Breast Reduction & Tummy Tuck Journey (To Rid Severe Back Pain & Recover my Hourglass Shape)

I have severe back, shoulder and neck pain from overly large breasts. I've had this problem since puberty. I've also had issues finding bras that fit me well since my breasts are out of proportion and one is a couple cup sizes larger than the other. I am pretty sure my skeleton has permanent indentions in the shoulders from bra straps deforming me. It is hard to do much when you are carrying this much weight on your chest every day. I know many of you ladies reading this are or have experienced the same thing!

I am in process of taking care of all the steps needed to get my insurance to pay for it. I have Aetna Choice POS II. I have about 1 month of Physical Therapy left until I can file my case with them (assuming PT doesn't fix me). I have everything else done that they require (and more).

But I am still saving up money just in case they deny me, but I plan to make a few attempts at getting them to help me out. If they approve me then I will be using the money I have saved up for liposuction on my upper abdomen and a tummy tuck. Because I realize now that when my breasts are smaller then my abdomen will bulge out of my shirts way more than usual. I don't know why, but I have more weight in my belly above my belly button than under - isn't it funny how everyone's bodies gain weight so differently?
While I don't have a problem with my lower belly (I think it's cute and feminine like a belly dancer belly) my PS says that if I just get liposuction then I'll have loose skin and so I would need to get the full tummy tuck for best results. And so. My plastic surgeon has an artists eye -in face is an artist as a hobbie- and I have complete trust in her wisdom.

I am 5'4", 175 lb and entirely healthy at this size and comfortable with my body (with the exception of the above mentioned areas) but I am going to try to lose about 15 lbs before my surgery (as my physician suggested), since other parts of me will be smaller this makes sense and maybe I can actually cross my arms in front of me and hug my legs in front of me when I sit, without squeezing my chest to death. These small things mean a lot! It will be quite a change for me though because I've been maintaining the same weight for about 10 years.

I am hoping I can get approved and scheduled by January or February, because I would rather be recovering during the cold season and then I will be healed for the summertime. Nothing sounds less desirable than trying to heal incisions while sweating from the heat.

I will keep a sort of a journal on here of my progress and thoughts along the way.

Here is a pic of my abdomen, see how it sticks out? No matter how many crunches or ab exercises I do I can't get it to go away or tone up. Luckily the surgeons on this page have told me I seem to be a great candidate for liposuction in this area because I do not appear to have excessive visceral fat- meaning my Plastic Surgeon will be able to remove much of the fat that you see. If it were fat under the muscle instead of over, then I'd be screwed.

They say that the way you can tell is if when you lie down, if your belly goes flat then you have mostly fat above the muscle and it can be removed.

Here is my wish list for how my bust will look afterwards. Obviously with a more plump body attached ;)