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Having loitered around this site for years, I...
Having loitered around this site for years, I finally decided to put my story on here after some posts and really lovely responses from ladies on the forum (thanks to all of you).
I am 39, live in the UK and don't have or plan to have any kids. Currently I weigh probably about 160lbs and wear a 32G-34H Uk bra size depending on brand.
My boobs seemed to appear overnight when I was 13 - from being more or less none existent to a D cup. They didn't stop growing for a few years and for most of that time I was wearing the wrong bra sizes which doesn’t help much.
Of course, being at school with big boobs is hideous, and school age boys find it endlessly fascinating, so I started trying to hide them quite soon. In fact, I recently realised to what extent I have been hiding them, even from my husband, maybe even from myself. I can't bear to see them ‘dressed’ without a bra, and always wear a bra until just before sleeping, then put one back on straight away as soon as I get up.
I am sure you are all familiar with the 'around the house' bras - you know, those stretched out not so supportive ones that are just there so that you have the minimal support but not feel to tightly strapped in? These bras don't look anywhere near presentable enough to leave the house in, and I have spent hours online looking for the perfect comfy house bra; i don't care what Bravissimo say, an ‘in-built bra’ in a top just doesn't do the job!
Anyway, in the last few years I started exercising, although running is difficult I am not one to let the boobies hold me back, so despite the pain and hassle I got into running and loved it. Long live the Enell bra - it is like fabulous tight armour!! (although the inside of that thing after a run is pretty gross, with the boobs all squooshed together inside with the sweat, haha!)
Anyway, the exercising has made me realise how big an effect these things have on my posture - my spine is curved at the top and I literally have a rounded shoulder look. I didn't realise it was the case, but when I mentioned to my husband I discovered he had already noticed that, but assumed that’s just the way I stand naturally. I hold this posture It is partly because the weight stops me standing straight but is mainly my way of hiding the breasts, and to be fair it does work, no-one believes my bra size when I tell them - they know they are big but don’t know quite how big! (don’t you hate that thing where you tell someone with 'normal' sized breasts your bra size, and they are shocked that they make bras in those sizes?!).
The second thing that exercising taught me is that when I started to take more notice of how my body feels, this feeling of neck pain, tight shoulders, bad, and endless pulled muscles is not normal. My PT mentioned to me that I should get a sports massage, and that was amazing! But I can't get rid of the feeling that this uncomfortable feeling should not be there. One fun thing we like to do round our house is that my husband stands behind me and holds my breasts in his hands (we joke that this could be his salaried job!) and while he holds the weight, I try to straighten my back and shoulders etc. It is AMAZING, the pain goes away, back still tight from years of strain, but I can stand straight and the relief is massive - anyone who hasn’t had the surgery yet, I recommend you should try it (just don’t ask a stranger!)
Also the headaches and migraines…. it is only recently I realised that it is possible that the migraines i started to get around age 15, and headaches that are now almost constant, could be related to the neck pain caused by holding up these boobies (I say possible, as I won’t know for sure until after the boobies have gone….)
So a while I plucked up the courage to go to my GP and ask if I could get an NHS funded reduction. Lovely doctor (very young and new) and to cut a long story short I went for tests, but only hit 2 out of 3 criteria or something so didn’t get funding. I know I could have carried on and appealed etc, but i gave up at this point and thought I would leave it there.
However, 3 years on the neck and back pain is worsening, and I feel so frustrated with the situation. I can see that the older I get the worse the pain is going to get, hand the harder exercise will be - I really do need to exercise if I want to carry on eating fabulous food! (I love food!).
Men staring, women staring, all the ladies on here all know the the score, and it makes you feel abnormal - you can ignore it, but for me, all that confidence goes again as soon as I see a photo of myself with one big boob across the front of my chest - the rest of me fades into the background really so I don’t blame people for staring to be honest, it is only natural (if very rude!!). Shirts? What are they? they are not for people like me! Bra shopping, so much fun, and tops long enough not to show my (not very toned ;)) tummy? Nope, these things do not exist!
