12 weeks post-op breast reduction

I wanted to write this to encourage others to take action and to give them a bit of insight. I am currently 37 years old, Chinese about 5'2"/155cm and weight about 55Kg. I used to weigh about 50Kg.

Many years ago, I was a 10C/32C at 48-50Kg. Then I lost weight due to stress and my boobs stayed the same but when I went back to 50Kg, I grew to a D and then DD and then E. As I gained weight in my 30s over the last 5 years, I grew to a E and then F and am now arounf F/FF. I have been down to 52Kg but with no change in breast size. I haven't gained any weight in the last 3 years.

I noticed that as I got bigger than a D, I started getting intense backpain. The pain got worse and worse and by the time I was an F/FF, I was getting headaches almost daily and sometimes migraines with nausea.

I couldn't find clothes that fit because I am quite short and normally a size 10 (Aust) and I found it hard to do aerobic exercise. I love swimming but finding a suit that fit me was hard. I could not wear one piece as my bottom is quite small (size 8-10) but my top is huge. Bras stocked in department stores were always 12 or 14 D-DD including sports bras but getting a 10/32F or FF was hard. I couldn't buy online because the sizes weren't always the same across different brands. I was limited in bras and sports bras - often wearing a size smaller or getting a too big band.

In addition, my headaches and migraines made it hard for me to focus at work and I was always getting a lot of pain and taking neurofen. Then even medication didn't work and I'd just get sick. I tired accupuncture, massages (remedical, sports, shiatsu, thai), saw a chiropractor, saw a physio, went to the gym... I never lost weight but I would tone up and my legs and bottom got leaner while my breasts never changed.

I have always wanted breast reduction surgery but was too scared of the pain, scarring, post-op infeciton to go through. But finally an opportunity occurred this year. I got some money from my mother, was in between jobs and decided to consult a plastic surgeon.

13 September 2012
I had my surgery. It was probably about 2 hours and when I woke up, I didn't feel any pain. I had two drains sticking out of me and stayed in a private hospital for 2 nights. The nurses gave me meds (no morphine just panadol and codeine and sometimes diclofenac), antibiotics, drained my draines and made sure I was comfortable.

I threw up on both nights; reactions to general anaesthesia and to the antibiotics. I felt sick but otherwise I was not in a lot of pain.

15 September 2012
I was disccharged. The drains came out and I had waterproof dressing/bandages over my breasts. They were transparent and I could see the blood and nipples. I could shower. I went home to rest.

19 September 2012
The pain has actually decreased quite a bit. I have

19 September 2012
The pain has decreased a lot - I think that it's manageable. But I get sharp stabs near the nipples sometimes or under the armpits which I suspect are nerve tingling. The other day I had my right little finger tingle a bit. Overall I am mobile and seem to be able to eat normal meals, but sticking to healthy stuff and not overeating.

I will keep updating this post with more pics when I take the bandages off etc but please feel free to ask me questions.

For the Australians who are curious about medical insurance coverage, here is how mine went.

- My doctor is not a GAP insurance covered doctor. Basically medicare has what it believes is the scheduled fee for the surgery. My private health insurance (Aust Unity) also has another set. If my doctor was a GAP covered doctor, the health insurance would give me more back in rebate based on what it thinks the surgery should cost (which is higher than medicare's estimate).

- Basically the overall cost (including the anaesthetic) was $10,000 and I will have to lodge a two way claim with medicare. Medicare plus my private health care will pay about 20% of that cost (the breakup between them isn't clear).

- My hospital bill was covered by my private health cover; all I paid was my excess of $250 and since I didn't have any complications; I paid nothing else. This isn't so bad as I was at a private hospital, shared a room with one person, had good 24 hours care from nurses and was well fed.


So far, my chest feels lighter and I'm not getting bad backpain. I am sore from sitting around the house the whole week and bored because I can't go out and exercise but I do take walks around the neighbourhood and I just have to walk slowly (to avoid bouncing!) and keep wearing the compression suit.

24 September 2012
- saw my doctor to remove the transparent dressing and gauze. I can see the stitches and wound. Everything looks good and I have passed the infection period and any possibility of wound opening unless I go horse riding or do something extreme. Overall I am healed and won't need to see the doctor till December.

- I don't need the compression suit anymore, just need to wear underwire-free crop tops to support.

- my breasts are still swollen but the swelling will go done. In 2 weeks' time, I will start the scar management therapy.

- I also have numbness under both breasts that cause pins and needles, ocassional sharp pain and make them feel heavy but the pain really is manageable without any pain killers. Overall I haven't really felt a lot of pain since the op and I haven't taken anything stronger than oxycodone which I am off now.

- I cannot stretch my arms forward too far but otherwise I can do a lot of other things. I walk a lot everyday (though not run) and just keep fit with mild exercise and eating healthy.

- I don't have any severe backpain anymore. I just have stiffness in my back from the cold (I feel cold in Sydney when it's cold at night) and from sleeping inclined for 10 days. But now I am finally sleeping in my own bed and totally flat. I can also lie on my side though not all the time.