Confessions of a POST-OP BR Girl - Seattle, WA

Like most ladies on this site, I've read a lot of reviews, looked at endless before and after pictures, gone back and forth and back again about having this surgery, and have started writing this review more than once...
So, I'm going to spare the big long story and just tell you the facts according to me - in bullet format. Who doesn't like a list of personal confessions about boobs?!!

Here's mine:
* I'm 33 years old, 5'5", weigh 205lbs, and wear a 36G bra.
* I don't hate my boobs. I just hate how much they weigh.
* I've wanted breast reduction since I found out about it at age 16, but I've always put it off for one reason or another. Life gets in the way sometimes.
* My back, shoulders, and neck hurt all day - every day. I have given myself stomach ulcers because of all the ibuprofen I've taken for the pain.
* I had my Insurance Consultation with my surgeon on 12/12/12. The doctor was comforting, reassuring, and everything I could ask for in a PS. He even wears a bow tie. Yes: A bow tie! He sat down with me and discussed my expectations, the technique he would use, and the likely outcome of the surgery. He told me I was a great candidate and would likely be able to get insurance coverage for medical necessity. He took measurements, then decided how much tissue would need to be removed from each breast. Finally he took "before" pictures of my front and side, then sent me to speak with his surgery coordinator. She answered any billing questions I had and got the ball rolling with insurance approval. We talked about losing weight and she encouraged me to lose 20lbs by the time I have my procedure. Then I was on my way to start the waiting game.
* My surgeon estimates that he'll need to remove 600ccs from each breast. That's volume. I have no idea how much that's gonna weigh. I hope it comes out to 15lbs of tissue off my chest. Hey! A girl can dream.
* I met with my PCP on 12/21/12 to get a letter of medical necessity for my insurance. I'm a little (I lied. I'm a LOT) OCD, so I basically wrote the letter myself and asked her to sign it. haha! It included what kind of pain/symptoms I've had from my overly large breasts (back/shoulder/neck pain, shoulder grooving, skin irritation, etc), how long I've had these symptoms, treatments I've tried (ibuprofen, physical therapy, massage, chiro, etc), how long I've tried them, effectiveness of these treatments, and why breast reduction is a necessary step to resolve my symptoms. She's all for this surgery and found my "taking initiative" with the letter to be charming, so she happily rewrote the letter in her own words and forwarded a copy to me and my PS. Hooray!
* On 2/18/13, I got the green light from my insurance! I made my boobs give each other a high five to celebrate. God, I really hope I can't do that after surgery.
* I scheduled surgery for 5/9/13 and kicked my weight loss mission into high gear. At the time of my consult, I weighed 235. I've lost 30lbs since Dec '12.
* I had my pre-op mammogram on 4/11/13. I had to get one because of my prior history of fibroadenoma. My doc wanted to be cautious. I wanted to crawl under a rock. Mammograms suck.
* I have been eating "clean" since I got approved for surgery. This means, very limited refined carbohydrates, no fast food, very little eating out, no dairy (I'm super lactose intolerant), no gluten, lots of fruits and vegetables, and lean meats. I've also been doing yoga every morning and walking every evening. I feel fantastic and plan to keep it up during recovery.
* At age 11, I went from flat to C over one summer and became the least popular girl in my 6th grade class.
* By age 14, I was a 34DD, and was the most popular girl in my 9th grade class...weird.
* To play soccer I wear an underwire bra, underneath a sports bra, underneath a tightly wrapped Ace bandage. That's just so my boobs don't bounce around and dislocate my shoulder during a game - again. Yes, this has happened before. Multiple times. During multiple games. I've had shoulder reconstruction because of it. I am so excited to be able to run with out all this "support".
* My posture sucks. Hunch. Hunch. Hunch.
* I wear deodorant and baby powder underneath and between my boobs to avoid the "fromunda cheese". It works most of the time.
* Sometimes when I go to the movie theater, I get popcorn stuck in my cleavage. It itches.
* My best party trick involves me sticking a bottle of beer in my cleavage and bending over backwards so that it pours into my mouth. I'm gonna have to find a new party trick.
* Boyfriends have always loved my boobs and girl friends have always been envious. I wish I could detach them from my chest and give them away. "Here, knock yourself out, but be careful not to poke an eye out!"
* My sister is flat as a board. We have always joked about doing a "breast donation operation" to even out the difference. I still wish that was an option. Sorry sis!
* My pre-op appointment is tomorrow. I can't wait. I'm up late because I can't stop thinking about it. I'm still trying to figure out a way to broach the subject of the "breast donation operation" with my PS.
* I have attached some before pics. I just hope I remember to post more pics as I go...

