I had a breast reduction at 28 years old. I went from ~36J (busting out of 36H bras which I owned then) to 36DD. I wanted to go even smaller, but I am SO HAPPY I did this. I did have complications because my body did not like the stitches that were used, causing them to dissolve too soon. So, I kept having to return to my doctor's office for various procedures that were mostly awful and caused a bit of extra scarring. However, after 2 years, you can barely see the scars, even in areas where the problems had occurred. I would do this a thousand times over and continue to recommend it to my friends/family who are suffering from the same ill fate. I went in before the surgery only a couple of times- once to see the doctor and "plan" the surgery and then once for bloodwork right beforehand. On the day of surgery, I was first thing in the morning and it took about 4-5 hours. I went home that night, but from what I understand, that is not common. They planned to have me stay the night, but I was feeling okay, eating and drinking fine and had someone at home to stay with me over the next 24 hours. I was only off of work for 2 weeks, but I probably would have been better off planning to take off 3 weeks like the doctor had suggested. But, I made through that first week back on some heavy doses of Aleve and better drugs at night to help me sleep. Speaking of sleep, if you are a stomach or side sleeper, do not plan to sleep for at least 2 months. This was the absolute hardest part for me. I have issues falling asleep anyway, so not being able to get comfortable costed me a lot of Zzzzs. Mostly, I would just take a pain killer and let it knock me out when it was time for bed. My doctor was kind enough to prescribe me more so I could take one or two at night for a couple of months. This cost much more than I expected it to cost, based on what the office told me I would be paying out of pocket. In hind sight, maybe they just estimated the cost of that office, not the hospital. Anyways, I had to fight my insurance company to cover it, but then only paid about $5000 out of pocket for it. This literally changed my life. I can find swimsuits, bras that FIT and don't cost $100, shirts fit better! I don't sweat as much and don't get as overheated in hot weather. I can move a lot easier, so I'm able to be active more without pain and annoyance because sports bras actually hold my boobs in one place pretty well. It's crazy. So, bottom line, if you're considering a reduction- DO IT!!!
