Hello! So happy to have found this place! And I'd...
Hello! So happy to have found this place! And I'd just like to apologize in advance for my English, it's not my native language but I hope you'll understand me, haha.
I'm an 18 year old, 180 cm (5'11") girl and have been considering a breast reduction for about 1-2 years now. It was this summer that I felt that I really wanted to look it up so I booked an appointment with a plastic surgeon and he said he definitely could do one, I was measured with cups and stuff and he came to the conclusion that I fulfilled the national requirements to get it fincanced by the county.
The plastic surgeon seems very calm and methodical and he explained everything. I actually chose this ps myself because a friend in my age recently had him do her BR! He is definitely qualified and the clinic is a part of a larger hospital which makes me feel calm as well. So, after the first appointment I got some time to think about what I wanted to do and when. I booked another appointment which took place this September I think, and we talked a little more about the procedure and so on. My mom was with me both times and is very supportive with this. I felt very sure and we set a date for my appointment two weeks before the operation and also the actual operation! So, my operation is the 19th of February 2014.
The problem is that I'm such a maniac when it comes to risks. I google everything and I've been looking on this page of women saying it wasn't worth it, and what terrifyes me the most are the ones who have needed to get skin graft or the ones whos tissue and fat has started dripping through the seams... I couldn't "resist" watching those images and it scared the sh*t out of me to be honest...
My ps told me everything about the more common risks like scarring (which is rather a fact than a risk, right), loss of sensory, breast feeding problems and so on. He also asked me what size I wanted to be and I was like "as small as possible" and he told me he could not go as small as I probably want to, because that doesn't work with the glands and all. I'm now a 70G which is about a 32DDD/E in US size. He said I could expect a C, which I'm definitely okay with.
My issue right now are these:
1. I'm quite young and I believe that my breasts are still actually growing. I feel like it'd be better to wait but at the same time I hate walking around with these big boobs, feeling bigger than I am, having unwanted attention for my breasts and worst of all the unbearable back pain! I work in retail/restaurant so I seriously feel like dying after every shift.
2. Is it worth the risk? I don't want the scars to break open and my boobs and flesh dripping out of my skin... I'm freaking out about this. I can definitely handle the smaller risks but this... no.
I just really need some honest advice on this operation! I can reschedule and cancel it for free so there is no problem with that.
Thank you!
Booked and ready!
It sure was a while ago since I updated here. Basically, I got cold feet and didn't do my reduction the other time, but I now feel more ready than ever and just want to proceed. I have my OP appointed on the 26th of January 2016! My main concern at that time will be missing a lot of uni, but I'll try to make it work.
Fun thing is that my boobs have grown quite a lot since my first consultation. At that time, I was very scared of them growing bigger again once I had the OP done. So I guess that's a positive thing with waiting for something good...
6 days left
I can't believe how fast it's approaching! My op is scheduled the 26th of January, 7AM. I just met my surgeon the other day and was instructed what to do before and after surgery, such as not drinking or eating anything before and changing tape every week. I'm super excited but also quite nervous as I am just beginning the toughest course of my programme and don't want to miss too much or else I'll have to start all over. But I'm hoping to be fine!
I'm adding some better before photos taken today (6 days pre-op). I can't believe how big they've got... A weird thing is that I actually really like my boobs, despite how much I hate them haha. I think they have a nice shape and they look good when I'm naked (and standing up straight, lol). However, I usually wear clothes haha, and that's when things start to get tricky. I love them but I hate not fitting in clothes, not being able to shop my size (which would be S/M), not being able to shop bras in normal stores and instead having to buy bras in stores for old ladies which also cost a fortune, I hate hate hate the back pain. I'm reaaaddyyy to do this!
The day is hereeee
It's 6 AM and I'm excited/freaking out. My mom left some not very encouraging comments to my dad which I unfortunately heard and it got me nervous. I've just took my second Descutan shower and we're about to head to the hospital. Wish me luck!
1 day post-op and lots of pain
I can barely write anything right now because I'm in so much pain and I've just been taking my medication. I got home from the hospital this morning. My boobs hurt reallyyyy bad, and the pain medication doesn't really help. But they look significantly smaller and I absolutely love the size already! My PS said the shape will go better over time but I don't really mind it right now either. However, my nipples are inverted and I hope that can be solved...
Pictures with the healing bra
I'm still dying of pain unfortunately. The drugs don't work, haha. I just hope these days pass by quickly because right now I literally can't do ANYTHING. My boobs are really swollen and I'm in severe pain.
Paaaaain
Hi everyone, day 3 post op is just beginning and I'm still in a lot of pain. I have pain meds (paracetamol and morphine) but they only work if I take them together and I'm really not loving taking morphine four times a day as it's not very good for my stomach and I'm probably getting constipated (TMI, sorry haha). I only sleep for about 4 hours every night, today is actually the first day I've managed to sleep for 6 hours before waking up due to stomach pain. I just want to sleep moooore but I don't feel tired like that and also I'm in a lot of pain. Any advice?
Ugly, scary shape
Hey, day 3 here and I was just looking to see how my boobs are doing. It seems like the left one is fine, but the right one is looking super boxy and too big for the insicions. It appears such as the right one could be falling right out any time because the insicions are so tight and the breas is so big and swollen. It's looking very boxy.
I just really don't want the seams to burst and flesh to start dripping out, other than that I don't care. I just can't deal with that kind of mess.
Day 5 post-op - last day with meds!
Sooo I'm feeling better! I'm still in pain but it's not as awful as it was the first few days when I thought I was going to die. However, I just started experiencing some nausea and stomach pain from all the meds yesteray; I didn't get any of that at all before. But I'm basically off pain meds, or I only take some paracetamol when I'm going to sleep. Other than that I have my antibiotics and something else against infection which I shall stop taking today.
