5 Year Update With Photos - I do NOT recommend this surgeon

So at first I had no interest in writing a review since there is already so much valuable information on this site, but after experiencing this procedure first hand and going through things I did not read about, I thought it best to share with you all.
I'm going to try to write in order, as well as in categories since I know some of you are just looking for specific information. So here we go.
About Me:
I am 23 years old, 5'3 and 125lbs. As of yesterday, I was a 32G.
First Thoughts:
The first time a breast reduction crossed my mind I was a junior in high school, so that's nearly 6 years of thinking about this procedure. The first time I noticed my boobs were larger than normal, or rather the first time it was pointed out to me, was in 7th grade when a few girls started a rumor that I was wearing push up bras. I was not, however, wearing a push up bra. I just had very perky B's / C's at 12 years old.
Making the Decision:
Senior year of high school is when I started exclusively buying unlined bras in a 32D. Sophomore year of college is when I started buying minimizer bras in a 32 / 34DD. And just one year out of college is when I reached my largest: a 32G, pushing on a 32H / 30I. I had always had back pain, particularly in my lower back, but always attributed it to sports. I've been dancing since I was three years old, and also did gymnastics and cheerleading. Anyone who has participated in any of these knows that there is always a certain level of pain, even a badge of honor that comes with dealing with your body's aches and sores with zero complaints, so it definitely took me a while to distinguish between physical activity pain and pain caused by my oversized breasts. And to be completely honest, what really pushed me over the edge is when I bought my first and only 32G bra and looked in the mirror and it looked like I was a hundred and seventy five pounds. My breasts were the largest things on my body, and I am a petite girl, so looking so disproportionate, and for lack of a better word, fat, really upset me.
Insurance:
So before I even started looking for doctors I was on the phone with insurance for days. I have both Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and GHI because my parents aren't together, and I'm under both of them. Anyway, I had to talk to several different people at both companies to try to narrow down their requirements to cover this procedure. What was really frustrating is that they were so reluctant to give me any information because they wanted me to meet with a surgeon first. I saw that as a complete waste of time because what is the point of meeting with a surgeon to only be told I have to spend 6 months going to physical therapy and a chiropractor and wear special bras and blah blah. So I finally got through with BCBS, and they sent me a list of requirements, along with a chart of height and weight and minimum gram removal. Thank the lord my height and weight and goal size fit perfectly into the chart. GHI gave me absolutely no information and said they would only communicate with the doctors. Super frustrating. But I did start seeing a chiropractor immediately - twice a week at $20 a pop. Not cheap.
Finding a Surgeon:
I live on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, so my area is swimming with plastic surgeons. The only downfall is that the majority charge hundreds of dollars JUST for a consultation. I don't think I mentioned this, but I went to school for acting and I am currently working on a few projects and waitressing to pay my rent, so I definitely do not have an extra grand laying around just to consult with a few doctors. So thank god for this site and leading me to doctors who offer free consultations. Anyway, I met with a total of four plastic surgeons, and ended up going with Dr. Norman Rowe.
Now I'm going to get super detailed about each consultation. So I read almost every review on realself about surgeons in my area, and made nearly ten appointments with surgeons who either had free consultations, or consultations under $100. First I met with Eric Sadeh, who was professional and personable. He answered all my questions with ease and patience and when I left his office, I did think that he was going to be the surgeon for me, but of course I'm not going to buy the first car on the lot and met with others later in the week. There were a few things he said during my consultation that were either confusing, or that I didn't care for... He said because of the stretch marks on the upper part of my breasts, it would be difficult to lift them. He said I would probably lose nipple sensation, but that's really no big deal. He also said I might not get approved by insurance. Sadeh said for my size I would most likely have a short scar incision with maybe a short horizontal line - just under the vertical incision, not extending all the way out to my ribcage.
The next consultation was with Norman Rowe. So I show up at the office, the staff is super nice and personable, but they did tell me that he was called in on an emergency surgery and was running late. Almost an hour later they let me know that he was not going to make our appointment and offered to let me speak to the physician's assistant, Marilyn Chira. Marilyn was great, and super knowledgable. I'm not quite sure how to describe this, but she told me very specific details about the surgery without any ego - as in she let me know that she knows her stuff while maintaining that she's the PA and wasn't trying to come off as the surgeon herself. In any case, I left the office with more information than the first consultation and with a feeling of honesty. Like Marilyn was super real with me. Marilyn said for my size I would have a short scar incision.
