I’m a 24 year old, 5’ 7, and started growing breasts by age 10. My breasts got quickly out of control and by the time I was a junior in high school I was wearing a 32G. After that point I’d been telling everyone that I was going to get a breast reduction some day, I just didn’t think some day would come so soon! I thought I needed to wait until I had kids before I could finally get relief. But everyone I talked to who already had a breast reduction all said the same thing to me, “I wish I had done it sooner.” So, I decided to stop worrying about my hypothetical kids and do something for myself now. I had my first consultation a few weeks later and though it all seemed very scary, I had him put in a surgery request to my insurance company. Boy, that was the longest couple of weeks of my life, waiting for that letter to come. But when it did I was approved for the surgery! Everything fell into place really quickly for me. My consultation was the last week of August and my surgery was in November! I’m 3 weeks post-op now and it’s been rough, but exciting. I needed a lot of help for the first week or so, but thankfully my husband took off work to help me. The recovery hasn’t been easy, but I was expecting most of my symptoms. There were a couple of things I wasn’t expecting though. The first was the fatigue. I don’t remember much the last couple of weeks because I slept soooo much. Even though I was starting to feel stronger and my breast were healing I felt so tired all the time. I’d walk a block or two and then need to take a 2 hour nap. It was insane. The doctor said this was normal during my post-op visit and that most people start to have more energy around to 3 week mark. Which is where I’m at now, so I’m looking forward to seeing more of my day. The other thing I didn’t expect was how sore my rib cage would be. And not just where my breast are, but like the WHOLE ribcage. 3 weeks out and my ribs are still so sore. I’m hoping that gets better with time, but it’s very frustrating. The glue is just starting to peel up at the edges and the bruising is pretty much all gone now! I finally got some bras to wear instead of the binder I was given post-surgery, and I have never been so stunned in my life! I went from and 32G to a 32D and I’m still pretty swollen! After I picked the style of bra I wanted , the sales lady told me to come out and pick my color. I must have stood in front of the sales rack for twenty minutes just floored by all my options. I have a blue bra now! BLUE! I’ve never had a blue bra in my life. This seems like the beginning of a very beautiful thing. I’ve included some before picture, a pic from 72 hours after, and one about 3 weeks post surgery. I got a pretty bad indentation from the binder in my right breast, but the doctor thinks that’ll fill back out. My left is a little larger than my right, but that was always the case and every day they seem to even out more and more. Also my scars are not even, which I don’t love, but I guess I developed a “dog tag” in surgery so one is longer than the other because the surgeon had to fix that. I’ll update as much as I can, and in the mean time, feel free to ask any questions. Updated on 12 Dec 2019: So I’m a little past 4 weeks out now, and I’ve just hit my first period. And it’s like period boobs on steroids! I’ve been feeling pretty good lately, but yesterday I got some zings and tinges again and a lot more tenderness. I was starting to get worried, but then I realize my period was starting. I don’t know if I’ve read any other reviews talking about this, so I just thought I’d warn you guys. It sucks more than usual, but periods suck either way, and the pay off is totally worth it. But other than that, the swelling seems to be going down now, so that’s nice. And I still have glue all over the place and it’s starting to look so gross! Like it’s collecting lint. The doctor said I could start picking at the glue after 4 weeks, but I’m still too scarred to do it. I’ve included updated pics, if you want to see my progress.
Two days post-op and I'm so pleased and surprised at how well everything went. Dr.Yeung is so easy to talk to and an absolute pro. He was able to get me down to the size I wanted. I felt so well taken care of and secure in good hands. He's very realistic and down-to-earth and extremely professional. I couldn't be more pleased with the care I received.