I had my pre-op appointment today. It went really well! The doctor answered my questions about size, shape and appearance after surgery. He is thinking I'll be a full C when all is said and done. I don't know why I thought he was taking 600cc from each breast. His original estimate was 500cc from one side and 450cc from the other. So, I'm not sure where I got 600 from! Haha. Even after losing weight, his estimate is the same since I really don't lose weight from my breasts. Yay!
Anyway, I told him my fears (side boob, "dog ears", disproportionately sized nipples, nipples that point out or down, and the dreaded "square boob") and he gently smiled and put my fears to rest. He reassured me that we would have a very aesthetic result.
After that, I spent the rest of my time with his nurse going over the pre-op checklist. I work for a surgeon, so most of it was very familiar. But she made sure not to skip or miss anything. And she reminded me to use common sense when it comes to home care. Apparently, a lot of people don't think about pre-preparing meals and snacks so they're easily microwaved; avoiding infection by regularly changing and cleaning bed linens, only using bath towels and wash cloths once per shower, and only wearing clothing one time before washing; avoiding injury or infection by keeping pets off the bed; and taking it easy during the weeks following surgery. I assured her that I've got it on lock...mostly because I've seen too many people fail during their post-surgical phase for being non-compliant, because they have no common sense. She was wonderful and answered so many questions. We talked about my support system and where to go if I need help. I've got my best friend and sister taking turns taking care of me, so I feel like I'm in good hands after surgery. And if we run into any complications, I can call someone 24/7 if needed.
I've got 3 weeks to go and I'm feeling ready. If there's any words of wisdom or advice for quick and speedy recovery, I'd love to hear them. Thank you for the kind words so far. I'm so grateful for this community and the opportunity to share my experience.

Less than two weeks to go! I've been getting a little weird. My best friend thinks I'm nuts, but it's helping to calm my nerves and keep me from freaking out. Here's what I've been up to in preparation for surgery:

* Testing out my post-op pillow nest and different configurations for optimal TV viewing, sleeping and eating.
*Re-arranging my living room and kitchen to make everything be at hip level for easy access. My apartment now resembles an elderly person's rehab facility.
*Getting my Netflix and HULU queues all set up for post-op viewing and borrowing as many video games as my nerdy friends will lend me. I am ready to veg out til my brain rots!
*Training myself to sleep on my back, which is horrible because I am not a back sleeper. So I've been practicing a lot of guided relaxation, which is very...relaxing.
*Training my dog to stay off the bed. He doesn't like it and neither do I. So far, we've spent a lot of time staring at each other until I give in and let him up on the bed for a snuggle in the end. He always wins. Too bad this means he'll probably have to go away for a few days after the surgery. :(
*Cleaning out my closet and saying goodbye to all of my favorite boobie shirts. I went out for a Last Hurrah with the girls last night and wore my all time favorite low cut boobie shirt. One of my friends actually got teary eyed about it and hugged my boobs then took a picture of them. lol Apparently this is going to be harder for her than it is for me!
*Talking to people at work about it because my time off has finally been posted on the staff calendar and people have been asking me why I'll be gone for two weeks. lol Well, now they know! I'm pretty sure they would've noticed my substantially smaller chest when I came back anyway! haha
*Seeing - and feeling - other women's results in person! I've had several women show me their results since they've heard about my upcoming surgery! One, even pulled me into a room, pulled up her shirt and put my hand on her breast so I could feel her scars. If she wasn't a nurse who was showing me something in such a clinical, sterile way, I'm sure it would've made for good [RS bleep]! haha

Aside from all that, I've been doing everything my surgeon told me to do: keep eating healthy, exercising regularly, getting good sleep, no alcohol, no smoking, no blood thinners or weirdo herbal supplements etc. I've gotten the Rx's filled that they gave me. I've got Arnica Montana and Bromelain. I've got paper tape, gauze pads, and sterile dressings for days. I've got bacitracin. I've got my post-op bras. And I've got my post-op support in place. All I have to do now is wait...Eeeek...

I just hope I don't get any weirder!! haha!