I'm 5'2" and my weight fluctuates from 145 to 160 depending of the season. I don't have children. I've worn a C cup or greater since I was 12. My bra size was a 30 to 32F earlier last year. It is now 32G. Since I took courage from reading the posts on here, I decided to contribute in the hope that someone else might find my experience useful. This has been a tormenting decision and I'm still torn about this procedure coming up in a couple of days. Add to the fear and stress the fact that my insurance in CA and the facility I'm dealing with has just gotten on my last nerves. First they don't give you estimates. Note that an estimate and a quote are two different things. Say what you want about frigid liberal states but I had no problems in 15 years on the East Coast and I even had the same insurance. Cross over here, I'm paying more money to have to meet an annual deductible and pay 15% out of pocket. I'm really confused. If it weren't for the fact that whenever I remember the spasms and pain I've suffered over the last 4 years, I would have told the hospital to cancel the appointment when they called today. I have enough to stress about only to find out on a Friday, when surgery is on Monday, that I have to pay up $1700 when I show up and I'm only getting the actual estimate that morning. CA needs to get its ish together. In any event, the women on my mom's side of the family have huge breasts that usually get bigger after they have children. I always thought of them as tumors to be honest. My aunt who had barely 4'9" has full breasts that lay on her lap when she sits. They were like two 2-month old babies. She went in one day without telling anyone and had them done. The interesting thing, I had just put in my request to the doctor to refer me to a specialist about them. My grandmother's and my mother's are smaller and more like 1-month old babies. I know it sounds like I'm exaggerating but I'm not. A couple of co-workers were shocked when I told them my bra size. They said they would have never guessed. I always assumed it was obvious that they are huge but I now know that I learned to camouflage them. My mom is a seamstress and she made dresses for my grandma, her sisters and herself. I would give her my clothes to alter and I do them myself sometimes. So, it turns out that I know how to pick out clothes to hide these things. I never thought about it until I ask people how big they thought I was, even at the surgery clinic, and they said maybe a D at most. Anyway, I have no kids and mine are the size of my mother's when I was a child and she was my age. I don't remember small breasts taking shape when I was a teen. I was a little chubby and all I had was a spread of fat on my chest and I eventually had to wear a bra. I remember peeking at my cousins when we had sleepovers and wondering why they have a shape and things are hanging up. Mine were never like that. Back in 2009, a friend visiting from Europe, kept telling me about how I'm wearing the wrong bra. I didn't know anything with a letter greater than a D existed. At that point, I was annoyed with the shoulder dents and back/neck stiffness which I attributed to the backpacks full of books I had to carry in elementary school. I wasn't happy to go to a specialty store, especially after seeing the price of a bra, but it helped so much to have the right fit that I'm forever grateful to this friend. That lasted for 3 years but things started getting bad. I would wake up with stiff neck frequently like when you sleep wrong on a pillow. I wasn't able to turn my head comfortably and needed to rub my shoulder blades frequently. I figured it was my old mattress so I got a better one. I figured it was lack of exercise, so I picked up swimming. People always told me "Oh yeah... cardio and a good workout plan will bring them down" when I would complain about losing weight but my breasts never go down. I spent a year killing myself exercising only to build muscles and ended up with stretch marks on the inner side of my arms. The only thing exercise did was reducing my band size. So, I fluctuate between a 30 and 32. That same period in 2012, I had a serious episode where I woke up completely rigid. I couldn't turn. I went to work and freaked out when I realized I couldn't turn to clearly see while I was driving. I had to have a friend pick me up. I went to the doctor and they found nothing wrong so I ended up on muscle relaxers. Later that year I had the same thing but with painful spasms that landed me in the ER. I could see that the doctor thought that I was a junkie. After that session, my NP sent me to a physical therapist then a chiropractor. I essentially spent close to 6 months building back muscles with strength exercises, kept swimming which helped and then was going for adjustments 4 times per week/3 times per week/once per week to eventually once per month until 2015. A surgery was suggested before, but it is such a big step that I kept telling myself that I could exercise more, eat better, get an even better mattress, go for regular massages, keep up with chiropractor etc.... And it will get better. Early last year, after a few months of thinking about it, I had my new NP put me in for the consultation. I was still just looking into it until, after not seeing the chiropractor for 3 months, I had another spasm attack. It usually starts a few days before as a dull ache and works its way to this contraction around