Dr Bourgeois is the best. After having 2 c- sections my stomach was bulging, and no matter how much I exercised and dieted, it wouldnt go away. I did a lot of research to find someone and her education and experience impressed me. When I met her, I knew she was up to task and energetic to help me. She and her staff were wonderful throughout the process. I love the results and am so grateful.
I am like most people on here who want a breast reduction. I am sick and tired of my huge breasts and the pain they cause me. I have wanted a breast reduction for years now but I was not in a good position to get it when I was younger. Now I am looking more into the procedure and a few doctors near me because I can no longer take the pain these beasts are causing me. I know that it will be a long journey, I have 15-30lbs I would like to lose beforehand but I am really looking forward to the process so that I can get closer to my goal. Updated on 11 Sep 2017: I had my consultation last week and it went really well. I saw Jenna Bourgeois at Associates in Plastic Surgery BR. She was really nice and straight to the point. She assured me that I was a good candidate and told me that my insurance typically covers 80% of the surgery costs. I asked about needing to lose weight beforehand; I'm 5'5 and 168 lbs about trying to lose 15-20 before surgery. She said that I didn't have to in order to get covered. I think mainly because my waist is rather small compared to the rest of my body. I also told her that I lost around 15 lbs since last year and I haven't lost much of anything in my breasts. Originally I booked an appointment just to get more information about the surgery but after talking with the surgeon I felt comfortable setting a date. We're going for November 30th. It's tentative right now so it may change in the future, especially since we have to wait to see what the insurance will cover. It's a good amount of time for me to get rid of some weight before the surgery though. I'm really hoping for full coverage. I have LSUFirst/WebTPA and the only criteria they listed for Breast Reduction to be covered was for the procedure to be medically necessary but they didn't have an specific criteria except that they tale BMI into account. I'm a little nervous because I did not go through my physician and get a referral. The only evidence of my pain is what I told the surgeon. Hopefully everything goes smoothly and I don't have go through physical therapy or other means just to get covered. I really cannot afford it right now and I need this reduction ASAP. My back pain seems to worsen the more I lose weight but my breasts just aren't going anywhere. I can't stop thinking about the insurance. Waiting is not my strong suit. Does anyone have WebTPA? It seems like everyone uses BCBS or Aetna. I can't find a review of someone who uses my insurance. If so, please let me know what the process was like. Updated on 12 Sep 2017: I finally got the nerve to post some pictures. They don't look as large in the photo as they are in real life but my breasts are big for the size of my waist. I've always been vert active even though I've always been on the larger side. I run 2-3 times a week and I go to a fitness class 2-3 times a week. I exercise A LOT and sports bras are a real issue. When I was younger I would wear 2 bras so I did not bounce all the time but that made my chest hurt real bad. In high school when I became more active I upgraded to these bras. The white sports bra that I am wearing doesn't hold my boobs in vey well so they bounce everywhere. It's not really supportive and makes my shoulders and neck hurt real bad. The black bra is a super heavy duty bras and keeps me from bouncing; the shoulder pain is low but my back pain is high. I can't win for losing. Neither of the bras fit me correctly, they are either too big or too small. I cannot find one that fits well and I have been EVERYWHERE. Even out of town. I don't know what else to do. Plus, the bigger bras are expensive! I have 2 Champion bras like the white one in the picture that I got from Academy and they were $20-30. The heavy duty bras were $50-60 and I had to go to, like, 3 different department stores to find them. It's too much work, too much pain, and too much money to have these larger breasts. I can't wait until I am smaller and can go to a basic sports store and buy a bra right off the rack for much cheaper and have no pain when I exercise. Updated on 12 Sep 2017: These are the bras that I wear day to day. They are awful on so many levels. They look like granny bras because I have to go to a Specialty Bra Shop to but them. The issue is that my waist is small and my breasts are large. When I got fitted I was a 34FF. That bra size is almost impossible to find. I only have these 2 bras that I wear with every outfit because I refuse to go up a size and buy more expensive bras. I have low support bras that I wear when I am around the house or for when I just do not want to wear bras that grip so much but low support bras make my back hurt. High support makes my shoulders and neck hurt so