I am so happy with my decision to have this surgery. I also couldn't be happier that I had Dr. Pandya as my surgeon. She absolutely knows her stuff, listens to what you want, and has an excellent eye. She is also very easy to talk to. It's only been two days and I know the results are great. If in the Boston, North shore area, she is definitely one to go to.
It is time for the next phase of my journey… After losing close to 145lbs was just the beginning of the journey… and now, it is time for the next phase… For as long as I remember, I have been unhappy with my body. As an adolescent, I was too out of shape keep up with the other kids in gym class, and too unattractive for boys to be interested in me. As I got older, being overweight transitioned into being obese. My already low self-esteem got even worse and caused my weight and health to spiral out of control. Fast forward to the present, and I have completely transformed my life. Besides having lost almost 145 pounds, I have found confidence and learned to recognize that I have no reason to underestimate what I can accomplish. I’ve made bold career moves, learned the importance of putting myself first and being an active player in my own life, and have made great strides toward finding balance in my life. I am extremely proud of myself for how far I have come and how much I have changed myself, both inside and out. However, there is still one big thing that is holding me back which is strictly physical, but affects me very much mentally — the extra skin…. I made three appointments with three plastic surgeons within this past year. I asked many questions and I am confident that I picked the right doctor. Dr. Pandya is the one that I felt the most comfortable with for many reason. One of the top reason is that she does all of her surgeries in a hospital setting and not in the office. I am confident that she is the best one for me. I am planning to get a Brachioplasty: arm lift. Many people that I had told, asked me why are you getting an arm lift and not a tummy tuck like most people? I told them that I had put in a lot of work into weightlifting and I did not like the way the excess skin hangs from my arms. This is what bugs me the most so this is going to be round one. The date is set for November 30, 2015. I will be out of the gym for at least 4-6 weeks. I do not know what is going to kill me the most …the pain or not going to the gym!! LOL Updated on 15 Dec 2015: My doctor was very surprised on how the healing is going. I been off of pain killer meds since Saturday. I only take Tylenol when needed, which I have not. I am following my doctor order to the max and not overdoing! Here are my photos that was taken today (12/15/15). Updated on 15 Dec 2015: This was the best compression garment that bought for my arms and breast. The website is http://m.makemeheal.com/mmh/product.do?id=10024 ... Check them out!
I have wanted... No, I have needed a BR for many years. I developed in my teens and although not unbearable I was always considered the girl with the large breasts. Fast forward.... I had my first child at age 20. I gained a lot of weight. I am about 5'5" and weighed about 120 before pregnancy and the day I gave birth I weighed in at 199 lbs!!! It took me a long time lose that weight but unfortunately my boobs remained big. I have since have had 2 more children and my breasts continued to grow with each one. I hAte them. I can't sleep comfortably, I have neck and shoulder pain, back spasms, I often wear 2 bras at one time. The majority of my friends and family think I am crazy. They say women would kill to have your breasts. Or they will say " you don't even look that big!" It is very frustrating. I don't look that big to them because I do everything in my power to minimize them which includes being in a constant slouch position which has completely ruined my posture, they are heavy.. So heavy! Anyway, I have contemplated a breast reduction for years. My PCP has always thought I would benefit from having the surgery. Finally after years of thinking about it I finally made a decision to go for consultation. The PS I went to was very nice. I measured at the time as a 38DDD. He said he could take me to a C. But he said he would try and submit to insurance but he was not confident it would be covered. After a month of waiting I got word that I was denied! The insurance company said they felt the amount being reduced would not significantly improve my quality of life... I appealed with letters from my PCP and a letter from me explaining what I go through daily but in the end I was denied. needless to say I was vey depressed. I gave up the notion.... Fast forward 4 years. I am still miserable. I think my breasts have increased but I refuse to get measured and refuse to buy bigger bra's. I have a different insurance... anthem... So I thought I would try again. My PCP gave me a letter explaining my symptoms, what we have done over the years to relieve the pain ( pain medication, physical therapy, massage, exercise, weight loss etc.) I decided to see a different surgeon... A women. A friend of mine had a reduction by this surgeon and very pleased with results so I figured I would give it a shot. I was quickly able to get a consult. She was