28 , Three Kids, TX, DDD/F Cup, Ready for a Breast Reduction - Mckinney, TX

I am SO beyond ready to get rid of my huge breasts. I have been obsessed with looking at RealSelf reviews, and they have been beyond helpful. It has inspired me to write my own reviews, and to try to be as thorough as possible.
I have a *somewhat* unique situation (or maybe not, but I haven't seen many reviews with my situation) in that I am currently breastfeeding my son, who will be 18 months in about a week. I have started the weaning process because I have read that doctors prefer for you to wait 3-6 months after weaning to get the procedure done, and I want to get it done in December, so I am on a time crunch! I originally wanted to wait until he was 2 years old, but I have recently started working out to lose weight, and my breasts make it SO hard to work out. I wake up every morning with back, neck, and shoulder pain that was already bad, but now it is pretty unbearable. Still, I am motivated to lose the weight and be in better shape overall as well as for my surgery. I recently found out that I had already met my deductible, so my out of pocket expenses will be minimal! This is why it is important to try to get this done by the end of the year. Also, winter will be a good time to heal. By spring, I will be ready to flaunt my cute new figure :-D
I am hoping to have my consultation next month and start the process for insurance approval and then go from there. I will be updating as I get more information, and if anyone has experience, suggestions, etc, please advise!
Current Symptoms:
Heavy, sagging breasts
Severe neck, back and shoulder pain
Bruises and indentions from bra straps on my sides and shoulders
Difficulty doing tasks like working out, and even just bending down (causes major boob spillage!)
Driving for long periods causes pain
Hard to get comfy while sleeping
Clothes, bathing suits and dresses are hard to fit and find flattering things
Overall effect on my self esteem and I feel like I look much heavier because of them

Soooo....it has been a while since my first update. I am excited because I have my consultation tomorrow and I have quite a few things to update on!

First, my exercise and healthy eating journey has been coming along...slowly but surely lol. I am currently 159 lbs with a BMI of 24.9. I started off April 1st at 167 lbs with a BMI of 26.2. So, it has been two months, and I have not lost nearly as much as I expected, but I am not giving up yet! Right now, I am at the absolutely heaviest possible in order to be considered in the "normal" range, so one more pound and I am in the "overweight" category. I want to be comfortably in the "normal" range...like at least middle of it lol. I also want to lose this belly from the baby. But anyway! I hope that having a better weight will help with insurance. I hear that they sometimes use your weight as an excuse to not cover you. -__-

Also, I have successfully weaned my son! Yay! It has truly been bittersweet. I can't lie, I do miss it, and so does he. But he is almost 19 months now, and he has truly matured since I have weaned him. He sleeps through the night in his own bed, and is more independent. It was such an amazing bonding experience and I am happy we had that time, but I know it was time for us to move forward. He's still very attached to me and cuddles with me, so that has not changed. However, I do feel more "free" now! LOL! I have been trying everything to get my milk to dry up! It has slowed down tremendously, but not completely gone yet. I have been doing oils, herbs, cabbage leaves, the whole nine lol.

According to RealSelf, most doctors want you to wait 3-6 months after breastfeeding to get the surgery, so I cannot wait to hear what Dr. Setty says so I will know approx. when I will be getting my surgery. I have almost met my deductible, so I am hoping and praying that my insurance covers it, because then I won't have much out of pocket expense. I tried to time it so that even if he tells me I need to wait the whole 6 months, that I will still be able to get the surgery before the year is up so I won't have to meet another deductible!

I am compiling a list of questions for the doctor. I have been looking at RealSelf for ideas, and I want to make sure all concerns are addressed. I know I will be nervous and excited and probably draw a blank, so I am writing everything down! I also need to find some WISH PICS to show him! I want to make it CLEAR that I want them as SMALL as possible without compromising the aesthetics of my breasts! I have heard on RS that some doctors think they know what's best for you and fear you will regret it, so they disregard what you want. I want to make it clear to him that I absolutely am positive that I want small breasts! I would like a C cup, and if I could have a B, I would even take that, but it's probably not possible lol.

