Closing an Old Chapter and Opening Up a New One - Albany, NY

I am 53 years old and a mom of three children. I am 5'7" and weigh 180 pounds. I have a classic apple shaped figure. I am currently a 40H/38J (J cups are very hard to find). My surgeon said that his aim is to make my breasts proportionate to the rest of me which will most likely be a DD or DDD. I am just looking forward to having them lifted, shaped and having nipples that face forward. I am also having liposuction of my flanks and upper buttocks at the same time.

I have had large breasts since junior high school. Boys were constantly trying to look down my shirt and even used to offer me money to look at them. I have been embarrassed about my breasts ever since. They seem to get in the way of everything. I had to change gyms because I was too embarrassed to jog on the treadmill in front of men. I even tried to join a boot camp - not a good idea to jump rope or do jumping jacks with big boobs flopping everywhere - the same goes for zumba classes.

Seven years ago I weighed 330 pounds and when I was lying in bed after having a strangulated hernia removed I made a promise to myself that I would lose weight so I decided to do it "The Biggest Loser" style and put all my time and effort into exercising and eating right and I managed to get down to 165 pounds within a year - which put me at a size 8/10 after I had my excess skin removed. Unfortunately, two years ago I started feeling tired all the time and had no energy to go to the gym and I gained 40 pounds back. I was recently diagnosed with having a thyroid problem and since I have started to take medication I have gotten my energy back and am now 15 pounds from my goal weight. Having the breast reduction and liposuction will be finally closing an old chapter in my life and opening up a new one.

I am having my work done a week from today in Albany, NY. My mom lives up there and I can rest and relax after my procedure. If I stayed in the city I would never get any rest. Our daughter and her boyfriend are coming to stay so they can keep an eye on my younger son and help out my husband who is disabled (my oldest son is living in Ireland).

I would like to thank all the people who have shared their stories and after pictures. Your words and pictures are truly inspiring and encouraging and filled with such good advice.

Sorry for the long post - but it was very cathartic - rather like a dear diary entry.

I have been so hot and miserable the last couple of days. It is so hard to do everything when it is 99 degrees outside. I only have to go to the laundromat and then I am off to my mom's house. My surgery is scheduled for first thing in the morning and I am just so excited to finally get this weight off my back. I really wish I had done it sooner - but better late then never.

I won't be able to post anything or share after pictures for a week for so because my mother (she is 87) doesn't have the internet. Thankfully, she does have cable so I can indulge in House and Law and Order SVU reruns, and of course, there is always Redbox. My sister gave me a bag full of magazines and books for my birthday so I will be able to indulge in reading as well. I think the boredom may get to me.

Thanks again, for all the prayers and well wishes.

I just got back from my mom's house in Albany where I was recovering from my breast reduction and lipo on my flanks.

I could not be more pleased with my new breasts - I think euphoric is a good word to describe my mood lately. I love looking at them - I can't believe that at 54 I can actually where a normal sports bra and walk around in a tank top with out bopping up and down.

My breasts are still quite swollen and very hard and perky. I had my stitches removed last Thursday (six days after the surgery). I am still taping them. I have to say that the pain from the breast reduction has been minimal - I haven't had to take any pain killers. The only discomfort I felt at first was when the "one size DOES NOT fit all" compression bra was digging into my stitches. I have since switched over to a compression sports bra and feel fine.

If anyone has not had the procedure yet and is reading this - you really need to take your time picking out a sports bra. I had a terrible time finding one that fit comfortably. The zip up one was comfortable but kept on unzipping and then I tried a cute black one only to find that it rode up on my breasts - because my breasts are naturally on the low side so whenever I moved my arms the bra rode up. I have since found one with a big band at the bottom that fits really well. A comfortable bra is a must. My doctor doesn't believe in icing so I haven't been doing that.

By far the most uncomfortable feeling is from the lipo on my back - it felt like I was hit repeatedly with a baseball bat. And, it is very uncomfortable to have to sleep on my back because of the reduction I can't sleep on my side. If I had thought about it, I probably would have had them done at different times.

I will try to post after pictures tomorrow - they are amazing! The surgeon took six pounds off my breasts and five pounds from my back. So I am feeling light and very happy at the moment. The feeling of not carrying around my heavy boobs and having my bra straps digging into my shoulder just feels fantastic. It also feels great to be able to button a blouse and not have it gape open! Also, I got my nipple sensitivity back already which was a pleasant surprise (although they do feel pretty strange sometimes rubbing up against my bra).

The only downside to the whole thing was that I was only able to see my daughter for a day before I had to drive her and her boyfriend back to the airport. Which means it is just me, my disabled husband and 12-year old son at home. That means I am going to have to try very hard not to do too much.

Also, I would like to thank everyone for their support. This web site is an amazing place for people who are thinking about having a reduction or for those of us just having it done.

Another day and I am still swollen and sore - it feels like they are engorged (like they felt when I was breastfeeding many years ago).

