After 30 Years of Being Saddled with Breast Hypertrophy, What a Relief! - Fort Lauderdale, FL

I've had extremely large breast since the age of 12 which essentially scarred my developing self- esteem. I was constantly compared to Dolly Parton by both my female and male peers since big breasts and breast implants were nit the rave for non-celebrities (lol)! This comparison made me feel very uncomfortable because on the flip-side, it seemed to invite the unwanted sexual advances and innuendos from older guys.

After years of trying very hard to 'minimize' the appearance of my breasts and spending thousands of dollars on bras, I opted for a breast reduction. However, I was denied by my insurance carrier several times with the recommendation that weight loss was necessary rather than a breast reduction. After finally making up my mind, I lost 52 pounds transforming from size 18/20 to a size 10/12. Needless to say, I was still saddling the 38HH breasts which became increasingly difficult to carry around on my smaller frame.

So I tried getting approved through insurance again and they basically stated that they realized it was medically necessary; however, they did not cover the procedure. Rather than appealing, I paid for the procedure myself.

Having the breast reduction has been one of the greatest decisions I've ever made! The surgery took five hours to complete. I awoke in the recovery room wondering if they cancelled the surgery because I felt so refreshed. I expected to be in a lot of pain but the pain was minimal. My surgeon used drains because of the amount of tissue removed (2.5 pounds from each breast).

As a precaution for other medical concerns, I was scheduled to remain in the hospital for three days. When my husband brought the kids to see me the evening of the surgery, I was up walking and laughing with them. The drains and surgical tape were removed the next day and I was introduced to the lighter side ;)

I've been wearing Fruit of the Loom sports bras since Day 3 after being released from the hospital. For the first time in my adult life, I sit up with great ease which equates (I think) to being able to doing sit ups! I can't wait to prove this theory... Tomorrow, I will be 4 weeks post-op and I'm having a revision on Tuesday because my surgeon wants to remove and tighten the skin.

If I can help anyone considering a Breast Reduction by answering a question, please feel free to ask.

The ending result is 38 C or D; my surgeon believes the it will be a C.