sure you could guess I don't exactly have any money...at all..to pay for it myself. I went to my family doctor last month to discuss a breast reduction with him, and he felt I would be a perfect candidate for the procedure! He sent in a referral for me to a doctor I'd chosen, and I now have a consultation booked for September 21st! I can't even describe the emotions I feel when I think about how much my life could change if I'm approved for surgery. Wearing my industrial strength bra for any length of time just about kills me. I have an itchy as heck rash under my breasts (which is visible after hauling them up to take a look). I'm on the verge of shoulder indents, get regular headaches, neck pain, etc. I've been border-line obsessing on this site and can't believe how many other women are going through the exact same thing as me! Anywho, I've got a bit of a wait yet for my first consultation..if anyone has any tips on what I can expect..that would be great. I'm terrified I won't be approved by OHIP (it seems like there are no real "guidelines" in terms of qualifying). Will post pictures shortly.

okay, so pictures added...a little embarrassing..but I'm sure everyone else felt the same when uploading theirs, so I manned up and took some. Its actually harder looking at pictures! They look alot different to me in pictures then when I look in the mirror.

well, I go for my 1st consult in 2 weeks...I'm terrified that my dreams will be crushed for some reason or another. I'm worried about the OHIP application too..I still can't find any real criteria that has to be met for approval. I've become almost obsessive about my boobs!! I keep wondering what the heck I'll do if I don't get approved. I really hope that I've chosen the right surgeon, guess I'll find out soon. Until then, I'll be spending my time staring in the mirror. Wish me luck on Sept 21st!

Alright, a pretty pointless update...but I'm so effing excited for my first consultation on Friday that I just couldn't resist! I feel like I should have a list of questions ready..so far here's what I've got
1) do you have alot of success getting OHIP approval for breast reduction patients?
2) would you suggest liposuction for that terrible armpit boob? and how much extra would that cost?
3) what size do you think would be appropriate for my frame? (I'm thinking a D cup would be reasonable)
4) do you use drains?
5) how far in the future are you booking surgery dates to? (hopefully its nothing too crazy..I can't keep myself composed for much longer without "losing it")
6) your receptionist that I spoke to on the phone said you offer the lollipop incision (at an added cost), do you think this method would give me the LIFT that I SO DESPERATELY NEED!? and how much extra is it?
7) aannnd thats all I've got so far... I think he'll probably go over everything with me before I even get a chance to ask any questions, but the last thing I want is to leave the appointment and suddenly think of a few important things that I forgot to ask

like ive mentioned before, I dont have a ton of money to blow on this..but I feel like if I'm going to do it then it should look as damn good as possible! I don't need any side lipo! just suck out that second mini boob thats tucked under my arms, thanks.
I'll be posting again on friday after I've met this PS for the first time, god I hope he's cool.

Ok. Juuuuust finished at my first consultation.. Here's the low down. Walked in, receptionist hands me a form to fill out. Fill out said form, wait 10-15 min. Get
Called into exam room, asked to change into gown, waited some more. Finally got to meet my ps! He came in smiling, incredibly friendly! Introduced himself, we chatted a bit about nothing important..he then said "well, I would be happy to do your breast reduction, just have to ask you a few questions". "neck pain? Back pain? Pain from bra? Headaches?", to which I answered yes. He quickly examined one boob at a time, took measurements. Took 3 pics for ohip. Talked for a few mins about breast feeding, "are you sure you want to do this before children?". Drew me some lovely pictures, explained how he likes to do the vertical reduction with Lipo assist, he charges $500 per side plus tax. He asked me what size I would be happy with, I said C-D. He said that sometimes its harder to do such large reductions due to my biiiiig size (he measured me as a 36F), but he said going down 3 sizes should be manageable. Oops, just got my breakfast that I ordered!! Will update when I'm done eating lmao, soooo hungry!