extremely nice... Went over options, measured me took pictures etc. she immediately thought I would be a good candidate and would submit to insurance. I walked out of their feeling relieved and excited but did not want to get my hopes up as I have been disappointed before. The office said it takes about 30 days to hear back from insurance. It was a very long month.... After about 20-25 days I called insurance company to get status... They informed me that they have no record of receiving anything from my PS!!! Ughh how can that be? I was so upset. I called my Ps office and left a message... No one called me back. 2 days later I called again. I finally reached someone who checked and said my file was just sent to insurance the previous week... So give insurance some time to receive... A week later I logged onto my insurance carrier portal and sent them an email asking if anything was received. 2 days later they responded... Still nothing received and suggested it could of been lost in mail. They told me to have the PS office call them and they will give them a private fax where they can fax over the file. So. Frustrating! This is about the time I found this website and I have to say it has helped me a lot!!! Anyway, I received notice about 2 weeks ago that the insurance company has the info and my case is being reviewed.... So I wait. Now I know I am suppose to wait 30 days but I have been very anxious so I logged onto my insurance portal about a week later and asked if my case has been reviewed and when I could expect a response. On 03/17 I received an email response back from my insurance stating " your predetermination case has been reviewed and approved as of 03/16/2015!!!! WHAT????!!!!! I don't know what that means? Am I approved for the surgery???? Does anyone know? I called my PS and left them a message telling them what I was told .... Have not received a call back. I have not received anything yet in mail from my insurance company either... I don't know what this all means. So now I wait ?? Impatiently of course. What do you ladies think.....does this mean I am approved? I thought I would give my PS until Monday to call me back as I was hoping by then I would receive an approval letter in the mail. I will have to wait and see. I will check back in when I know more! Updated on 20 Mar 2015: So I was going to wait until Monday to call my PS to hear what they had to say. Had they received confirmation from my insurance carrier and what are next steps... They are closed on Fridays or I would have done it today. Anyway, I decided to call my insurance carrier. I spoke with a very nice women who confirmed that YES I was approved for a breast reduction. I was so excited but then she said I was approved to have it done by March 31!!!! Umm hello... It's March 20 right now and I haven't even received this approval in writing yet nor have I even spoken to my PS office. I asked what happens if I can not have the procedure done by the 31st.... She said it should be fine and that me or the PS office just needs to call them with the new date. Okay, so I feel a bit more relieved. (Btw, I should be receiving written authorization early next week as well)Wow this is really happening. I normally don't like the weekends to go by so fast , but I can't wait until Monday to talk to my PS!!!! Talk with you all soon!!! Updated on 24 Mar 2015: Well it's official. My surgery is april 17. I can not believe it. I love reading everyone's stories as it is such inspiration. The problem is I think I have literally read them All and I want more! You ladies have been so great and full of encouragement. I think my biggest fear is infection and wound separation. I have read numerous stories where these unfortunate incidents occur and I am so worried. What is the best way to avoid this. I can't wait for the smaller me but I am so scared. Anyone have words of encouragement? Updated on 30 Mar 2015: Wow... I can't believe my pre-op is tomorrow. I am excited and nervous at the same time. I have so many things to ask and I know I will walk out forgetting to ask something. On a different topic I am wondering if any of you ladies who were covered by insurance can tell me how this works as I am getting conflicting answers. I have BCBS Anthem. It has a $300 copayment and a max deductible of $6k ( I know very high). So I was first under the impression that my surgery was covered but that I would be responsible for the first $6k and then insurance would pick up from there..... But I spoke briefly to someone at insurance to verify that my out of pocket expense would not exceed $6 k.... She said $6k? Unless I was having open heart surgery my out of pocket expense shouldn't be anywhere near $6k. She told me I have a $300 copay which I pay up front. From there I have an 80/20 plan so insurance pays 80% and I pay 20% not to exceed $6k out of pocket overall. She said I would most likely be responsible to pay about $1500-$3000 and $3000 is on the extremely high side. Does that sound right to you? I much rather pay in the $1500-3000 range but when I research on web it all says I need to pay the full deductible before any insurance kicks in..... So now I am just confused. If anyone out there can shed some light I would appreciate it. I