POSTED UNDER Breast Reduction REVIEWS
47-year-old Mother of Two; 34H to 34D/DD
ORIGINAL POST
I spent years on RealSelf before getting the...
DDDDUserFebruary 17, 2018
WORTH IT$7,000
I spent years on RealSelf before getting the nerves to actually go through a mammoplasty myself, and reading about other women’s stories gave me hope and courage. Today, it’s time to return the favor and share my story, hoping it will do the same for you (because trust me, no other reason would ever make me share pictures of my boobs online!)
MY STORY IN NUMBERS
Age: 47
Height: 5?5?
Weight: 135lbs.
Band size: 30?
Breasts projection: 7–8?
Bra size before surgery: 34G/H
Bra size after surgery: 34D
Cost of surgery: $7,000
Weight of breast tissue removed: 250g/side (+/-)
MY STORY IN WORDS
If you’re reading this, you already know my story because it’s like yours: My body sprung DD breasts overnight at puberty, which over time evolved into colossal proportions (34G/H at my lowest adult weight) and all that comes with it: bad posture/slouching, pain/burning in back, shoulders, neck, and head, breast pain, shoulder indents, skin rashes under the breasts, ogling men, nasty comments, etc. But with perpetual dieting and correctly fitted bras, things were manageable. They got complicated when osteoporosis kicked in and my ribs started bruising and breaking for no reason. Wire bras became unbearable. And as you know, finding wire-free bras with a small band size and large cups is just impossible! For years, I “modified” commercial bras, cutting band sizes or sewing extra hooks on but over time, the pain/burning in my back became too intense, and I knew that there weren’t too many ways out...
WHAT HELD ME BACK
1) Ideology: I’m not pro-cosmetic surgery. Even after considering a breast reduction for 20+ years because of pain, it made me feel vain.
2) Fears: What if something goes wrong? What if there are complications? What if I don’t like the results? What if it doesn’t help with the pain?
3) Cost: What parent has $7,000–$11,000 lying around and just begging to be spent, honestly?
4) People: “They don’t look that big”; “It can’t be that bad”; “Why would you change something God gave you”?; “It’s normal to have breasts that size at your age”; “I’m not sure it’s going to fix your back pain”.
5) I liked my breasts. Yes, they were huge for my frame and meant never-ending pain and never being able to wear a bikini without feeling like a milk cow, but they were part of me, I liked their shape (well, not so much the hanging part, but the roundness of it) and unlike many, I had no issue with the areola.
WHAT FINALLY MADE ME DO IT
I read the RealSelf review of a 67-year-old woman who, after doing it and being very happy with the results, regretted that she hadn’t done it before and suffered 30+ years for nothing. I suddenly realized that I’d be there in 20 years if I didn’t do something about it now. It’s that simple.
MEDICAL (COVERED BY INSURANCE) VS. COSMETIC (NOT COVERED)
My insurance company (Aetna) uses a formula based on height and weight to determine how much breast tissue must be removed in order for surgery be deemed necessary (and be covered). In my case, it could have meant going ending with breasts too small for my frame. At least that’s what my surgeon explained. He also explained that insurance companies can do audits up to a year after the surgery, and that reimbursing the insurance would cost me much more money than paying for the surgery myself. I have to admit it scared me, so I opted for the cosmetic way, paying $7,000 out of pocket. After the surgery, I realized that the hospital billed my insurance for $24K more, and my insurance paid and additional $8,000. So after paying $7,000 out of pocket, I still can’t be sure I’m not risking an audit. Stressful. As of the date of this review, my surgeon is looking into the issue...
THE MOST DIFFICULT PART(S) PRIOR TO SURGERY
1) Finding a good surgeon I was comfortable with, was close enough geographically, and took credit cards.
2) Deciding whether or not I wanted my insurance company to dictate the size of my breasts.
3) Accepting spending money on myself (vs. home improvements, the kids’ college fund, etc.)
4) Deciding what I wanted in terms of size (ultimately, I let my surgeon decide what would provide relief but be proportionate to my body and maintain a cleavage).
