Athletic 25 Year Old, from Tuberous Breasts to Perfectly Average, Normal Boobs! Donut Lift, No Implants! - Santa Monica, CA

All I ever wanted was to look "average" and/or "normal". I use these words with quotations because I don't know if those are the right, politically correct words -- everyone has normal breasts to some degree: after all, they are just sacks of skin, tissue, and fat. But I fantasized that one day I could take off my shirt in a hypothetical lineup, and my breasts would just blend in with everyone else's: I wouldn't have phenomenal, [RS bleep]-esque breasts, but I wouldn't be a subject of points, laughs, or disgust, either. I just wanted to be average.
Since puberty I knew something was not quite right with my breasts: While the women around me developed full, normal bosoms, here I was, with small, wide set, pendulous breasts. I was tall, thin, and athletic...so why did my breasts look like they did? Everyone told me to just be happy with what I have and move on, but no one really understands the importance of breasts for female self-esteem unless you just really don't have nice-looking ones. No one whom I'd confide in would ever truly understand because they all had "normal" shaped breasts, and I'd just end up feeling more frustrated and like an outcast.
If I couldn't change or control how my breasts looked, then I was damn sure I would control something else: my weight. My shame took it's toll and manifested itself in an eating disorder, and I ended up in the hospital about a year later. In time I healed, physically and emotionally, but the shame still remained, rearing its ugly head ever time I looked down or in a mirror.
A rekindled love of sports helped me heal and created a more positive body image. A lot of times I felt so good about myself that I would forget what I was hiding under a bra...until I looked in a mirror again. I felt anger, frustration, and eventually depression; it felt so unfair. I was always in good shape, I was healthy, and I took good care of myself, so why was this bestowed to me?
After years of crying whilst looking in the mirror, I said: ENOUGH. No more. I took to the internet and found out that my breasts had a specific name (tuberous breasts), and that there were other women out there, just like me. The more I read their stories and saw their pictures, the more I cried; not out of sadness, but because I knew I was no longer alone in my struggle.
In my research I found a lot of mixed opinions on how one goes about "fixing" tuberous breasts, so it was important to me to remain open minded when going into consultations. My only criteria was that I wanted to just have an average shape and that I would prefer not to have implants (I didn't particularly care what size they would be) due to sports, unless it was deemed that it was the only way to have a "normal" shape. I went to 3 surgeons who gave me 3 different opinions:
1. Daniel Yamini in West Hollywood, CA
I guess one would categorize him as a "Beverly Hills" surgeon. His solution was a lollipop lift with an implant under general anesthesia.
2. Jed H. Horowitz in Newport Beach, CA
Really nice, friendly surgeon. His solution was a lollipop lift with fat grafting under twilight/partial anesthesia.
3. Steven Teitelbaum in Santa Monica, CA
This was my only paid consultation ($250), and I'm really glad I made an appointment here, since this is the doctor I went with! He really took the time to find out what it was that I wanted, and he was "glad I wasn't keen on an implant because I was a high risk patient for a double bubble" on one of my breasts. This was also the only office where the secretary/coordinator was not in the room during the consultation -- with other offices I felt incredibly uncomfortable with someone who I was not consulting with being in the room when I was naked and exposed. Petty? Maybe. But it was just a personal preference.
Dr. Tietelbaum was as cool as a cucumber, polite, and was very straightforward with his plan: donut lift under local anesthesia. The nurses I spoke with later were really great, too!
A few months later I booked the surgery. I was so nervous for weeks, but looking back on it, I shouldn't have been! I was awake and asking questions during surgery, and the whole process was painless and straightforward. 2 hours later I was all set and free to go, after which I attended a company party, followed by lots of rest.
Pain was also very minimal: I was prescribed painkillers, but I didn't need them after 48 hours. Occasionally my breasts get a little itchy, but that's about as far as the discomfort goes.
Are my breasts the most perfect thing I have ever seen? No. But they are perfect for ME, and are at least a vast improvement from where I started. I will never be in a lingerie ad, nor will be on the cover of [RS bleep], but my confidence has skyrocketed from 0 to 100. I love being average!
Addendum: for those who are curious, I am 25 years old, 5'7", 125-130 lbs, and was sized at a 28DD prior to surgery. It looks like my size went down to a 28D, but that's fine by me!