will ask the doctor of course and I will call insurance again to be safe but wanted to get your thoughts! Anyway going to try to get some rest for my big day tomorrow! Updated on 7 Apr 2015: Hi everyone! It's been a few days and I just wanted to provide an update. I had my pre-op on 03/31. It went very well. When I got there they brought me in the exam room very quickly. Nurse asked me a few questions to make sure my charts were up to date: do I smoke? No... Do I drink? On occasion. Do I take medication on a regular basis? Birth control and Advil for back/ neck pain and frequent headaches. Shortly after the doctor came in. She was great! Very nice. She examined me again. We discussed size and although she said she can not promise size she said she will take out as much as she "safely" can while still making sure I have a small perky breast and that insurance requirements are satisfied. I was very pleased with that and can not wait to see results. I will be staying overnight. She said she would be prescribing antibiotics and painkillers but will get them before I leave hospital as she doesn't want me to have to deal with it now. Also she said they will give me 2 surgical bras to wear and I should where them 24/7 for the first week. I can switch to a supportive sports bra after the first week. She also said do not bother to try and buy a bra now because it will be tough to determine the size I will need. She said also just wash with dial antibacterial soap on surgery day. 10 days away! I can not believe it. I am just so excited. I feel like a child waiting for Christmas morning. I am trying to keep busy but honestly this is all I can think about! I am grateful to this site and all of you ladies because it really helps to read your stories and also to tell you what's going on in my world. I just want to fast forward and see the results. I know it will be here before I know it. My biggest fear is wound separation. I just don't want that to happen to me. Many of you talk about how seamless your recovery has been and I really hope I can be like all of you. I feel so sad for all you ladies that are having recovery issues and I think about you all the time and hoping things get better for you soon! I know I haven't posted any pictures yet.... I am still a little nervous about that but will do it soon. Talk with you soon! Updated on 9 Apr 2015: So today I got a call from the hospital to pre-register for my surgery which is just a week away! It was super easy. She verified name, address, emergency contacts, asked a few medical questions and I was done!!! She said I will get a call next Thursday letting me know what time my surgery would be on Friday!!! I am beyond excited. Nervous of course but just very excited. I have wanted this for so long and I can't believe it's finally happening. To all the April ladies out there I wish you all the best of luck!! I hope it turns out just how you wanted!!! Updated on 11 Apr 2015: The RealSelf community has been fantastic. I can honestly say I am addicted to it as I read it every night. The ladies here provide so much inspiration. You all have taught me so much about this procedure and I am very grateful. I love reading all your stories, good and bad, as it helps me prepare. However, this week I am trying to avoid the negative stories. The ones where incisions are not closing or the size was not what was expected etc. I know these are all part of the process and while I do appreciate knowing all the facts I am trying to only think positive thoughts. This surgery is something I have wanted for so long. Ever since I can remember I was always thinking "why can't my breasts be smaller??!!" Every summer when other girls were wearing bathing suits and cute tops or sundresses. Or every time I had to wear a dress for wedding... I hated it. I never liked to dance because I felt like my breasts would just bounce around all over. I hated shopping. All my shirts are XL or Large making me look very big and frumpy. These things, plus the back and neck spasms along with the very poor posture are part of the hundred reasons why I want a breast reduction and am choosing to think positively. I am telling myself that everything is going to be just fine. Surgery is going to be great. My doctor is going to be able to get me down to a B/C, they will be the perfect size and shape and the will sit on my chest where they belong and not by my stomach. I feel like if I think positively.. It will all be fine. 6 days left. I need to start purchasing supplies. So much to do and not enough time. I am nervous... But excited at same time. Will check in later! Updated on 15 Apr 2015: I can't believe it. Only 2 days left until surgery. I am trying to keep busy but this surgery is all I can think about. I am suppose to receive a call tomorrow from hospital telling me what time surgery will be and when to be at the hospital. Tomorrow will probably be the longest day of my life waiting for that call. I am not sure if I should expect it in the morning... Afternoon or end of day... Anyone know when they make those calls? I still have to figure out what to pack. I am spending the night at the hospital so I will need pajamas. But I am wondering if I should just wear to the hospital the clothes I