Sorry bout that! Went out for some breakfast. Ok, where was I....oh right, so he said in terms of my boobs he would probably take out anywhere from 500-700g, bringing me to a c or d cup, depending on how things go during surgery and how much he thinks would be appropriate. He said I'd be a great candidate, and if I wanted him to do my surgery that he would be more then happy to. I absolutely loved him, he knows how to joke around and get to the point at the same time. He knew id done my own research so he just went though the "need to knows". He didn't mention a thing about "ohip approval", he just said "ohip will cover all but the liposuction, so go ahead a pick a date that works for you!". So I did! Oct 22, one month away! Can this really be happening? So, they'll call me when a pre op time and date, anywhere from 1-2 weeks before surgery. I'll also have to wait to get a surgery time as it will be done at the greater niagara hospital. Money is due at my pre op appointment, thank you MasterCard. Also, he said with the vertical lift that he'll try and take out a much tissue through the vertical incision, but most of the shaping will be done with liposuction, he feels he gets more control this way. And for $500 per side, you really can't go wrong with the price! Now I'll just have to make arrangements with work, I'm currently finishing a placement of 40hrs per week, so hopefully I can start putting in extra time so I can have a few days off to recover! Yaaaaaay! Can't wait to join everyone on the other side!

oh boy, so only 30 days to go now... I'm really hoping everything runs smoothly and that my surgery date won't be postponed at all. I've already made arrangements at work (I've arranged for 2 weeks off and then 2 weeks of light work when I get back...I hope this will be enough for me). I've recently purchased a post surgical bra online, so I'm hoping it will get here in time...and that it will even fit! I've got an appointment with my family doctor oct 18th, just for a checkup (the PS's receptionist told me just to make an appointment to see my fam doctor within 2 weeks prior to surgery). I'm still waiting to here from the surgeons office regarding a preop appointment...the woman said it will be anywhere from 1-2 weeks prior to surgery and that they will most likely call me shortly beforehand (I guess the hospital i'm having my surgery at sets up all of the appointment times), I'm also still waiting to find out what TIME my surgery is at on the 29th..the hospital does that too. I'm starting to make plans for friends to come over and take care of me and take my dog out! My lovely boyfriend is going to take the day off to bring me to and from surgery, he's also going to take off the day after to stay home and manage the animals (seeing as we have a small zoo). I'm starting to get pretty antsy, I've been watching videos left and right, creeping reviews like you wouldnt believe...I find myself imagining what my new boobies will look like in various shirts that I own! I feel like 30 days is FOREVER away!!! if only i could fall into a coma and wake up oct28th haha. any other suggestions as to what I should start buying/getting ready? I thought about asking my family doctor about a pain med prescription, since I dont know if my plastic surgeon or the hospital will be writing one for me.

Just got a phone call from my PS office, preop appointment is THIS friday at 11am....so why is my preop 24 days BEFORE my surgery date? lol the woman on the phone said that the preop times are arranged by the hospital, so maybe its because of the holiday coming up? She said typically the preop appointment is anywhere from 2-4 weeks before surgery, so I guess oct5th isn't too far away from the 29th. So... what can I expect during this appointment?? and I guess I won't be seeing my plastic surgeon again until the morning of surgery? oh boy, 28 days and counting!

alright, so change in plans...
my pre op is now Oct22, exactly 1 week before my surgery (the hospital called this morning to let me know they had changed my appointment). I also had a god awful dream last night!!! I woke up from surgery with 3 nipples on the right side and 2 on the left! for some reason my PS had split my nipple while moving it upwards and it spawned new nipples from the remaining pieces like a friggin starfish would hahaha, talk about stresssssed out! I can't wait for this to be all done and over with! I just hope they turn out the same size, and that my nipples are relatively pointing in the same direction lol. I probably wont be updating until my pre op, unless something else changes before then. Good luck to all you ladies awaiting surgery, and congrats to everyone recovering! I'm so blessed to have people to "vent" to that don't mind listening and can share similar stories of "boob nightmares".

