CBL111

Hey there,

For me, having somebody around who had been through major surgery and could share the experience with me was a huge benefit. Even just lining up a friend to call who has been there--whatever the procedure, not necessarily BR--would be good, I think.

You'll do great!

Hi again,

Well, it's been a seriously insane roller coaster since I last wrote. Everything went totally well with the healing for the first few days. I felt a little drowsy and weird from the general anesthetic, but mostly totally fine. Then things started to unravel....I started feeling kind of mentally sluggish and not able to concentrate/read, etc. I (now) know that there are mental/emotional side-effects to general anesthesia that can last long after the procedure, but I didn't know that then, and I really thought I was going nuts. I was crying at the drop of a hat for absolutely no reason, feeling weepy and despairing...it was kind of freaky. I've talked to a lot of people about it now, and it seems like it's not so uncommon an experience. (Not meaning to scare people. The fact that it happens to lots of others was a reassuring thing for me. It happens. It's scary. You get through it.)But my doc hadn't mentioned anything about any of these possibilities, so I was pretty scared.

Anyway, so once the emotional/cognitive weirdness started to ebb, the physical stuff started. (TMI alert, perhaps?) So first, I'm not the most "regular" person in the world, and what with the surgery and then the wonky side effects of the anasthesia to deal with, I kind of just lost track. Turns out I had been constipated for more than a week before things started to go bad. I now know that constipation is a super super common (even expexted) reaction to the painkillers they put you on after surgery, and almost everyone I've talked to gets put on a stool softener immediately post-op just to get things moving right away. But, yet again, my surgon neglected to tell me this. So I wound up so backed up that I actually couldn't keep food or water down, which got me sent to the ER for dehydration and IV fluids....Plus, I've now spent the last few days trying to deal with the constipation issue. Basically doing the kind of prep you'd have to do for a colonoscopy...not pretty.

And finally last night, when I thought all was actually back to normal, and I went to sleep for (literally) the first time in basically 4 days, I woke up in the middle of the night with my heart and mind racing, and having this terrifying sensation that I couldn't actually wake myself up out of sleep. It was like I was stuck somewhere in-between. I think it was probably just because of all of the stress and the dehydration and lack of sleep, but it was for sure the most terrifying ten minutes of this whole ordeal while I just sat there trying to get my mind to calm down and reassuring myself that I probably hadn't just gone permanently off the deep end.

So......basically a complete nightmare.

Except: My new boobs look amazing! Almost no pain, the sutures look seriously perfect, even the bruising is going down! There's a little bit of swelling, but the shape and positioning really look fabulous. I knew when I chose my doctor that he was one of the best surgons in the city, but that he really wasn't much for patient interaction/bed-side manner. So I'm not surprised that he did an incredible job on my boobs but not so well at explaining to me some of the obvious things to expect emotionally/physically afterwards.

Anyway, this was a really long post. Sorry about that! I also hope that this doesn't freak out anyone who is yet to go into surgery. Honestly, none of these side-effects were so incredibly bad. It was just not expecting them that made it terrifying. Just be prepared for the potentional side-effects of the anasthesia, and have folks around who can remind you that they are not permanent, and you'll be totally fine.

Sending love. I'd send pictures to, but I can't figure out how.

Hey all,

Well, its one day post operation, and things are going fine. The pain isn't that bad at all, and I've been having fun just sitting on the couch and getting to watch TV all day. My operation took longer than expected--3 and half hours instead of 2--but the Dr. told me that everything went perfectly, and that I could expect to be a small C, which is what I asked for.

I'm already sick of being cooped up on the house, and chest is really, really itchy for some reason, but other than that, I'm totally fine. I have a bit of pain under my left breast, but so far I've only taken about a third of the dose of painkillers as I was perscribed, and so far it seems to be working out pretty well.

Still haven't been able to meet the girls yet, and because of all the bandages and surgical bra it almost looks to like they're bigger, not smaller, but I know I just have to be patient.

My doubts about this whole thing are still rearing up now and again, even the deed's been done and there's nothing left to deliberate about. I'm hoping that, in time, I'll feel confident that this was the right choice.

Sending lots of love, and I'll post pictures once I'm a few more days post-op.

.....and PS, for those of you who haven't had your surgeries yet---I'm one of the biggest worry-worts in the world, and the whole surgery process was so much easier and less scary than I thought it would be. You'll do fine!

My breast reduction is tomorrow....have to be at the hospital at 6am. It still doesn't feel real. I'm not really excited, not really nervous about the procedure, just kind of ignoring the whole thing. I guess that's just my way of coping with anxiety....

Even this close to the procedure, I still have fears about it not being the right decision, and particularly about not being able to breast feed later on, but I'm just rolling with it. I know I'm not going to just wake up one morning and feel totally clear and 100% ready, so I just have to trust myself and move forward.

I was out looking for a post-op sports bra today and I couldn't help "accidentally" sneaking a peak at some pretty lace numbers in sizes like B and C.....!

So....yikes! Wish me luck, and sending love and warm thoughts to all the rest of you who are recovering from or preparing for this surgery. This community has been (and is) a wonderful resource for me!

Hi all,

So my surgery is set for February 2nd. I keep reading on here about people's pre-op visits, but I'm not sure what that means. I had an initial consultation with my PS, and then scheduled the surgery. That would have been it had I not asked to have another appointment to get some last minute questions answered. Is there something else I should be doing that my doctor may not have suggested? What happened at the pre-op appointment for you?