there really is no getting around the pain. I have to wear underwire with my bras when I go out because anything without a wire doesn't hold up and my breasts sag really low. Strapless bras and swimsuits are not even an option. The 2 bras in the photos were $60-70 each. They are old fashioned looking and they limit the type of shirts that I can wear. They either make me look really wide or I poke out really far in the front. I like to wear mostly T-Shirts and tank tops but with these bras its almost impossible to fit them correctly because they come up all the way to my armpit and they show through most to all of my shirts. Even when looking for a T-shirt bra or a lower coverage bra for tank tops, they couldn't find them in my size at the Specialty shops! They said I would have to go up to a H cup and they did not sell 34H or higher in store. I would have to order it online, but even then, it may not fit correctly and it would be $90+. I really need more bras but do not have they money to shell out for so many expensive bras that I do not like and that do not fit with the clothes I like to wear. I am a medium/large but with FF cups, I always have to go up a shirt size or I am bursting out of the shirt. These breasts are a real burden. Updated on 12 Sep 2017: Updated on 18 Sep 2017: I finally got the courage to post some pictures without a bra. I was going to wait until I got my approval, but I have not heard anything yet and I am so impatient. My breasts are huge and one is slightly larger than the other. Last I got measured I was a 34FF, but I believe I may now be a tad smaller. Still no significant change in my breasts. I've lost a few pounds since I first posted (though you can't really tell) and now I am 165. Updated on 19 Sep 2017: I am so happy to say that I was approved!!! This is so surreal. I was told that my insurance covers 80% and ended up getting 100%. I was so worried, trolling the forums and looking at peoples insurance stories to see what they did to get full coverage. Thank the Lord because I have like, no money to come out of pocket for this. If anyone has LSUFirst/WebTPA, I hope you can get something from my journey. I went straight to my surgeon, had no PT or letter from my primary doctor, just a few pictures and comments of my back and neck pain. I did agree to have 500g taken from my breasts because that is what my surgeon says is key to getting approval. Which is great because she said that should put me at a C cup and that is what I wanted to begin with. So it doesn't seem to take much to get approved and it came within 2 weeks. Now I have to go to the doctor to get some tests done before the surgery and then my pre-op is in the 7th of November. I will post some more pictures later on. I am so excited, I can't wait!! Updated on 20 Sep 2017: Because of conflicts with my schedule, I've moved my surgery date from the 30th of November to the 11th and my pre-op is October 26th. Part of me is happy that I can get it done sooner, but another part of me wants wishes it could've been later so that I could lose some more weight beforehand. I weighed in at 163.8lbs today and I wanted to be around 150lbs by time I went in for my surgery but that may not be possible. Oh well, I'll just work hard and see how low I can get, healthily of course. I guess things work out better this way. I have a lot going on at the end of the year and if not in November it would've probably been pushed back to January 2018 and that is way to far off. All for the best. :) Updated on 27 Sep 2017: This is a scar my sports bra gave me when I went running today. And this was from one of my more supportive bras so that sucks. It's not large, but it really stings. I haven't had one of these for a couple of months even though I've always exercised often...not so sure why it decided to do this today. Any-who, this is an example of what I used to get when I was younger, but I would get them more frequently. This really pales in comparison to what I used to get. It used to scar so bad that it looked as if I got stabbed in my shoulder/collarbone area, and that is not an exaggeration. I would get rashes under my breasts as well, it stung so bad when I took a shower. I'm getting so frustrated. I hope this doesn't become a problem again. I want to take a knife and stab my bras. Yes, stab them. They cause me so much pain and the more weight I lose the more painful these bras get. 49 days until my surgery but that is so far away! I feel like I am going to lose my mind. Sigh. I'm going to go put some ointment on this scar and pray for patience to wait for this breast reduction. I want to move it up so bad. I know that I need to just wait but patience is not my strong suit. Updated on 26 Oct 2017: It's been so long since I've posted but I'm glad to say that I am 2 weeks away from my surgery! I've wanted to move the date up so bad these past couple of weeks but I have resisted the urge. Patience is a virtue yea? My pre-op went well today, the surgeon covered everything I was concerned about. She is really nice and friendly and I feel comfortable with her so