5) Not changing my mind before the surgery. I guarantee that once the date is set, you’ll suddenly start thinking that things are not that bad after all!
THE RECOVERY – WHAT I WISH I’D KNOW
1) General anesthesia may cause up to a week of intense nausea and vomiting.
2) General anesthesia will cause horrible constipation/impacted stools and all that comes with it (hemorrhoids, etc.)
3) General anesthesia will cause exhaustion and weakness for weeks.
4) You will need to sleep sitting up for a few days after the surgery.
5) You will need to sleep on your back for at least 6 weeks after the surgery (side OK after that).
6) You won’t be allowed to lift your arms above your head or carry anything over 5lbs. for 6 weeks after the surgery.
7) Your breasts will be super swollen for weeks/months, and you won’t know your final size until the swelling comes down.
8) External stitches come out after a couple of weeks; internal stitches stay in until they self-dissolve. Until that, some try to come out and it creates infection pockets.
9) You’ll need to wear your post-op bra 24/7 for 6 weeks, so invest in a supportive, comfortable bra (think “padded sport bra with front-zipper closure”) even if your doctor tells you that you’ll be fine with a $15 Fruit of the Loom one.
10) Once breast tissue starts to heal, it will itch like crazy.
THE AFTERMATHS
Now that everything is behind me, it’s easy to jump on the “my-only-regret-is-not-doing-it-before bandwagon”, and I do feel that getting a mammoplasty was the best decision. And I’m sure that a couple of years from now, after I’m done paying for the surgery, I’ll be even happier about it!
MY ONE REGRET
Not going smaller. Now that I see what’s left, I think I could have gone smaller. I’m not sure I would still have a cleavage though, because the top part of my breast was flat and the surgeon explained that he could only go that small.
TIPS
- Lose as much weight as you can before going through the surgery.
- Get fitted for a bra before making a decision. Even if you don’t change your mind, wearing a bra that’s the right size for you (not the size you think you are) will help with the pain until the surgery.
- Do your homework and trust your feelings when it comes to picking a surgeon.
- Invest in a comfortable, supportive post-surgery bra your size.
- Plan, plan, plan. You’re going to be “out of order” for 10+ days, so anything that needs to be planned (shopping, cooking, birthdays, bills, etc.) should be planned before the D-Day.
- If you have to finance the surgery, research zero-interest, zero-transfer-fee credit cards ahead of time. The best offers will give you 15 months with no interests. Put the surgery on any of your credit cards, and transfer the balance to the zero-interest card.
- Don’t get tempted to go abroad for surgery. In case of trouble, you want to be home where your insurance will cover complications.
- Don’t listen to anyone. It’s your body. It’s your decision.
Best of luck to you!
Ex-DDDDuser
MY STORY IN NUMBERS
Age: 47
Height: 5?5?
Weight: 135lbs.
Band size: 30?
Breasts projection: 7–8?
Bra size before surgery: 34G/H
Bra size after surgery: 34D
Cost of surgery: $7,000
Weight of breast tissue removed: 250g/side (+/-)
MY STORY IN WORDS
If you’re reading this, you already know my story because it’s like yours: My body sprung DD breasts overnight at puberty, which over time evolved into colossal proportions (34G/H at my lowest adult weight) and all that comes with it: bad posture/slouching, pain/burning in back, shoulders, neck, and head, breast pain, shoulder indents, skin rashes under the breasts, ogling men, nasty comments, etc. But with perpetual dieting and correctly fitted bras, things were manageable. They got complicated when osteoporosis kicked in and my ribs started bruising and breaking for no reason. Wire bras became unbearable. And as you know, finding wire-free bras with a small band size and large cups is just impossible! For years, I “modified” commercial bras, cutting band sizes or sewing extra hooks on but over time, the pain/burning in my back became too intense, and I knew that there weren’t too many ways out...
WHAT HELD ME BACK
1) Ideology: I’m not pro-cosmetic surgery. Even after considering a breast reduction for 20+ years because of pain, it made me feel vain.
2) Fears: What if something goes wrong? What if there are complications? What if I don’t like the results? What if it doesn’t help with the pain?
