Smaller Breasts at Last! - Minneapolis, MN

I have felt very large in my chest since I was in high school, but I kept telling myself that I really wasn't that big. After all, I was only wearing a DD. Little did I know that like many women, I was wearing the wrong size bra! It wasn't until I was out of college that one of my girlfriends saw the bra I had been wearing and was flabbergasted that I had been wearing something that was obviously WAY to small for me. She took me to a store to be properly sized and I found out that I was actually a 32GG! I was able to buy the right size bra, but more importantly, I finally felt vindicated in my long-time desire to have a breast reduction!

However, I was destined to wait. Having gained 40 lbs between college and marriage, I knew I would want to thin out a bit before I took away the two things that camouflaged the weight gain. After two SLOW years of hard work, the weight was finally gone and I started hunting around for a surgeon. Once I decided on my surgeon the whole process went very smoothly. Unlike many other posters, dealing with my insurance company was very easy and they approved coverage for the procedure on the first review. The procedure was scheduled for April 19th and the countdown was on!

I had really done my research on breast reductions. For anyone that is considering this surgery, I think the best thing to do is find a good forum, like real self, and also watch you tube videos. I searched so obsessively that by the time the day finally arrived, I was felt more relieved than anything else.

I was nervous and excited the day of, but the whole medical staff was absolutely wonderful. They were relaxed, encouraging, and their whole demeanor just really calmed any nerves that I had. By the time I slipped on the operating table I was completely relaxed and before I knew it I was waking up in recovery. The first thought that went through my mind was "this is going to be a breeze"! I had my appendix rupture and removed two years earlier and it was a hard healing process; I was very ready and realistic about the amount of pain I would have, but I was very surprised at how little I felt in comparison. Of course everyone will respond to pain differently, but for anyone that is considering this surgery my experience is that the pain was entirely manageable.

My surgeon had told me to keep my post surgical bandages on for 24 hours. Once removed, take a shower and clean the area with a good anti-bacterial soap and put on freshly-cleaned clothes. I was really surprised when the bandages were removed; I was still taped up with steri-strips, but I was expecting to see what I have been referring to as "Frankenstein boobs". Not the case at all. I was definitely able to see what the end product could end up looking like.

I'm now two weeks post-op and am finally taking the time to post my review and pictures. I don't have any before pictures besides the ones the surgeon took, and those are currently not on hand - sorry. I'm to the point where my nerves are starting to wake up and am having a lot of sensitivity, but again, not anything that I can't handle.

Well, I'm now three weeks post op. I made it through the awful period where my nerves were just starting to "wake up" and I was very over-sensitive. Most of the numbness has also disappeared. Now I'm fighting through the horrible itches! For the most part though, I've had a wonderful recovery. I do need to remind myself to be delicate though. Last week, I woke up to my alarm and twisted around, very groggy, to try to turn it off and ended up feeling a shooting pain through my left breast. I called my surgeon and they thought that I had probably torn a bit of the scar tissue, but as long as swelling, bruising, or drainage didn't go up, they said it was nothing too serious. It just goes to show though how very simple movements can really affect you in a big way when you're in recovery. I think it will still be a couple weeks before normal exercise feels like a possibility. . . which is a shame. I've really missed my workout routine.

I've been having these great little moments when I realize how liberating it has been for me to loose some major girth off my bust. The other day I was at work and noticed I was slouching, so I decided to sit up . . . and it was so easy! And when I sit up, I don't feel like I'm pushing my chest way out like some [RS bleep] trying to get attention. I didn't realize just how much strain was there. And the shopping has been amazing! I've gone bananas for blazers! I've never been able to wear them before because they looked completely wrong on me. If I found something that fit through my bust, it was huge in my waist. I know you can pay to have a blazer tailored, but it was hard to even imagine someone making a blazer look right on me before. I now own four and will probably purchase more in the near future! And my boobs are starting to feel like boobs again. They were so swollen and hard before that they felt completely fake. It's nice to feel them and know that they're going to be like a real breast. Week three has been very good!

I've been poking around a little bit and it seems like a lot of the PS that people have worked with have recommended taping the incisions for the first three months to promote good healing of the scars. I'm feeling a little apprehensive now; my PS told me to just concentrate on healing for the first month and to not tape or use silicon strips. I'm sure every treatment philosophy is different, but I just want my final results to be as fantastic as some that I've seen here.