POSTED UNDER Breast Reduction Reviews
23 Years Old, 125 lbs, 32DDD/30G? to C! - Newport News, VA
UPDATED FROM are dee ess
10 months post
10 Months Post Op. Finally made it around to updating!
WORTH IT
Wow guys! I can't believe it's been a little over 10 months since my surgery now.
I apologize for just cutting off updating so abruptly, I got too lazy to transfer pictures from my phone to my laptop and just never found the time to do it until this lovely mac upgrade that lets your pictures from your phone sync to your computer.
Overall, this surgery has been one of the best things I have done for myself. I feel more confident and so much happier. It is wonderful to not have to think about hiding my boobs in everything I wear. I definitely had my rough times throughout recovery, but at about 5 months all pain stopped completely for the most part. I still have zingers here and there and sometimes slight pain when I bend over on one side or move around too much in my sleep. My scars haven't lightened up quite as much as I would like to and are still a little rough on my underside, but i'm hoping that's something that'll keep getting better with time. I am so thankful that I got to experience this and I would have no second thoughts about getting a second one if I end up in the same situation again after I had kids. I did struggle a lot with that prior to surgery, but I realized that I had to do something for me and my well being for once instead of holding back and thinking what if. I don't plan to have kids for at least 3 more years, and it wasn't worth the insecurity and pain I was feeling.
I'll try to include pictures from right around when I stopped posting last until now. Hopefully they post in the right order! BEWARE! There's probably going to be a lot. I'm here to answer any questions I can for you ladies :)
A lot of my pictures are flipped different ways, but they only did that when I selected them to be posted. Does anyone know how I can fix this?
I apologize for just cutting off updating so abruptly, I got too lazy to transfer pictures from my phone to my laptop and just never found the time to do it until this lovely mac upgrade that lets your pictures from your phone sync to your computer.
Overall, this surgery has been one of the best things I have done for myself. I feel more confident and so much happier. It is wonderful to not have to think about hiding my boobs in everything I wear. I definitely had my rough times throughout recovery, but at about 5 months all pain stopped completely for the most part. I still have zingers here and there and sometimes slight pain when I bend over on one side or move around too much in my sleep. My scars haven't lightened up quite as much as I would like to and are still a little rough on my underside, but i'm hoping that's something that'll keep getting better with time. I am so thankful that I got to experience this and I would have no second thoughts about getting a second one if I end up in the same situation again after I had kids. I did struggle a lot with that prior to surgery, but I realized that I had to do something for me and my well being for once instead of holding back and thinking what if. I don't plan to have kids for at least 3 more years, and it wasn't worth the insecurity and pain I was feeling.
I'll try to include pictures from right around when I stopped posting last until now. Hopefully they post in the right order! BEWARE! There's probably going to be a lot. I'm here to answer any questions I can for you ladies :)
A lot of my pictures are flipped different ways, but they only did that when I selected them to be posted. Does anyone know how I can fix this?
are dee ess's provider
UPDATED FROM are dee ess
27 days post
27 days post
Finally made it past hell week. The week three blues really got the best of me. I saw my surgeon yesterday for my second post op appointment and he said everything was normal and cleared me to start massaging and rubbing my incisions with oil. I'm very happy with the size and shape of my breasts...its just my incisions that are really discouraging me. I see everyone else's look so clean and mine are so scabby and crusty. I went home from my appointment and oiled everything up with some coconut oil and that really helped with the peeling and dryness I was experiencing.
To maximize the best of my healing and avoid as much scarring, I'm really conflicted on how I should work with these scabs. Is it best to let them heal dry and fall off on their own or put polysporin and oil on them to encourage the scabs coming off? I want to minimize scarring as little as possible but these scabs are throwing me off. I'm really not sure why I scabbed up like this :/ Maybe the lack of drains?
To maximize the best of my healing and avoid as much scarring, I'm really conflicted on how I should work with these scabs. Is it best to let them heal dry and fall off on their own or put polysporin and oil on them to encourage the scabs coming off? I want to minimize scarring as little as possible but these scabs are throwing me off. I'm really not sure why I scabbed up like this :/ Maybe the lack of drains?