I think the comments from friends and family are rather funny - they range from my husband thinking they are too small (ha ha) and friends who think they are still big - some said they don't even notice much of a difference - which I think is perplexing. I definitely feel smaller (he did take off six pounds) and I am six inches smaller around the fullest part of my bust so I really don't get it. I know they aren't small - but I am not small either. I am just happy that when I look down I see my breasts and not my stomach.

I will try to post some more pictures in the next couple of days (I can't find my camera).

Does anyone know if you can go swimming in the ocean three weeks after surgery? I am going to Rhode Island this weekend and I would love to go swimming but I will only be three weeks post surgery. If not, I will just go in the water up to my waist.

I am still feeling great - the lipo pain has gone away and now I am just left with the breast reduction twinges and my bra sometimes digging into my incisions. I am still pretty swollen and it is such a strange feeling when I brush my arms against them - they feel so hard. So I am still enjoying the perky teenager feeling. I remember as a teenager a friend telling me that boobs weren't worth anything unless you could put a pencil underneath and have it drop to the floor. Never could do it but now I have no problem since they haven't dropped yet - I love it.

Shopping is so much fun - I can fit into clothes that I could never fit into before - even after I lost 170 pounds. I finally was able to zip up a size 14 jacket that I was given as a gift six years ago! I tell you, it is such a fabulous feeling. I even decided to try on bras today - they are a 38DD - they may go down to a D after the swelling - but whatever size they are I am thrilled not to have to shove my breasts into a bra ever again. I used to dread summer mornings after a shower and having to try to stuff my breasts into a bra - never again! I can't tell you how much I hated being a 38H/J (it was awfully hard to get a J cup bra so I usually had to settle for an H).

The only problem I am having is with my right breast there is a small opening underneath my nipple that I am tending to with peroxide and anti-bacterial ointment. If it doesn't work I will have to go back to my surgeon but it looks like a lot of women seem to have the same problem after surgery - so I am not worried - I just hope it doesn't get worse.

I am still struggling with sleeping on my back - it does feel a bit better since my lipo bruising has gone away. I always thought I had a pretty comfortable bed until now. If anyone reading this is getting a reduction - get yourself some really good pillows - you will need them.

I am finally getting my energy back - I went down to Manhattan today and managed to get in 18,921 steps without it hurting. I am being super diligent with my diet because I don't want to gain any weight while I am recovering and not being active. I still have 12 pounds to go which shouldn't be a big problem to lose once I get the go ahead to work out again. I also feel so much better now that I am taking thyroid medicine.

I have been running around so much trying to get things done (I am moving to Ireland next month) and I am so impatient at all the things I still can't do. I have been walking a lot lately but I do notice that I get tired far more quickly than I used to. I want to work out so bad but that is still a no no. I am still sore around the incision line at the bottom so by the end of the day my breasts feel raw at the bottom. I have been sleeping with a men's tube sock underneath the bra band to cushion it or I wouldn't be able to sleep at all. I have been sleeping on my side for the past couple of days with a pillow cushioned underneath my breasts. It got to the point where I was hardly sleeping at all when I was sleeping on my back - I would sleep for an hour or two and then I would have to wake up and walk around so I needed the extra sleep.

I did go in the ocean on our annual weekend in Rhode Island. My son was so excited that I actually went swimming in a women's bathing suit. I usually wore men's board shorts and a big t-shirt. I couldn't actually swim because of the range of motion of my arms but I did let the water splash all over me and the water was choppy so it did knock me over a couple of times. But, I had so much fun and it felt great to be able to wear a bathing suit with out feeling self conscious.

I have also been bra shopping - not that I can wear them yet but it is fun to try on different styles. I did notice that I can't wear any bra that is just a lacy cup because my breasts aren't full enough to fill out the cup so they pucker all over. It looks like at this point I am for the most part a 38D in a few of the cheaper bras I would need to go up to a DD. I am still just so happy not to have large breasts that I don't mind being a D or DD that I don't even mind having breasts them many people would still consider large. They don't bounce when I walk and they don't flop to the sides when I lay down at night to sleep. I can't tell you how good it is just to have them lifted.

Now, there are of course a couple of little problems. No sooner did my two sores start to heal on my right breast that another one appeared on the side of my right breast near the end of the incisions - I think this might be from the bra rubbing against my skin. It doesn't look too bad so I am not going to worry about it. I am going back to my surgeon next Friday and he can tell me what he thinks. I haven't had any problems at all with my left breasts. They are both still swollen but I do notice that the left one is larger than the right one and it seems to be a slightly different shape. The left one is a more pointed shape where the right one is rounder. Also, my right nipple is a little bit off center but I do realize that all breasts aren't perfect whether you are born with them or if a surgeon crafted them for you. So, I don't let the little things bother me.