expect to wear home? I don't really want to pack a huge bag.i assume I will be discharged from the hospital the next morning. Obviously I will wear sweatpants and a zip up sweatshirt. The doctor will be providing 2 surgical bras. I was going to purchase some additional bras to wear but honestly I have absolutely no idea what size to buy. I don't want to buy my normal size 38 DD/DDD because the goal is to never fit into that size again. But honestly I could not imagine myself in any other size so I was unable to buy anything. As I was getting undressed tonight I looked in the mirror and tried to imagine what I would look like 2 days from now and I just don't know. I am scared. For as long as I can remember I have wanted this surgery more than anything else. I promised myself and anyone else that would listen that one day I would be getting a breadth reduction. I just can't believe that day is almost here. I am thankful for my husband. He has been great. I know he does not want me to get this surgery. He loves me just as I am. But he also knows that this is something I need to do. He wants me to feel better about myself but more importantly he wants this procedure to help with my back and posture issues. I just hope that he is just as supportive AFTER the procedure. I am scared that he is going to take one look at the scars and stiches and just be turned off. Anyone else go through a similar fear? Anyway, so I am wondering as I look down at my hands and see I stilll have bright pink nail polish on from EAster. The Dr. Did not mention anything about it but I am wondering if I should remove the polish prior to surgery ? Anyone know if it is safe too keep it on? Another issue is I have 2 children... 9 and 11. I have not told them anything yet and I am wondering how to explain to them what is going to happen. I don't want them to worry about me Friday when in school.... But I don't want them coming home from school Friday only to find out I am staying overnight in hospital. Can anyone tell me how they told their kids what was happening? Ok I know I haven't posted any pictures yet but I promise I will post some "before" pictures before end day tomorrow. Anyone out there having it done this week. I wish you the best of luck!!! Updated on 16 Apr 2015: Bag packed! Going to bed to try and get some sleep. Alarm set for 4:30am. Need to be at hospital for 6:15 am. Wish me luck and I will talk to you all when I am on the other side!!! Updated on 18 Apr 2015: Hi everyone! Yesterday was my surgery. I am feeling pretty good. Here is how my day went. Woke up about 4:30 am to shower and get ready. Slept pretty good the night before considering. Got to hospital right on time... 6:15. Filled out 1 consent paperwork and that was it. 6:30 brought down to my room where I changed. Met with anesthesiologist who was extremely nice with amazing bedside manner. She was very reassuring. Met a few other nurses who were just as good. The dr. Came in and marked me up. She stated again she does not guarantee size but asked which way I wanted to lean... Larger or smaller side. I chose smaller! I said good by to my husband and they wheeled me in the OR. I was given something to relax and before I. Knew it I was on the other side. The surgery lasted about 3 hours and 1pound was taken from each breast. I have been in very minimal pain but have had too pee constantly. Dr says it is due to he IV fluids. I feel amazing. So much lighter I can't believe the difference. I have not got a real good at them yet. My dressing were changed and I saw the nipples. The are sitting on to p of the breast where they belong! Not underneath the breast where they had been for as long as I remember! My drains were removed this morning and to my surprise they didn't hurt at all when the took them out. So far this has been a great experience. Now I just need to heal hopefully without any problems. I encourage anyone thinking about this surgery to have it done its worth it. As promised attached is a before pic... I will try and do some after when I get home and can get a better look myself! Updated on 19 Apr 2015: Well it's been 2 days since my BR and I still can't believe it. Today I got a much better look and I have to say that so far I am loving the results. They are small and perky and I can not wait for them to heal. Not a lot of pain. I stopped taking the oxy and just take Tylenol to help me sleep. I seem to only have feeling in my right nipple. I hope the feeling comes back in the left but if it doesn't I am completely fine with it. I already find myself standing up taller. Even though not having much pain I do find myself walking very slowly. I do not want to pop a stitch or risk wound separation. Tomorrow I call the doctor to schedule a post op visit. I really hope she thinks I am healing well. I will post some pictures tomorrow! I hope everyone is doing well, Updated on 20 Apr 2015: Feeling good today. A little sore. The horizontal incision on my right breast had a little blood this morning. But nothing that seems concerning at the moment. My post op appointment is scheduled for next Tuesday unless something comes up that concerns me. I posted a few after pictures. Not much else to report.. Going a bit stir crazy at the moment. I want to