Everyone here will be familiar with the above, and it’s a nightmare, but for me the main thing is to feel comfortable in my skin, I am not hoping for a model figure (well I am, but I am a bit more realistic than that!).
So, that’s the story until recently, when I booked my initial consolation with Mary O’Brien at Derby Royal. She was great, very much to the point, and answered all of my questions. She did all the measurements etc and says I am an ideal candidate for the surgery. I have to admit it was scary, to hear the details - pain I can cope with but I am a bit squeamish about the cuts etc. My husband was with me and the seriousness of it all really hit him that day.
After the consultation, it took probably one day for me to decide that I was still ready to go for it, knowing all of the risks and details. I have had to gently and gradually break this to the husband, as he is a real worrier and does not want me to be ‘cut up’ as he puts it. The having smaller boobs doesn’t worry him at all, and he completely gets the pain and discomfort issues, but that doesn’t stop him worrying. So another long story short(ish), he is now fully on board and of course he is going to be a big help in the weeks after surgery.
SO I BOOKED IT!!!!!! 22ND APRIL!!!!
Excited? Just a bit!!!
(ps. I will add photos at some point, but will need to work up the courage first :))
I am 39, live in the UK and don't have or plan to have any kids. Currently I weigh probably about 160lbs and wear a 32G-34H Uk bra size depending on brand.
My boobs seemed to appear overnight when I was 13 - from being more or less none existent to a D cup. They didn't stop growing for a few years and for most of that time I was wearing the wrong bra sizes which doesn’t help much.
Of course, being at school with big boobs is hideous, and school age boys find it endlessly fascinating, so I started trying to hide them quite soon. In fact, I recently realised to what extent I have been hiding them, even from my husband, maybe even from myself. I can't bear to see them ‘dressed’ without a bra, and always wear a bra until just before sleeping, then put one back on straight away as soon as I get up.
I am sure you are all familiar with the 'around the house' bras - you know, those stretched out not so supportive ones that are just there so that you have the minimal support but not feel to tightly strapped in? These bras don't look anywhere near presentable enough to leave the house in, and I have spent hours online looking for the perfect comfy house bra; i don't care what Bravissimo say, an ‘in-built bra’ in a top just doesn't do the job!
Anyway, in the last few years I started exercising, although running is difficult I am not one to let the boobies hold me back, so despite the pain and hassle I got into running and loved it. Long live the Enell bra - it is like fabulous tight armour!! (although the inside of that thing after a run is pretty gross, with the boobs all squooshed together inside with the sweat, haha!)
Anyway, the exercising has made me realise how big an effect these things have on my posture - my spine is curved at the top and I literally have a rounded shoulder look. I didn't realise it was the case, but when I mentioned to my husband I discovered he had already noticed that, but assumed that’s just the way I stand naturally. I hold this posture It is partly because the weight stops me standing straight but is mainly my way of hiding the breasts, and to be fair it does work, no-one believes my bra size when I tell them - they know they are big but don’t know quite how big! (don’t you hate that thing where you tell someone with 'normal' sized breasts your bra size, and they are shocked that they make bras in those sizes?!).
The second thing that exercising taught me is that when I started to take more notice of how my body feels, this feeling of neck pain, tight shoulders, bad, and endless pulled muscles is not normal. My PT mentioned to me that I should get a sports massage, and that was amazing! But I can't get rid of the feeling that this uncomfortable feeling should not be there. One fun thing we like to do round our house is that my husband stands behind me and holds my breasts in his hands (we joke that this could be his salaried job!) and while he holds the weight, I try to straighten my back and shoulders etc. It is AMAZING, the pain goes away, back still tight from years of strain, but I can stand straight and the relief is massive - anyone who hasn’t had the surgery yet, I recommend you should try it (just don’t ask a stranger!)
Also the headaches and migraines…. it is only recently I realised that it is possible that the migraines i started to get around age 15, and headaches that are now almost constant, could be related to the neck pain caused by holding up these boobies (I say possible, as I won’t know for sure until after the boobies have gone….)