my shoulder blades and neck, bringing them closer together and aching deep under the blades. At that point, I was over it and I'm resolved to go under. This is not ideal for me. I keep trying to rationalize and wondering if I've done everything that I could have done. I've also wondered if I'm just not being vain for wanting to alter my body because maybe deep down I'm unsatisfied with how I look rather than that I find the pain unbearable. At first I didn't mind that there would be scars but now it crosses my mind. I wonder if I'm not sabotaging myself. Because, if this is more about poor body image than the pain, then it will only get worse when I have these scars for the rest of my life. Each time that I do have these inner conversations, I soon think about the days I'm rolled up in bed, crying, calling in sick, the scars I already have, the itching and discomfort. Then my brain switches quickly and easily to agree that I need to do this. So here we are! Two days until surgery. My family is not nearby but my neighbor and some nice friends here have agreed to look after me. I was told to plan on 2-3 weeks off of work. I've scheduled for 3 but I'm hoping I can go back in 2. I also really don't want to feel any pain. I know it's unrealistic, but given that I see my life flash in front of me and feel like the angel of death is calling when I have spasm episodes, I really don't look forward to what it will feel like when the anesthesia wears off. I hope to be able to update this sometime soon and report that I'm pleased with my decision just like many have reported. Thank you to all who have shared their story and photos before me. I wish good luck to those who are going through this right now. Cheers! Updated on 21 Jun 2016: First off... I have the most amazing neighbor. This 69 year old lady took care of me like her own child, got me flowers, chauffeured me around and watched me like a mother bear over the last 48 hours. I'm truly blessed. So, yesterday I had my surgery. I checked in at around 8:15am. They had me go to the waiting area around 10:30am, asked a bunch of questions, put IV in, gave me some meds. Then around 11:30 they rolled me to the OR. I think I was out of there by 2:30pm. I remember people talking to me in the OR and them putting something in the IV that stings like hell. After that, I remember waking up. That's it. Seriously, that was the extent of my operation! I still can't believe it and I'm being reserved about screaming bloody success because I don't want to jinx it. When I woke up, my neighbor was back. She was asking them a lot of questions as they were explaining to her what to do while watching over me. She got to see the itsy bitsy [RS bleep] before I did. I'll be honest... I didn't want to look until just now when I took these pictures. I didn't want some sort of psychological rejection. So, after the operation, I was a bit spacey. Made it home and laid in bed. My neighbor made sure I woke up every 4 hours to eat then take the tylenol and pain meds. Then I went to bed. And did that over again for 4 hours. We stayed up until midnight then did the next round at 7am. My appointment for the dressings to come off was this morning at 11:45am so we figured we'd do the next round at 1pm. It worked out great. She drove me to the clinic and the NP fitted me with this bra. No bleeding, no white spots, nipples are fine, everything is in place. I still didn't look at them until I had the bra on. I have to say that I don't think I've ever been this small. I don't remember every being this small. I'm sure I was at 11 or 12 when they first grew but it was a pile of fat without shape. They're quite swollen so I expect them to be smaller when it goes down. That'd be smaller than what I imagined but after so many years of that load, I really don't mind. I remember going in for consultation and the doctor asked "If I were to go one way or another, would you want me to go big or small". I said small of course. I vaguely said that I'd be ok with a D but a C would be just fine. I think I'll be closer to a C. But remember... There are push up bras but no such thing as push off bras. Anyway.... this is the new me! So far, no complications. The issues I've had have been with nausea. After the operation, I was up for a bit and started getting hot and sweaty. It doesn't help that it's above 100 degrees out here this week. But that was mostly due to medication in my stomach. When I get in bed or on the couch inclined up about 60 degrees, I felt great. Today, I was a little dizzy in the morning going in to remove the dressings, but no nausea. This afternoon and evening, I've been able to walk around without any issues. All I've done is sleep, eat, drink water. Like is good. In addition, as I was told, I haven't had a bowel movement. It's no big deal for me because my digestion is pretty slow anyway but I'd like to go soon. I'm a bit blotted. I have love handles but my belly is not this bad on a regular day. And lastly, I experienced itches last night. It wasn't on the breasts or anything. Mostly arms, legs, belly etc... I was told it was the anesthesia wearing off. Not so much of that today so I suppose that makes sense. Given these are the only issues I've had, things have been great. I know I'll experience some sharp stings soon but I'll be ok. I have to wear this bra 24/7 for 6 weeks. I'm going to order a few more online. This one was $20 at the doctor's office. It's