try on clothes but trying not to do anything that can cause me to stretch and possibly open my incisions. Updated on 21 Apr 2015: Hi all. Just checking in. Still feeling good. No pain. I drove myself to hair salon today to get my hair washed since I have not got the all clear that I can shower. Felt good to get out of house but it sure did take a lot out of me. I am exhausted. Breasts feel good. Getting a little itchy nothing unbearable yet though. How long before these stitches dissolve? Also when you are able to finally shower when will I be able to actually wash the incision sites? I don't want to risk opening any of them but I really want to wash the dried blood off and see what they really look like. I am very anxious. Still no feeling in the left nipple but holding out hope it will come. I will post some new pictures later tonight. Hope everyone is doing well!!! Updated on 6 May 2015: Hello everyone! I know it's been a while since I provided an update so as I am lying in bed reading many of your updates I thought I better write an update of my own.. So here goes. Things are going well. I am 19 days post op and I think I am recovering nicely. I have had 1 post op appt so far and my doctor seemed to think everything was healing great. She said she wants to keep the surgical tape on at least until my Next appt. she said the longer that tape can stay on the better because even though my incisions had internal and external stitches as well as glue the tape just provides an extra layer of protection and helps keep the incisions free from dirt and bacteria to give them more time to heal. While I trust her completely I was a little sad she did not take that tape off then because I am anxious to see what's underneath! I find myself going to the mirror often and just looking at them. I can not believe it is really me. The tape however is not only covering the incisions but it also still contains dried blood from the surgery. ( you can see in the last pic's I posted) I am very anxious to have the tapes removed so I can get cleaned up and really get a good look at my new girls. Another thing, I am 19 days out and I still have not showed my husband. He sees obviously when I have clothes on and he has seen a few times with a bra on and he says they look great. But I can not let him see them when I am naked. Is that ridiculous? I just am afraid if he saw them now... Like this.... He won't like them. So my next appt is 6 days from now so hoping that I will have the tapes removed and get cleaned up and I really hope there are no problems with the incisions and I can then show them off to my husband. Okay enough about my in incisions for now. Other things that have been happening since my last post... I went back to work. I work in an office so sit at a computer all day so it hasn't been too bad. Usually around 2pm though I can feel my breast start to swell making my afternoons very uncomfortable. As soon as I get home the first thing I do is take my bra off for a few minutes to give the girls some air.... And then I put my surgical bra back on as I find it's the most comfortable one to sleep in. I have not figured out what size bra I am yet so I am really having a hard time finding bras to wear to work. I don't want to wear the white surgical bra to work for obvious reasons... You ladies all know what those look like.. Ha ha. I only bought 2 other zip up front sports bra that I can wear but the zippers make it hard to conceal under my clothes. I don't want people to be able to tell I am wearing a sports bra. So I do have a few very thin Bralettes that I have been wearing. Very comfortable, but not quite sure they are supportive enough because the are so thin an delicate. Again these are something that I could not even think about wearing before my BR.. So for that I am very grateful. I will have to try and go shopping over the weekend and find some more comfortable, work appropriate bras that I can wear! I just don't want to buy too many yet until I know my size and at this point it's too early to tell. So speaking of size... Prior to my surgery I was squeezing myself into 38DDD. I hated them. I absolutely hated what I looked like in clothes... Without clothes... I was miserable. I had hoped that the surgery would take me to a C cup but honestly a B would have been good too... It honestly didn't matter. My goal was to never see a triple or even a double D again. I would prefer not even a single D if I could. When I look at my breasts now I love them! The sit up high where they should... They look small, full and perky and look perfect to me. One of the 2 zip up front sports bra ' s that I bought is a 38D. The other is sized at large. I bought them both online. When I was ordering them I had no idea what size I would need I just figured it needed to be smaller than what I had been wearing but I could not imagine myself being smaller.. So I bought a 38D and a large thinking those should be good because after the surgery I would be swollen so I would need the extra room. I was hoping they would actually be too big when I put them on. I have never had the luxury of putting on a bra that was too big.... Mine were always too small. Anyway...when I was 1 week post op I decided I would take off my surgical