Hmmm....I think that is all for now! I met with my OB & also my regular doctor and I am in good health for my surgery. They both are women and were extremely supportive and excited for my surgery and wrote very detailed notes for the surgeon without even my prompting! That made me feel at ease, because they were so helpful and thought I was a great candidate. I am hoping that I get approved!! I would be so heartbroken if I did not . I have been researching and researching and it seems so hit or miss. Some get approved so quickly, while others get the run-around. If I have to finance it, so be it. That's how crucial it is. lol.

Anyway, I will update again tomorrow! :-)

Soooo sorry for the super late update! Get ready, because I have a long review coming!
I am a RS stalker, and I have sooo appreciated all of the ladies detailed reviews, so I am going to try my best to be as detailed as possible when discussing everything with the surgery.
First things first....the consultation!
So, I went into Dr. Setty's office and I filled out my paperwork. I gave them my insurance information as well. They already had all of my doctor's notes beforehand. A tip would be to go to your Gyno and/or General Doctor prior to your consultation so that you can not only get medical clearance for surgery, but also so that you can make sure that your pain complaints are documented by the doctor. I am soooo lucky because both of my doctors are women and both wrote very detailed notes for me. Honestly, I did not even have to really say much. Both were very well-versed in reduction approvals and said they knew JUST what to say! I was so happy about that! They both faxed in my medical records to the PS office, so when I got to my consultation, they were already in.
Anyway, so after a small wait, I was escorted to a room. It is a really nice room, and very cheery looking and modern. There was a comfy sofa there and a flat screen tv. The medical assistant (forgot her name) was very bubbly and sweet. She made what could be an awkward situation very pleasant. She chatted with me about the Dr. and raved about his work and how awesome and nice he is. She took my vitals and weight, and then before she left, she put on a movie explaining the breast reduction procedure.
When the movie was over, (about 10 minutes, maybe?), Dr. Setty came in and chatted with me for a few minutes. He asked me a few questions and then talked to me a little bit about the procedure. He was very thorough and answered my questions. He did not rush AT ALL, and he was very nice. I felt a lot more comfortable. He asked me to undress, and then he left so I could change. I was given a robe as well. He and his medical assistant came back in and he had me disrobe, and began to take photos. I took photos from several angles and he also took measurements. I HATE my breasts and I was a little embarrassed, but I reminded myself that he does this full time and so it's nothing he hasn't yet seen! If I had to get through this mortifying moment for small, cute, perky, nice breasts, SO BE IT! Those thoughts got me through. It was all in my head though; he was as nice and professional as can be!
Once I changed, he came back in and we talked a little more. He explained to me in great detail EXACTLY what he was going to do. I showed him a couple wish pics and told him I would like to be as small as possible. Ideally, that would be a C! He said that he would take a lot of skin and fat, and lift up my breasts. He explained that he believed that he can achieve a C, and will do his best to get them exactly what I wanted, without compromising on the aesthetic of my breasts. Also, he explained that taking out too much would disrupt the blood flow to my nipple, and it could make me lose it. So ladies, don't be too upset if the surgeon can't get your breasts as small as you want! I felt a lot better understanding the why's of it all. Although we want small breasts, sometimes it can be dangerous to take out too much tissue and can lead to problems. He explained about the recovery and that I would need about 2 weeks before I could do activities and lift anything. Also, the surgery itself will take about 2 hours. He didn't make any promises about insurance approval or anything, but he said he would submit it and they would let me know.
Just a few weeks later, on June 22nd, I received a call from Dr. Setty's office! The receptionist informed me that my insurance approved me! I almost screamed on the phone! I was sooooo shocked, surprised and excited! I could barely think! I did not want to get my hopes up too much, so I honestly didn't want to think one way or the other. The woman on the phone was excited for me too! lol! Tears were welling in my eyes. I could not believe that after almost 9 years of this, I am going to finally be free! I was asked when I would like to schedule my surgery, and I decided on October. So I am scheduled for October 7th!! I am so excited and ready! These next few months will go by quickly, I hope!