convenient that it opens in the front. They also say I can use scar fading creams in 6 weeks and gave me a recommendation. Otherwise, next week I get to see the doctor. For how freaked out I was, this couldn't have turned out any better. I'm hoping once swelling, stiffness and any future pain go away, then I can feel the difference in my back. I was starting to get the onset of spams as I get them twice per year in my back. It's gone now but it's probably because of the pain meds. We'll soon find out. But knock on wood... Feeling awesome! Updated on 23 Jun 2016: Not a bad day but had some events today. Last night my chest was itchy so I started scratching in my sleep. But it sounded like water moving inside a balloon. I thought it was my ice pack until I realized it was the top of my left breast. That was weird. I got up and took my ibuprofen, used the restroom, freaked out for a minute then fell asleep. My neighbor came by to make breakfast. I told her about it then called the clinic. The woman said "Mmmm I've never heard of that before". A few hold times later, they got me an appointment for 90 minutes later.I went in and they did a check up. No fever, blood pressure a bit low most likely due to the pain med, no pain. The nurse explained that fluid pockets are common and I could let my body absorb it or they could try to drain it. I opted for the draining which involved some numbing cream, a needle and some extraction. A bit uncomfortable but not painful. She wasn't able to take out a whole lot but got some out. She also touched my boobs really firmly. I haven't been doing that but it turns out I have regular feelings and no pain in them. They're just stiff.In any event, this nurse put me back in the elastic band rather than the bra. I remember telling the first nurse on Tuesday that I'd rather stay in the band and turns out I should have. Switching to the bra was probably appropriate schedule- wise but didn't give enough compression on top of my chest. That left room for fluid to build up. Combine that with all the fluids I've been taking, and of course Aunt Flo had to pop by today, and there we are!All is good though. Back to the house. Taking it easy. My work girlfriends came by with lunch and a bucket of laughter. And one is coming by later with homemade chocolate chip cookies. Yum yum yum.... :) Updated on 25 Jun 2016: Supposedly it was a high of 99 today but it felt more like 105. I only stepped out on the porch for a few minutes before heading back and passing out on the couch all afternoon. Friend from work came to visit yesterday. She lives a few miles away so she ended up coming back for dinner with us and brought stuffed grape leaves and sorbet. Yum, yum... Sleeping last night was annoying. It was warm, the band was itchy, my left boob kept falling asleep and it was loud! I prefer the windows open at night when it's hot but it's been a year since I've had to (since last summer). Man! Was it loud! The first few nights I didn't hear it because I was on meds but I've been off of the pain medication nearly 2 days now. I heard it all and every little noise and light woke me up. Tonight, the AC is going on and windows will be shut. Today was a good day though. I slept in a bit because of the noisy night, had breakfast, paid the bills, watched TV and had a couple of calls. I also got a package from my friend back East. Such a nice surprise. "Dish Garden" in a beautiful pot and chocolate of course. The delivery guy came by while my door was open and I was about to step out into the living room with my tattas out. haha! Luckily he said something and I managed to grab a towel. Then, that was my whole day. lol. I slept all afternoon until my neighbor came back from work and I cooked her dinner for once! My other neighbor stopped by with ice cream. Throughout the day, I was a bit uncomfortable. I ended up going back to the bra and wrapped only one band over for compression. The heat got to me though. The band was making me itchy and hot with every rising degree and my whole chest was falling asleep or somewhat numb. It's weird because the right one feels like my old boob. The left one might be a little bit lazy at healing. I also noticed a small opening around the left areola. It looks like it's healing though. I'm still not taking full showers. Just kind of letting the water run down my back and cleaning with a bath towel in the front. I've been avoiding the scar/cut areas. It looks like I finally got the marker lines off though. The doctor must have used a permanent marker. After showering, I inspected everything myself and I'm not at all freaked out. It also helps that I've been looking at people's progresses with scar creams. One in particular used Mepiform strips and I seriously can't tell she had scars. The doctor's office gave me a brochure for bioCorneum+. I'll probably end up getting it but I'll ask on Tuesday what they know about Mepiform. I also need them to tell me if I can start putting some cocoa or aloe on these things. I don't think I've ever been so itchy in my life! My skin needs to be moisturized. Let's see... what else... Some pictures posted to show the scars a little closer and laying down. They actually look worse and darker in pictures. I've been using thin maxi pads and pantie liners under the band and they work great with the bra. I also tried on a bunch of jackets I have and none of it fits. I'll have to try the shirts and start altering