I was in 5th grade and was wearing a tube top during the summer and realized everybody was staring at my chest when I realized I was bigger busted than anyone else I knew in my school. It made me uncomfortable as I got involved in sports and had to wear expensive compression bras to stabilize and hide my 38DDD/F bustline that I inherited from my mother and grandmother. The neck and back pain, constant rashes, chaffing and Ill fitting tops have finally made me go get a consultation with a plastic surgeon. Dr. Laurence Yeung at Group Health Seattle was professional and informative. He took the necessary photos and did the exam and agreed I would benefit from a breast reduction. The insurance approved it in less than a month and I went and scheduled the surgery for next Wednesday. I waited 5 months to schedule the operation so I could fully research the procedure so I feel confident in my choice to proceed. I am a dental hygienist and hairdresser and took 2 1/2 weeks off of dental work and 4 weeks off from doing hair. I bought the post op surgical wrap/binder my Dr. Recommended, filled my RX for Tramadol for pain relief ( I don't tolerate codeine) and I'm ready to go. I will be getting drains and I hope to get to a C or small D. If he can get me smaller, I would be happy with that. Future posts to come! Updated on 25 Oct 2015: 38E/F 5'6" 175 lbs before picture. Three more days until my surgery! Very excited and trying to not get the head cold going around. Updated on 25 Oct 2015: Had my husband take a couple more before photos that show how heavy these things are. Looking forward to my surgery in 2 more days. Updated on 27 Oct 2015: I'm trying to get to sleep but have a headache from not consuming any coffee today. Only a few hours until my surgery at 6 am. I showered and used chlorhexidine wipes on my skin to eliminate more bacteria that could cause issues after the surgery. I will do it again before we leave in the morning as requested by my doctor. This is a broad spectrum antibacterial agent and leaves a sticky residue that made my skin itch a bit and especially under my arms and breasts. Getting anxious! Updated on 28 Oct 2015: I went in the surgery clinic at 6 am, got up at 4:( and had surgery at 7:30 am. The first 20 minutes were more paperwork and giving them living will and advance care directives etc etc. I was taken by the nurse to change into a hospital gown, socks with rubberized treads, hair bonnet and asked to use the bathroom. I went 3 times before surgery due to nerves and an Indian food lunch yesterday at 2:00 (my last meal) that decided to give me heartburn. I didn't have caffeine yesterday either and I had a bit of a migraine. One of the nurses put heated blanket on me after my bathroom fiasco, whew, OK now, and put in my IV. Two anesthesiologists and the surgeon came in. I told them about the acid reflux and they said they would add some reflux med in the anesthesia. It worked like a charm. They asked me my history with anesthesia and calmed my nerves. They left and the doctor measured and drew his markings on my chest. He said he measures a total of 3 times in order to get things as close to perfect as he can. He was/is awesome. I was then wheeled into the OR and it was like an ice box in there! I'm glad I had my rubber treaded warm socks! The nurse had me take a few deep breaths with an 02 mask on and I was out for the count. The surgery was about 3 1/2 hours long and I was in the recovery room about 1 1/2 hours where I was offered crackers and juice and ice chips. When I woke up I was asked about my pain level and I said I felt pain about a 5 out if 10 but nothing compared to my multiple kidney stones I had passed years ago. So the nurse put someDemerol in my IV and it took it down to a 3. Honestly, it felt more sore than pain if that makes sense. My throat was more "painful" from being intubated but the ice chips and benzocaine lozenges I brought helped a lot. I was out of the hospital by 2:00, dressed myself, went potty and had the IV removed. The doctor came in during that time and told me because I am healthy and exercise that things went awesome. I am 30 lbs overweight but work out daily.....go figure! Anyways, he removed 650 cc from my left breast and 600 from my right and was able to get the double bubble trouble roll under my arm that gives me back roll with a slightly longer incision. I told him ahead of time to do whatever he needed to get the best result. I have been at home for 3 hours and napped on the recliner and took 1 Tramadol and 1 Tylenol and am at a 3. That is easy peasy, getting a root canal was worse!!!!! My drains will be in until there is less than 30cc in a day coming out (combined sides). Friday or Monday they will come out. I will update more later. Truly, the professionals at Group Health Capitol Hill, Seattle and Dr. Laurence Yeung and his AWESOME nurses are top notch!!!!! Updated on 28 Oct 2015: I am going to keep the suspense going on how they look until the drains come out. I only took a peek into the binder. I love them already. The doctor said my nipples and areolas turned out nice and had good color. He said the circulation looked good and should have good nerve sensation. Not to sound superficial or crass, but that was my biggest worry with this surgery. I like that part