Relief and happiness!

I am a 30 year old female, approx. 5'9" medium/athletic build who has been frustrated and suffering from back/neck pain for years. I've been active in a number of sports, including running, swimming, martial arts, and more, and my large breast size has always caused strain/pain.

For a long time, I could not figure out what bra to wear... I started with 38D, then 40DD, then 40DDD. I kept trying larger and larger sizes, but had spillage in all of them - and looked like crap. The last in-store bras I tried on were 40DDD and they weren't fitting, in so many ways - the band was way too loose, but the cups were too small and the front would lift away from my body.

Finally, I had myself size on the UK system, and the result was a 36FF/G (one breast is a full cup size larger than the other). I was ecstatic that I could order bras online, and was hopeful that a properly fitting bra would eliminate my daily upper back and neck pain.

Well... it didn't.

I had asked my doctor for a referral to a plastic surgeon to find out if I'd be a good candidate for a reduction, and if it would be covered by the government healthcare system (I'm in Canada), and then waited eight months. I heard nothing. When I went in for my most recently yearly check up, I inquired about the status of the application. She gave me the name of the surgeon they had referred me to, and I called his office. The receptionist was cold and unfriendly, and informed me that the doctor "doesn't accept referrals for that procedure" and that "nobody in this city is accepting doctors' referrals for breast reductions right now."

I was pretty disappointed. It couldn't be true, could it? I started calling plastic surgeons in my city, and kept hearing the same thing - no one was doing it as a referral. You had to pay out of pocket, or no go. Some weren't even doing the procedure any more, instead building businesses on more profitable surgeries.

I almost gave up. But a twinge of pain between my shoulder blades when I bent down to pick something up prompted me to keep calling, and finally, one surgeon gave me the name of a "new" surgeon in my city who was apparently accepting patients! I made an appointment with my doctor, gave her the information, and somehow, less than a week later, I had a consultation booked.

The surgeon was polite and upfront about everything, which I appreciated. He explained the risks of the procedure first, then described the type of incision that he would like to use (the "lollipop" type), saying that he thinks it gives better results on people with healthy, elastic skin. He examined my breasts, and said that he thought I would be "a good candidate" for the surgery. He looked at my underarms and concluded that I do not need any additional lipo to achieve a good result. I indicated that I'd like to end up a B/C cup at the largest - he didn't comment much on that, other than to say that that was "quite small." I hope it's doable.

When we were done talking, he asked if I wanted to think about it and call his office back, or if I had made up my mind - I said that I'd been thinking about it for YEARS! I agreed to the surgery, which he said would be covered by the government health plan.

Then, last week, not a week after my consultation, I got a surgery date of March 4. That's less than three weeks away! Yikes. I wasn't looking forward to explaining all of this to HR at work, but it went as well as possible. I'll have a week off to rest, and will then work from home for a week. After that, back to work. I'm a bit worried about my coworkers - I work in a small office of ~25, and people can be pretty gossipy. But, oh well...

I've been reading a lot online about the procedure, have ordered two post-surgery bras with front clasps and "comfort" fabric, and am really just trying to stay positive at this point! I am looking forward to the day where I can run 5K without a sore neck, can buy bras and bathing suits off the rack (rather than special ordering for hundreds of dollars online), and can go a whole day without feeling that familiar pain in the middle of my upper back!

I'm participating in and teaching at some workshops this weekend (they are sport-related), and so tonight I was trying on some tank tops to figure out what I'll wear... and was reminded again of one of the reasons why I'm doing this. I'm sure I'll be reminded again tomorrow when my upper back aches. Sigh.

Also, fun fact: I realized I can fit my WHOLE FACE into one of the cups of my sports bra.

P.S.: The Panache sports bras are the BEST I've tried for a fuller bust - if I end up still being within Panache's range after the surgery, I will totally buy this same bra again, it is the ONLY reason I am still able to exercise.

I've been reading a lot of reviews on this website, and in comparison to most of the ladies here, I feel like I haven't really gotten much pre-op info, tests, etc... the surgeon's office did give me a sheet with some basic info such as to purchase a sports bra, how long I'll be recovering for, and son on. But, I don't have any pre-op appointment - I just had a consultation - that's it. He didn't order or ask for any pre-op tests, either. No bloodwork, no mammogram, nothing.

Not sure if I should be worried, or if maybe the surgeon just thought there was really nothing to check for (I'm 30 with no medical problems or conditions, apart from the back/neck pain). Maybe they only order tests if there are certain risk factors? I don't know.

Basically the next step for me is to call the hospital the day before the surgery, get my surgery time, and then show up the next day, having not eaten/drank anything, and just get the procedure done... I don't know if that's normal, but it just seems a little bit casual to me compared to everything else I've read on this website about people having pre-op appointments, tests, and so on... argh.