bra and try on one of my new sports bra... I chose the 38d that zipped in front... I could not wait. I was so excited I took off the hospital bra put my arms inside my new sports bra, smiled in the mirror at my new smaller boobs and then I grabbed the 2 sides of the bra so I could zip it up and while I was doing that I was thinking "this is it.. A bra that will most likely be a bit big on me" I couldn't wait. I put the 2 sides together I connected the zipper and pulled up..... Guess what? The stupid thing would not zip up!!! I was devastated how could that be? No matter how much I tried I could not stuff my girls into that zipper. I sat in the bathroom and cried. How could a 38d bra be too small. I took it off and put my surgical bra back on and drowned my sorrows in a bowl of ice cream. I wanted to be a C or even a B so I could not fathom that a D was too small. Was I a DD or maybe I am still a DDD ???? It was depressing. The next day though I was in my bathroom again looking at my boobs and I fell in love with them again. They looked great... Again, up where they should be... Looked full and perky and a hell of a lot smaller than before surgery so why did I let the day before affect me so much? I looked over at the towel rack in the bathroom and saw that 38d zip up bra that I threw there yesterday and picked it up, put it on.... And zipped it up. That's right the next day that same bra fit!!! Granted it was by no means as big for me as I hoped when I bought it as a matter of fact it was not big it all. It was pretty snug... But it made me happy that I got it to zip. I must have been really swollen when I tried it the day before. My point is, don't concentrate on what size bra you will wear... It doesn't matter. Bras are all sized differently depending on style, material, maker etc... It's not important. What we need to focus on is the breasts themselves! When you look at them are you happy with what you see? Are you comfortable? How do they look in your clothes? Currently when I look at my breasts I am very happy with what I see. I can' t believe these are mine. I wore a thin fitted shirt the other day and before I would had been bulging out the shirt,cleavage and all and been very self conscious. But this time I wore that shirt and I stood up tall and confident and I didn't feel like everyone was staring at my chest. It was a good day. I went shopping to buy a few things for a cruise we are taking in a couple months. I tried on a cute little sundress that had one of those built in bras in it... Something I could never wear before..... First of all my breasts could never fit in those built ins.... They would hang out the bottom lol... Also I could never support spaghetti type straps. A dress like that would look ridiculous! Not this time. I tried that dress on.... It fit... It looked great. Best of all I was not wearing a bra. I was comfortable and supported in the built in Demi bra... So what size bra will I ultimately wear when my breasts finally fully heal? Who cares.... I am not even close to being healed yet and I look great WITHOUT a bra. Things can only get better. I wish all you ladies who are scheduled for surgery luck. Things will go great. For all you ladies who just had surgery... I hope you are all healing well and are as happy with your outcome as I am with mine. If not give it some time, it's a long process. Finally, to all you ladies who are just thinking about getting a breast reduction and are conflicted on what to do, I say go for it! It is the best thing I have ever done for myself! It's late I must go to bed... I will try and post some updated pics after my appt next week so hopefully tapes will be gone and I can clean them up. Updated on 11 May 2015: Tomorrow is the day I see my PS and I couldn't be happier. I will be 25 days post op. So far I have no complaints because I just love how they look in my clothes and out of my clothes. I still can not believe they are mine! The one think I wish I could do is speed up the recovery time. The right side feels good... And range of motion on that side seems to be almost back to normal. The left side, well that's a different story. This side is very sore. The incision areas seem to burn. Well it's sort of a strange feeling. Sometimes it feels like a burning sensation why other times it feels like something is poking me. I am really looking forward to having this surgical tape removed as I think this is contributing to about 95% of my discomfort. I am nervous though because I feel like the tape is holding me together and if I take it off I will bust open at the seams... Literally!!!! I really want to see the full results. I notice that I do have a little bumpy end of the scar in the cleavage area. It's not too bad but I will have to ask her if it can be fixed. Or maybe it will flatten out? I don't know. Really want to show my husband the results and hoping that I will feel comfortable in doing that tomorrow after my appointment. Can anyone tell me what it felt like after all tapes and bandages were removed and you could really see what it looks like for the first time? We're you happy with those results immediately? Did it take a few days or weeks? What kind of scar therapy are you doing? When can I sleep without a bra? I