Instant Relief - Hartford, CT

I've wanted to have a reduction for years, but had to wait until I had weaned my children. Then to my surprise, I had to fight my insurance for the procedure. After a year, I was approved, and within a month, I was in the OR! I felt INSTANTLY better. My back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain - all instantly gone. Even though I'm not healing as quickly as I had hoped, there is NO doubt in my mind this procedure is going to change my life - because it already has. YAY!

Obviously I'm beginning this review process almost a month after my surgery. I had known that I wanted to share my experience, but then the first sight of my breasts at 2 DPO really caught me off guard. They looked horrific! I knew time would make them better, but it seemed like so many others, as seen in their pictures, seemed ready for a magazine photoshoot!

But since then, I've really been helped by the brave souls who've shared their not-so-pretty pictures - delayed healing, busted t-junctions, necrotic tissue - the works. And pictures really do tell a thousand words.

I am so grateful to those women, for their help when I needed to learn, for their willingness to make themselves vulnerable to strangers, and for the motivation they provided to start sharing my own experience.

Hopefully now I'll be able to set a few minds at ease with my story. :)

My surgery went very quickly (1.5 hrs?!) and all the people I worked with were very upbeat. My pain was well managed, I experienced no nausea at the hospital and they stuck a motion sickness sticker behind my ear as I left, just in case. I had reported to the hospital at 8 am and left by 12:30! Got home, rested for a bit, and felt well enough to go for a drive that evening to see a beautiful rainbow that we could only partially see from our house. Felt great! Slept in my bed on a recliner pillow (not comfortable) and in our recliner (better.)

1 DPO I just slept. Took it easy and just cuddled with my ice. Hung out most of the day on the recliner and slept there that night too.

2 DPO was another story. I was allowed to shower today, which meant taking off my wraps and getting to see the girls. I was excited, obviously, and then dismayed at the first sight. My breasts seemed like slabs of meat! And such bruising!! AND THE SWELLING!! My doctor had told me, although at the time I forgot, that my breasts were stitched, glued AND taped - and that tape had a lot of blood on it, making everything look worse. I am SO thankful to my husband who took it all in stride!! If he had even flinched, I would have lost it. And if you look at the picture, you can see - it doesn't look like I have any nipples! I wondered if they had already fallen off due to trauma. I didn't voice that fear aloud, but there was a chill in my heart.

As I tried to shower, I almost fainted twice. It could have been from the exertion, or more likely, it could have been emotional, recovering from the sight of them. Either way, it wasn't the best time for me!

And then it was time to leave. We had decided to go up to a cottage on a lake. I figured it would be a nice spot for me to rest, easy for my husband to care for/entertain our kids, and I'd already checked in and prepped/unpacked before my surgery, so it was mostly ready for us. We still needed to pack up some food (foolish on my part!) and visit my parents, get our children, and manage a long drive. Needless to say, I over-did it. I was sore, cross, emotional and tired! Not my finest day.

However, the vacation worked out well overall. The kids were happy, the hubby stayed sane, and I stayed inside and slept the vacation away, putting in appearances occasionally during the day. I even slept through many meals! I was crazy tired.