Here's my Story

Hi! I'm a 34 y/o mom of 1 kiddo. I've got 36e danglehoppers here, and I weigh about 147, and that's down 70lbs. My true band size is really 34 but I usually have to go up to 36 to find a cup that will accommodate my breast size better. My breasts have always been large, since I started to develop-! Something in the milk people- they put all that stuff in it to make cows develop...anyway I was approved for reduction about 12 years ago before I had my daughter when I was only 130lbs and I had 36dd due to their weight/density with full insurance approval but due to life never got it done. The doctor and I talked about breastfeeding then for all you ladies and he was right- it would be difficult because of my little size 5'3" (barely) that my breasts would get larger. They got ginormous and I felt like I was suffocating my poor kid. I ended up not being able to bf due to my milk never coming in due to a shot that the nurse gave me after labor (not with Dr's ok). I was too groggy to say no or understand why she was giving me it. Anyway, after much frustration and even a lactation specialist we called it quits because it was safer to just give formula and have the baby eat- so big boobs=big cruel joke=no milk for baby - the least I could do with these things. Well, 6 years, 70lbs, and a divorce later it's time to reclaim my life. I'm tired of people seeing my boobs first and then me. Surgery is June 8th and I'm super excited.

So I'm 5 days post op- I can shower tomorrow! I just had the bilateral Jackson-Pratt drain tubes removed. I took two Percocet prior but it really didn't hurt any and actually the removal made me more comfortable. The PA also removed the PICO dressing and unit that was driving me crazy. The adhesive was super itchy. So most of the redness under my breasts is from the adhesive of the pico dressing. (Pico is a type of wound vac). There's nothing more to report other than super itchy from the removal of the tape. I can still feel my nipples. There was a little open area around my nipple that I need to be careful of - so extra TLC there Neosporin and I may get a steristrip to help strengthen it. Most of my bruises are going away- slight yellow- again the worst bruises is actually from the tape removal. I can shave - carefully- only cuz she sympathizes with me and the heat. No exercise, strenuous activity, lifting, etc for four weeks. Driving to resume when the narcotics are all out of my system, so about 24 hours and I feel up to it. I can get out of the ever loving surgical bra that has become way too big and so so itchy. I'm now using a wire free comfort bra. I can move to a sports bra based on comfort and support needs. The bra I have is more like a sleeping bra/sports bra and has great compression which she liked and said was perfect. It isn't super long in the torso (but I'm not very long) and doesn't adjust at the shoulders but it was tight and held the gauze/surgical pads in place much better than the bra that I was put in. So I applied my Neosporin and I'm letting everything air out (seriously that's what she said to do if I could). And I follow up again in three weeks.

Here's my status- I was put on 500 mg keflex 4x a day for about 8 days- super dose; however, I knew that would come with some consequences for me and although I was prepared the probiotics and yogurt weren't enough. 2nd to last day of the antibiotics came and I started feeling a little not so great in my stomach so I cut down. Friday skipped it- was going to see if Saturday I could try and make it up - but instead my vulva was on fire! Literally on side is swollen - nothing itchy, smelly or gross just painful and swollen - Nice play body....smh. I called and the surgeons office didn't feel comfortable making the call without seeing me- but they can't see me right now and to try the gyn. Called there. Got their on-call (no surprise) and he didn't care what I tried - put whatever up there - monostat- the 3 or 1 day. No big deal - call the office Monday. Two very different extremes - So I got the 1 day - put it in did it's thing but burned inside - this morning not really much better....Gave in and just went to urgent care because lets face it, I'm not getting into the gyn's tomorrow without a song and a prayer. The urgent care CRNP was wonderful. I'm completely inflamed - can't tell if it's the medicine or something else but it's not hard to imagine that with that dosage of antibiotics anything else.
Other interesting things that have happened - developed a seroma after the drainage tubes were removed. I was fine for the first day, but Wednesday I went to move my right arm across my body to put triple antibiotic on my incisions and it must have been just enough pressure to rupture it, so next thing I knew I had a trickling of fluids from the drainage site. Filled an abdominal pad completely, but it released this uncomfortable pain that was on that side. Let the PS office know - completely normal and it can do that for a few days - told them I let it do it's thing, palpated it a little, washed and sterilized the area, put some more triple antibiotic on it, and then put a tighter sports bra on it. The compression helps the body hold everything, and figure out the fluids - whether to expel or absorb it into the body. Great suggestion or idea - if you have some problems with adhesives use a feminine pad and stick it to your bra. It will it in place much better. I used the smaller thin foam ones and just cut off the wings (lol) and my mom helped me place it. I went about my day and if it leaked it leaked right in there with no issues. After 3 days of the weird leaking it's stopped.
These pictures are 10 days post-op - not too shabby! Other then the pain down below, I feel fantastic! I still have some irritation from the tape. I've tried hydrocortisone, moisturizer, coconut oil....just my fate in life. I pointed on the area on my nipple that is still a little funky - it's filling in - looks like a weird almost scab at this point. Showing off the right sided dog ear. It looked all puffed out when the seroma was bad and needed drained or was about to leak...tmi sorry- but once all that fluid came out it lays down pretty nice. When I get the chance I have to tell about the day of surgery and right after. There were things that my friend told me that I definitely would recommend also.