though she doesn't have any reviews online that I can find, I'll trust her years of experience and her kindness and honesty. She didn't try to sugarcoat anything which made me feel better and I believe she is working with another surgeon as well when she does my BR. I forgot to follow up on that but I'll ask later. The surgery is covered 100% so all I have to pay are the hospital fees so hopefully that isn't too much because I am still broke as a joke hahaha. The only concern I have is that I didn't really get to see her pictures. She showed me one woman but she was much larger than me and so I'm not sure her results aren't really a good example of how I'll look. Healing wise I understand is person to person but the look of the breast is was I was wondering about. But I'm trusting that I will be okay and that my future boobies will look fine. I realize that no ones boobs are perfect. I was just a little concern that they won't look normal is all. I do want them to look youthful and it is hard to find a lot of pictures online of women with my body type and breasts so I don't have a super great reference for how they'll look. I actually had a dream earlier this week that I had the surgery and it went bad and my boobs looked really awful. So of course that helped ease worry lol. But I am going to trust in the Lord and pray that everything goes well. Overall, I am really happy and excited! I'm losing weight and I plan to lose just a tad more before my surgery so I'll post more pictures the week of. Updated on 27 Oct 2017: Updated on 3 Nov 2017: Oh. My. Goodness. My surgery is in one week. It is so crazy how quickly the time has passed. I am so elated. There has been so much stress in my life and ups and downs but the one thing I keep looking forward to is this surgery. I had another dream about having the surgery! But this time it went well and I looooooved my results. I was so happy in my dream...but then I woke up to my FFs and I was near tears hahaha. I do not know how small I will end up. The surgeon says that she is taking 500g from each breast. I really do not want to be very large but I wonder how small I will end up. She says I should be around a C/D. Hopefully it's a C but a D won't be the end of the world. The one thing I do not want is to be too small. I would rather be on the larger side with a D-cup than a B-cup. I'm not even trying to flaunt my breasts or anything, but that is just too small for my frame I think....maybe not. I don't know. I haven't found anyone on here with an F cup get 500g taken...usually its 300-400g so I am a bit worried about that. But I guess I shouldn't really be worried about that. I am one of those people who doesn't really stress about something until the last minute. I'm not really nervous now but I think I will become more nervous as the days pass by and when I get in the hospital I am going to be full of jitters. I'm just really anxious right now. I want to time travel to Friday and just get this done hahaha. I don't even think I am going to wear my regular bras next week. Just sports bras because I am sooooo tired of this bra digging into my skin. Anywho, 7 days to go! I can't wait!! Updated on 7 Nov 2017: Geez. I woke up this morning after a good nights sleep and my boobs are so tender! Agh! My period starts in a week and so my boobs are getting a little bigger and are so sore. I wonder if this will affect my results because the swelling usually doesn't go down until the day of/after I start. I really hope this doesn't mess with my results. Like, my breasts SWELL. Since I lost some weight I usually have some space in my bra...like 2 fingers worth...but now I'm popping out a little. I may posts some pics but I am not sure if you can tell the difference. :/ Updated on 9 Nov 2017: Wow!! I cannot believe that my surgery is actually tomorrow. It's unreal. I'm so excited but at the same time, I am becoming a little hesitant. It's weird because, obviously, I want this really bad but I am finding myself second guessing this procedure. I was looking in the mirror thinking that I maybe did not need it and that I could deal with what I have now even though my bra (the loose fitting one) was making my ribs hurt and I was literally bursting out of the shirt that I had on...It's strange. I really want to have this done but why am I thinking that? Anxiety maybe. But I am definitely still having this done. Boobies be gone! I hope that I can remember all of my pre-op stuff. My mind has gone a bit blank trying to take everything in. I also have to pay a hospital fee and I have no clue how much that will cost because the financial lady never called me back or answered the phone...should have been more persistent...Geez. There is so much going on in my brain. I'm going to try to post more photos pre-op. It's kind of hard with clothes to show how big my boobs are in comparison to my waist. In some photos I pulled my shirt back to show the awful boob to waist ratio. All of my bras with wires (loose or tight) rub against my ribs. I tried to show that in these pictures but it might be hard to see. Any-who, only