I'm excited but a little buzzed of as I am starting to get bored being inside the apartment allll day. I took a very short walk yesterday and it got me exhausted so I guess I'll have to stay in a few more days.
I've just taken my second shower after the operation and it really makes my day haha, feeling so freshhh.
Before I got my operation scheduled my boyfriend andI booked tickets for a concert I reaaallyyy want to go to. It's on the 5th of February so it'll be 10 days post op. As I said, I really want to go but I really don't want to take any risks either. Would you go ~10 days after operation? Keep in mind it's not a super wild rock concert or something but it's not really calm either...
Too big
Hiya everyone! So I'm now on day 6 post op. I've been feeling a lot better, fortunately! I'm basically off meds and I don't experience any strong pain unless I'm walking around outside for a long time.
However, I have a new concern. I believe my boobs are bigger than before. I know swelling is normal post op, and I can clearly see the difference in photos of day one and day three. But I thought the swelling would go down within a week? Or is this just something I've made up? Because at this point they are VERY large, just a tiny difference from how they were pre op.
Feeling sad
Hey everyone,
Day 8 has passed and I've been feeling quite down. My boobs are looking and feeling really big and heavy, and I have a feeling this is not due to swelling. I'm afraid I'll end up only one cup size smaller and then I think this whole procedure wasn't worth it. I've been crying a lot over this today :( because I can't think of anyone here on Realself who has been this big after surgery - all I can see is you guys trying on small bras and tiny clothes a few days or weeks post op and I'm here like wtf, I'll probably have to keep my old huge bras... It really looks the same as before in clothes to me, they're just lifted up and that'll go down very soon due to the force of nature hah :( ughhh idk what to do, I already feel like getting a new surgery just to fix this. I wish I was just born with small and beautiful boobies! I've now gone through this and there is not a big difference...
3 Weeks Post Op - No Tape!
Heeey. I never thought time would pass this quickly, or even pass at all haha. Feels like I was looking at everyones "3 weeks post"-posts just a few seconds ago but nooo.
I've just took a shower and changed the tape by myself for the first time! Quite an experience actually, I must say I don't really enjoy seeing my boobs like this but time will heal...
As for the size, I still think they're too big. I was trying on bras in a normal shop and nothing fit, which made me quite sad. I don't know if they're still swollen, but it feels like they aren't sooo I'm just like ughh. I want to be able to shop for bras in normal stores. I don't want to spend 800 kr (~87 USD) on a braaaa. Ugh.
I'm a bit concerned of the scarring on my right boob. It looks "swollen" and weird while the left one looks smooth and flat.
Other than that, my healing process is going great! I've actually been out dancing more than once (not aggressively but haha..) and I can do all normal day to say activities. It hurts sometimes when I carry grocery things or my school books but it's nothing major.
36 days post op - nice and itchy...
Hellooo. So, more than a month has passed (it's crazy) and my life is back to normal. I have a few concerns regarding my boobs though, and my PS hasn't answered my e-mails due to vacation so I'm hoping somebody here could help me a little.
I'm experiencing some daaamn heavy itching where the scars are and I'm not sure if this is caused by the healing or by the tape adhesive. I'm going crazy and have been cutting up my skin because I've been itching so bad! It's awful and I don't want to get an infection from having to itch with dirty hands on the insicions.
Also, scar reducing advice would be fantastic! The nurses told me not to do anything except for showering and then taking off the tape and adding new one (without even wetting the incisions ever)... I have soo much glue on my boobs now so I decided to remove the tape while in the Shower so I could get some off. I've now added some avocado oil and am waiting for it all to dry so I can tape them up again. But is there anything else I should (or shouldn't) do to get minimal scarring.
That's all really... and I still think they're big. They _are_ big. But they're at least smaller than before, so that's ok...
Photos with a bra (36 days post)
Some more photos trying out a cute H&M bra. They look like silicone boobies haha. Not that I mind at all! But they're biiig! :/
3 months post op - feeling sad today
It's been a while!!
I'm good, my boobs are fine. The healing process is going great, the scars look okay but I still have no sensation at all which bothers me.
Also, the size... One of the main reasons for why I went through this operation was that I wanted to be able to feel normal and to shop in normal stores, not having to pay a lot of money for ugly granny bras. However, I'm realizing I still have this problem and it's making me quite upset. I went shopping for sports bras today and _nothing_ fit. I'm a swedish F cup - I have barely gone down one cup!! I feel like it's not worth it... I went through so much pain, have lost my sensation and probably wont be able to breast feed, and I'm still the same. Made me cry a little to be honest.
7 months post op - very big and ugly nipples
A very long time since I wrote here! Time has just flown away. What can I say, my boobs have already began growing back to the size they were. It can have something to do with me starting new pills. Also, my nipples look swelled an patched on and they are also inverted. I also have a "bumpy" scar below the right boob. So, in conclusion, not that happy... I'll book an appointment with the surgeon asap. The nipples are my main problem, I feel as if they are very gross and I get very sad when I see them.
Upset with the nipples
So, more than a year has passed - almost one and a half year since my BR. I'm still having nipple issues, with hypertrophic scars around one nipple and the other nipple being completely inverted. They are both "wobbly" and float around looking very weird at times. When in a normal position they are very large and inverted. I'm a bit upset about them because I didn't see this coming at all. But I try to be positive and think about the good aspects - no back pain and lookin good in clothes. But when I look down on my nipples I kind of want to cry. And unfortunately it doesn't seem like this issue can be resolved.
