46 Years Old - 40j to 40c/d - Breast Reduction Journey - Indianapolis, IN

I'm currently in the beginning of my seventh week post op and life is getting back to normal. I'm at 90% physically. I can do more now than I could two weeks ago. (Note: I had a hematoma in right breast that delayed healing for me). Examples of improvements: I cleaned my car inside and out today with no problem. I can now pick up my 30 pound daughter (very carefully!) and hold her for a bit. I can reach high to get things out of the cabinets without feeling anything pulling. I can sleep comfortably on my side now. I can walk faster now without feeling discomfort from breast jiggling. Only people in this forum would understand this! I can hug people without pain now. These are all things that were still uncomfortable 2 weeks ago. So if you're early post op, have patience. It gets better!

I went bra shopping this week. I'm currently a D cup in most brands. I'm happy with this! My favorite bra is a seamless, wireless Olga bra that reduces side bulge. The support goes all the away around under your arms. This works well because my breasts are still healing, softening, and dropping. The Olga bra seemed to have the best fit for the current shape of my breast.

It's been a interesting journey! In some ways it was easier than I thought it would be. In others it was more difficult. Recovery definitely took longer than I expected. Regardless, I would not think twice about doing it again. It's life changing and I'm so grateful I was able to do it. My back, shoulder, and neck pain are completely gone and have been gone since surgery day. My breasts look amazing!

Some things I think helped me with recovery...
1) Eating lots of protein, greens (at the suggestion of another member on this site), and at least two servings of fruit daily during recovery. I had green protein shakes with kale, protein bars, eggs, and salads daily. If I have a day where I binged on carbs, my breasts itch like crazy. Eating too many carbs seems to increase the inflammation in my body.
2) I purchased two CzSalus surgical bras from Amazon. One in XL and one in XXL (I'm a 40 band). These were life savers because they were so comfortable. I still wear them! I wear the XL during the day, and the XXL to sleep in at night when end of day swelling is worse.
3) I bought one of those grab stick thingy's from Amazon. Couldn't have lived without this!
4) Inexpensive soft pillows from Wal Mart. I preferred these over the wedge pillow I purchased for $50. I still barricade myself with the cheap pillows at night to keep me from rolling onto my side. But, they're soft enough that it doesn't hurt if I roll over on one of them.
5) My husband bought me some 4 x 6 inch padded gauze pads from Wal Greens. OMG...they felt wonderful! They were like a soft pillow between my bra band and my incisions. I literally said "ahhhhh" the first time I used one (instead of the regular thin gauze I had been using). I used them until end of week 4. I would put on my surgical bra, then stuff one of the pads under the bra band. It was heaven.
6) I take Bromelain and vitamin C daily.
7) Drink lots of water!

I hope this information helps someone either getting ready to go on the journey, or currently recovering.

Best of luck to everyone on their journey!

Tomorrow is 5 weeks post op for me. I noted in previous posts that there were some pivotal days after the surgery where I started feeling much better. The first was at 7 days, the second was at 19 days, etc. Now at 5 weeks I'm feeling much, much better. My energy level is at 90 %. I'm not as worn out at 5:00 p.m. as I was last week. My physical abilities are at about 60% because my right breast is still healing from the hematoma that was drained 2 weeks ago. Because of the hematoma set back, the right breast is still a little sore, lightly bruised, and hard around the incision under my arm. It's also a little swollen yet. But it's getting better every day. The left breast is fine. No issues at all. I still have a little itching and swelling in both at the end of the day, but nothing like it was 2 weeks ago. Diet and physical activity during the day have a lot to do with the level of itchiness and swelling I have at the end of the day. I feel better if I eat lots of protein and vegetables during the day.

Other things to note at week 5 Post Op ...
At week 5 I stopped wearing my surgical bras and started wearing athletic bras instead. For the longest time I thought I would wear the comfortable surgical bras forever. The "Champion" brand is my favorite sport bra (it's the one I have on in the 5 week picture). On days when I want to wear a nice shirt instead of a t-shirt, I wear a Hanes seamless comfort bra and sometimes a shape wear tank over the top (I still need extra support for the hematoma breast).

My incisions are completely healed. The last small scab at the T junction of my right breast finally fell off this morning. I started using my scar treatment a couple of days ago. The instructions said not to apply it to open wounds, so I put it on all of the scars around the scab. I skipped over that scab area. I will begin using the scar treatment strips now that the scab fell off.

My stomach bloating has finally subsided. I can wear regular clothes again without discomfort, instead of the yoga pants I've been living in for a month.

Nipple sensitivity doesn't send me through the roof anymore. It's still there, but not as bad.

Driving the car isn't as uncomfortable this week as it was last week. I can now drive over railroad tracks and the hump at the end of our driveway without bracing myself and holding my breath! :-)

I finally went shopping for a couple of hours yesterday. Had a blast! I can wear dresses now, whereas I couldn't before because my top was 3 sizes bigger than my bottom. I tried on at least 10 dresses. Every one of them fit perfectly. It was a matter of picking the one I liked, instead of picking the one that fit my large breasts and hid them the best. LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Question for those who are Post Op. When did your itching stop?

I will be 4 weeks post op tomorrow. My breasts are still very itchy by the end of the day. I don't think there is a problem. They still swell too. I'm assuming the itchiness is due to the swelling and the fact that they are still healing. But, when did this stop for you?

Aside from that, I'm still healing well. BUT...still healing. I'm not 100% yet. The right breast is about a week behind the left with healing due to the hematoma that was drained last week. I actually went to my hometown the last two days for a funeral. I got home late last night. I'm exhausted. But, I made it through the 3.5 drive (each way), the hectic schedule, and two days of hugs. So, this is a note for those beginning your healing journey. Hang in there! It does get better.