them. Luckily I have a sewing machine my co-worker is letting me borrow. Time to put it to good use to adjust the rest of my closet while I have another week off. That should keep me occupied. I'm not sure how to deal with the jackets. I'm hoping I can find a professional alteration place that can take them in. They're mostly leather and winter stuff. I'll be seeing the doctor on Tuesday and will most likely update. Tomorrow we head to the farmers market for some goodies. Cheers until then! Updated on 26 Jun 2016: So, I wasn't going to update but today I walked out of the house with my neighbor for the first time and we went to the farmer's market. It was odd being in the world again. haha! I put on this orange dress that I've had for a few years now. Well... hello me! I've told myself that looking better had nothing to do with wanting this change but pffff! That is one bonus I'm not regretting. The white and orange dresses are the same in same size. When this girl found something that fits and looks good, she buys it in multiple colors if possible. Shopping for clothes was never fun for me for so many reasons. Mostly that I don't like roaming around looking for stuff. The white dress is from Fall 2014 and the orange is from this morning (June 2016). I weigh about the same in both. I'm actually 5 lbs lighter in the white (2014) photos. I only know because that's from my goodbye get-together to the East Coast and I've been keeping a chart of my weight for the last few years. It's a good way to visualize when I start slipping. Anyway.... look at the difference! I'm surely not complaining. With some movement today and walking, there's been little bit of bleeding around the left nipple. The pad has been rubbing against it and the glue is wearing off. No pain or anything. Nothing else to report otherwise. Last night was pretty restful. Cheers! Updated on 28 Jun 2016: Oh man! This heat might kill me and keep me from enjoying these new girls. Today was h.o.t.! I saw my doctor for the first time today since surgery. She seemed very pleased with the results and so am I. She wanted me in a tighter bra though so here we are. Much tighter and less rubbing actually so it's more comfortable. But since my boobs are on the numb side, I can't tell if this headache is due to the constraint or the heat and bad air quality we had today. So I asked her about how much she took out. She said 630g and 632g. That's 1262g corresponding to about 2.8 lbs! That is a little under 1.5lb in each breast that came off and she's saying I'll be closer to a D cup. How is that possible! Good riddance! And the tests on the removed tissue came up clean. No scar discussion until I'm on 6 weeks and I see her again. Meanwhile don't do anything that would have me break a sweat and no swimming. That last bit is messing with my 4th of July plans though. In all, it's been a great day and a great 1 week post-op. Cheers! PS. Panty liners and pads are OK for adding buffer between the scars and bra. But, they have to be 100% cotton. I was using the absorbent synthetic ones and was getting oozing. Doctor confirmed my suspicions that it was due to the synthetic pads. No issue since switching :) Updated on 30 Jun 2016: Just posting to share the photos with someone. I had to sew 3 lines before I found the width that was more comfortable. I had to take in 5 or so inches. Nothing new except I was out today for a few hour, drove around some, got some killer deal on detergent and got back home to be lazy. We'll see tomorrow if I get tired like the first time. Updated on 1 Jul 2016: To my left tatta, You are on my chess. I am not going anywhere. There's no need for you to demand so much attention. Your sister seems to be dealing with the trauma alright and I know not all sides are created equal but seriously... time to give mama a break. Kisses! ----- Little hole at base of nipple opened up again. It was nicely scabbed but I guess that came off rubbing against the pad. It doesn't bother me. I didn't even feel it. But I think wearing the bra all the time is impeding its healing. I had brought it up to the doctor at the la last visit. She gave me Bacitracin Zinc and Xeroform Gauze to put on in case it happened again. So, here we are! Keeping an eye on the stubborn child. Updated on 2 Jul 2016: I was sorting out laundry today and realized I don't need these anymore. Some of these I quite liked. Some I've barely worn because they're strapless for dressing up. Looks like I could stuff two of my current boobs in one of these 32FF pockets. So I've asked a couple of well endowed friends if they'll take them the good ones in. The rest is off to trash. Whatever they don't want that is still in good shape will get donated. It's a happy and nostalgic moment. This batch that is still good is near $1K. I estimate having spent $3K on bras since 2009 when I got fitted properly. Compared to the 1700 for the surgery, it's definitely a cost saving with pain-free back to boot! Goodbye booby bags! I can't day I'll miss you nor the minimum $60 a pop I've had to spend. Updated on 5 Jul 2016: Back to work today, I went! I'm quite pleased that I haven't had to alter many of my clothes. I thought this dress pictured would be baggy but it retracted right back to fit properly still. The poor thing used to be so stretched out. I'm surprised it fits alright. Add to that all the stuff I've kept over the years in the hope that more treadmill time would make me loose some booby fat... All of a sudden, I have way more wearable clothes! In any event, it was a half-day of sorting out administrative stuff (aka death by email). Then I went to the hairdresser to finally get my hair washed (I haven't been able to wash it properly in 2 weeks), and I got a mani-pedi. Now... if only I could get a back massage. I will admit... all I want to do at night is being able to jump in bed flat on my tummy. 