Finally Doing This - Tyler, TX

I've been lurking here and reading for awhile and finally decided to document my journey. I'm just going to start with the background and then catch up to the present over the next few days.

I'm 44yrs old. I've wanted a breast reduction for years. In school I was a perky 38C. I seemed to gain a cup size with each pregnancy. 38D, 38DD, 38DDD. I had gained weight and didn't lose it also. I had my first consult with a ps in August 2014. I knew my insurance wouldn't cover any of it and I would have to pay. I wanted to see what my options were and what they would say. I saw Dr. O'Halloran. She was amazing and told me a reduction would change my life. I left excited about one day having the surgery. Fate stepped in and delayed the surgery. In Dec. 2014 I had to have a total hysterectomy and three weeks after that I had to have my gallbladder out. 3 months later, all wisdom teeth needed to be removed. Financially, a Br just wasn't feasible. I dedicated myself to the gym and losing weight for the next year.

More tomorrow! It's late!

So, as I said, I spent the next year dedicating myself to the gym and eating healthier. Over he course if of the year(actually about 2yrs), I managed to go from 245lbs to 190lbs. I was still struggling to save the money to have BR done. Christmas 2015, my husband surprised me with the money to have surgery! I had a consultation with my dr set for March 2016! My (2nd) consultation went great and she agreed that I would love having smaller boobs and I asked to go as small as possible. I have a son with muscular dystrophy so we had to arrange schedules so my husband and oldest daughter could do all his care for 8 weeks, so surgery was set for May 16, 2016 @ @9:30am. Pre-op was done on May 11 and I paid for surgery that day. All blood work came back fine and I was ready! On May 15, my husband and J celebrated our 25th anniversary a few days early by going to see Wicked and out to dinner. It made the hours pass by faster. May 16--surgery day!! We got to the outpatient surgery center at 7:30am, got checked in and waited. Wasn't long before I was taken back to change into a gown and have an iv placed. My husband and oldest daughter(she is almost 24) were brought back to wait with me. Dr. O came in and marked me up and I was shocked at where she said my nipples would be placed! I was walked back to the operating room about 10min later. I joked around with the nurses and Drs until I was out. When I woke up in the recovery room, I was miserable! I had been told there would be some burning pain along the incisions but I honestly wasn't prepared for the intensity of it. It felt like my skin along the bottom was on fire. I was given ice packs which helped tremendously!! I was wheeled into the step down waiting where my family was. I finally peeked in my shirt and said, they are gone!!! Thank heavens!! My dr doesn't use surgical bras, so I could see! I was then ready to go home. The ride home wasn't bad. I had been given pain Meds before I left. Got home and immediately went to bed with ice packs. We have a bed that raises up the head and feet so I was able to be comfortable. I slept off and on the first day with ice packs on almost continually!!

Day 2(May 17)was not bad. I was really swollen. My dr had taken out as much fat as she could under my arms and that's where I was hurting the most. On the sides and under my arms were hard as rocks and felt like stone pillows! I mostly just slept and watched tv all day. I had drains in , but they really didn't bother me all that much unless they got caught and pulled.

Day 3(May 18) I had a follow up with my dr this day and was having the drains removed. I was too afraid to take a shower so I just washed off with a washcloth. We live about 35min from the Drs office so I took a pain pill before we left. Every bump was uncomfortable, but not bad. The appt was quick. The nurse took the drains out. That wasn't fun but the pain only lasted a couple seconds. The dr checked in and said she had taken TWO POUNDS out of each side! She told me I could wear a sports bra if I chose, but the most important thing was to be comfortable. We left there, ran a few errands and then headed home. When we got home I was ready for more pain Meds and sleep, so I put off taking a shower.