Next was Scott E Newman, who was again very professional and knowledgable and had a very impressive resume. He's the head of surgery at some hospital and also teaches at some university, so he is constantly updating his procedures and not relying on methods he learned decades ago. He told me all about the specific sutures he orders that distribute tension evenly to minimize scarring. He said I would maintain nipple sensitivity, and that I would have the traditional T scar with the bottom incision extending from my sternum to my ribcage. He then ended the consultation with telling me I won't be approved by insurance and quoting me $15,000. That was a major turn off, because even though his office does work with insurance, he basically told me he's not even going to try. And I don't remember what I was wearing that day, but I guarantee you I did not look like someone with an extra $15,000 lying around.
The last consultation I actually went on was with Dr. Kevin Tehrani, which was a complete waste of time. All of my consultations before this one, the doctors sat down with me in their office and had long, detailed conversations with me. After doing a ten minute Q&A about my medical history with a nurse, Tehrani just walked into the room, looked at my boobs, said something like "yeah we can take you down to a C cup." He said "mmhm" while looking at my boobs, and then abruptly just asked "you have any questions?" He didn't even sit down, and the energy he had as soon as he walked into the room was rushed and impatient. Anyway, crossed him off the list right away.
I had two other appointments scheduled which I ended up canceling because they were at least two weeks away and I wanted to get the ball rolling as soon as possible. The only other doctor I wanted to see was Robert L Kraft, who is all over this website, however, when I called to make an appointment whoever answered the phone wouldn't even schedule me for a consultation until I continued seeing my chiropractor for another 4 months. Just business wise, I feel like that was a huge mistake because I did end up getting approved by insurance, rather quickly actually, and there was one doctor who refused to even try with my insurance and a doctor who's office person made the decision that he wouldn't even see me. Really silly in my opinion.
So just a few days after my initial appointment with Dr. Rowe, I was able to get in there and actually meet with him this time. He was polite and personable and gave me a ton of information. My goal was to be a small C cup and he told me he would try but made no guarantees because it all depends on my health and blood supply and nipple sensitivity, which I really appreciated. All the other surgeons I met with were like "sure, no problem," but I wanted a surgeon who was going to listen to what I wanted, but would also prioritize health over the physical outcome. A million questions later, I felt confident with Dr. Rowe as my surgeon and I told him I would like to proceed. His office manager said I should not have a problem with insurance and set me up with an appointment with a physiologist who would examine me and write a letter based on his findings. At this point I had also been seeing a chiropractor twice a week for about 1 month, but the office manager said the letter from the physiologist would be enough. They also sent me home with prescriptions for all the medication and a list of primary care physicians who did thorough pre-op exams. They really took care of me and made sure I had everything I needed to proceed. And everyone, the office staff, Dr. Rowe and Marilyn insisted that I call with any questions I could think of.
Insurance Part 2:
I have no idea what magic my doctor's office worked, but they submitted my claim the day I met with the physiologist and less than a month later I was approved by GHI. I don't even think they tried with BCBS, but that doesn't even matter. I was just so grateful for how quickly everything went through.
Setting the Date:
So I had initially started the whole process, calling insurance and setting up consultations, in the beginning of November. The moment insurance for approved they put me in the books for January 6th. It was really mind blowing that it was all happening so fast since I read so many stories about how the whole process could take up to a year. But I did let them know I wanted the operation as soon as possible so they put me on next available. And then I made my pre op exam appointment for two weeks before the surgery date.
The Week Before:
So I spent the entire week before reading absolutely everything I could possibly read about breast reductions. I made an entire new list of questions and went and saw my surgeon and PA one more time. Just like the first meeting, they were super patient with me and listened to and answered every question I had. We went over size and shape again. I was a little more insistent about being a small C and was met with the same "we'll go as small at healthily possible" response.
The Night Before:
I could not sleep at all. In fact, the night before the night before I couldn't sleep either. I was just really excited. I did not and still have not felt any nervousness whatsoever. I really think it's just because it's been something I wanted for more than half a decade. I had good vibes all day and all night before the surgery.
Morning Of:
Took a nice long and thorough shower since I knew I wouldn't be able to do that for a few days. Put on sweat pants and a button up plaid shirt and off we went. I was scheduled for 7am, so had to arrive at 6. Got to Excel Surgery Center in Hackensack, New Jersey at 5:55, and practically ran up the stairs. I filled out the paper work and just sat in the waiting room until they took me back to change. Now here are a few things I did not like about the customer service at this center. I was there with my mom, and when they called me downstairs, they didn't say what for. The lady did not inform me that I was not going to see my mom again until after surgery, and it wasn't until I was all changed and laying in bed waiting for the doctor to mark me up that I realized that there was no going back, and that they were not going to invite my mom to where I was being held. I did not like that at all. I've never had anything done like this before, so when she casually called me from the waiting room I did not realize that that was it. And I