34K to 34FF- 3 months post op
Hi everyone! I'm a 24 year old female from...
Hi everyone! I'm a 24 year old female from Wisconsin. I'm 6'1" and about 210 lbs. I currently wear a size 34K bra. I've been thinking about a breast reduction basically since high school and it's finally going to happen.
My biggest reasons for wanting to get this done are back pain, exercise, and poor posture. I've developed poor posture because standing up straight makes my boobs stick out and garner unwanted attention. Also, the weight of my boobs seem to pull on my chest. It's especially noticeable when I don't have a bra on. People think I'm a good two inches shorter than I actually am because of it.
Another motivation for this is that I'm getting married next August. I know that if I go dress shopping with my boobs the way they are now, it will only end in tears. This surgery will give me so many more options.
There are small reasons, too. Things like not having to straddle my leg with my boob when I'm trying to cut/paint my toenails, or not looking like a grandma when wearing a bath robe, or being able to buy bras in a store. I already have to order my pants online because of my long inseam, I don't want to worry about my bras too!
I had an appointment with my plastic surgeon on October 8th. He said my boobs were larger than the average reduction patient he sees. I received a letter from my insurance less than a week later telling me I had been approved. I have a $500 co-pay for the surgery, which seems well worth it!
I have my pre-op appointment scheduled for November 8th and the surgery scheduled for November 28th. I wanted to wait until after Thanksgiving because I'll be traveling.
I'm really excited for this surgery and not apprehensive (although those wound separation photos are a bit disturbing), so my biggest worries at this point are about being able to sleep on my back for awhile and not being able to walk my dog for some time (she's a puller when she sees other dogs).
My plastic surgeon said the smallest he could get me down to would be D. I think a D or DD would look well on my body. I'm really looking forward to smaller areolas and nipples that point outward, not towards the ground.
I went in for my pre-op appointment today. I met...
I was told that for the first two weeks after surgery, I shouldn't take baths or go swimming and that I shouldn't exercise more vigorously than walking. I can take showers starting the day after my surgery and washing the area with soap and water is encouraged. The PA (who was absolutely fantastic, by the way) said that my breasts will be pumped up with saline solution during surgery so that will be the majority of what comes out of the drains, and it will look like cherry KoolAid. I had never heard of the saline thing before, so I'll have to do some more research. I'll only have drains in for a day and I'll have dissolvable stitches so I don't need to worry about them getting taken out. The take-home sheet also said not to wear underwire bras for the first two weeks, but everything I've read says hold off even longer than that. I think I'll be enjoying wearing cute sports bras so much that I won't want to rush in to underwire bras.
I also looked at the before and after photos my surgeon had. They weren't as great as the before and after photos that I've seen from other surgeons online in terms of symmetry. The "after" areolas were bigger than I would want but the nurse said I could request smaller. Most of the patients in the photos were older and naturally had breasts that hung to the side more so than the front, so they were kind of hard to relate to. But I then I think the ones posted online (by surgeons, not actual people) are the best jobs they've done, not the average, so I have to be realistic. I asked the nurse what percentage of patients have wound separation issues. She said in the years she has been working there, they've only had one woman who had issues and she was a big time smoker. That's definitely reassuring. She also said she thinks my doctor is a very good surgeon and he's been who her family members have used.
So that was about it. Surgery is less than three weeks away! I can't wait! It's really amazing how much you become aware of back and neck pain and other inconveniences of big boobs when you pay attention. I've gotten so used to blocking it all out of my consciousness.
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I had my surgery yesterday. We arrived at the...
After I met with his resident about the study, my doctor came in and marked me up. I wish I could have gotten a picture of that. Then I met with the surgical nurse, the anesthesiologist, and his assistant. Surgery went off without a hitch. I'm not sure exactly how much my doc removed, so I'll check on that when I go to get my drains removed this morning.
Since the surgery, I've been doing well. I was able to eat and drink right away with no problems. I spent the rest of the day watching movies I had already seen a number of times so it didn't matter if I kept drifting in and out of sleep. My surgical bra is very itchy all over, but especially where the drains and tape are underneath my armpit. I can't wait until I get those out!
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