of my body. Updated on 29 Oct 2015: I'm definitely more sore today but excited when I peak in my binder and see perky small breasts. I'm still draining quite a bit of blood and will keep the drains in until monday. That will be 5 days total. I'm glad to have them but I do feel their discomfort. More Extra Strength Tylenol and Tramadol. Updated on 29 Oct 2015: I could not sleep on my back last night, hence no sleep. I'm going to try and turn a bit without pressure on my side stitches. I may have to take a klnoazepam. I don't like taking pain pills and benzodiazepines at the same time but I know healing happens when you are sleeping well and eating lots of protein. I'm drinking about a gallon of fluids. Updated on 31 Oct 2015: This is day 3 post and this morning I started itching all over and my breathing was labored. I felt like I had something blocking my airway. Some chest pain when I inhaled and hot and cold chills. I called the on call nurse and she told me to get to the ER or urgent care. My husband drove me and they took a chest X-ray and blood work. It all came back negative so the doctor gave me a breathing treatment and IV steroids. They don't like to do that because it delays healing but it almost immediately made my breathing normal and itch and temperature flashes go away. We discovered I am not only allergic to narcotics but also Ultram,/Tramadol. They sent me home with a steroid inhaler and Atarax for the itching. It is a potent antihistamine. I can only take NDAIDS or Tylenol. We are not sure why I didn't react to the drugs the previous few days, but this time my respiratory system went bizerk. Hopefully this will be it for any post op "complications". Updated on 2 Nov 2015: Yes, it hurts taking the foot long drains out! But, my nurse did it fast and was awesome. Today I got to see my new breasts. Wow, they are perfect! Great job Dr.Yeung. My husband took these photos at the hospital so I could show you peeps my experience. Updated on 2 Nov 2015: Looking good even with edema Updated on 2 Nov 2015: Has anyone else had the sensation that your breast is vibrating? My right breast is in a on again off again vibration mode. I can put my hand on my chest and feel it vibrating. Updated on 5 Nov 2015: Has anyone with a large breast reduction notice the transition area where your scar ends near your sides and a huge overlapping bulge of fat forming an uncomfortable area your arms about elbow length keep hitting? My doctor said he would lipo the area or make the incision longer to prevent that before I had the surgery. It looks like he did neither. My 2 week post op check is next Wednesday and I'm very upset that happened. I specifically said I did not want a weird bulge/ fold that other women complained about prior to surgery and he said he would take care of that at the time of surgery. Now I have another problem that will require revision and no more time off of work. That stinks! I hope I don't end out with yeast infections growing in those ugly folds. Yikes!!!! Updated on 5 Nov 2015: Here's the weird fat bulge making a weird fold that I specifically told to PS I did not want. Updated on 6 Nov 2015: Got an email by from my PS and he said he does not do lipo for breast reductions. That's weird....my husband and I discussed in length with him about that and he said he would end the incision longer to removed the fat roll transition area or he would lipo it and not to worry about it. I'm a bit shocked he does not remember our conversation at the pre op appointment! I even said he could lipo as much as he wanted and he said he would do his best. I am going to my 2 week post check on Thursday morning and he will compare it to my previous photos. All I know is I did not have bulged triangles on the sides of my breasts before that my elbows hit prior to surgery and he said he wouldn't let that happen at pre-op. Now I might have to pay out of pocket and see another plastic surgeon to lipo the area after my initial surgery heals. I like Dr. Yeung a lot, but I am sad this hiccup has come about. Mo money, mo time, mo headache and pain. Geesh! Updated on 8 Nov 2015: Yesterday afternoon I developed this bright red itchy and warm appearance to my breasts after going walking. I did not raise my heart rate by much because I was at a leisure stroll. I can't tell if this is part of the healing process or am allergic to something that I got on my breasts. I don't think it's an infection but more of a skin reaction/dermatitis? Anyone else experience this around day 11? Updated on 11 Nov 2015: Walked a 1/4 mile to the store and back and the girls were very sore. I bought an Italian made post surgery bra that is more comfortable than the binder wrap I have been wearing the last 2 weeks. I feel great. The swelling is down considerably and they look good. I will have the hubby take some new