Breast Reduction: Stories

Well I have a mammogram in 2 days and paperwork to fill out right after at my PS's office. I also have a deposit of $513 I have to pay. My insurance will be covering 80% of my surgery and they are requiring 200 grams from each breast. I'm kind of glad it's not 500 like most. I feel it gives me more of an option to what size I can request to be.

So a little about me, I am 33 with two toddlers (2 and 4) and I am a 38DD or 36 DDD and I have had big boobs since I was 13!! I've always been shy and they just added to my insecurities. I was one of the only girls with big boobs and big butt so a lot of girls hated me and guys loved me. I hated attention....still do. I've been wanting a breast reduction since i was 16 but knew I was too young. Then I wanted it at 18 but decided to wait until after college. Well, then I finished college , got married and decided to wait until after I had kids. And here I am now!

I have no one other than my husband and mom to talk to about this. It's all I think about so it's all I want to talk about. I think I'm annoying my mom and my husband just gets nervous. He loves my boobs the way they are so it makes me feel kind of bad that I'm doing this but I'm finally doing something for me! I just hope I don't regret it! I'm so scred to lose nipple sensation and to have uneven nipples and breasts. But I'm excited to start running and to fit into clothes and bikinis. I told my cousins who have little boobs and they think I'm crazy. They say they wish they had big boobs like me. I explained back pain and all of that and they just don't get it. I told my mother in law about my decision and hoped she would volunteer to come into town one weekend to help me with the kids but it didn't happen. In fact, she was so negative and against the whole thing. She just kept telling me how ugly the scars are going to be and how her friends have gotten it done and they hatentheir breasts now and one of her friend wants implants now! I was so discouraged and almost wanted to cry! Why cant anyone be geniuinely happy for me? I admit I'm nervous and I'm not 100% sure I'm making the right decision but Im going for it because I want to. It makes me nervous that my PS won't provide before/after pics. Is this a red flag? I have a friend who had a BR done with him and loves him and is very happy with her results and she says her scars are barely noticeable. She Did lose all feelingnin her right breast though! (yikes)!

I just really wanted to tell my BR story and once it happens, I will post more Information and pics. Can't wait to ask my PS more questions at my 2nd and final consultation on Tuesday. I have a huge list. I love this website and all the positive results I've seen. Please comment if there is anyone out there who had felt the same way as me.

OMG! So today was my pre-op appointment and I was so excited to go in and ask my final questions and to register at the hospital. Well....it was AWFUL! My PS did not give me the answers I wanted to hear. I asked him to please not take out too much tissue where I would be a B cup and he said he cannot promise me that. (Do all PS say that?) He was very short with me and almost snappy. He also said he does every BR the same and he doesn't alter towards the patients size preference. (is that weird or am I being paranoid). He also would NOT provide me with any before/after pics. He says that he doesnt want his patients to think they are going to come out looking like someone else in the pics. I wanted to say NEVERMIND. He kept saying, "if you are not prepared to have small breasts, then don't have this surgery. THis is a breast reduction and the goal is to reduce your breasts." And I get that, trust me, I want SMALLER boobs just not TOO small....dont I have some say in this?
I understand that there are patients out there that are in severe pain and want their boobs off at any costs and he was very defensive. I think he thinks I just want it for cosmetic purposes ONLY. I do want a reduction but they are MY boobs and I want them to look good. I still have to live with them. I am only 33! So I left there sad and I went to register at the hospital. I was fighting back tears while I was waiting and on the last step of my registration, a nurse came to give me instructions and I LOST IT. I bawled my eyes out. I told her I was UNSURE and SCARED and I felt very UNCOMFORTABLE. What was I going to do. SHe assured me that it is ok to shop around for other doctors and not to do it if I wasnt comfortable. I am crushed. I have waited so long for my surgery day to come and now I am possibly going to start over???? I sincerely thought I was going to leave there happy and anxious!
Well, I called and cancelled my surgery. :( My husband and mom agree that it is best! btw, my back is killing me as I am typing this! :(