feel so restricted. I just want to put a tank top on and go to bed.... Someday I hope. I will provide a better update after my appointment. Hope everyone is doing well! Updated on 12 May 2015: Hi everyone. Today I am 25 days post op. Saw my PS today and finally had all my surgical tape removed. I feel so much better as that tape was really starting to bother me. I was nervous though to have it removed because I did feel as if it was holding me together and I was afraid when removed I would literally bust open at the seams. Luckily that has not happened. dr. Looked me over and she says everything is healing fine and there are no signs of any wound separation.. I am very happy. I no longer need to wear the surgical bra if I don't want to but am told to ALWays wear a bra. Could be any type except underwire. She said I still need support 24/7 for a few more weeks anyway. She also said I could begin scar massaging with vitamin e oil or lotion to try and break down the scar tissue and soften them up. I have a few scabs around the incisions and a few raised bumpy areas but overall I am pleased with how they look. I took a few pictures.... They look a bit redder than they are because I just got through massaging them with some bio oil. My nipples look a bit weird in the pictures but again nothing I would complain about. Still have not regained any feeling in my left nipple. The bottom part of the breast is still numb. I Am a bit disappointed as I thought it would have come back by now and almost a month post op I am thinking it won't come back:(. My doctor does not want me to give up hope. She says it could take several months for it to come back so not to lose hope. I guess at the moment I am happy that I have 2 nipples. Anyway I guess I will wait and see. Anyone have the same issue? Did the feeling come back and how long did it take? I wanted to show my husband today what they look like but chickened out again. I know I am being silly. But there are a couple scabs still there and I want to now wait until they fall off. My husband has been very supportive through this whole process even though he liked my boobs just as they were. God love him he likes the all natural look and did not seem to mind that they hung down to my belly button. Well they certainly are no where near my belly button now so I am just nervous that he is not going to look at me the same. I guess I will wait a few more days before the big reveal! Anyway, I am feeling good. Still a little sore in the left breast but honestly feel better now that the tape is gone. I am traveling for business on Monday and will be gone for 4 days. I am a bit nervous to go because I don't want something to happen to incisions while away. I don't like to be so far from my doctor. Anyway, not much else to report, but I will check back in in a few days. Hope everyone is doing well! Updated on 13 May 2015: So per my Ps instructions I have started to massage my breasts for 5-10 minutes in morning and 5-10 at night. It's going okay I guess but I have to say massaging my own breasts is not my favorite think to do..lol. I still am afraid of separation under the breast at the T juncture so I have been avoiding that spot for now to give it some additional time to heal. I have been focusing my massaging on the ends of the incisions for now. So those of you that have been following my story know that after my BR I still had feeling in my right nipple but sadly after 25 days there is still no feeling in my left breast. As a matter fact the entire bottom half of my left breast is still numb. So today, I was rubbing bio oil into my incision area on left nipple and I realized that my nipple was getting Hard or erect or whatever you want to call it.. It was standing attention! I still had no feeling but it was standing up? Do you think that's a good sign that it may lead to the feeling coming back? Or could the fact that my nipple reacted to my touch have absolutely no bearing on whether or not I will regain my feeling . Again, if it never comes back I will not regret the surgery for one second... I am just saying it would be nice if it came back. I am very interested to hear all your stories on the subject. I hope all is well... Updated on 10 Jun 2015: Hello everyone! It has Been awhile since I posted an update but I just recently saw my PS for a check up and thought I should check in with all of you. My Ps said I was doing great. I am almost 2 months post op and I am told the scarring looks great. I do have one bumpy spot on the end of the incision toward the cleavage area but the PS told me that it will flatten out and by massaging it will help speed the process up. If I am still unhappy when I see her at my ne t appt in September than she will do a scar revision. honestly I think the spot looks great and don't think a revision will be needed but it's good to know she will do it! Anyway , feeling great. All restrictions have been removed. I can finally start to exercise. I also can stop wearing a bra to bed. In fact she said I don't even require a bra at all unless I am exercising. Anyway, I feel amazing. Unfortunately still no feeling on the left nipple. At this point I don't think it will:( I am so happy this is the best thing I have ever done for myself!