Less than 2 weeks to go! It honest to god doesn't seem real to me yet! I have an appointment with my family dr this Thursday, my pre op is next Monday at the hospital, and then surgery on the following Monday! Still obsessing over boob pictures, spending every waking moment googling the crap out of before and afters lol! I'm also wondering if any of you ladies have had a vertical reduction done? My surgeon has been doing verticals since 2002, but it seems like not many people here have had this method... I really want to show him a picture of one of the patients he has posted on his website, I like how he shaped her and want something like that..I'm not sure how surgeons take it when you start showing them pictures though? I'm not expecting a miracle, but I do want to be able to feel like a sexy, normal, young 22 year old for the first time! Here's to hoping the next 13 days just flyyyy by!!! Good luck to everyone else waiting like me!

Just finished at my pre op appointment at the hospital. It literally took about 25 minutes haha had a quick ECG, bloodwork and a nurse asked me a couple of quick questions and then I was on my way! Surgery time is scheduled for 10:30 next Monday! Hoping this week flies by!

Hey ladies! I'm scheduled to go in on Monday at 2pm!, which I find is a little late to be having surgery...but I'm hoping everything goes as planned and I can get it over with!

Hi everyone! Just on my way home from the hospital now..Im doing alright but I feel like I got hit by a transport truck lol I was pretty nauseous after surgery and did throw up 3 times since, but I'm definitely feeling much better now! I got some Demerol for pain and took some t3's for the car ride home, every bump is just about killing me right now lol. The hospital has arranged for a home care nurse to come by and see me tomorrow, what a nice surprise! My boobies definitely look soooo much smaller! I can't wait to post some pictures so everyone can see them! Ill post a more detailed explanation of my day tomorrow, I'm a little sleepy and sore right now. So glad to be on the other side!

Surgeon just called me from his house to see how I'm doing! He took out 563g from the right and 480g from the left plus lots of liposuction (which I think is why I'm so damn sore!!!!). My ribs are sore, my arms are sore, and my itty bitty titties are sore! Plus the 1.5hr car ride home isn't being too kind to me either! But all in all I'm sooooo happy!

Hi everyone! So it's the morning after my surgery and I thought I'd post a quick update. I slept ok for most of the night, waking up every 1-2hrs to either pee or from some discomfort. The pain comes and goes but overall I'm incredibly sore which I'm attributing to the copious amounts of liposuction I got in the boobage area (underarms, sides, all around the boobs!). The Tylenol 3's are really poopy and don't do a damn thing for my pain, maybe I'm just a big ol baby lol! So here's how my day went yesterday; arrived at the hospital at noon, got changed into gown/slippers etc, then a nurse came in and asked me a couple of questions about my overall health, and lastly I waited to get my IV (also got a prophylactic antibiotic just before surgery). Surgeon came in and marked me up, he said my surgery would take a little longer due to all the liposuction he would have to do! he also said that bringing me down to a C cup might be challanging but if thats what i really wanted he would do his absolute best! I then waited with my boytoy until 2pm when they wheeled my off! I remember having my bed parked outside the OR, I walked in and climbed up onto the table, chatted for a bit with the anesthetist and nurses, then I got some loovely sedation, oxygen mask on my face...and that's it! Next thing I know I'm waking up in recovery,it felt almost impossible to open my eyes! I then started feeling pretty sick, threw up twice before getting gravol and some other IV anti nausea medication. I finally got wheeled back to day surgery around 5pm where I stayed until 7pm (I did throw up once more after getting up to go to the washroom). My pain level was actually 0/10 for the first hour and then slowly crept up to about a 7-8/10. Even now my pain level is ranging from about 3-7/10 depending on if I recently got up or moved. I'm really hoping some of this soreness goes away soon! I think a nurse will be coming by later this afternoon to change my bandages, maybe ill try and take a peak at the girls or snap a quick picture for everyone! To anyone waiting, don't worry! The pain is bearable and I can already tell they're going to look great!

Went for my first dressing change...almost passed out..but I recovered within 5minutes, man they hurt! Definitely need stronger pain meds!