So tomorrow I have another consultation with a new ps in a different town. I hope it goes well. I hate getting my hopes up. I originally had my surgery planned for tomorrow which would have been perfect timing but now I'm not sure when I will get it done. I'm sure this new dr will have to resubmit a letter to my insurance which will probably take 2 weeks. But since my last post, I've lost 2 bras! One underwire poked through one one bra and the other bra, 2 of the hooks on the back bent! I don't think I want to buy another bra since unplanned to have surgery. I have a few more I can use. Well, I will post after my consultation tomorrow. I hope I like him.

Yesterday was a good day! I drove 2 hrs to have a consultation with a new ps and it was worth it! The staff was sooo nice. The doctor was still in surgery so I had to wait a few minutes but I didnt mind. While I was waiting, one lady showed me some before and after pics on a laptop. They looked really good and I was already at ease. She said her daughter got hers done at 19 with this doctor before the lady started working there and she was really pleased with her results. She asked me questions and asked me what size I am and I told her a 36 DDD and then she actually asked me what size I wanted to be and I said a C/D. And she typed it in the computer. Already such a huge change from the first ps office. So I finally went in the waiting room and got undressed and in came the wonderful surgeon. He had a warm presence about him, he was so nice and professional! He told me the size I wanted was perfect for my body and he wouldnt make me a B cup even if I wanted. He said leaving more tissue behind would be safer for me. Oh, and he estimated 350g from left and 450g from right.
He took several measurements unlike first ps. He never mentioned any "cookie cutter" measurements. He even said he would make my nipples as small as I wanted. I had no idea that was an option because the first ps made it seem like I had NO choice any ANY of it. I was completely relieved. He seemed to really care about what I wanted!! He took several before pics at different angles. The first ps took only 1 from the front.
So I a have to wait for them to resubmit a letter to insurance and then we will go from there. OH, and another difference was that they dont take any money upfront, unlike first ps who wanted all his money at the preop appt! (which I got back)!
I am so relieved and so glad that I listened to my gut. I left happy and not scared....what a nice change!

So I'm still waiting to hear from my insurance company again! It's been 2 weeks since my last consultation. It took 2 wks last time for my insurance to reply (and approve) so hopefully I will get the same letter soon! I'm ready to get a surgery date set!! :/ so until then, I'm waiting! But I do want to say congratulations to all the lovely ladies that have and love their new boobs!!

Im so anxious! The more I wait, the smaller I want my boobs to be. I called my insurance company and they said the are definitely going to approve the procedure. They just haven't mailed the letter out yet. I think I'm going to call my ps on Monday and ask him to schedule me already! I want this done while my deductible is met....definitely before it starts over! (I think 2013).
My boobs are so heavy (8lbs) and I am ready for the relief! My posture is horrible! I catch myself slouching really bad and I try and sit up straight and iy doesn't last long! :/
I will keep everyone posted!
And I must say that all the post op-ers look great and I'm so happy for you guys! I can't wait to share my experience too! :D

So I finally heard from the insurance company and they still agree to pay for 80% of my surgery since I have met my deductible! So my ps called me and we set up a date....November 2! I can't wait! Just thought I'd share! :)

My pre-op appointment is this Friday and surgery is November 2! I go back and forth with my emotions! I'm really scared of the actual recovery. With two toddlers, I'm not sure how good I can allow myself to heal. I have a 2 and a 4 yo. I'm so hands on with them that I'm really freaking out about How its going to work out for me. I will have some help though. I am also hoping I am a good healer.
I am also worried about losing sensation but most of all I'm worried about the fact that I could possibly have horrible scars! I just want to love my boobs for once on my life. I'm relying on the comfort of a smaller size and lack of shoulder and back pain being worth it!!
When I think about all the possibilities I will never have if I don't have surgery, my fears fade a little. I just have to tell myself that I will be able to wear button ups and strapless bras and no bras and bikinis, spaghetti strap dresses and so on!! Oh, and no shoulder pain and bad posture, duh!! :)
Also, when I look at my ps before and after pics, I cannot believe they are real. One pic is after 4 weeks and one is after 6 weeks and they look great with minimal scarring! I will have to post those pics. I wonder if they manipulate the photos at all. That would e so wrong, right?!?
Anyway, just had to express my fears with women who understand. I also need any advice on aftercare with toddlers, so if you have any, please share! :)