Replies (5)
Scabs are part of the healing process please do not mess with them. They will fall off on their own to reveal a smooth surface. I wouldn't and did not use neosporin just stick with the organic coconut oil.
And organic virgin coconut oil helps with stretch marks. The ointment doesnt heal as well.
They look great! I had some stabbing too and now all but a couple small areas have cleared up. Mine mostly came off in the shower or while I was sleeping. One was kind of hanging off yesterday so I pulled it and t was a little plastic stitch! Gross lol. I have also started massaging my incisions and it really threw me off but I feel popping when I do it. Don't be alarmed if you get the same thing. It's almost like bubble wrap. So disturbing.
Ahh I haven't started massaging yet but I should probably get on that cos im a raised in some areas :/ do you do it bare chested or with your bra as a barrier? I also don't know how hard is too hard even though they say vigorously massage. I am such a wuss. I need your nursing background! Lol
Haha I just do it lightly if it's still tender and a little harder if it doesn't hurt. Just do what's comfortable to you! And I do it without a bra or under my bra so I can feel everything
UPDATED FROM are dee ess
22 days post
22 Days Post Op
Hi Ladies!
Sorry it has been a long time. I had quite the rough week this past week. When they say week two going into week three is hell, they weren't lying. My steri strips hadn't came off yet and it had been over two weeks. I was really anxious to see what they looked like, and I had felt a little scabbing on my left nipple which automatically made me think I had some type of necrosis so I had a complete emotional breakdown Monday. Called my surgeon's office and the nurse told me they would be more than happy to remove them for me so I set an appointment for them to do that the next day. While it did hurt a little being taken off, and I freaked out I saw my nipples and incisions, i'm glad I did it. I know it was recommended to keep them on until they fell off on their own, but not knowing what they looked like under there, especially with the scabbing I felt, was really making me anxious.
I went back to work this week as well, and i'm very glad I took the nurse's recommendation of only working half days my first week back so I could ease into it. My first day back on Monday, I came home at 1230 and took a 3 hour nap! I really didn't expect to be so exhausted. Hopefully i'll be okay working 8 hours, but I only have a desk job so it shouldn't be too much. Just paranoid to open up anything.
Nearing the end of the week I started to feel a lot better. I had another "post op" type appointment with my regular doctor, and she said everything looked good in her opinion and didn't see anything to be concerned about. I bought up the fact that I had been having so much anxiety, and she said she would have prescribed me some anti-anxiety medications, but the feelings I was having would likely go away by next week. They've already started to, so I am very happy. While i'm still getting used to what my boobs look like right now, I'm excited to see the changes I will be going through in the next few weeks (crossing my fingers that they are all good ones!)
I'm pretty much doing everything as normal right now. Trying not to do anything too overboard like lifting my arms way over my head or bending too much, but I think I know my limits at this point. I'll get a more concrete answer from my ps at my appointment.
I've included some pictures of what things look like at this point. They were all taken today, so hopefully you ladies can help me with some of the questions I have too!
1. I noticed that a lot of you guys have clean, smooth incisions and mine are still crusty and scabby. I know everyone is different, but any idea what may have caused this to happen? My steri strips were on for about 18 days, so i'm not sure if that played a part in anything. I don't want the scabs to come off and potentially be dark marks, so i'm hoping my doctor will clear me to use bio oil on them next week. The only thing i've been able to do thus far is rub coconut oil between my breasts and underneath (not directly on the incisions of course) until I get the ok from him. Right now, it atleast looks like everything is closed up so that is always good. I'll include some further explanations in my pictures.
2. I have a small dark mark around the left corner crease of my left breast. I'm assuming it's just bruising, but hoping it's not some type of hematoma. I will definitely be asking my ps about that at my appointment Wednesday. Any opinions are welcome!
3. When you started massaging your incisions, how hard did you do it? My boyfriend is going to love helping me with this part, LOL!
Thanks ladies! Hope you all are off to a Happy New Year with your new boob companions :) I'll give an update again on Wednesday after I see my surgeon again.
