End of my H Cup shenanigans

Today I finally scheduled my breast surgery! I've been on a constant journey over the past several years to wrangle, manage, and constrain my 32H/FF chest behemoths.

I've been heavy chested as long as I can remember. I was a D in high school, and a DD in my undergrad. I remember going to Victoria's Secret while in grad school and the woman who measured me said, "yeah... we don't carry your size."
3 years ago when my friend got married, I went to a specialty bra store to get fitted for a strapless bra. "What size do you think you are?" The woman asked me. "I thought I was a DD, but recently I bought a DDD, and it fits better..." I said, because I wasn't really sure.

I was a G.

I started replacing all my undersized DDs with properly sized bras, and it's done wonders for my self confidence, but it hasn't reduced my back pain like I'd hoped.

As a software engineer who sits at a desk all day, the back, shoulder, and neck pain have been detrimental to my productivity; plus my oversized sweater melons *literally* get in the way when I type.

My mother had a breast reduction when she was my age, so she's been 100% supportive, but I've faced a great deal of incredulity from others, especially men.

"You look great!" they say. I know, but they're SO HEAVY.
"Some women would love to have breasts that big." Yeah, they can buy some. That's not my problem
"Why would you do that????" Because I'm tired of having a swamp in my bra all summer!!! The humidititty is awful.
"They don't look that big." Hey buddy, that's a statement, not a fact.

I'm hoping that this reduction will help to:
- reduce my neck/back/shoulder pain
- make dressing myself easier (off the shoulder tops? halter dresses! omg!)
- make exercising easier (it's tough to jog while being punched in the chest by my own boobs)
- increase my self confidence

It will be so freeing!

I scheduled consultations with 4 surgeons in the Indianapolis, IN area.

1) Dr Joseph Fata has great cosmetic results, but seemed very old fashioned. He was the only one of the four who insisted I remove my sternum piercing, and he never asked what size I would like to be. His office staff also required significantly more insurance information than all the others. He also did not want to explain in detail the reduction procedure he uses.

2) Dr Barbara Siwy's was friendly but easily distracted (she spent several minutes listing surgeons that might have performed my mother's surgery 35 years ago), and her office staff didn't seem to be all that helpful. She talked at length about other patients' personal lives and I didn't like the aesthetics of her 'after' pictures.

3) Dr. Kimberly Short has an office full of women who are walking testimonials in favor of her skills. They've all got lovely faces, breasts, lips, etc; however, she does not accept insurance. She also performs a SPAIR procedure (which leaves a lollipop scar), and I felt that the results look more like an implant than a natural breast - lots of upper fullness and a lot of projection, but not a lot of bottom curve, even 6-12 months later. I understand that aesthetic, but it's not my personal preference.

4) Dr. Christine Kelley is knowledgeable, professional, and attentive. She explained her preferred procedure, why she prefers it, and why she does not generally use alternate reduction techniques like the SPAIR. I felt at ease when talking to her and her office staff, and I felt like she cared a lot about my motivations and wanted to help me. Her patient coordinator Michelle took care of all the paperwork and contacted me less than 2 weeks later to let me know that my insurance had approved everything! Dr. Kelley won me over immediately, and I'm hoping to come out of this experience with the same amount of confidence!

I have 7 weeks. I'm exciterrified!
I'll post some before pictures soon.

I made the best decision. Everyone at the surgical center was nice and comforting, and it was the best possible experience. Everyone from the nurses to the anesthesiologist were absolutely fantastic, and they've already called me to check up on me, less than 24 hrs later.
I'm including some before pics. I haven't taken any after pics yet.

This week went really fast. I had a lot of soreness from the lipo under my arms on days 2 & 3 after the surgery, and I still have a lot of lingering numbness in the area.
My left nipple started hurting immediately after the surgery -- a "hooray it has sensation but... ow" kind of discomfort that has persisted, but lessened in severity.
I can barely feel my incisions, unless I do specific reaching motions that conveniently include vacuuming, loading the dishwasher, scrubbing the tub, and other conveniently unpleasant domestic chores. Luckily I have my mom to handle all of that :)
The itching set in a couple of days ago, even though I've showered twice and I've been swapping out my compression bras for clean ones. I've been using panty liners in my bras to keep the incisions dry and padded, which has worked great.
I think it's a general healing itch, so I've taken to rubbing and massaging the area with my forearms to prevent myself my scratching at my seams.
I'm still pretty freaked out by my sewn on nipples, especially because I can still see sutures. Ew.
Arnica gel and pills have been a lifesaver, so thanks to everyone on this site who suggested them - you're right!