In Junior High I began developing breasts faster than all of my friends. By high school I was a size 5 with D/DD breasts. My breasts began to hinder my sports activities. My breasts became larger during pregnancy and the headaches, neck and back pain began. I have over 15+ years of documented history of neck, back and shoulder pain from past to present doctors. I’m now 45 and I wear 36 G/H in bra size. I wear 11/12 in pants and 16/18 in shirts. I weigh around 180-185lbs. Needless to say, I’m a little curvy. I can’t purchase a dress off of the rack without purchasing a 16/18 and having it altered. In fact, most of my blouses hang like tents. Where I work it’s predominately men. I don’t wear anything form fitting to draw attention, which is not so flattering. I recently had a biometric screening and I have shrunk 1-1/4 inches. I use to be 5’7” and I am now 5”5 1/2” I feel the weight of my breasts make me slouch. I have consulted with a plastic surgeon out of Springfield, MO and he sent in documentation to the insurance company and was approved!!! I am scheduled to have a breast reduction December 12, 2014. The PS plans to remove 500-600 grams per side. He asked me what size I wanted to be, I told him a C. He said “I won’t be able to get you down to a C, but I might be able to get you down to a D/DD.” I was SO disappointed!!! To prevent the nipple from dying he explained that the placement of the current nipple will be relocated to the natural position, but would remain attached while relocating. My biggest fear is that I will still be large breasted. Updated on 8 Dec 2014: As I sit here reading through the BR forum, I am not afraid of going in Wednesday morning. The many women that have contributed to this forum have been great educators and supporters! This is a wonderful site that provide the support we need from women just like me! I hear so many positive outcomes! Granted there will be a rough patch, but I'm focusing on the smaller perky breasts that no longer create back and neck pain! Some things I look forward to: 1) The mask going over my face and falling asleep! I'm a light sleeper and can never seam to get enough rest. 2) Have a fashion show with my daughter from my current closet. 3) Wearing strapless bras or shirts! 4) Rolling over at night and not having to completely raise up and do a 180! You know what I'm talking about! ;) 5) going bra shopping! I've been getting Victoria's Secret email everyday now. It's like they know I will be purchasing new bras! Oh wait a minute.....I will be able to buy bras off of the rack!! How cool is that? 6) Going swimsuit shopping! 7) Wear a fitted sweater without being self conscious and guys staring at me! And 8) having more energy to work out to stay healthy! Updated on 9 Dec 2014: Up to this point I have been extremely excited. I'm still excited, but I'm just very emotional tonight. I find myself fighting back the tears. I never saw this coming. My boys are coming home from college to be with me. My husband is supportive and I have an entire network of wonderful women that have or will go through a breast reduction. Today I went to work and left around 2:00pm. I stopped at the nail salon to have the shellac removed from my nails. The male technician asked me three times if I wanted a color put on. After saying no three times I finally said "I'm having surgery tomorrow and I can't have any nail polish on." Would you believe that about 5 minutes later he says "well I hope your ok, what kind of surgery?" I spoke lightly and said breast reduction. He said "what kind of surgery?" I finally said louder "Breast Reduction!" The room got quiet and he didn't ask any more questions! Lol! Thank goodness I don't mind if people know I'm having this done! Lol! Or I would have crawled under the table. My pajamas are packed, the pillow for the car ride is ready, the house is clean, dinner cooked for the boys when they get home, last load of laundry is in the dryer. I think I'm ready!!! Updated on 11 Dec 2014: It has now been 24 hours since my surgery. Overall I feel good. I have some pain, but it's tolerable. I am taking the pain meds as prescribed and the ice packs are helping a lot!!! I move the packs around every 20 minutes and switch them out for fresh ones every 4 hours (each time I take meds). That really helps with the pain, meds don't seem to touch. Yesterday I had nausea from the pain meds. I learned the hard way to ALWAYS eat something before taking them! I'm not eating big meals. Instead I am snacking before taking my meds and I feel stuffed. I have not had a sore throat, but it's really dry. My doctor, Dr. Steven Hughes out of Springfield, MO specializes in Breast cancer patients, but also does Breast reductions. I guess you can say he is a boob man. Lol! He specializes in Breast reconstruction. I'm extremely pleased with my outcome so far. I highly recommend him for any kind of breast procedures!!! As I was preparing for surgery at the hospital, the nurse asked me if I had shaved under my arms and she was glad I did. She also asked me if I shaved my legs recently. She said the special cloths I was to wipe down with would make my legs