feel like she should have said something like "say goodbye," or "your mom will see you on the other side," or something! Anyway, as soon as the doctor finished with his markings I asked them to get my mom. My mom came down and I heard her say from behind the curtain "is everything okay?" At this point it was after 7am and my mom thought that the surgery had started and that she was being called down because something was wrong. Again, another misstep in communication. Apparently the same lady called the front desk in the waiting room where my mom was and just asked for her to come downstairs. She did not say anything about me just wanting to see her before surgery, or anything about me not even being in surgery yet, so worrying my poor mother for absolutely no reason. Even typing about it now is making me upset. Anyway, I got to say goodbye to my mom and then they wheeled me into the operating room. I still wasn't nervous at all which I am very happy about. I'm pretty sure this surgery center is like a teaching hospital because there were like four different people placing all the monitors and stuff on my body while one other person was telling them what to do from the corner. Again, thank god I wasn't nervous because no one was talking to me, just around me, and this was before any drugs were administered. As soon as the anesthesiologist started putting the drugs in my IV, Marilyn, the PA, came over and started rubbing my hand and off I went.
Waking Up:
I woke up in the recovery room. No pain, just super drowsy. They waited until I was awake enough to stand up and go pee, and then I was taken to my mom in another room where I was put to sit up instead of lie down. The lady I was with after the procedure was a vast improvement to the women I was with before. Her name is Maggie and she was this wonderful, attentive Polish woman who walked me to the bathroom and put toilet paper on the toilet seat for me and helped me sit and helped me up. She was so kind and so sweet. She took me to my mom and had a very pleasant conversation with her. I have no idea about what, that's all blurry. She gave me apple juice, which I couldn't drink because the sugar made me nauseous, so she gave me goldfish and water. When I finished she helped me get back into my normal clothes and walked me out to the car since my mom when to heat it up. I am so grateful to Maggie because if I had to deal with any of those other ladies after surgery I don't think it would have went as well.
Home:
THIS is the part I wanted to warn you ladies about. Please beware, or let's keep it positive, be AWARE of the first few hours at home.
So I must have been pretty drugged up because I felt great. Even before leaving Maggie said I was making such a fast recovery. And I read on here so many times that the bumps on the road were painful, but I didn't feel a thing. I answered phone calls and texted back my friends. I even went with my mom to Duane Reade for some prunes, my birth control, stool softener, and vitamin C. I was feeling great. When we got to my apartment I walked myself up my five flights or stairs, and made myself tea. I joked with my mom about how she could go back to work. I was feeling amazing; moving my arms and undressing and dressing myself. I didn't even go to bed until ten o'clock at night. So I had been up from 5am Monday morning to 10pm Tuesday night. I set my alarm for 11:30, because that was the next time I could take Vicodin, and when my alarm went off, everything changed. I went from zero pain to feeling like I was going to die. I was also super nauseous for the first time and my mouth was watering like I was going to vomit. It was seriously like night and day. And I do think if I had taken it easy as soon as I got home I wouldn't have been in so much pain. So please please please, no matter how good you feel after surgery, slow it down and rest immediately. When I went to bed, I had no idea that in less than two hours I would feel so drastically different. I also only ate a few crackers between coming home and going to bed, and that was also a mistake. Even though I wasn't hungry I should have listened to my mom and eaten more. Lesson learned.
Morning After:
So last night was the worst of it so far. I took more Vicodin, had more crackers and cheese, and because I couldn't sleep I stayed up until 4am texting. I went back to sleep around 5 and woke up again around 9. I've been switching on and off with the frozen vegetables on my sides and I'm back to feeling pretty good. I've been drinking warm water with lemon, and I had some soup and strawberries. I have my post op appointment later today at 2:30, and I'm pretty excited to get a look at these things.
Thoughts and Fears:
So all the surgeons I met with told me I am a double D. I was very concerned when they said this because I felt like no one took into consideration my band size. Like sure I'm a double D, if I were wearing a size 38 band. But I'm not. I have a small back, so a DD in my band size does not fit. With that in mind, and after reading tons of reviews with girls wishing they had gone smaller, I was really worried about being too big. When I first went into this, I was thinking of a small D. I still want boobs, just more manageable boobs. But after hearing that I'm "really a double D" so many times I got scared that what the doctor's think a D is and what a D is on my body are two different things. So I started asking for a small C. But now that I'm on the other side of it, I'm worried I'm too small. After my surgery the doctor did tell my mom that he took off a little more because my boobs are so dense. So I guess only time will tell. About three years ago my boobs and my hips were the same size, which was great! That's like the ideal body shape, so I hope I didn't make them too small so now my hips look wide. I just have to remind myself that I didn't do this for a perfect body, that I did this to relieve back pain and shoulder tension and to finally start dancing again. Which I am counting down the days for.
As for the photos, for some reason they refuse to load. Maybe later...

