Breast Reduction Healing Progression - 32F to ?? (32, 140 lbs)

Hello, all. Please bear with me on this long post as I am hoping to get anecdotes from those who have successfully obtained approval from Aetna for a breast reduction!

I have a consultation for breast reduction the first week of August and am anxiously awaiting the date. I am 32, 5'4, between 140-150 lbs, and a size 32F/G bra. My insurance plan is an Aetna POS II and I'm hoping that it will cover all or part of the procedure, as I'm not sure that I can afford the operation without it. I have read the Aetna plan guidelines and read extensive reviews on this site re: breast reduction and I am both hopeful and apprehensive about obtaining approval. My main worry is that, according to Aetna's chart, I would have to have 600g of breast tissue per breast removed and I just have no idea if that's even possible.

I have experienced similar symptoms as most on this site: neck pain, shoulder pain, upper and lower back pain, numbness in my hands when I lay on my side, difficulty in exercising due to shortness of breath and the buoyancy of my breasts (and I strap them down!), stinging/tingling pain between my neck and shoulders, terrible posture, and tension headaches, etc.

My other concern is that I have no documentation from physicians/physical therapy to corroborate my suffering. I complained about back pain due to my breasts to my PCP in 2013 but do not believe that she documented this complaint; instead, she handed me a card for a chiropractor. I did not follow up with this referral as I'm not comfortable with chiropractic treatment (professional/personal bias). Aside from this, I have tried massages (several years ago), I practice stretching and posture exercises, exercise regularly (including weight lifting exercises focusing on my back and abdominal muscles), have purchased a very expensive bed (approx. $2,500 tempurpedic mattress) and pillows, and wear very supportive and expensive bras (approx. $180-200 a piece) to no avail.

Has anyone had success in obtaining approval from Aetna WITHOUT extensive health provider records/documentation? Anyone have experience with the appeal process? Looking for real life personal stories about successes or failure, as I can hardly stand the wait!

Hi all. I had my surgery on 12/16/16 and so far it's been a rollercoaster of emotions and experiences. I wanted to track my progress throughout the healing process, so I thought I would begin by uploading some photos. Apologies for the poor quality of the pre-surgery photos, but they give one a general idea of what I was working with. I also look forward to interacting with other members, as I have so many questions and insecurities with this entire ordeal.

Pre-surgery stats
Height - 5'4
Weight - 145
Bra - 32F

The first five days were truly very difficult for me! I left the hospital in great pain - which the nurses were reticent to address - and the next two days alternated between a drugged sleep (thanks Percocet!) and horrible pain. Day 2 was probably the worst - I had a migraine that lasted a day and a half and it made me weak, nauseated, and unable to sleep. I got the chills and became too weak to sit up and take my pain pills, which I desperately needed! I cannot stress how important it is to have support around you! Thank goodness for my husband, who woke me up every four hours to administer my various medications, force me to eat a little soemthing, help me to the bathroom, etc. Day 3 was easier (finally had a bowel movement!) and I was able to get up and move around on my own. I switched to extra strength Tylenol and the only real discomfit was a burning sensation (nerve regeneration - a good thing!) and itchiness! I spent the majority of the first five days in bed and have no regrets about it. As for food, I mostly ate a puréed asparagus soup, green juice, and crackers, all of which sat well with my stomach. The attached pictures are from the day of my first follow up. My doctor said I was healing well (you look like you're three weeks out!) and told me that I could pretty much return to all of my normal activities, even running if I wanted! He advised that I should let my level of comfort dictate how active I am and the only real restrictions I was given were a) no shower hitting directly on the incisions; b) no swimming or immersing myself in bodies of water.