4 weeks to go before I'm cleared to do so :/ Patience... On another note... being out all day in this bra was a pain. I can say that I know what gravity feels like now. Not what it is but FEEEELS like. It was like these things had 10 pound weights on them pulling them down deep into the ground while getting suffocated by the bra. It wasn't fun. Otherwise, all is good and nothing to report. My little opening on Left Booby is still covered with gauze. I'm not sure if I should replace it. I tried and it was sticking so I don't want to pull any scab covering it now. Let's see how the rest of the week progresses. I hope I get back in the groove of things without too much trouble. Cheers! Updated on 7 Jul 2016: In a bra 24 hours is torture, especially with sensitive nipples, healing skin, stiff tattas, tender tattas, confused tattas... It's been rough sleeping the last two nights. I think they get numb on and off throughout the night which causes me to wake up. They also get really stiff on top (chest area) when I wake up. They look the same to me as when I came out of surgery. Just less hard and my skin almost feels normal. I don't have to touch really hard to feel that it's my skin or that it's there. Today was my second full day at work and the bra just kept digging into my ribs and the incisions. It felt like the bra got smaller throughout the day because things were super tight in there as the day progressed. I know, I know... with all that could be wrong yet I'm complaining about nothing. But I get really cranky when I don't sleep well. Work today was really hard. I also wish I could find wider pads to cover one breast fully. Using multiple ones overlapped make me uncomfortable. Any bump makes me uncomfortable then the skin/breast gets numb. Numbness is some kind of pain to me. I can't explain it. So, I'd like to find a single smooth or wider pad piece. I found this dozen box, similar to the doctor's, for 8 bucks at CVS today. I saw someone use an abdominal pad that seemed wider but I didn't see one there. In any event... all of that to say that I had to take the bra off for a bit (about an hour) when I got home. I just couldn't tolerate it. Feeling awesome in this tank top though :) Updated on 10 Jul 2016: Countless muscle relaxers, pain pills, spasms pills, stiffness pills, neck brace, heating and cooling pouches, etc... The arm sling and physical therapy elastic bands are somewhere around the house. I might keep the pink pouch filled with rice. It's actually nice warmed up and relaxing after a long day. I've been doing nothing all weekend. Sleeping seems to be my body's priority so I just nap at random times. That's probably why I was so tired at work this week. Too use to napping. Otherwise, the bras are still uncomfortable but I figured it's likely because the boobs are lower. It digs underneath so the bra feels smaller (or boobs bigger) even though the boobs don't look any bigger than before. I just let out the straps on one I had taken in and that's working so much better. I'm kind of glad I didn't buy other compression bras yet. Now I know I need to get something with adjustable straps. I'm sleeping more halfway on my side now even though I try to stay on my back. That's been helpful because my back was starting to get stiff and the back pain was slowly creeping. My left boob is still stubborn. I accidentally pilled the gauze which pulled the scab on it. The needy child was not happy so now I'm babying it some so it goes back to healing again. 20 days down, 22 days to go before I get cleared for a more normal life. Cheers! Updated on 13 Jul 2016: Until the second half of last night, I've been having a horrible time sleeping. After a whole day strapped in a bra (sports bra/compression bra), I spend an hour or so at home topless then slip into a compression bra for the night. Falling asleep is not a problem. But, I wake up a few times at night because my boobs get numb and get really hard on the upper part of my chest. It's like they're trying to walk up. I have been asking people with small boobs if that happens to them because I never had boobs like these even when I was developing. Apparently, that's not normal for them. My nipples also get really sensitive and as the night goes on, they feel like they're burning. It a weird burn. Anyway... last night, I had it after three night of really poor sleep and three weeks of interrupted sleep. I ended up finding some cotton balls from one of those pain pill bottles for my back pain (who knew I'd still need them) and putting those on my nipples. That was an awesome relief! I wore them to work today too and I didn't have to switch bras midday, like I did yesterday, in the hope of some relief. But after using the cotton balls last night, I woke up again because these boobs were riding up to go under my neck and oh so hard! So, I remembered something I saw on this forum in the breast augmentation section. Apparently, doctors usually ask breast implants patients to wear a band over