Get the real deal on beauty treatments—real doctors, real reviews, and real photos with real results.Here's how we earn your trust.

POSTED UNDER Breast Reduction REVIEWS

19 Year Old Was in Need of a BR! - Coeur d'Alene, ID

ORIGINAL POST

After going through puberty and my body started...

User Avatar
sniemela
WORTH IT
After going through puberty and my body started maturing it had always been very clear that my breasts were causing negative effect on my body not only physically but emotionally as well. The challenges I was faced with everyday things like finding a covering swim suit, a shirt that would hide my breasts as much as possible, and not giving off the wrong impression by accidental spillage. At one point I was wearing my full coverage bras swimming because, as many people with big breasts know, a lot of the time they cover and the girls under control more; and I was told that I was making people uncomfortable and asked if I could put a shirt on.. I was absolutely devastated, my boyfriend is the one that told me that it is appropriate to swim in and his brother own brother had told me this. I believe that's when everything hit me hard. People started to only see a girl who they thought tried to flaunt her breasts and that is not me. I wasn't Shayla anymore I was that girl with big boobs.
After thinking about a breast reduction since 8th grade I finally took initiative and got my much needed breast reduction.
In all honesty i have NO REGRETS! I only see positive outcomes because of this surgery! My back/shoulder/neck pain is already noticeably better! To me the scars aren't a big deal to me because I was so uncomfortable with my body before and the positives out weigh the bad by far! This is a surgery that I would highly recommend if you have any of the same feelings or thoughts as I do!

sniemela's provider

Benjamin Mandel, MD

Benjamin Mandel, MD

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

5.0 | 29 Reviews
PROFILE
sniemela

sniemela rating for Dr. Mandel:

Overall rating
Doctor's bedside manner
Answered my questions
After care follow-up
Time spent with me
Phone or email responsiveness
Staff professionalism & courtesy
Payment process
Wait times

Replies (11)

User Avatar
June 19, 2016
Congrats & Happy Healing to you ;-) Thank you for sharing your journey. Looking fwd to your updates.
User Avatar
June 19, 2016
Thank you so much! I will definitely keep RealSelf updated!
June 19, 2016
What a sweetheart you seem to be - you're brave and bold, and nothing will get in your way through the hardest times in life! (This I know, since I'm over the 50-yard-line!)

I hope your post op continues to go well, and that your tenacity rubs off on me a little; I'm a DD, too, and at only 4'10", 125, my breasts are now bigger around than my hips!
User Avatar
June 19, 2016
Thank you, that's so sweet of you :)
June 24, 2016
Do you know how many grams he removed? My insurance said they would cover it if I got more removed but I don't have any idea what size I would be. I'm an F and the insurance said they had to remove 400 grams, I just have no size reference. You look great by the way, congrats!!
User Avatar
June 24, 2016
Thanks so much!! And I was about a DDD/F and my insurance had the same rule! Lame, I know lol! I know when I was talking to him about size the mentioned that in order to keep all the breast tissue and the nipple alive he has to keep so much and insurance makes them take so much so they know it actually will make a difference in your pain level.. I asked my Dr to make me a average C cup but of course he couldn't make an exact estimate on size but he said that I would be lucky if I could get that much off. He mentioned that the lowest I could go being lucky would be a C (again if I'm lucky) or a D! Like you, I have no idea what it meant when he started talking grams and numbers, lol. To give you peace of mind, like what I did myself, is looked up tons and tons of pictures on boobs and picked it the average size I'd like them to be, and what I absolutely didn't want them to look like! It gives your Dr a little better insight on what you want and it helps them have something to refer to rather than people like me rambling on about what I want! Thanks so much for your compliments and questions!!! Xoxo
UPDATED FROM sniemela
6 days post

5 Days Post Op

User Avatar
sniemela
I LOVE my new girls! This was my 5th day (yesterday) and I'm pretty sore but it's mostly around my bottom incisions ! Wondering How much should I be walking around and how often I should be showering?

Replies (5)

User Avatar
June 21, 2016
Your body looks perfectly proportioned. Congrats ;-) Happy Healing!
User Avatar
June 22, 2016
Thank you so much!!
June 22, 2016
Oh, Wowsers, you look amazing! (Of course, I'm here looking, and thing about reduction from a DD; it looks like you might have had mastectomy, based on the first pic - I can't tell, but whatevah - you are perfectly proportioned, now! Happy healing!
User Avatar
June 22, 2016
I was a 36DDD possibly F and they did a breast reduction mammoplasty :) thank you so so much, you're so sweet!
June 22, 2016
Oh, my gosh, I just realized who you are - the same young woman who has the sweet family pics in with the boobs! ;)

You're definitely looking fab, and truly, I think you're one of my new heroes!

Peace, and speedy continuedmrecovery!
UPDATED FROM sniemela
8 days post

8 Days Post Op

User Avatar
sniemela
I am so proud to say that I love my chest now. My Dr really listened to what I wanted and I don't think that it could of turned out any better! Now I am just hoping that I heal good with minimal scaring???? this was before my shower yesterday!

Replies (4)

June 23, 2016
Great results what size were you before ? Did the nipple change color
? My surgery is July 14!
User Avatar
June 23, 2016
Thanks so much! I was last measured as a 36DDD but I think I was even bigger! And yeah my nipple discharge color a little.. Before the surgery I never had dark or very colored nipples and they were too big, now I think they are a more natural color and shape!
June 24, 2016
What size are you now? They are a great size for your body. I'm a 36G I'm not sure if if I wanna be a c or a d
User Avatar
June 24, 2016
Thank you!! I'm not sure actually because they're still pretty swollen but that is about what I'm thinking they will be! :)