pictures after my check up with the doctor tommorow. I think I will try two compression garments to see if that helps when out walking. Updated on 12 Nov 2015: I had my appointment with Dr. Yeung for my check up this morning and I got two thumbs up! He said my healing looks great and I can start on scar therapy with 3m silcone tape. Since my "fat" bulges on the side have gone down quite a bit since surgery, we are going to see how they look over the next year. He said my breasts will drop more and it may get rid of the problem. I also committed to losing some weight to see if that makes a difference. At the 1 year mark he may do some incision modification or scar modification and see what he can do. Dr. Yeung also took off my driving and working out restrictions. He said to listen to my body when it comes to weightlifting with the upper body. I am going to stick to cardio until the 6 week mark for lifting. I am so happy with my new breasts!!! I showed Dr. Yeung the photos of my breasts a few days back when they were really red and itchy and hot. He said some people have a skin reaction after a couple days of surgery and it is not an infection. I just happen to be one of them. Well, better safe than sorry! I'm glad they are "normal". He took many photos and said he'd see me in 3 months. Yayyyy! I'm ecstatic:) Updated on 12 Nov 2015: I took some photos today before I taped so you can see the progression in healing and scars. Updated on 14 Nov 2015: I ran a bunch of errands today and wore one of my old bras while I was washing my other surgical bras, BIG mistake. I had some seeping fluid on the left side near the incision where the bra rubbed over the tape and am really sore from not enough compression. Ladies, wear your compression bras! It makes a difference on soreness. Updated on 15 Nov 2015: I bought this bra off the internet for about $40. It was worth it. Super comfortable and you can wear it to the gym. It is by an Italian manufacturer CZ Salus. I wear a Large. It is the equivalent to a 38 C. Good compression, does not rub my incisions and comes in white and black. Please share bras all of you ladies have found to be comfortable. Thank you Marshmelloefluf for your advice on what bras you have liked. Updated on 17 Nov 2015: I changed my 3M silicone infused tape since it had been 5 days since the doctor told me to start scar treatment. It not only smelled, pardon me, like really bad funk (coming from a dental hygienist, that's something bad!) It pulled hard on my incisions and caused some hemo. How long can you leave these on without hurting yourself? My PS to change twice a week on the tape. I workout several nights a week and have hot flashes throughout the day exasperating the funk. Updated on 19 Nov 2015: I made it through my first full week of dental work. I was not hindered in any way to do my job as a hygienist but did find my breasts started to ache after 4 hours of moving around to clean teeth. They are very itchy now and they get hard and achy midway through the day. I'm sure it's all part of the healing process. I still wear my compression bras because they feel achy with any movement without it. Maybe in another week I will switch to a different bra. Updated on 25 Nov 2015: I'm checking in at my 4 week post BR. I'm healing great but am itching like I've got fleas!!!!! My incision lines look great around my nips and the "T" zone. The underboob areas are thick and ropy. I'm hoping they improve with the silicone tape but my Dr. Warned me that people of Asian descent tend towards keloid type scars. I'm half Korean so I hope I will skirt past that problem. Usually half way through my work day they get hard and sore. I'm off all pain meds and am still depending on compression for pain relief. Updated on 29 Nov 2015: Every day the soreness changes. I still can't run, but walking, recumbent cycling and elliptical use seems to not bother the "girls". I did a 13 hour shift doing hair at the salon on black Friday and had no problems raising my arms blow drying. I wore my Carefix compression bra and it worked great. I'm still itching by the tape and the skin glue is peeling off now. My breasts are softer now, rounding out more and my 38DDD bras fit perfect. I'm amazed they fit after so much was removed! I am happy with the size and just pray they don't grow back. Updated on 1 Dec 2015: I thought I would update my 5 weeks post pics sans the silicone tape for scar reduction. I have a lot of redness from irritation to the tape, but my PS does not want me to use anything else at this point. I do notice a significant reduction in the ropiness of the lower incisions. In these photos, you can see the fat pockets on the ends of the incisions that the PS did not do lipo on and they are more pronounced as the edema diminishes. Another 11 months until he can do a revision. Updated on 7 