Hey ladies! Day2 post op for me and boy oh boy do I feel much better then yesterday! I slept the entire night in my bed with a few pillows behind me. I got up this morning to go to the local hospital to have my bandages changed and I did throw up from all of the moving around first thing in the morning. My
Pain is quite a bit better today, but I'm itchy absolutely everywhere! I changed out of the post op bra because it was digging in to the lipo'd areas around my arms..I've got on a workout tank top with a built in bra, padding underneath and an ace bandage over top, much more comfy! There was zero drainage from my stitches overnight, but the one side did start bleeding a bit during the dressing change, probably from the surgical bra rubbing on it. Ill be taking it easy again today, hopefully getting some more rest! Take care everyone!

Hello again, I'm really hoping others have experienced some post op nausea too? I threw up twice today due to being dizzy after moving and getting up...I've been taking gravol but it doesn't work because the problem isn't with an upset tummy :( my family doc upgraded my t3's to percocets with which I didn't have annnny problems over night, but this morning I haven't felt well at All. I've stopped taking the percocets but now I'm in oh so much pain..I hope I'm not the only one whose felt this way...

New picture! Today I've decided that yes, the 2 days of pain, nausea and vomiting were so worth it. I think my new boobs look absolutely wonderful!!!!!! And yes, I cried when I first saw them lol! Saw my wound care nurse today and there was zero discharge from the left breast, small amount of old blood from the right as well as a tiny spot of yellow discharge at the right nipple..she said nothing at all to worry about at this point, she'll keep an eye on it. She's only putting protective dressings on them, no antibiotic creams or ointments. I'm going to start seeing her every other day now that my pain is more manageable and she doesn't have to worry about me barfing every time I stand up haha! I can't believe how much better I feel, and I only hope to feel even better every day! Hope you enjoy the new picture and happy healing everyone!

Hey, so I'm now 4 days post op and feeling a heck of a lot better!! The nausea, vomiting and dizziness seems to be gone, thank god for that! Now I'm just dealing with the swelling, soreness, and my back has been bothering me a lot because of the stupid ways I've been propping myself up on the couch and in bed lol. I'm really happy I decided to take 2 weeks off instead of just 1...I don't know who I was kidding when I thought I'd be feeling fine after one week haha! I go to see my wound care nurse tomorrow because I'm too much of a baby to do it myself lmfao! I have no problem looking at other people's nasty stuff, but when it comes to my own, no thank you! So until then my new girls are remaining bandaged and wrapped up snug!

Day 5 post op, feeling better every day now! The strange feeling I've been having in my head seems to be going away...I guess the anesthetic is slowly leaving me! I've got some more pictures that I took during my bandage change today! Also went out and bought some genie bras, hope they're comfy!!! The soreness is going away Nicely and I'm just left with some yellow bruising now. The incisions are starting to feel really tight and uncomfortable but I'm dealing lol

Hey, day 6 for me! I'm definitely starting to feel up for more stuff, haven't noticed any swelling anymore...I haven't needed any ice packs for 1-2days now :) I can't believe how tiny they are...I just changed into a tank top and I feel like a tom boy..I'm sure they're bigger than I think...and I just need time to get used to them...of course. Took a peak at the incisions and they look pretty closed up already, no drainage still...I'm just wearing an "Ah Bra" with an abdominal pad under each boob plus a little sheet thingy soaked in vaseline as a protective barrier. I haven't been taking any pain meds, a few tylenol for a headache I've had today lol. I'll post some more pictures tomorrow if I remember (if everyone wants me to of course!), I kind of hope they aren't still swollen...meaning they'll get even smaller lol, I told the doc I wanted C cups, not bee stings. Ah well, anythings better than before right?
Good night!...IF I can manage to get comfortable :(

Went to another wound care appointment today and the nurse has discharged me! She said I'm all healed up on the outside and there's nothing else for her to do. She sent me home commando on top, no gauze, just my skimpy little ah bra! I felt so naked that I stuffed a thin layer of gauze in my bra when I got home lol. my incisions look like they're all scabbed up and I'm terrified that the slightest movement will rip everything off haha.I've got some more pictures today of the incisions, I think I see a little suture popping out lol
Left seems to be healing 100X faster then the right! It looks absolutely beautiful already, while the right is a lot more scabby and roughed up looking. But all in all, I'm so happy I did this!!!! The feeling you have when you know you've made the right decision, picked the right surgeon, and just knowing that everything's falling right into place is probably the greatest feeling in the world. Doing this so young has given me the rest of my life to be happy with myself and will allow me to do so much more then I would have been able to do lugging around my old boobs. I'm always here if anyone has questions or wants particular pictures. Good luck everyone!