3) Cost: What parent has $7,000–$11,000 lying around and just begging to be spent, honestly?
4) People: “They don’t look that big”; “It can’t be that bad”; “Why would you change something God gave you”?; “It’s normal to have breasts that size at your age”; “I’m not sure it’s going to fix your back pain”.
5) I liked my breasts. Yes, they were huge for my frame and meant never-ending pain and never being able to wear a bikini without feeling like a milk cow, but they were part of me, I liked their shape (well, not so much the hanging part, but the roundness of it) and unlike many, I had no issue with the areola.
WHAT FINALLY MADE ME DO IT
I read the RealSelf review of a 67-year-old woman who, after doing it and being very happy with the results, regretted that she hadn’t done it before and suffered 30+ years for nothing. I suddenly realized that I’d be there in 20 years if I didn’t do something about it now. It’s that simple.
MEDICAL (COVERED BY INSURANCE) VS. COSMETIC (NOT COVERED)
My insurance company (Aetna) uses a formula based on height and weight to determine how much breast tissue must be removed in order for surgery be deemed necessary (and be covered). In my case, it could have meant going ending with breasts too small for my frame. At least that’s what my surgeon explained. He also explained that insurance companies can do audits up to a year after the surgery, and that reimbursing the insurance would cost me much more money than paying for the surgery myself. I have to admit it scared me, so I opted for the cosmetic way, paying $7,000 out of pocket. After the surgery, I realized that the hospital billed my insurance for $24K more, and my insurance paid and additional $8,000. So after paying $7,000 out of pocket, I still can’t be sure I’m not risking an audit. Stressful. As of the date of this review, my surgeon is looking into the issue...
THE MOST DIFFICULT PART(S) PRIOR TO SURGERY
1) Finding a good surgeon I was comfortable with, was close enough geographically, and took credit cards.
2) Deciding whether or not I wanted my insurance company to dictate the size of my breasts.
3) Accepting spending money on myself (vs. home improvements, the kids’ college fund, etc.)
4) Deciding what I wanted in terms of size (ultimately, I let my surgeon decide what would provide relief but be proportionate to my body and maintain a cleavage).
5) Not changing my mind before the surgery. I guarantee that once the date is set, you’ll suddenly start thinking that things are not that bad after all!
THE RECOVERY – WHAT I WISH I’D KNOW
1) General anesthesia may cause up to a week of intense nausea and vomiting.
2) General anesthesia will cause horrible constipation/impacted stools and all that comes with it (hemorrhoids, etc.)
3) General anesthesia will cause exhaustion and weakness for weeks.
4) You will need to sleep sitting up for a few days after the surgery.
5) You will need to sleep on your back for at least 6 weeks after the surgery (side OK after that).
6) You won’t be allowed to lift your arms above your head or carry anything over 5lbs. for 6 weeks after the surgery.
7) Your breasts will be super swollen for weeks/months, and you won’t know your final size until the swelling comes down.
8) External stitches come out after a couple of weeks; internal stitches stay in until they self-dissolve. Until that, some try to come out and it creates infection pockets.
9) You’ll need to wear your post-op bra 24/7 for 6 weeks, so invest in a supportive, comfortable bra (think “padded sport bra with front-zipper closure”) even if your doctor tells you that you’ll be fine with a $15 Fruit of the Loom one.
10) Once breast tissue starts to heal, it will itch like crazy.
THE AFTERMATHS
Now that everything is behind me, it’s easy to jump on the “my-only-regret-is-not-doing-it-before bandwagon”, and I do feel that getting a mammoplasty was the best decision. And I’m sure that a couple of years from now, after I’m done paying for the surgery, I’ll be even happier about it!
MY ONE REGRET
Not going smaller. Now that I see what’s left, I think I could have gone smaller. I’m not sure I would still have a cleavage though, because the top part of my breast was flat and the surgeon explained that he could only go that small.
TIPS
- Lose as much weight as you can before going through the surgery.
- Get fitted for a bra before making a decision. Even if you don’t change your mind, wearing a bra that’s the right size for you (not the size you think you are) will help with the pain until the surgery.