sports bras until tomorrow. I'll try to get some hospital pictures as well. So Excited and cannot wait...but will have to hahahah. Updated on 11 Nov 2017: Hello everyone! Surgery was a success. Everything happened so fast yesterday so I'll try to sum it up as best as I can. I got to the hospital at 5 and got all the necessary forms signed and verified. Then I went to my assigned room and my family was there with me. It seemed so slow at the time. The clock would not move fast enough. But eventually I got my IV and everything and then the surgeon came in and did my markings. She told me that I was smaller than when we first had the consultation. She was planning on taking some fat from my sides to add to my breasts after she removed what she needed but as I've said before, it's straight up rib and skin under and around my breasts so there was no fat for her to take. She had to remove 500g because of the insurance and said that now I would be at a B cup which worried me a little but at the end of the day, I just wanted to be smaller. I showed her the pictures of the results that I would like...nipple size and such. She was so nice and thanked me for doing my research before surgery. She said that she would try to make them as perky and youthful as possible and I went under the anesthesia soon after. After I woke up I was EXTREMELY NAUSEAS and I couldn't urinate even though I felt my bladder was full. The nurse decided to keep me there for an hour and a half longer because I started throwing up. I wasn't released until I was able to urinate, I was NOT about to get a catheter so I just squeezed really hard and some came out. I went home soon after. When I got home I was less nauseas but still had to strain hard to urinate which is the weirdest most annoying thing. I am now able to urinate a little bit without pushing hard so that is an improvement but it is uncomfortable feeling like I have a full bladder all the time and barely anything comes out. And I can't keep straining because it gave me a really bad headache this morning. I wasn't able to sleep well last night. I would wake up every hour or so for whatever reason. But the pain medication is keeping the pain at bay and no more nausea so that's good. I don't get my dressings taken off until my post op appointment Thursday so no pictures until then, I can't wait to see what they look like though I am sure it will be scary with the stitches and bruising and whatnot. Until then, I will keep praying and hoping for the best. Updated on 12 Nov 2017: So it turns out that my headaches are not because I am straining to urinate but because of the pain medication that I am on. I've suffered from headaches most of my youth but these headaches have to be some of the most painful ones I've ever had. I get them while lying down whether I am propped up or lying flat on my back. They wake me up from sleep and I feel them in my dreams. I've opted out of taking the Hydrocodone because the pain is unbearable at this point. I am going to call my doctor in a few hours and see what to do from there. The pain in my breasts have gone down a lot so hopefully I can just take a regular over the counter pain medication like Tylenol or Ibuprofen. Prayerfully, things start to get better from here because so far recovery has been not so great. Updated on 13 Nov 2017: So I called my surgeon yesterday morning and she told me to stop taking the Hydrocodone and alternate between Tylenol and Ibuprofen. I felt so much better headache wise and after a trillion stool softeners and and a good nights rest my bloating has gone down tremendously. I got a good sleep last night and only woke up when my alarm went off to take my medications. Now I am feeling 100x better than yesterday. It's funny because the pain I was in came from the medication I was taking and the anesthesia. The pain in my breast was not even bad, just some burning at times. I would take pictures but I can't remove my dressings until Thursday. I can tell that I only have sensation in one nipple though which kind of sucks but hopefully it comes back in the next couple of months. The surgeon also said that I had more tissue left than she thought so I should be around a C cup when all swelling is gone. That's good as well. Now I just have to try not to let these PMS cravings get to me so I don't gain anymore weight. I can't exercise but I can eat better and that is very important right now and will help with a smooth recovery. That plus about 5 vitamins hahaha. Updated on 14 Nov 2017: Gracious! I do not know what has been wrong with me these past couple of days. I've been eating like these were my last days on earth! Just a summary of what I ate: Day before surgery - Binged on about 4000 some odd calories of pure junk...before midnight of course Day of surgery - saltines with cheese, pastries, chips and soup Days following - pancakes, brownies, cheese fries, ice cream, pizza, chips... Terrible, I know. :-/ I've got IBS and everything I eat needs to be gluten-free, wheat-free, oil-free, and dairy-free or I get really constipated. But I have been