I'm 10 days post op now and just came back from my first post op appointment with my surgeon. I think he basically just wanted to see his beautiful work again ;) he just checked things out and reminded me that any leftover bruising will continue to fade and that the ruffles of skin he stitched together along the vertical incisions will completely smooth out over time. He seemed really happy with the way things looked and I thanked him over and over again for doing such a fantastic job. Ill see him again in 3 months just so he can see the final results. Until then, I just have to start thinking about a scar treatment! I'm feeling almost 100% apart from the odd zinger here and there. I'm able to sort of sleep on my side, the girls are still sore but I hardly notice anymore. So happy things have gone so smoothly for me! Good luck to everyone else and happy healing!

Cleaned out my closet today!! I tossed just about everything and I cannot wait to buy a whole new wardrobe! I came across an old Victoria's Secret size 36DD and it definitely didn't fit at all :) soo happy! I'm thinking ill fit into a 34D now but we'll see what happens. My boobs seem to be shaping up now, they're actually looking bigger than I expected.

Hey all, I'm 12 days today and am feeling about 90% back to normal! I can lay on my side for a few hours at a time before rolling over to the other side, I notice most of my swelling on the sides of my breasts where the liposuction was done (curse you lipo). My right side is still more swollen then the left but is becoming less noticeable as time goes by. I go back to work on Monday and I'm sure ill be just fine! Everything's healing up nicely, I have zero concerns and I can't wait to empty my entire bank account at Victoria's Secret haha!! Ill take some more pictures once there's actual changes to show

So I'm 17 days post op...right? Haha I've been back to work now for 4 days and I've been ok so far. I did actually have a small spot open up on the left boobie.. Well, not so much open up because its all totally closed..what really happened was a damn stitch got all angry looking so I gentley pulled it out and the little stitch holes are weeping a small bit of yellow stuff...nothing I can't handle with some polysporin. The girls are realllllly starting to change shape and they're doing so at different rates so I must admit I do look a little lopsided! But in my little genie bra they look f&$@ing fantastic and I couldn't be happier. Here's a little picture for everyone too! Oh also, my right nipple was looking a little scary...some black around the edges with some darker areas...but they black parts are peeling off and there's pink skin underneath so I guess it got a little oxygen deprived at one point or another but it looks like it made it! Yay!

So it's 3 weeks today and I feel great! I've got a damn stitch poking through on the left that has kind of made a superficial opening so I made an appointment to see a nurse practitioner at my family dr office. She she everything looks really nice and to just wait it out, the stitch will come out when it's ready. She gave me some antibiotic cream to just use around the edges of the redness (she wasn't even entirely sure I needed it lol but It can't hurt). I just wanted to put my mind at ease and make sure everything was progressing as it should be. I did go out and buy 2 new bras today, size 36C :) I never in my wildest dreams could have imagined being a C cup! The 2 boobs are starting to even out and the size difference is becoming a lot less noticeable! Scabs are falling off and everything's all pink underneath. I can't wait to see the final result but I know they'll look marvelous! I've added 2 new pictures to boot, like I mentioned earlier, I've becoming a 15 year old girl on MySpace, taking self photos in a mirror lmao!

well, I can't believe its been 4 weeks since my life changing experience! I've been doing great, still have soreness when I do too much but other than that I've been healing well. I'm uploading some more pictures, you can see my incisions are turning pink and I think all of the spots have closed up. There's some puckering along the vertical incisions because of the way my surgeon does the procedure, he told me they would all smooth out over time and they're already starting to do that. I'm still super happy with everything! You can see my right boob is a little bigger (believe it or not it really doesnt bother me since it was waaayyy bigger to start with lol). Things will still continue to change so I'm not judging too much quite yet!

