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So, a year later...
The scarring is still pretty apparent, especially on my left breast where the incision split open and healing was delayed. But I don't really care. They look amazing in clothes - I can finally display cleavage and feel happy and sexy, instead of feeling ridiculous. I usually wear a 36D - common store brands fit fine. A normal sports bra is plenty of support for exercise. And the scars will fade in time, I'm sure - it might be a couple more years before they get really unnoticeable, but I'm not in a hurry. The benefits by far outweigh the costs.
One year later pics
One month post-op.
Nothing is infected, and while it does look a bit gross, it is definitely healing. My surgeon says that usually this sort of thing heals very well with minimal scarring, but even if the scars end up unsightly, there are things she can do to help that later. In the meantime, I have to apply silvadene and rebandage myself twice a day, and I have weekly appointments to check on my progress. At this last one they removed some of that white tissue you can see in the wound, which all has to get out so that good healthy blood-supplied tissue can move in.
None of this is painful at all, and it's not really much more gross than having a skinned knee or being on your period. I've pretty much just been tending the wounds when they need it, and otherwise forgetting about it. I feel very well overall - certain spots are still tender and I obviously can't wear a normal bra yet, but other than that I've gone back to almost all of my regular activities. No high impact exercise, but I can pick up and carry heavy stuff around just fine. I can even sleep on my side now, which is a huge relief.
That's pretty much all of my current news - I'll update again in a month or two and let you guys see how things are getting on.
Provider Review
Overall, I'm extremely pleased with my doctor. She seems very experienced and knowledgeable, and I'm very happy with my results and with the quality of care I received. One thing is that all of my appointments with her have been very quick - she gets in and gets things done, not a lot of waiting around or extra talking (in fact, her and her staff are so efficient that I was actually done with my first post-op appointment before it was even scheduled to start. There's not much waiting around in that office!). She seems very willing to answer questions, but doesn't necessarily ask for a lot of input. She told me how the surgery would go, and what size she thought I would be afterward. There was no discussion about what I might have wanted - I was not invited to bring in pictures or an example of what bra I'd like to fit into. This is something that doesn't bother me - like I said, I'm very happy with my results - but someone who wants a little more control over the process might have been frustrated by her approach. I decided to trust in her judgement and experience, and was not disappointed, but this won't work for everyone. Part of my experience may have been because I was having a medically recommended, insurance covered, breast reduction, and not a completely cosmetic procedure that I was going to be mostly paying for out of pocket. She may be more communicative with other patients, or this may just be her style. It may also be that I didn't really ask questions or put myself forward - since I pretty much decided that I wanted the surgery, period, and wasn't too concerned about the details. Overall though, I was very pleased with not only her, but also all of the other staff that I met with during the process. Everyone was polite and friendly, and several people called my home after the surgery to ask how I was doing. I also was very impressed with the staff at the Alaska Surgery Center, where my surgery was performed.