sting or burn if they were newly shaven. Thank goodness it was a few days ago since I shaved. I'm still amazed that I have size C/D tatas! My daughter thinks they look smaller than that, but the tissue on the side and top have not settled yet. I was worried about not being small enough after surgery and I'm not worried at all now!!! They look great! I'm amazed that I don't have boobs under my arms anymore!!! AND.....I can see my belly Button!!! My shoulders and upper body look small. Updated on 12 Dec 2014: Day Three I started itching all over last night! How long does the itching last? Itching has tapered off and is occasional now. I have taken a stool softener EVERY TIME I took pain meds. Still no bm yet. I'm not uncomfortable with that issue yet. I have been eating very light....soups, jello, oatmeal, Chex mix, toast, water, sprite. I'm finding it a challenge to eat every time before I take pain pills. I haven't really got my appetite back. At least I no longer have nausea. I have a hard time responding to messages as I get so tired and must take a nap in the middle of typing. I finally took a shower today. I bought a shower seat for the tub/shower. It's awesome! It made it a lot easier to get cleaned up. I also removed the bandages, but left the steri strips alone. I love my new tatas! I knew immediately that My nipples have sensation as I patted dry...Yay! I'm very pleased with the size too!!!! I do not have any back or neck pain!!!! Overall I'm progressing well. Pain is minor today. God is good!!! Thanks for all of the prayers!!!! Updated on 13 Dec 2014: Today I stopped using the ice packs, started tapering off pain meds (ok, just stretched them out farther...I really did try), and not only took a shower, but my hubby washed my hair! I also got out of the recliner ALL BY MYSELF! Ohhhhh.....and had my first bm since before surgery! I'm making progress and feeling better each day. I still have my moments when I get tired and have to just close my eyes and rest. Sometime as I'm typing a message a get so tired I just have to take a nap before finishing it. As far as mobility.... I'm limited on how far I can bend over, raise my hands, use my arms (as to be expected). Today was the best day so far! I'm really looking forward to trying my clothes on! I'm also looking forward to losing my Muffintop! Lol! I've been hiding it for some time now. However, hiding it is no longer an option. :/ I'm so glad I had this done! I'm anxious to see the results over the next few weeks!!! Updated on 14 Dec 2014: Today started out rough for me because I thought I was Super Woman and could go 10 hours without pain meds!! What was I thinking? After taking pain med with food, all is right with the world and my tatas!!! My thought was I would sleep and when ever I woke up I would take pain med. I now realize that the incisions are still painfully deep and I'm not ready to do that just yet. Day 5 went really well! I'm feeling better each day now! I'm self sufficient for the most part. Hubby helped me wash my back and made sure I could get in and out of the shower without fail. I have had minimal drainage and gauze didn't even stick to incisions today. YAY! Steri strips are beginning to come up on their own. By Friday at my Post Op appt they should be fairly easy to remove! YAY!!! I felt really good all day and only took a short nap. Tomorrow I will be home alone for the first time post op. I know this is silly, but I can hardly wait to do the happy dance in front of the mirror tomorrow! Hands below my head of course! :) Updated on 15 Dec 2014: I think I did too much yesterday. I definitely feel it today and have been so tired and sleepy all day. My body is feeling better, but I'm learning my limits. Today was the first day home alone. I'm self sufficient for the most part.....just no lifting. Other than that my chest is feeling better everyday! I do feel that I'm a bit of a wuss as I read other posts about women not needing pain meds. I can go 5.5 hours and then the incisions begins to hurt again. I was prescribed Hydrocodone. I have a drug allergy to sulfa and maybe that why I'm on something different....not sure. I started to use Extra Strength Tylenol today. Should know more tomorrow. I did 2 loads of laundry, watched a lot of TV and caught up on some work emails. On a really bright note.....I tried on one of my favorite dress jackets and it fit like a glove! It didn't gap in the front and hung beautifully! It looks like I've dropped several dress sizes. Who knew removing 3 lbs would have that effect? Lol! I can hardly wait to try one more clothes tomorrow with jeans and not pajama pants! Lol! Lastly, I went braless for a few hours today! It was great! My nipples are extremely sensitive! I'm glad to know that I have sensitivity there!!! Updated on 16 Dec 2014: Today was even better than yesterday! I've been only taking Extra Strength Tylenol ever 5-6 hours. I have prescription pain med on standby for tonight......I'm going to try and sleep in bed tonight. I slept a lot today and even laid down In bed (first time since surgery) for an additional nap. I almost stayed in my pjs all day, but I showered