I had my preop appoinent yesterday and it went good. I am a little concerned because I asked my ps how long the procedure would take and he said 2 hrs. Then he said, "well 2 hrs for you because you need to get home but longer for everyone else"!!!! What?!? I am from out of town but I don't want him to rush by any means. I don't know why I didn't speak up. I don't think I caught it until I left. Im scared he is going to rush with me and mess up or something.
How long did surgery take for you ladies? Should I call him and say something!?

WhileI was reading a few posts, I realized that my PS said he doesn't use drains. That scares me. I was relieved at the time he told me but now I'm wondering why. Where will all the fluid go? I thought everyone has drains. Please let me know if you didn't have drains and if everything was fine! My surgery is less than 2 weeks away!!!!! :(

So I have had a sore throat for a few days now and woke this morning with no voice. I went to the doctor today and I have a throat infection and gave me a prescription for antibiotics. Waiting to hear back from my ps to see if I will be ok to go through with surgery on Friday. :( I sure hope so!

So I just spoke with the ladies at my surgeon's office and he gave me the ok to take the antibiotics I was given and they will check with me on Thursday to make sure I am feeling better. I sure hope I do. I think I will.
Also, for some reason, my mind is playing tricks on me. I started looking in the mirror and thinking to myself that my boobs aren't really that big. Then I started Doubting the whole thing. Is this normal?? I know that my boobs are really big because they have been forever and I have always been known as the girl with the ginormous boobs! But I'm convinced is just my mind playing tricks on me. Has it happened to anyone else?

Just wanted to update! My throat is so much better! I am really sad about leaving my kids for a few days. I bawled all night! I also had a hard time sleeping last night! I actually wanted to cancel the whole thing!!! I then finally slept some and woke up this morning and felt a little better about it all. I cant believe tomorrow is the day! I am seriously scared. I am worried about having complications and stuff. I just hope I am doing the right thing. I have wanted this since I was 16 and now I am 33 so it has to be the right thing to do, right? I might not get this chance again. Plus, I keep thinking that it is a good thing I am getting this done now so I have time while I am still young to be more athletic and physical for my kids. I also want to live a long healthy life and I dont need two heavy boobs holding me back.
Just freaking out a little. I am the rock in this family and I take care of my husband and kids so it is scary to think about how things will function while I am recovering!
I will post pictures tomorrow after surgery and let everyone know how it goes.
Thanks for all the support ladies.

I want to first start off and thank all the women on here for the love and encouraging words. If it wasn't for this site, I might not have gone through with this! I can't say that the Surgery was a walk in the park. I hated the surgi center I was in because I didn't even have a recovery room or anything like that. It was like a cubicle with a curtain. But the staff was so nice and my surgeon is also great. When I woke up, I remember asking of I was going to die because I was in so much pain. I didn't do well coming out of anesthesia. Not well at all! I was so nauseated and in pain. I also was so tired. They couldn't wake me up, so they didn't. I slept and when I woke up I felt better. I came home (hotel) and slept so hard. When I woke up, I felt AMAZING! No pain anymore and very little nausea. I looked down and saw the cutest cleavage. I looked in the mirror and was so pleased. I felt so skinny. I can't wait to take and post pics. I will do that tomorrow. I see my ps in the morning and then I head home for a 2 hr drive! (nervous) but for now, I'm thrilled. I hope I heal well! :)
And my kids are doing so great with their nana and their Mimi. (grandmas)

