Waited 29 Years for Perky Boobs - Middletown, NY

Next month is 4 years since my surgery. I can't believe how much time has passed. I figured I'd do a quick update.

Yes, I still think all the pain was worth it.

I do have one small problem, though... funny I call it a "small" problem, because it's related to size.

I wish so much I had stressed to the surgeon how much smaller I wanted to be. I thought she understood when I outright told her I wanted to be a B cup, but apparently there was a problem with communication because I'm still a D.

A word of advice, make sure you strongly stress how much you want taken off before you are wheeled into the surgery... I thought I had, but apparently didn't state it strongly enough.

I'm happy with the shape of them and the surgeon herself was very professional. I just wish she'd listened to me when I stated several times my expectations were to be a lot smaller than how it came out. She made a comment after the surgery when I said in a followup I'm a lot bigger than I expected... something about how she heard me but didn't think that was what I actually meant and that she left all she did to keep me "in proportion". Sorry but I thought I was there to change my body the way that would make me happy, not her idea of what I "should" look like. So yeah, there's that.

Sidenote: I was warned several times before the surgery you could lose some feeling or patches of feeling in areas as a result of nerve endings not working correctly after being cut. Somehow I never had this problem in my nipples... they are actually MORE sensitive now than before the surgery. The only spot I have decreased sensation is below the breasts, where the scar lines are, but honestly it's not a big deal at all. Everything else is still very normal.

All in all, I'd do it all over again. I don't regret the decision. I do regret, however, not making absolutely sure that my surgeon understood I wanted a lot more taken off.

I've been thinking about leaving a follow up after all healing was done and I was really used to living with my new breasts, so here it is.

It is 4 years later now and not once have I regretted the surgery. The ONLY thing I wish I knew before the surgery was that they'd be taking all my milk ducts out. That made me a little sad, because I had planned on lactating and donating the milk to babies in need... I cannot even think about doing that now, my body will not produce milk at all ever again. I just wish I had known. That was important to me, to be able to donate after having been done having all my babies. Plus, milk production is great for weight loss. But I digress...

I still have pain when wearing a bra and that was the biggest reason I wanted the reduction... turns out it didn't do all that much for my neck and shoulder pain (I have arthritis in my spine). I am still looking for ways to resolve this issue. Perhaps a bra with a wider band, I'm thinking?

I absolutely LOVE that I can wear all sorts of tops and nightgowns that I could never wear before with boobs that were all over the place the way mine used to be. No longer do I roll over in bed and have to MOVE my breast out of the way of being squished underneath me. ha ha ha

I can wear tank tops and bathing suits comfortably now. The scars have lightened up considerably, but you can still see them if you know where to look. I'm not bothered by them at all, because one would have to lift up and look under my breast to see them, ha ha ha. That doesn't really happen!

All in all my summary is: I would have liked to have gone smaller and wish the surgeon took me seriously when I told her that before the surgery. I still feel like they're bigger than I wanted them to be, but they are still so much better than how they were before the surgery. And I would have liked to have been told my milk ducts would be taken. I am EXTREMELY HAPPY about the clothes I can wear now and that my body looks way more in proportion than it used to. I'm small, only 5'4", with a small frame, so those large boobs of mine just looked so out of place on my body.

Looking to the future, I would like to get a tummy tuck, and it has a lot to do with my very positive experience with this surgery. Hopefully I get to do just that in the near future. If I had to do it all over again, YES, I would. No regrets!

In 3 days I'll have hit my 6 month post-op milestone. I was told by several people my new breasts would go through many changes in these 6 months, and boy they weren't kidding. They look so different now than immediately after surgery. They are rounder now and softer and sort of "fell" into place.

I still feel like pinching myself sometimes... the reality of having done this really hasn't sunk in completely. I love my new breasts so much. Sometimes when I'm in the bathroom I'll sneak a quick look... again. lol

I was SO MISERABLE with large boobs. Not only the physical weight of them, but the emotional weight was just too heavy for me to bear. The way they used to be literally made me cry. There were many nights I would lie awake in bed just trying to imagine what it would be like if they were so much smaller. I never thought I'd actually ever have the opportunity to really get the surgery. Perhaps that's why I'm still a little in shock over it... I really had myself convinced that there would be too many obstacles to try to get past to have it done. In reality it was one of the easiest things to get approval for. I'm guessing it's thanks to my very long history of upper back & neck pain.

I am so crazy in love with them now. And I still would have been happy if they were even smaller. The weight of carrying them around was so overwhelming... now they bring me joy.

The 3 things I hated about myself (physical traits): 1. my front teeth, 2. my big boobs, and 3. my belly fat. The first two things have been addressed and fixed. I can't imagine how over the top happy I'll be once I finally get my belly done too. I just really hope that happens while I'm still young enough to enjoy it. But even with only the first two things done right now... it has affected me so deeply and in such positive ways. I really am so happy with those 2 first things that I *cry* happy tears now. The burden of carrying those first 2 things around with me a majority of my life really became such a heavy burden. It's hard to describe to someone who doesn't really have anything like this that makes them so DEEPLY unhappy how amazing it is when you finally get it fixed. I am so grateful for the technology and knowledge we have that these things are even possible, and I am definitely grateful I ended up with a talented and skilled doctor such as Dr. Sacks when it was time to have my breasts done. The gift that woman gave me isn't measurable... the happiness I now have in myself, the confidence to wear clothes that fit me now... the self-esteem improvement I experience now... I am just.so.happy.

I'll be going for my first official professional fitting sometime in the next few weeks to find out what bra size I am now. I'm guessing I'll be a 34C. I'm excited to find out if my guess is accurate. Just in time for summer, too!

I just wish I could have had my belly done at the same time as my boobs... too bad. Sigh... but it is so nice to finally not feel like a prisoner in my own body anymore!