eating foods that are fat-full, gluten-full, oil-full, dairy-full and lacking any sort of nutrition. Add a ton of medication that only back me up more and a monthly visit from my least favorite aunt and it's a recipe for disaster. I truly feel that the majority of the pain I've been in could've been avoided had I just been eating healthily. But cravings, pain, and boredom made me eat bad which resulted in what felt like the worst bloating in my entire life. My stomach swelled so much I looked pregnant and the gas in my back was unreal. I had back pain from being hunched over on the toilet in pain trying to get rid of the complete and utter crap in my intestines and the whole point of this surgery was to GET RID of back pain. Seriously 90% of my pain wasn't even dealing with my breasts. I hope this wasn't TMI. Most people probably don't even think to eat like this during their surgery but just in case there is someone out there having these thoughts, IBS or not, DON'T DO IT!!! Eating healthy after surgery is essential. Your needs good nutritious foods and there's no need to be in any sort of discomfort while you're trying to heal. I am back to eating 100% healthy and I feel sooooooo much better. I've finally gotten rid of everything stuck in my gut and am not going back to eating like that. I feel like such an idiot. I just really hope no one else makes the same mistake as me. Updated on 16 Nov 2017: So I had my post op appointment today and everything went smoothly. I got my bandages off as well as my stitches and it wasn't painful, just a little bit of a sting. My next appointment is in 2 weeks. I am really glad I chose Dr. Bourgeois. She is so sweet and I think she did a really good job. I wish I could review her on here but for some reason when I click the button nothing happens. Just know that if you are in the Baton Rouge area, go see her at Associates in Plastic Surgery. She is amazing! But I am so happy with my results!!! I finally have small boobs and it feels AMAZING!! I keep looking at myself in the mirror in disbelief. My boobs are no longer bulging out of my shirt. Like, I am so excited I am basically bouncing off the walls. But not actually because that would hurt hahahaha. But mentally, I am all over the place with excitement. Taking my surgical bra off was a relief as well bc it is tight. And I had it on for basically a week and I've never gone that long with a bra on, it was getting to be very uncomfortable. And for some reason the padding was coming out on the bottom so it looks sloppy but that is how it was when I left the hospital and I didn't want to move anything for fear that I mess something up. It's better now that the gauze and padding are out. I am waaaaay more comfortable. I keep forgetting I have a bra on. Whenever I take it off I keep expecting my boobs to spill out like they use to lol. But they don't and that's great. I also have to remind myself to stop hunching over because although I am no longer being weighed down by those old boulders, I'm still keep hunching over out of habit. Gotta work on that posture. My boobs are super high and look boxy, but of course they will fall some and get rounder. I'm told the swelling will go down within the next 3 months and I'm wondering how much smaller they will get. I'm honestly happy with this size so hopefully not too much. I also can't exercise for another 2 weeks and that is going to be hard. Not hard because I know it will hurt, but hard because I really enjoy running and I went from 3-5 times a week to sitting on my bum all day. My tailbone is in agony and my muscles are crying for some action lol. But walks will have to do for now. I've also gained some weight these past couple of week and my stomach isn't as flat so that kind of sucks. But oh well, can't change the past. I'm getting back on track and that is what is important. I am now more encouraged to get a nice toned body to match my nice and perk boobies! I can't wait to buy bras and bralettes! I know I have to wait a while but I am so happy it is a possibility now and my boobs will stay in their place! I pray I am able to recover well and that my healing process goes smoothly. I am thankful for all of the support I am getting from my family and from all the positive encouraging comments on here as well. I'll keep you guys posted! Updated on 20 Nov 2017: So just a quick update, I still seem to be healing well. No infections or anything. I did notice that I have a good amount of numbness in my breasts which is a really weird feeling. My right areola is hyper sensitive but I have numbness on the bottom and right side of the breast. On my left breast my areola and a little bit underneath is numb but most of the breast has sensation. I'm hoping that this goes away with time. I had ACL surgery in 8th grade...2011 I think...and I had a large area on my shin that was numb after surgery. It was about the size of a half sheet of copy paper. Now the numbness is down to about the size of a credit card, but it took years for that area to regain sensation. I am just praying this is not the same situation