all by myself (for the first time) and felt really good. I put on my favorite jeans, tried a few of my clothes on, and even a little mascara! I'm extremely pleased with my outcome of the BR (even though it's not finished)! With a little work in the gym I will be rocking that bikini this summer!!! Light is definitely at the end of the tunnel! Maybe I will try to make dinner tomorrow! :) Updated on 17 Dec 2014: I had a rough night and had to pull out the big guns (aka presc pain meds). Once I took pain meds I slept like a baby! I think I might have been paying for all of the stuff I did around the house yesterday. Actually it could have been that extra long shower I took. As the incisions were softened and then the began to dry they became really tight and painful. I'm not really sure. I slept until noon today and got up and around. I did NOT take any pain meds all day! Yay!!! However, after showering, trying on clothes, putting makeup on, cleaning kitchen ......I wanted to make dinner all by myself! Big mistake! I should have asked for help when I knew I needed it! I was opening two cans of water chestnuts with the can opener and they were stubborn! I got a butter knife out to pry the lid up because the lids were being difficult. I felt some pain when turning the opener and when I was prying the lids. To make a long story short, I should not have been as stubborn as the cans. My left side is swollen tonight and somewhat painful. I did it because I wanted my hubby to have a night off! I'm tired of being a burden to him! Next time I will order out! : ) . . . I did get out of the house tonight! Hubby took me to the store around the corner and I went in for a few things. It was nice to feel the sleet fall on my hair and eyelashes! : ) Updated on 18 Dec 2014: Life after BR is finally getting better! This is the best day so far!!! I did nothing all day....well I showered and washed my hair (all by myself), the usual personal hygiene stuff. I took it really easy. Tomorrow I have my Post Op appointment and I hope I get cleared to drive. I'm going stir crazy and need to do some clothes shopping! :) This is one of the perks of having a BR! Shopping! Lol! I can't really do any shopping online since I really don't know how things are going fit, let alone ...what size do I wear now? : ) I will soon start going through clothes and begin posting them in my closet on Poshmark. Thinking about doing that makes me exhausted already! I'm also thinking about washing/shrinking some of my shirts/sweaters.....that sounds crazy since I have always been real careful not to shrink anything or it would not fit. This is a good problem to have! I am really looking forward to going to church on Sunday! I really hope I feel up to it! My Post Op Appointment is in the morning! I'm anxious to see what the doctor thinks! Updated on 19 Dec 2014: Today was my 1st Post Op Appointment with Dr. Hughes. He is a plastic surgeon that specializes in breast cancer patients, reconstruction, and reductions. He only works on breasts! : ) When I was waiting to be called into his office I developed a new perspective on my pain and healing process from BR. Although my surgery was not life threatening, it was a surgery to stop my back, shoulder and neck pain. As I sat there listening to breast cancer patients talk about their situation, I realized how blessed I am to not have a life threatening physical issue! God is good! My PS told me to wear or not wear a bra..... However, if you wear a bra no underwire or push-up. I assured him I have no interest in underwires for a while!!! As for a push-up...my girls are pleasantly perky and I'm in no need of a lift. Doc said the tape can come off as it falls off. After I got home I gently proceeded to remove a piece of tape that was about to fall off. I got to see part of my new refurbished nipple! I am so pleased! It's a lot smaller than the original! Keep in mind, the original was the size of a cola can! All of my stitches are dissolvable and inside. There are no external stitches to be removed. Woohoo! During the past 10 days I have had very little bruising, a little swelling (ice packs worked wonders). The incisions ache a little some times, but I have been off pain meds for two days now. He is very pleased of my progress and my next appointment is in a month. I forgot to ask a couple of questions while I was there, so I will email him to get them answered. Today was even better than yesterday. My mobility with my arms, waist, and bending over is getting better each day now. I still feel some tightness from the incisions as they dry out from a shower, sit in one position for too long or use my arms in a manner that I shouldn't be doing anyway. When I was riding in the car to and from my appointment I found that by holding my tatas it helped restrict their movements and prevented a painful ride. Other than that, the last two days have been a major turning point in my recovery! I really love my results!!! Updated on 20 Dec 2014: I had another great day. I drove for the first time since surgery!!! About a block from my house! Lol! It's a start! People probably thought....what is that woman