Dec 2015: First day back in the gym to lift. I am still lifting the same amount as pre op BR. Doing the happy dance! I really believe working out with weights has helped me overall in recovering well from the surgical procedure. Updated on 7 Dec 2015: No pain or pulling on incisions. Updated on 8 Dec 2015: I took a number of photos of the healing progress at the 6 week mark. The areola scars and down look great. The scars on the under breast are very ropey and hard at the ends of both incisions. The red bumps are from the skin reacting to the internal sutures. I have been rubbing Lubriderm Sensitive and massaging the scars daily. I use scar away silicone gel around the areolas and t-zone and silicone tape by 3M around the underside. About every three days I am changing the tape because of working out and it gets sweaty and smelly (ick). I am still experiencing some yellowy fluid coming out. I'm not sure where, but it stains the inside of my white surgical bras. Updated on 12 Dec 2015: I have been doing low intensity cardio for the last 3 weeks and today I wanted to give the gurlz a test run. I wore my usual running bra (Moving Comfort Maia Bra) in 38DD. I was shocked but glad to see my old tight bras fit the same. I don't have to purchase any new bras even with close to 4 pounds off the chest. Anyways, I did my usual 4 mile route this morning in the 42 degree Seattle rain and the ladies didn't hurt, jiggle or give me any twinges. PTL! I used to get chaffing and rashes and blisters from friction under my boobs and where the straps are. Not ANYMORE!!! Woo hoo!!!! Updated on 13 Dec 2015: Took a few selfies of the "gurlz" showing the keloids at the end of the incisions near the midline. They look the worst. Still using liquid silicone and silicone tape. Updated on 16 Dec 2015: Today is 7 weeks post surgery. My scars are slowly flattening down and don't look as scary under my breasts. Hopefully after several more weeks of silicone tape therapy, I will have barely noticeable scarring. I continue to lift weights and do cardio and feel about 80% normal. By the end of the month I hope to be wearing my old bras that still fit. I still like the support I get from the surgical bras. They make me feel more secure. Weird huh!? Updated on 16 Dec 2015: Current pics Updated on 16 Dec 2015: I have been lifting weights for 30 years and decided at 7 weeks post BR I was feeling good enough to work my back again. I was able to do lat pull downs, T-Bar rows, seated rows and other machines without any pain. I kept the weights at 60- 80% my usual. The gurlz get better every day. Updated on 23 Dec 2015: I'm 8 weeks post today and the ladies are very achy. I have been taking 600 mg of Advil every 4-5 hours. My insides feel like something is pulling on all the incisions, esp the underbust. Updated on 24 Dec 2015: Just a quick update. I am officially 2 months post and am so happy I had the breast reduction. My neck pain is so much better when cleaning teeth at the dental office and my shoulders and upper back feel great. No more rashes under the breasts. So I would say it is successful. I was sad to read other stories where people were botched or had major life changing complications. Those people are in my prayers. I believe having the right surgeon and having the right attitude make all the difference in the world. We all go into this knowing we could lose our breasts and the psychological consequences must be dealt with before the surgery. I'm glad I waited until my late 40's to make this decision. I am at an age where looking cute in a bikini or feeling sexy with my breasts was the last thing on my list. It was only for relief from pain that I chose body modification. Some young people should wait until they can accept that things can and do go wrong and be solid about their decisions. After the fact, second guessing and regret are never going to help with healing. My prayers go out to those ladies. Updated on 31 Dec 2015: Happy New Year BR sisters! 9 weeks and feeling great. Have a safe evening! Updated on 31 Dec 2015: The gurlz are looking good. The red marks are from scratching! I need to wear gloves or get declawed and try some Benadryl cream around the tape. Next check up is at the end of January which will be my 3 month post appt. Now for some champagne! To a happy and healthy 2016! Updated on 14 Jan 2016: It's been 12 weeks since my BR and I wanted to share how much my scars have flattened out and are looking better as time goes by. I go in for my 3 month check up at the end of the month. I survived the holidays and am now trying to get used to having smaller breasts. It is miraculous how the human body heals. No more itching since I quit silicone taping a week ago. Woo hoo! Updated on 19 Jan 2016: I got a voice mail from my PS office saying the doc had to cancel my follow up because of a conflict