The only thing that bothers me is that now that I have smaller breasts I feel the rest of me looks bigger. I can't wait to get back to the gym and when I do I am going to finally eat a proper diet and see if that helps. Even though I keep under a certain calorie limit I do have a sweet tooth and I now that sugar is bad for me especially as I get older and every pound wants to settle around my mid-section. So when I move to Ireland I am going to cut out most sugar eat as organic as possible and stay away from genetically modified foods. My brother is a naturopath and he is putting me on a proper diet. So I am looking forward to feeling better. It is weird but even though I lost so much weight before but because my breasts were still so big I still felt huge. Now that my breasts are reduced to a normal size I want my whole body to fit in with them.

I am going to post pictures as soon as I can figure out how to do it. For some reason it doesn't want to work right now.

I had my six week check-up at the beginning of the month and the doctor was pleased with the results. I do have quite a few issues that the doctor can't really do anything about. My left breast is a DD and my right is a D. My scars are inverted on both breasts from the nipple to underneath my breasts and my breasts are very lumpy underneath - this has to do with scar tissue. The doctor said to massage them daily and that might help to break down some of the lumps. In other words, my breasts look fine in a bra but have issues when I am naked. Since I spend most of my time with clothes on these issues don't bother me that much. If I were younger they would probably bother me a lot more. I am just happy that the volume of my breasts were reduced and that they are perky - and they are still perky.

I have started jogging and it feels fabulous to be able to run. My most important investment has been getting good sports bras. Good bras make the world of difference - they cost more, but they are worth every penny. If you want your breasts to stay perky they need really good support.

I also love buying really pretty bras to wear every day they make me feel special and I love being able to look down and not see a pair of gigantic breasts.

My biggest problem with the recover process was that because I was not working out five days a week I managed to gain five pounds.

I can't seem to download photos from my computer. I am moving next week and will be getting a new laptop so hopefully I can download photos then. I know a picture is worth more than words to show what the problem issues are.

So, I have had the last five months to get used to my new breasts and I have to say, I love them.

The thing I like most about having smaller boobs is that I no longer have to pull on my bra straps or constantly run into the bathroom to rearrange them as they were constantly falling out of my bra. Also, I no longer have to jog with my arms across my chest to keep them bouncing up and down.

My breasts came into their own about the three month mark - it was then that they evened out (one was a cup size larger than the other at the beginning). Tape measure wise I am a DDD but I can't fill a DDD bra so either wear a D or a DD far better than squeezing them into an H cup because I couldn't find a J cup. I love having perky breasts and mine really haven't dropped (if I put a pencil underneath it drops to the floor). These are the breasts that I wished I had in high school. My biggest regret is that I didn't have the surgery sooner. My breasts are by no means perfect - I prefer the shape of the left one - it is slightly more pointy and rounder where the right one is slightly wider. I am very pleased with the way the nipples turned out - although the right one is slightly off center. All in all, I have no complaints.

If someone who is reading this is considering surgery my biggest advice would be to arm yourself with pictures of breasts that you like and make sure that your surgeon understands the size YOU want - they are your breasts and you are the one who has to live with them. If the surgeon seems at all wary of what you want go to another surgeon. I have read many complaints about surgeons who seem to not want to give women C cups. I am pleased with my rather large size because I have a large frame but I know some people would still consider them large.

I take good care of my breasts - when I work out I make sure I wear a heavy duty bra (Panache) and I massage bio oil in every evening. I also massage them in the shower which helped break up some lumps that I had after surgery - thankfully, the lumps are now gone.

My only complaint is that I never really got my energy back. I used to work out five days a week and at a high intensity and I was walking nine to 10 miles a day. Now I have to force myself to work out and instead of spending time in the gym I have been spending it in the pool because I find it easier.

My new year's resolution is to force myself to go to the gym - I have gained 10 pounds since the surgery in that was on top of the 15 pounds that I wanted to lose right after the surgery - so now I have to lose 25 pounds. Wish me luck - I am going to London and Paris with one of my sisters in March and I would love to be able to buy myself a dress but I need to lose the weight first.

I am going to try to add photos and I am also adding a couple of photos of my new Irish surroundings - I am in the wilds of northern Donegal.

Best wishes to all of you in the new year!

I don't have much to write since my last update but things are going well and really am happy that I had this procedure done. I am still amazed every day that my breasts are the size that they are. I love being able to wear tank tops and v-neck sweaters without being so self conscious. I also love lying down and not having my breasts flop to the side. But I think the best part is that I am no longer dreading the summer because of all the rashes I would get underneath my breasts - sometimes they got so bad that they would bleed.

I am progressing on my weight loss journey so I will update after I have lost my 20/25 pounds and let you know how weight loss effects the breasts. I am at that age where if I go down to low weight wise my face gets to gaunt.

I will say for people who are considering a reduction and wondering if having smaller breasts will make you look like you have a bigger stomach and my answer is no. I think before people would look at me just because I had such huge breasts and now the stares are gone. My mother always said that my breasts just made me look matronly.

I am going to once again attempt to put up pictures. I think my problem before was that my camera was making the images too large and I think I have rectified that.