their breasts to push the implants down so they attain a natural dropped shape. So I had to improvise in the middle of the night. I used one of the bandages I was wrapped in after surgery around the top of my boobs and went to bed. I must say, that was my best night sleep in the last 3 weeks! I'm hoping that cotton balls and binding will do the trip again tonight. I also bought a couple of bras at Target the other day. The black sports bra is what I've been wearing all day and I alternate between the soft beige and the other two I got from the doctors. The sports bra is by far the most comfortable even though it's pretty tight. I also found those mad cheap soft sports bras on Amazon. I know I shouldn't be going bra crazy but buying 5 bras for what I used to pay for 1 is a bargain. Happy Hump day! Updated on 22 Jul 2016: I did look down today and had a "Aww they're so small now" moment followed by a split second of what felt like sadness. It's like remembering the dog you had as a kid that passed away 20 years ago. But then I got over it. Monday I have my second appointment with my surgeon since the operation. I'm curious what she'll be doing. I've been super careful with showers so I still have glue on the incisions. I can see some scabs falling off but I don't know what to do about them. I haven't peeled anything off. We'll see. On another note, I've written a "Thank you but goodbye" card to my chiropractor. Lol. "It's not you, it's me. We have to break up". It feels oh so good! I've also been sleeping better, seating up, and put on this dress for the first time. My mom gave it to me 3 years ago. I felt bad for not being into it as she was. She was telling me how I can wear it as a long skirt, rolled up skirt or a dress and how cute I'd look in it. I didn't have the heart to tell her that my short frame doesn't agree with this cut and there's no possible way I'd wear it as a dress with my then 32G rack. I kept it though to maybe wear around the house while cleaning. Today was the first time I put it on and it came in handy in the heat. So pleased! :) Updated on 26 Jul 2016: I'm sure I looked at her like she had two heads when she said that. So I saw my surgeon today a little over 1 month post-op. Next appointment is in September when I'll be around the 3 month mark. She is pleased with the results and noted that she agreed that my left boob is a bit different. She also said I'm still a bit swollen. My size should go down some and she'd like me to have more compression. I'm sorry... I'd like to oblige but any tighter, I'll suffocate. I told her I'd go try the small in the same bra but chances are, I won't be able to manage. I might be able to take these in a little and still be able to breathe. Healing is going well and I'm now allowed to massage the incisions until scabbing falls off. I still have glue all over but apparently Bacitracin will pull double duty: soften scars and dissolve glue. No fancy scar cream or serum. She recommended Aquaphor for massaging the incisions. That's what I'll do then. It doesn't look it in the pictures but... I managed to peel off a little glue in places and the cut looks thin, sharp, faded and healed. I'm just waiting for the glue to come off on its own because I can't tell what is glue and what is scabs. Patience until then. Updated on 26 Jul 2016: Updated on 28 Jul 2016: Even much better than two days ago. The ointment did just what doctor said. The glue fell right off. I'm sure there was scabs as well but I didn't have to pull anything much to have it come off. Now I can kind of see why lefty was so temperamental. It looks like it took a beating. Vertical scar got wide but I hope that fades just fine. The right one is all thin and sharp. Only time will tell how they end up looking. I was worried that the areolas were all jagged but turns out it was the glue. Now they look sweet and circular :-) September is my next and I believe last doctor's visit. Until then, I'll try to be good about massaging and using the Aquaphor. Cheers! Updated on 6 Aug 2016: I found a stitch the other day under lefty right where the T comes together. They must have use a few stitches to hold things together for gluing. It was like the tip of a plastic pin sticking out and i felt it whenever i applied oitment. I called the doctor and she asked that I come in the same day within a few hours. Seeing how much of a pain it is to get an appointment out here, it freaked me out that they wanted me in right away. But once there, she grabs it with a pair of scissors, digs some and cuts its head. She said the rest should dissolve into my body or pushed out, in which case, I can come back. But she didn't want to make a bigger hole to chase it. Otherwise, all is good. I'm slowly getting the surgery bills in pieces because CA hasn't figured out how to combine bills on one account or one piece of paper for multiple people working for the same organization. Now I'm not sure what my total is and will have to call next week to sort it out because God forbids doctors and billing offices should have Friday and weekend hours! But...wooosahhhh! Because I look fabulous in this new dress. Cheers! Updated on 21 Aug 2016: It's been two months! No news. Scars fading nicely. I've been using aquaphor as the surgeon asked for incisions and palmers' cocoa oil in the hope of minimizing new stretch marks. Left boob still goes numb from time to time. I don't think it likes being strapped