It's 1:41 in the morning, so I am going to try my best to be chronological and coherent.


Day 1 Post Op (Wednesday):

So the day after surgery, I had an appointment with the physician's assistant. She took off my surgical bra and gauze, then felt around for lumps. I told her I wasn't ready to look at them, so she replaced the gauze and put me back into the surgical bra. I was given permission to shower later that day, as long as no water hit my boobs directly from the pipe. I was also given permission to change bras, as long as what I put on offered the same support as the surgical bra and was not too constricting.

We left NYC, heading to my mom's house, and stopped at Walmart on the way. We picked up some Bio Oil (which I won't be using for a while), gauze (even though my PA said that would not be necessary), some granny panties because I want to be as comfortable as possible, and several sports bras in several different sizes. I just figured I'll keep one or two and take back the rest. This part wasn't as easy as I thought it would be since I was not trying them on in the store, and I'm so used to buying tiny sports bras and squeezing into two at a time to make sure nothing jiggles at the gym. The brands I chose were Genie, Fruit of the Loom, and some generic Walmart brand - sizes medium, large, and 38... Whatever that means.

Got to my mom's place and I was pretty tired from the Walmart outing. Had some soup and crackers and went to lay down in my mom's bed. Even though I was given permission to shower, I was not ready quite yet and just did a wipe down with a rag. I did muster up the courage to take the surgical bra off myself and wasn't terrified by what I saw underneath. My mom, however, is super squeamish and refused to look. She took some pictures with her hand covering her eyes.

I did not sleep until after midnight. So another day of barely sleeping at night and staying up all day.

One more thing: I pooped!! So I've been taking Colase since the day of surgery. I've also been eating prunes and drinking a lot of lemon water, but nothing was happening. My friend surprised me with a care package that included Soothing Mint Get Regular Yogi Tea, and less than an hour after drinking that it worked like a charm. It actually worked too well, and I think that's because I was already doing so much. All I had was one cup, and even now, two days later, I'm still going to the bathroom less than an hour after every meal I eat. So I would definitely suggest to just stick to one product, and I would go with the tea since it was fastest and most effective.