on that date. I will not be rescheduling with him. I do not have confidence in our communications via email concerning my side incisions problem. He has gone back on his words twice about why he didn't do what we discussed prior to surgery. I will wait for 3-6 months and go to a different surgeon outside of my HMO and get an opinion on how to "fix" my fat pockets hanging off my sides that don't belong to my back or boobs. I will more than likely pay out of pocket and finance the botch repair. I'm disappointed with the current outcome but still glad I chose to have surgery due to the neck and back pain that is now eliminated. Updated on 3 Feb 2016: Updated photo taken this morning. Scars are minimal and feeling light! Perfect size and happy with end result. I may persue having the "side boob" lipoed in a year. Who knows, maybe in a year I won't care. Good times! Greatful! Updated on 3 Feb 2016: Ladies, please beware of private messages being sent and inappropriate comments from men on this site. Disgusting and now I feel violated for sharing my stuff on here! Updated on 27 Feb 2016: Yesterday I had an aggressive bilateral turbinate reduction surgery for hypertrophic inferior turbinates. I have had breathing issues my entire life and finally had it done. The ENT did not pack me and I did have a lot of bleeding for 5 hours post. I was asked to blow my nose to get rid of blood clots and shoot up a lot of Afrin to stop the bleeding. I did that twice and waited another 2 hours until the vasoconstrictor stopped the bleeding. Lots of prayers were being said so I could go without packing....I get claustrophobic and panic when my nose is plugged way up. Anyways, the surgery prep was much like my BR prep and the surgery under general anesthesia took about an hour. Total hospital stay was 5.5 hours. If I move around a lot, my nose strarts to leak due to the vascularity of the anatomy. I am hoping the outcome is as good as my breast reduction. I saw a Dr. Rowland at GH Capital Hill Campus in Seattle. On to enjoying better breathing and smaller boobies. I only took Friday off from work and hope to be back Monday morning to see my dental patients. Updated on 28 Jul 2016: Thought I would check back in since it's been awhile. I have been contacted by my PS to see if he can do anything to make me happier with the way my sides turned out at the end of the incisions. The fat pockets under my arms are still there and I am undecided about getting any revisional surgery done. The overall results are great with an issue trying to find any bras that don't dig into the side fat. Updated on 28 Jul 2016: The scars on the sides are almost undetectable. Fine white line. Updated on 28 Jul 2016: Enjoying my new breasts. Less neck, shoulder and back pain when cleaning teeth as a hygienist. That is a huge success! Updated on 3 Aug 2016: Motivation! New bikini top fits new smaller breasts. Working on lower half at the gym and through diet modification. I can't afford lipo...yet! Updated on 4 Aug 2016: 10 months have passed since my surgery. Here is the comparison side by side. Updated on 20 Aug 2016: My PS emailed me asking if I wanted to come back in for a revision surgery to make the sides look better after reading how unhappy I am with the results of the axial fat at the end of the scars. I wanted him to do the complete job at the initial surgery like my husband and I discussed with him. The time to recover, missed work and possible complications have made me hold back from making any revisions at this time. Updated on 2 Apr 2017: Here is the photo 18 months post Breast Reduction. I can still wear the same bras as pre surgery, they just fit a bit looser. I have some dark scarring which seems common with Asian skin. My left areola has a hard lump that looks reddish brown in the photo. I think it is some kind of scar tissue/nodule that formed about 3 months back. The areola scarring on the right breast is more raised and is itchy/sore intermittently. I wish the size was a bit smaller but am happy that my neck and shoulder pain are gone. I never did have the underarm boob/fat removed and am going to leave it. I don't want to mess around with any more surgery or revision work. Updated on 10 Jul 2017: I had my BR in October 2015. This is what the shape and scarring looks like after 1 1/2 years post surgery. I have some raised scarring and brown pigmentation on some of the scars. They are still large and I still wear the same size bra. No wired bras because it digs into the sides where the surgeon did not lipo or cut back far enough on the end of the incisions. Quite frankly, the scars and side areas are worse than I anticipated. Nonetheless, I am mixed on whether I should have had surgery or not. My neck and shoulders feel better but aesthetics are not appealing at all. My boobs are now nicknamed "franken boob".