doing holding her boobs while she is driving? Little do they know that if I did not hold them, they would be screaming at me (even through my bra)! Yes, only one bra! That's a first! The thought of never having to wear multiple bras ever again when I work out almost makes me cry! ....happy tears! I walked on the treadmill for .50 miles. It said I was on track for a 42 minute mile! Good Lord!! I think other people at the gym probably thought....wow I didn't know the treadmill went that slow! I could only walk 1.4 mph to keep breasts from moving. I didn't want to over do it so I only walked for a little over 20 minutes. During the summer I was walking 4 miles, 4 times a week, and at times I would walk 20 miles in one week! It looks like I have some serious work to do, but at least today was a start! After I got home I was wiped out! I bet I sleep like a baby tonight! I'm going to church in the morning! It's been three weeks since I have been. I've been out of town on business, surgery, and then recovery. It sure will feel good to get back! I haven't really thought too much about the hugs I usually receive. I will just have to grab their hands and tell them hugs are appreciated, but I need to get healed up first. I've been on the prayer list, but not everyone knows why. When I took a shower I removed another piece of tape that was almost ready to fall off around my nipple. My nipples have been very sensitive, but as the tape begins to fall off they have become EXTREMELY sensitive! Lol! At times It feels like I have super powers....lasers shooting from my nipples!!! I honestly can't tell you how many times my family has asked me....are you cold! I wasn't cold.......it was those darn lasers again!!! I'm really looking forward to the horizontal tape to fall off. Sometimes I feel that is the tape pulling that is causing the pinch or pain. As the tape begins to fall off each day is like unwrapping a Christmas present! Merry Christmas To Me! I absolutely love my new tatas!!! Updated on 21 Dec 2014: Each day just keeps getting better! I went to church this morning! yay! I'm moving around better each day! Receiving hugs from people were avoided. Yay! It was funny to catch people taking a second look at me! I'm sure some of them could not figure out what was different. Lol! My best friend told me I look a lot thinner! See, I told you people thought I was just fat when my boobs were big! I got on the scales today and I am finally 179 lbs!!! In the past year I have weighed 184-195 lbs. It feels great to be a little lighter!!! My husband and I did some Christmas shopping today and boy are my tatas sore tonight! I took Tylenol for the first time since around day 6, keep in mind it's day 12. My doctor warned me that my nipple sensitivity could be a little much at times....boy he was right! I felt my special powers kick in most of the day! It felt like my lasers could cut through walls! Updated on 4 Jan 2015: When I got out and around to finish up Christmas shopping I ended up bringing home more than Christmas gifts............I brought home the flu.........for the second time over the past two months. The good news is it helped in my weight loss! However, I still can't get rid of the cough. When I coughed so hard one night I popped a rib out of place. I was not able to go to the chiropractor, because I didn't think they could do anything since I was 2 1/2 weeks post op. Since then the rib has popped back into place on its own. Now that I am just short of 4 weeks post op, my energy is coming back and the soreness is minimal. I have been wearing Champion, Genie, and Danskin sport bras. I also still wear the Fruit of the Loom front hook bra, but it difficult to hide the straps and top of bra. My husband gave me a Victoria Secret gift card, so I though I would go bra shopping last week. After trying on three bras I realized that I was in now way ready for a real bra! In fact, I didn't even stay long enough to see what size I am. If I was guessing, I'm around a 36 D/DD. I still have minor swelling and will most likely have to wait a while to find out my true size. I still worry that my incisions will separate. I have not had any issues with separation yet. However, I sure wish I knew when I would be in the clear for incision separation. Updated on 14 Jan 2020: It’s been 5 years since my breast reduction surgery and I continue to be thankful for the surgery! Before surgery I was a 36 G/H... 5 years later I am a 36 DD. I remember my surgery recovery being rough, but I will never regret going through with it. For the people who say it only took 2 weeks recovery... they were blessed beyond measure. It took me months to heal. Please know, you can not rush the healing process.... even for vacation! My incisions took a while to heal and it was about 5-6 months before I could wear a bikini top or regular bra. Everyone is different. My advice to you... 1) research you doctor. 2) read through this site and ask as many questions as you need to. 3) share your experience with others. 5) don’t be afraid to take pain meds, just know you need to take plenary of fiber. 4) Lastly..... know that you can do this! !!!