in a bra much. I don't blame it. Otherwise, all is well and I'll see my surgeon in a month. I have to admit though, I'm still not quite sure they're mine. These things look awesome! And they make me look hot in a bathing suit :D One unrelated odd thing though.... I've been conducting this experiment. I've had these branches in a vase for 2 months now since my neighbor got them with roses for me the day after surgery. They only started going yellow early this week and one branch is still green. Strange. Maybe they have a bond with the new boobs and tell me when it's all clear. Who knows. We'll see what happens to the last branch. Alright everyone! I hope the world is treating you well out there. Cheers! Updated on 7 Sep 2016: I wasn't going to update until next week but I discovered that I can run without killing over. I've never played baseball in my life. Never did any sport where I'd have to run either. Whenever I used to go to the gym, I could barely do 5-10 minutes on the treadmill without having to stop and walk. That's why my only did swimming, skiing, walking and biking around town as exercise. Last month I joined the company's baseball team. This is only the second game but I can say it's a world of a difference from 5 years ago when I was actually 5-8 pounds lighter! I was expecting to pass out running around bases and chasing balls. Well, what a difference a lighter chest makes. Now I'd like to find those skinny [RS bleep] and exercise coaches to slap them a couple of times for telling me that I wasn't exercising enough to build up resistance. Guess what! 3 pounds off of your chest does make a difference! Now I can sprint like when I was 15 and have no problem breathing. Woot! Woot! Until next week! Updated on 14 Sep 2016: No need for compression. No need to sleep in a bra. No exercise restrictions. And feeling awesome! I had my last post-op appointment today (6 days shy of 3 months) and I've been cleared! Dr Black wants to see me in 6 months to check on how I've done with scar management. I thought I wasn't washing my bras well enough when I started really itching a week ago. But apparently 3 months is peak redness and itchiness. They ran out of silicone strips at the clinic so I ended up with a complimentary BioCorneum (typ. $50). I am to firmly massage the scars twice a day. Up until now, I was gently rubbing in the Aquaphore but she says I should really massage them to break down the scar tissues. I must admit that I thought they'd still be sensitive but she rubbed them pretty rough and they didn't hurt. Next stop, bra shopping! I can say this is the first time in over a decade that I'm looking forward to getting new bras. She says I can wear anything but not to get too much because I'll be going down some. That said, I picked up this little dress from clearance at Nordstrom Rack last week. I believe it's my first spaghetti strap since I was a tween. I love my cousin but now I'm regretting dumping all of my "wishful-thinking/one-day-it-will-fit" dresses on her last year. It might be time for a visit and closet raiding :-D Cheers! Updated on 24 Sep 2016: I'm talking about bras! My 1st first was at 11 right before 6th grade. Little white stretchy thing my mom got me when our school uniforms went from a potato bag to a skirt/shirt combo. The full underdress/slips were no good for the two piece outfit and I started having nipples showing so she got me a bra. My 2nd first was 2009 when my buddy pointed out that I should get fitted. I got two massive 32E bras that pinched and squeezed me in. Each cost about $80 and were the best thing to happen to me at the time. They definitely helped with posture, confidence, stiffness etc... Today, I bought my 3rd First. It's 32D and cost $9. Whaaaat! I'll be at Nordstrom Rack once a month now to rebuild my bra inventory. I tried some C and I'm definitely a D. I also got swimsuits on sale at a local store. 2 for $60 and they fit like a charm. Usually I have to order large ones online for short torsos so the extra stretch can hold me down. Sometimes I still wear a bikini top underneath. Swimming again is going to be so much more fun now! :) Today, I'm a few days into my 3 months and feeling fantastic. I've been working on scar management with the biocorneum and got a therapy vibratory to help apply it and massage the scars. It's a bit of a pain applying it twice a day and I wonder how much better the scars will get but with all the positives that this surgery has brought, I really don't give a damn. Any more fading and smoothness will just be icing on the cake. So here you have it! This might be my last entry for some time unless something changes. I'll be seeing Dr Black in 6 months and will certainly update then with scar status. For those still on the fence, I've been there with nearly 4 years of pain records to show for it. For me, surgery was worth it. For all of your recovering, I hope that the road is as smooth for you as it was for me. Cheers! Updated on 14 Oct 2016: A month ago, the surgeon gave me a tube of biocorneum gel. It lasted just about the four weeks. Granted I was told to use it twice daily for three months, I haven't noticed any difference from using it. Do I'm starting to use a strip instead. My problem with the gel is that it says to make sure it dries. Personally, I haven't noticed it drying. I used a lot, a little and barely anything, then walked around topless for 45 minutes while getting ready for