Feeling good! I want to get up and do things but I have to remind myself to relax. I'm ready for a new sports bra so I will probably send my husband out to get me one. Lol. My bra is pressing on my incisions underneath my boobs but I placed some gauze under there and I feel a little better. I do have feeling in both of my nipples which I'm happy about.
I met with my ps this morning and he said everything looks good. I get my tape off next Thursday. I think I was in surgery for 2 1/2 hrs. I am really pleased with my results. I know they will be smaller and less firm in a couple weeks so u won't know my final size until then. Buty shoulders and back feel great! I feel lighter and it's amazing! I'm so happy!

Day 3: feeling pretty good! In a sports bra, no gauze. I feel pretty swollen but not much pain. I'm resting a lot and I'm so proud of my husband and kids for being so quiet and behaved! ;) today is a good day. I wish I could post pictures from my iPhone. I will post pics when I feel a little better.

Day 4-
I woke up this morning with horrible back pain. I used way too many pillows to prop me up and it back fired! Also, I decides to take my sports bra off for a little while and go with my husband to drop my daughter off at school........mistake!!! Ouch!!! I took a pain pill as soon as I got home and put my bra back on. Hopefully I will feel better in a little while! I'm planning to relax on the recliner for the rest of the dAy!

Day 5:
I did a lot today. I took care of my 2 year old all by myself, I played with her outside, I did a load of laundry and I showered again but actually washed my own hair this time. Im pretty exhausted now. I want to do more but I know it takes time.
I'm feeling pretty swollen still and today is the first day that I feel very itchy. I get my steri strips off on Friday....very curious to see how that goes.
I wish I would have napped today and tested a little more, maybe I wouldn't be so swollen but overall, I feel good.

I keep trying to take and post new pictures but I just suck at it. I know that before I had surgery, it helped me to see pictures and have a real expectations about scars and size and all of that. Maybe I will get my hubbs to take some when he gets off work.

Got my steri strips off today so that was a plus. It didn't hurt so bad. I go back next week to take out the two stitches I have. They said I was healing very nicely. But I am feeling really down today. My daughter kicked me twice in the right boob while changing her diaper and then later she accidentally threw her head back right into my right boob again! I'm so swollen and hurting. My pain pill isn't even working. I feel upset that I haven't been more careful. I hope I feel better tomorrow.
I'm thinking about you ladies that just had surgery and those that are about to. Hugs to you all.

Today I got my 2 stitches out and it wasn't so bad. Everything is healing up nicely. My doctor said I can sleep on my side!!! Yay!!
I've pretty much gone back to my normal routine. I'm taking care of my kids, driving, cooking and light housework. I feel good most of the time. Today my left breast was hurting and still is. I'm not sure why, it hasn't been hurting too much previously. I think it's mostly zingers. My nerves must be re-connecting. I'm very happy with the decision to have a reduction. My shoulders don't hurt any more, ever! I also feel so much better when I get dressed. Getting dressed use to be the worst part of my day, not anymore! :)

Been having pain in my left shoulder for 3 days now and it's making me miserable. Maybe a pinched nerve? Also, my left boob has been hurting for a few days. I've been hurting more this week than last. Is this normal? I thought the pain would only get better from hear on out. I also tried sleeping on my side but it hurts! I'm so ready to enjoy my smaller chest and for recovery to be over! I can't wait to see what size I'm going to be.

Sorry I've been MIA but the holidays and sick kids had my very occupied! I plan to post pics this week.
I'm so happy that I had my br done! I feel like a new woman. My scars are minimal and don't bother me at all! My new boobs are wonderful! They aren't too big and not too small. Every now and then I wish they were smaller but mostly glad they aren't because it would not fit well with my body type. Im pretty proportionate now and it's great! I'm no longer insecure when I'm out and about and I feel amazing! No back pain! And I sleep so good now. My boobs don't bump onto things an knock them over any more!
If you are thinking about getting this done, I would go for it!