Bye DDs...-Fox Cities, WI

I am 23 years old, standing at 5'3 and at 150 pounds, it's hard to believe I actually weigh that much because people are surprised when I tell them that. I understand my frame is definitely more a medium built but maybe because I work out & my muscles weigh more? Anyways, I was an A cup in high school and near the end of high school, I went to a D cup in just a few weeks. I wore a 38D when I went to college and actually got measured and turns out I was a 36DD. I used to be heavier than 150 pounds so my frame supported my 36DD a little bit more; I had minor back problems but not bad enough.

Ever since I lost weight & became more active, I lost fat but nothing from my breasts which was weird because people usually lose weight there first. It was when I first started losing weight that I noticed I had constant back, shoulder & neck pain. It got so frustrating that it affected me a lot in other aspects of my life. It lowered my self-esteem; I couldn't wear the cute shirts I wanted because I was top heavy or it was too tight on my chest area, I had to wear 2-3 sports bra to work, I have indents from my bra straps after just a few short hours of wearing my regular bras, it was hard to find bikini tops that would fit me and even then, my girls would pop out. I know many of you can relate to me and a 36DD might not be as big as other people but we are all built differently and therefore affected differently. I got to a point where I would hate looking in the mirror cause I felt all you could see were my breasts. People knew me as the "big chest" girl. I also picked up running which can be harder to do when you're bigger chest. Surprisingly, I can run pretty good but I am limited physically in my work-outs.

I never really thought about getting a breast reduction but I'm not happy anymore and I can't take the pain. Some people don't understand when I tell them about this; they tell me "You're fine the way you are" but have they walked in my shoes? Have they felt what I felt? It's frustrating and I feel like I've been on a roller coaster of emotions ever since I started really pursuing a breast reduction surgery.

Two months ago in November, I went to a consultation with a plastic surgeon and let me say, I almost didn't go because I would debate in my head if I needed one or not. Well, it was one of the best decisions I've ever made going to him because he explained everything I needed to know and I even found out that due to my breasts, they can cause me random headaches in which I get quite a bit. I was emotionally when I told him my story and he was very kind. After the consultation, he submitted papers to my insurance saying this would be a medical procedure (so that my insurance will cover it).

I waited a month until I finally received my insurance letter letting me know that I had been APPROVED!! I jumped for joy but I am also very nervous because here comes the hardest part..I called to make an appointment for the surgery. My pre-op will be next Tuesday, January 8 and surgery is scheduled for Monday, January 14. I talked to a close friend about my surgery and he recommended I look up stories of others who have experienced or are currently experiencing what I'm going through. I am so glad that this website exist and how many other pages there are to help. I am ready to share my experience with everyone and I hope that I too, can help someone or others one day. It's not easy sharing your story because you know that others will have their own opinions and will judge but when someone can understand what you're feeling whether they're experiencing the same thing or are just a sympathetic person, it's good to know you have people who support you.