because that would suck. I also have 5 hypertensive scars from the surgery and another major wound and am praying that I do not get them on my breasts. I do not seem to scar pretty lol. But finger crossed. I am still very grateful to have had this surgery and I still feel great. I am unsure of what kinds of bras to buy though. I was given 2 bras post surgery and have been wearing them so far but as you guys know, a girl needs more than two bras. I was told I could wear anything that was made of cotton and had no wire but when I went to the store I had no clue what to buy. So if you guys have any tips for me on what brands to buy that would be great. I am in need of some advice which you always give so well. And sorry for the bad lighting in the photos...I'll try to post some more later. Updated on 24 Nov 2017: It's officially been two weeks since my surgery and as promised, I have some pictures! Today was an amazing day because I went shopping and I was actually fitting all of the tops I tried on. And they fit sooooooo perfectly! I went to Urban Outfitters and tried on a shirt-dress combo that I have never been able to fit well because of my boobs. But when I tried it on today I almost cried! It was dark in the fitting room so it may be hard to see but you guy! It's so pretty and looks so good on me now! I am elated! Lost for words!!! My scars seems to be healing well. The doctor told me not to put anything on them yet so they are pretty dry lol. Other than that, I wake up feeling better every day. I can lie down on my side without pain though I do still sleep on my back. My swelling and numbness are slowly going away and as time goes on I am noticing some imperfections. One boobs is smaller than the other and doesn't project out as much...has more of a side boob thing going on. But it is barely noticeable so you may not be able to tell in the pictures. Seriously though, the way I fit my clothes now, I don't even care. I'm also back at work which sucks because I don't like to work but I don't do a lot of lifting or straining so I feel okay. I can't wait to exercise again. It is kind of driving me crazy because I haven't gone this long without exercise since....good gracious...high school school? Any-who, my next post op appointment is on the 30th so hopefully I can get the okay to start doing more than a light walk. Thanks for all the positivity and advice. I really appreciate it and take everything to heart. Hope you all are doing okay and I'll keep you posted! P.S. My mirror is dirty so please excuse and I'll post some close ups of my scars sometime later. Updated on 3 Dec 2017: So sorry I have not been posting on here. Ever since I got back to work I have been so busy and a tad stressed. I'm still in love with my boobies though! They make me so happy when I look in the mirror. Thankfully the doctor told me that I can start exercising again. Along with a fast paced speed walk, I can go to the gym and workout on the bike and the elliptical. She said in a week and a half I can LIGHT jog and I need a SUPER supportive bra. She put a lot of emphasis on the light and super lol. I may wait two weeks for that just to be on the safe side. But I am soooo glad that I can exercise again. Not being able to exercise has put a bit of a damper on my health. It's hard for me to focus on eating right when I'm not exercising so I know this will help me get back on track. I am now able to massage my breasts. She told me to massage for 20-25 min with Aquaphor, vaseline, unscented lotion, or Vitamin E oil. I've opted for vaseline since it's been sitting in my house and I have had nothing to do with it. My scars seem to be healing well and the scabs are slowly coming off. There is some redness now because of the massaging...not sure if that is good or bad. She told me to put some pressure on the scars but it's hard to tell if I am doing too much since some areas are still numb. I do feel like I am getting some sensation back in some areas but my nipples are still hypersensitive (right) and numb (left). She also told me that I can wear more than cotton bra's now which I nice since most non-wire bras are made of nylon and other rando material. I got the most comfortable bra from Target. It's a Hanes ComfortFlex fit wire-free bra. I love this bra so much because it isn't super tight but it still holds well and it honestly feels like I don't have a bra on. Seriously, it is mad comfy! But I am having a hard time finding other bras to buy because I don't know what's the best brand to buy. If you guys have any suggestions please let me know. Other than that, my next post op appointment is December 28th. I promise I won't hold out until then to make another post. I'm starting to get back in the groove of work and, well, life, so it should be easier for me to give you guys updates. I hope all is well with everyone and, as always, thanks for the advice and encouragement! Updated on 15 Dec 2017: It's been 5 weeks since my surgery and oh has the time passed by! It seems like just yesterday my boobs were at my belly button hahaha. Things are going well. I've