Day 2 Post Op (Thursday):

Thursday was the day of sleep! I don't know why, but anesthesia and Vicodin gives me energy. And that combined with just the pure excitement I had about the surgery must have been what kept me up between Monday and Wednesday. But Thursday my mom returned to work, and without some one there to tell all my thoughts to, tiredness took over. I was up at 6 to take meds and breakfast and to see my mom off to work then went right back to sleep. Woke up again around 11, back to sleep around 1, and then back up around 6 when my mom got home. So almost a whole day of just sleep. Minimal pain and no nausea or anything like that. I took a real shower with my mom close by, and took a close look at my boobs this time. I noticed chaffing on my right side boob caused my the lining of my surgical bra, so I decided it was time to change into one of the bras I purchased at Walmart. I didn't want to go through trying all of them on, and I really didn't want to risk even a moment in a bra that was too tight, so I held them up against the surgical bra I had been wearing, and put on the one that was closest in size. It ended up being the Fruit of the Loom front closure sports bra in a size 38. And to my surprise, the Genia bras seemed to run small. They came in plastic packages so I didn't see them in the store, but I picked up and medium and a large and they both looked small. I also have two surgical bras I ordered waiting for me at the post office. My mom's going to pick them up on Saturday, so when I have all the bras in front of me I'm going to decide which ones I'm actually going to keep. I'm thinking just one surgical bra to wear when I return to work and one sports bra to sleep in. It seems silly to have more than that since this is just a transitional period.


Day 3 Post Op:

So after sleeping all day yesterday, today was much more of a regular day. Up again at 6 when my mom went to work. Took a nap around 5, and was back up at 7. I've cut down from 2 Vicodin every six hours to just half of a pill every six hours. Tomorrow I am hoping to transition to Tylenol. I've been keeping myself busy by watching Friends on Netflix and filling multiple online carts with tons of bras and panties. Not actually buying anything yet, of course. Still have no idea what size I'll actually be.


Diet:

Ever since the surgery, here are all the things I've been eating: unsalted saltines, ritz crackers, strawberries, cheddar cheese, english muffins, various cans of soup that have been watered down (too much salt for me), lettuce, ice cream (sore throat), peanut butter and jelly, prunes (before I pooed), sugar snap peas, and spaghetti and bolognese sauce has been the heaviest meal I've eaten so far. The night of day 2, Wednesday, was the first time I had an appetite and wasn't forcing myself to eat. I've also been drinking only water and lemon water.


Small Things:

I've spoken to either the PA or a nurse at my surgeons office every day since surgery. They are very adamant about calling if I need anything at all, and they have been great with answering any questions I come up with. I have my next appointment on Monday, and that's when I will ask about how many grams were removed.

My bum hurts. Interesting that I did not read anything about that any where on this site. But I am not a back sleeper, and after spending so much time on my bum, it is really sore. I did not end up purchasing a pregnancy wedge or any other special pillow. I just pushed my bed to the corner and made a sort of pillow cocoon. This has been great since I am still elevated, but have the freedom to move slightly on each side, and I have the protection of pillows on all sides to make sure I don't move too much during the night. I've also been using rolled up hand towels to place underneath spots of my lower back that were uncomfortable. Just in efforts to save money, if you have extra pillows and blankets, I'm sure you could work something out instead of spending more money.

My boobs are like new toys! The swelling has gone down quite a bit, and they feel normal and fleshy. I know that I have a long way to go, but they feel so good! I have feeling all over. During my first post op appointment the PA rubbed my nipples and I was like oh yeah, definitely feel that, and they get hard and soft with the temperature. So that is definitely a huge hurdle that has been crossed. I also dreaded the thought of having to sleep in a bra for weeks on end. I sleep naked, and besides that bras are the most evil contraption on the face of the planet. But I have great news; when your bra isn't trying to carry one hundred pounds of breast tissue, they actually aren't that uncomfortable. There's no digging or scratching or pulling or constant adjusting. I find myself cracking my neck and back out of habit, but there's nothing to crack. No built up tension! I absolutely cannot wait until every thing is healed so I can really feel the difference in my body.


The only thing I am constantly reminding myself is to take it easy. No matter how good I feel, and I really do feel good, I still had a major operation just a few days ago and I don't want to mess any thing up. So even though I would like to go on a run or to yoga class, I am going to continue to sit on my bum.