- Do your homework and trust your feelings when it comes to picking a surgeon.
- Invest in a comfortable, supportive post-surgery bra your size.
- Plan, plan, plan. You’re going to be “out of order” for 10+ days, so anything that needs to be planned (shopping, cooking, birthdays, bills, etc.) should be planned before the D-Day.
- If you have to finance the surgery, research zero-interest, zero-transfer-fee credit cards ahead of time. The best offers will give you 15 months with no interests. Put the surgery on any of your credit cards, and transfer the balance to the zero-interest card.
- Don’t get tempted to go abroad for surgery. In case of trouble, you want to be home where your insurance will cover complications.
- Don’t listen to anyone. It’s your body. It’s your decision.
Best of luck to you!
Ex-DDDDuser
DDDDUser's provider
Replies (11)
February 18, 2018
That is the most helpful, thoughtful, comprehensive review I’ve seen. Thank you for posting it. I just had my surgery on 2/14/18. I felt many of the things you mentioned; guilt for spending money on myself; I’m not that big; other things I should be doing. But I have the support of my husband and family and researched the surgery for years. I know I will be thrilled once all is said and done. Even in my bruised, swollen, scabby state, I can already see that I’m going to love my new shape. My emotions are messing with me, but logically it was a great choice.
Best wishes to you!
Best wishes to you!
February 18, 2018
Thank you. I was where you are only a few weeks back, and although I won't do it again (and you probably won't either), I can honestly promise the recovery will be a bad memory in a few weeks, and you will be so happy with the results you won't even remember the bad parts. Just like drug-free childbirth!!!
February 18, 2018
So true! I’m only four days post-op, and felt well enough to go to church and lunch today. It’s already going so well.
February 18, 2018
I am three weeks out from my surgery, and I feel too small, ( over 1600 cc taken total) so I am glad to hear many say they wished they had gone smaller. I asked my doc for a D or DD since I was spilling out of a 40H, and now I have these little firm, high, what look like B’s to me
February 18, 2018
If there's one thing I've learned from all the reviews I've read, my experience, and a very honest surgeon, it's that breast reduction (unlike breast augmentation) is not exact science. No surgeon can promise one size vs. another... The main point is to have breasts that are proportionate to your body. That's what I wanted, and I think that's what I got. To go back to you: "Firm and high" sounds very good!!!
November 28, 2019
Hi! I'm having surgery with Dr. Soni in Dec. How did you decide what size post-op bra to buy?
November 28, 2019
Dr. Soni told me that m post-op size wouldn't be far from my pre-op size, considering the swelling. He was right. My post-op bra was an extremely comfortable, soft but supportive 34DD (or DDD?) sports bra. Trust me: You don't want to compress your breasts. You just want to keep them in place. The weeks after surgery are no picnic. Best of luck with your surgery! You're in excellent hands...
November 29, 2019
Hi! It's so wonderful all went so well for you! You look lovely firm and high-which is what I will want when I have mine done--again! I am a 56 yr gal and I had my first BR about 30 yrs ago-they grew back :( I am living proof that "grow back" happens! Because of knee surgery from an injury after my BR I was incapacitated--I gained weight and breast size. Then life dealt me some really tough cards and I went into a depression-gained breast and body weight from that as well and then MENOPAUSE....they sky-rocketed into the stratosphere!! Now that I'm over all that it's time to have it done again--this old body can't carry these suckers anymore. I'm hoping after I have it done again I can begin a proper weight loss/exercise program as I can't now due to the humongous size for my frame and height. I'm 5'3'' and medium frame. My advice for other ladies out there--go as small as possible--just in case you should gain due to injury, life-issues(depression), menopause, etc. Believe me-it's better to be a little more on the smaller size than realize he didn't remove enough -- which is also what happened with my first BR. Years ago also I was young and naive and my post op care was minimal. I will not return to my original surgeon--for other various reasons--like chilly bedside manner, lousy follow-up,etc. But like I said-that was 30+ yrs ago. I hope I'm wiser now! What I was wondering is how were you able to lose your weight? I hope your new look is leaving you positive and happy! Take care :)
Wish you all the best:)