hey ladies, I've been healing well and just have one update.
I have an opening along my incision line where those damn irritated stitches were :( It all started with an area of skin along the incision that felt very "thin" and looked blue/purple...the next morning I woke up with a hole there! Yes, an actual perfectly shaped circular hole that I could physically look in to lol! It was an empty pocket that had me really freaked out! I made an appointment to see a nurse practitioner (the same one I had previously seen for the irritated stitches). Luckily she calmed me down and explained that there was obviously some infection that needed to work its way out and had obviously done so. She prescribed me 7 days of oral antibiotics called Keflex. Since then (about 12 hours ago), the opening itself has gotten larger, but the empty space underneath looks like its closing in...needless to say the opening is alot more superficial now and less like a tunnel to the inside of my boob. The nurse told me I needed to start speaking lovingly to my boobie and stop cursing at it from under my breath hahaha. I'm a little less worked up now and I realize its just a little bump in the road. I was hoping that at 6 weeks post op I'd be out of the clear from problems like this but apparently It was in my fate! I'd post a picture but I just dressed the area and don't want to remind myself of the more healing time I have to deal with. On a happier note, my right boob is doing amazing! They've started to drop more (booooooo!!!), but they do look alot more natural instead of stuck on. I still love my new girls, I just can't wait for the worrying to be over! All the stories of wound separation, fat necrosis, infection, etc has started to get to my head. I'm very thankful to have such a wonderful nurse that can put me at ease. Here's to hoping no one else has to deal with what I'm going through!

Hey folks, just a quick update on my situation lol the hole itself has closed up and is just a tiny pinhole (still draining from inside), the outer area of the hole is a little icky looking but is definitely healing! I've on day 3 of oral antibiotics and I'm just cleaning it once a day and changing the gauze every few hours because its draining so much! The nurse I saw suggested I gently press around the area to check for abscess or any changes, and when doing that yesterday a big knotted stitch came flying out! So no wonder the area is all angry looking! Hopefully now that the stitch is out everything will continue healing! I'm not concerned at all since it appears to be healing nicely! Ill admit I panicked at first when I saw the hole! I hope everyone else has been doing well! Ill post some more pictures soon! Gotta go buy more braaaasss!!! I'm addicted!!

7 1/2 week update:
I can sleep on my stomach and do pretty much anything except maybe take a football to the chest. I feel great and the girls are healing just fine and dandy! The right is still bigger, but I've come to accept it haha! They sometimes look funny when I take pictures myself depending on the angle I take it from....but I have a few more pictures to post and I've taken some of the vertical scar so everyone can see what my surgeon did in terms of incisions!

Hello again, its been a while! So..updates from me.. I've started using mederma scar cream (although not religiously...I mostly forget to put it on lol), my scars seem to be fading regardless though, and I'm honestly not too concerned them anyways. I actually wore a dress last week with just a bandeau underneath and it felt amazing! I knew that people were looking at my chest, but this time they were either jealous or in awe of them haha! They've dropped QUITE a bit since surgery, I guess I would have liked them to stay perkier, but I think they look more natural when I go braless, and when I'm wearing a very lightly lined bra they look amazing! I've got a few new pictures that I'm posting of my scars, etc. You can see the right boob (the bigger one) has more prominent scarring then the left. And that "open spot" I had has completely healed up and you can't even tell it was ever there. I don't have another post op visit with my surgeon until February when I'll be 3 months. I did go to Victoria's secret and bought some new bra's! I'm officially a 36D, the C cup was a little too snug and I find the larger band and cup size alot more comfortable considering the girls don't need to really be held in all that much!

I'll have to post my new pictures later.... the site isn't letting me upload any at the moment! You'll just have to wait!

so its been 5 months since my surgery and I realize I've been MIA for quite some time now! I just thought it would be a good idea to show some recent pictures! you'll notice that they've dropped quite a bit since day 1, but I hardly need any underwire to gently keep them up, right is still a tad bigger but It doesnt bother me one bit.