been massaging my breasts every night and the scars and swelling are improving. I still have numbness in my left nipple but the numbness in the other areas of my breast is going away. The hypersensitivity in my right nipple is getting better but still there. Overall I am still 1000% happy I got this surgery even though I am starting to get hypertrophic scars. I'm back in the gym as well which feels great and soon I will be able to jog and lift weight again. It's funny that when I take pictures of my breasts look so much different. I didn't notice when I look in the mirror but one nipple is more to the side than the other hahaha. Doesn't bother me though. My boobs look great and I fit my sports bras sooooo much better. I think they still fit but I am wondering if they are too big on me. It's weird, I can't tell. Anywho, thanks for the encouragement and advice and as always, I hope you all are doing well! :) Updated on 29 Dec 2017: Woowee! The time has just flown by. I can't believe it's already been six weeks. I had my post-op appointment Wednesday and everything is going well. I'm healing quickly and am now able to exercise how I want. I'v gained some weight and lost a lot of muscle so I will be hitting the gym hard...but not too hard hahaha. I was also told that I can wear any bra I want, even with a wire which is surprising since I read that most people on here were told not to wear them for a few months. She did tell me not to get sized since they are going to get a little smaller when the swelling goes down. I think I'll stick with non-wire bras for a while because they don't seem like they will be comfortable with my scars. About those scars! My vertical scar and around my nipple have healed well. There is a little redness but no raised scarring. Unfortunately, the horizontal scars underneath my breasts have started to become hypertrophic and that kind of sucks. I've been massaging them every night and they seem like they are getting flatter but they are a little irritated to some nights I give them a rest and don't massage. Hopefully they stay small and don't get big like the scars on my knee. The doctor did give me a scar cream...I forgot what it was called but I'll post a picture later. She said it may help but the most important thing is to massage the scars. I see her again in 6 weeks and the goal is to be at least 5-7 pounds smaller and a little stronger than I am now. Darn Christmas and Thanksgiving messed me up with all the delicious food....and my inability to say not to large portions of food lol. But I will do my best! I am able to go bra-less now which is great too because wearing a bra all the time was getting reeeeeallly annoying. My numbness has gone down a lot and so has the hypersensitivity however my left nipple is still completely numb. The doctor told me it could take up to a year but the fact that I can feel pressure is a good sign. One thing that bothers me is when I itch in a spot that I am numb because I will go to scratch it and not feel a thing. I itch and I can't scratch and it. All in all I am still very happy I had this surgery and I wouldn't change a single thing! Updated on 16 Feb 2018: It has been sooooo long since I've posted an update. I've just been so busy that I haven't had the time and it has been slipping my mind lately. Everything is going well though, just had my 3 months post op appointment. My scars are fine in some places and not super great in others. My vertical scars healed so well yet underneath my breast and around my areola, the scars continue to get bigger. Darn these genes. I'm honestly not really upset though because it was expected. The doctor told me to keep massaging to keep them pliable and as flat as possible. In 3 months she will give me injections to flatten the larger scars so hopefully that helps. I am still very happy with my surgery and the results. I wouldn't change it for the world. Also, the scar cream didn't seem to help me so she said to stop using it and that the massaging is what helps the most. I've got 2 bras, one is a 36C and the other is a 36D. They both fit me well and are lightly lined and comfortable. They don't bother my scars much and I've been wearing them since January. I am still numb in some places and my right nipple is still hypersensitive, though it has gotten MUCH better over time. I've been exercising and getting back to eating right so that I can lose the weight that I gained post surgery and then some lol. I'll be honest, I probably won't post for a while so I hope everyone is doing okay and best of luck to anyone looking into having a Breast Reduction! Updated on 16 Feb 2018: I forgot to say that I did get billed for the procedure. The actual surgery cost of about $5,000 was covered completely by the insurance. However, they did not cover much of the anesthesiology bill so I do have to pay around $630 for that. Not bad considering I didn't have to pay the $5,000, but still some money coming out of my pocket. Also, the doctor said that the injections that I am getting in 3 months will likely be covered by the insurance as well.