So a while I plucked up the courage to go to my GP and ask if I could get an NHS funded reduction. Lovely doctor (very young and new) and to cut a long story short I went for tests, but only hit 2 out of 3 criteria or something so didn’t get funding. I know I could have carried on and appealed etc, but i gave up at this point and thought I would leave it there.
However, 3 years on the neck and back pain is worsening, and I feel so frustrated with the situation. I can see that the older I get the worse the pain is going to get, hand the harder exercise will be - I really do need to exercise if I want to carry on eating fabulous food! (I love food!).
Men staring, women staring, all the ladies on here all know the the score, and it makes you feel abnormal - you can ignore it, but for me, all that confidence goes again as soon as I see a photo of myself with one big boob across the front of my chest - the rest of me fades into the background really so I don’t blame people for staring to be honest, it is only natural (if very rude!!). Shirts? What are they? they are not for people like me! Bra shopping, so much fun, and tops long enough not to show my (not very toned ;)) tummy? Nope, these things do not exist!
Everyone here will be familiar with the above, and it’s a nightmare, but for me the main thing is to feel comfortable in my skin, I am not hoping for a model figure (well I am, but I am a bit more realistic than that!).
So, that’s the story until recently, when I booked my initial consolation with Mary O’Brien at Derby Royal. She was great, very much to the point, and answered all of my questions. She did all the measurements etc and says I am an ideal candidate for the surgery. I have to admit it was scary, to hear the details - pain I can cope with but I am a bit squeamish about the cuts etc. My husband was with me and the seriousness of it all really hit him that day.
After the consultation, it took probably one day for me to decide that I was still ready to go for it, knowing all of the risks and details. I have had to gently and gradually break this to the husband, as he is a real worrier and does not want me to be ‘cut up’ as he puts it. The having smaller boobs doesn’t worry him at all, and he completely gets the pain and discomfort issues, but that doesn’t stop him worrying. So another long story short(ish), he is now fully on board and of course he is going to be a big help in the weeks after surgery.
SO I BOOKED IT!!!!!! 22ND APRIL!!!!
Excited? Just a bit!!!
(ps. I will add photos at some point, but will need to work up the courage first :))
Ok, gritting teeth, adding pictures!
I hated taking these, ugh! Have put little explanations by each as I think they need them, and hope they are useful.
To give a bit of background, my posture is awful, and I only just realised. Think it is a subconscious effort to hide the chest area, but it doesn't look good I can see that, and also it could go some way to explaining why I have so much neck pain and back pain.
To give a bit of background, my posture is awful, and I only just realised. Think it is a subconscious effort to hide the chest area, but it doesn't look good I can see that, and also it could go some way to explaining why I have so much neck pain and back pain.
continued...
Here are the other pics...
Provider Review
Specialist Registered Plastic Surgeon
Rykneld Road , Littleover , Derbyshire
I can't recommend or praise Mary O'Brien enough. Found her tone at the initial consultation to be suitably professional, very straightforward and very much 'no holds barred' when it came to pointing out the risks and the facts of this major surgery. Found this a little scary, and I rightly then needed time for the information to sink in. In hindsight I believe this is intentional to ensure that the patient is 100% sure before booking surgery. All consults after this were a little less formal and much more personal, when it was clear that I knew what I was getting into. I was completely put at ease by all staff at Derby Royal Private section, as well as by Mary herself, at each stage; from marking up to anaesthesia there was always someone there to reassure and chat to me. After care also fantastic. Have had two post op consults which both went very well and I found I was given enough time and plenty of patience with answers to my numerous questions. Also staff always available by phone for queries. With regard to the results of my op, I could not be happier. Although most surgeons probably do a good job and release the pressure by taking off the weight etc, I feel that my results are particularly good aesthetically and I believe that good decisions were made about size and shape during surgery. (NB. Beforehand I was adamant I wanted a C cup, was persuaded to go a little larger by Mary, taking my frame into account. This turned out to be the right decision as my D-ish cup is absolutely perfect for me personally).