work or bed. It always feels moist or sticky when I touch it. For all I know, it's getting wiped off as soon as I put clothes on. I asked the doctors on here about it and one said that's not a complaint he's gotten. But reading online, patients have mentioned the same problem and even suggested using a hair dryer, which I've done at times. It was still sticky. Anyway, I'll call the doctor's office on Monday and ask if I need to keep using it and maybe they have a trick. In the meantime, I got Mepiform which seems to have worked for a number of ladies on here, especially with complexion similar to mine. Let's see how it goes. Cheers! Updated on 19 Nov 2016: These girls are five months old. But the most impressive thing is that so is these branch that I saved from the roses that my neighbor got me when I was discharged 5 months ago! How weird is that!!! Feeling a bit better about using the scar treatment now that I can see the scars improve a bit. The silicon strip was the better choice for me. I'm convinced the gel was getting wiped. I went through a period of serious itchiness last month. If the doctor didn't warn me about that, I would have seriously worried. They were stiff, numb, itchy, sensitive and all sorts of uncomfortable. Now they itch after being in a bra all day and a bit numb at night. I'm sure that will go away. The scar under my right arm is a bit raised along about an inch. I'm not sure if it's keloids or not. It seems flat at times but still stretched and other times it's bumpy. As a teen, I had stretch marks that behaved like that. We'll see what comes of this. In all, I'm a happy patient. Even more now that I've been able to get back to manage my weight in preparation for the holidays. Speaking of which... a lovely surprise just got dropped off. Cheers! Updated on 1 Jan 2017: December 20th was my 6-month mark. Aside from some zaps and zings here and there, not much to report. The scares seem to be doing their best. And my left breast still feels a bit bigger than the right but what's new. Everything on the left is different than the right, so no bother. The one thing now is the raised scar along the right breast line. I had a breast exam along with my papsmir last month and the NP says it looks like a little bit of keloids that they can try to treat with steroids. My next appointment with the surgeon is not until March so I'll try to remember to ask her office if I should come in earlier for an assessment. All is well otherwise and I'm still using the silicon strips. Here's to wishing everyone a happy new year and happy new you! Looking forward to seeing what the 1-year mark brings. Cheers! Updated on 26 Jan 2017: Today I went in for steroid injections along the right breast incision after consulting with Dr. Black last month. About 2 inches of the incision is thick under my right arm and was itching quite a bit. It looks like fresh stretch marks and a bit bumpy. I'm hoping that the treatment will improve the scar tissue and look of it. If it doesn't, it's not a big deal but it's worth a try. The left side is a nice thin line and there isn't much that can or needs fixing there. We both agreed the right side was the only one that needed some attention. I went in and they put a numbing cream along the line. I waited about an hour before the shots started. I'm not sure if it was numb or not. I couldn't tell since I could still feel the skin when I touched. The whole thing was pretty darn quick. Maybe 10 minutes at most but boy did it hurt! She did maybe 7 to 10 of them and each needle plunge felt like that bee sting I got when I was 6 years old. It was not fun then and 7-10 times not fun now. So we wait. I see the doctor in March for a follow-up. We'll see how that goes. Meanwhile, if anyone has a recommendation for fading products, I'd appreciate a recommendation. The dark lines under my breasts are mostly from the many years of rashes that left dark marks. If I can use something to help along the pigmentation, the scars will barely be noticeable. Somehow I have a 1-inch cut that has completely turned to the rest of skin completion. I'm not sure how that happens but I figure the rest will follow along. But it doesn't hurt to help things along. Until next time! Updated on 3 Jul 2017: June 21st marked the one year anniversary of my surgery. And still no regrets. Smooth scars after some rough ones got treated with steroids in April. The dark pigment along the lines is slowly fading. I don't know if silicon strips soon after removing the first bandages would have helped more but I wish I had tried because once I started using them, I saw a big difference. But that's alright. It's all pigment now and smooth/soft skin. I had numbness on the left breast sometimes, just on top at the surface. Kind of like your foot falling asleep for a short bit. Sometimes my nipples get really hard too. I had my last doctor's appointment and she assures me that it's just normal and a sign that they're working. All is well and this is likely my last post. I wish you all the best on your journey. Do what's best for you! P.S. My very kind neighbor who took care of me during that time has moved out and 400+ miles away. I will miss her dearly :-( Meanwhile that branch from the rose bouquet she brought me a year ago right after surgery is still alive and blooms sometimes. It's so damn weird. The thing has no roots. How is that possible! I Bert it's a symbol of some sort. Cheers!
