21 Years Old, SO Glad I Did It Early.

I had been thinking about having a reduction ever since my breasts grew to a very large size at age 16. I always felt that they were out of proportion with my body, attracted too much attention, and prevented me from being as active as I could be. I had a really hard time finding cute bras and swimsuits that fit at size 32H. I hated that I couldn't wear the crop tops and backless dresses that my friends could. In addition, I had really bad back and shoulder pain that would leave me worn out and sore by the end of the day. By age 21 I had enough; I went to a consultation and the doctor told me that at my weight and cup size, insurance would definitely cover the surgery. My insurance quickly approved the procedure and I decided to schedule the surgery for spring break, right before I graduated college.

Surgery was difficult. The anesthesia made me really emotional and I was crying for hours after the procedure, unsure if I had done the right thing. I went home the same day, but woke up from a nap to find that my left breast had swollen to twice the size it was before surgery. It was a hematoma (internal bleeding), and I had to be rushed back to the hospital for emergency surgery. I stayed in the hospital overnight, still very shaken by another round of anesthesia. Recovery was tough. I was in a lot of pain, nauseous from the medication, and had a very hard time sleeping on my back. It definitely wasn't easy for me. But by week 2 I was able to sleep on my side and things were going a lot better. I flew back to school the following week, and was able to resume classes and activities.

Overall, I am so happy with the results, and so glad I decided to do it. My back pain has lessened significantly; I can find cute bras that fit; running is SO much easier; I fit into all kinds of tops and dresses that I couldn't wear before; people notice my face and other features rather than my gigantic breasts; and I love the shape and look of my new breasts. One of the major fears I had before the surgery was that the scars would make me feel unattractive, but now that I've done it they really aren't that big of a deal, and I know that they will fade over time. My surgeon gave me silicone gel sheeting to wear over the scars, and that has helped keep them flat and lighten them.

I would encourage any young women who are thinking about a reduction to go through with it. You will be so happy you did it early. It has greatly improved the quality of my life.