Sorry it has been a long time. I had quite the rough week this past week. When they say week two going into week three is hell, they weren't lying. My steri strips hadn't came off yet and it had been over two weeks. I was really anxious to see what they looked like, and I had felt a little scabbing on my left nipple which automatically made me think I had some type of necrosis so I had a complete emotional breakdown Monday. Called my surgeon's office and the nurse told me they would be more than happy to remove them for me so I set an appointment for them to do that the next day. While it did hurt a little being taken off, and I freaked out I saw my nipples and incisions, i'm glad I did it. I know it was recommended to keep them on until they fell off on their own, but not knowing what they looked like under there, especially with the scabbing I felt, was really making me anxious.
I went back to work this week as well, and i'm very glad I took the nurse's recommendation of only working half days my first week back so I could ease into it. My first day back on Monday, I came home at 1230 and took a 3 hour nap! I really didn't expect to be so exhausted. Hopefully i'll be okay working 8 hours, but I only have a desk job so it shouldn't be too much. Just paranoid to open up anything.
Nearing the end of the week I started to feel a lot better. I had another "post op" type appointment with my regular doctor, and she said everything looked good in her opinion and didn't see anything to be concerned about. I bought up the fact that I had been having so much anxiety, and she said she would have prescribed me some anti-anxiety medications, but the feelings I was having would likely go away by next week. They've already started to, so I am very happy. While i'm still getting used to what my boobs look like right now, I'm excited to see the changes I will be going through in the next few weeks (crossing my fingers that they are all good ones!)
I'm pretty much doing everything as normal right now. Trying not to do anything too overboard like lifting my arms way over my head or bending too much, but I think I know my limits at this point. I'll get a more concrete answer from my ps at my appointment.
I've included some pictures of what things look like at this point. They were all taken today, so hopefully you ladies can help me with some of the questions I have too!
1. I noticed that a lot of you guys have clean, smooth incisions and mine are still crusty and scabby. I know everyone is different, but any idea what may have caused this to happen? My steri strips were on for about 18 days, so i'm not sure if that played a part in anything. I don't want the scabs to come off and potentially be dark marks, so i'm hoping my doctor will clear me to use bio oil on them next week. The only thing i've been able to do thus far is rub coconut oil between my breasts and underneath (not directly on the incisions of course) until I get the ok from him. Right now, it atleast looks like everything is closed up so that is always good. I'll include some further explanations in my pictures.
2. I have a small dark mark around the left corner crease of my left breast. I'm assuming it's just bruising, but hoping it's not some type of hematoma. I will definitely be asking my ps about that at my appointment Wednesday. Any opinions are welcome!
3. When you started massaging your incisions, how hard did you do it? My boyfriend is going to love helping me with this part, LOL!
Thanks ladies! Hope you all are off to a Happy New Year with your new boob companions :) I'll give an update again on Wednesday after I see my surgeon again.
Replies (3)
Oh and another question! On my surgery date, my nurse had a really rough time trying to get the iv into my left arm. I STILL have a bruise on it. The one on my right arm that my iv actually ended up being in has almost gone. I guess I can ask about that on Wednesday too, but maybe some of you all had similar experiences.
Hi. Congrats on your surgery. Your new boobs look pretty good. Seems like we had our surgery on the same day--the 11th--so I can't give you too much insight. I do think the dark scab on your left nipple is something you should keep an eye on though. Not sure what might have caused it.
I can't really see my incisions since my steri strips are still on and I am trying to let them fall of naturally but it's been 3 weeks and most of them are not budging (annoying). My incisions do not feel scabby though.
As for your bruising, I had a bruise from my pre-op bloodwork that lasted for about 3 weeks before it finally went away. I felt like it would never go away but it finally did. I'm sure yours will too.
Thanks for sharing your story.
Thanks for your input. The scab isn't getting any bigger, I have no pain there, and no signs of any other gunk...so i'm praying that my gp was right and it is just blistering. My steri strips were really puckered in that area, but I guess I just have to wait until Wednesday to see what my doctor says.
Replies (3)