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POSTED UNDER Breast Reduction REVIEWS

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ORIGINAL POST

I started developing very young, and had boobs by...

qrs123
I started developing very young, and had boobs by age 11. They continued to grown throughout high school. Freshman year I was sized at a 32 DD, an almost impossible size to find anywhere. Today I wear a 34 DD, but wonder if I am closer to a DDD as I haven't been sized since freshman year. I weigh 120 pounds and love to run and exercise and within the past few year my breasts have made that hard. When I played sports in high school I would often get rashes and end up with raw skin in between my breasts that were not only ugly looking and made me self conscious to wear anything where someone may see, but also very painful. Finding sports bras are near impossible. I get ones that are too small in order to keep everything in place but then I end up with excruciating back and shoulder blade pain. Recently I have even been experiencing numbness and tingling around my back/shoulder blade area!
I was scheduled for this surgery for 2 years ago and chickened out. I was afraid I would be losing part of my identity since I have always kind of been known for my large boobs, and while I do not like that, it is still a hard idea to change myself. I decided to get it again as I want to feel comfortable with or without a bra. I do not want the feeling of saggy breasts hanging on my stomach, I really hate it.
All this being said, insurance seems to have changed since my previous surgery. I had precocious puberty and was given lupron injections when I was younger. Insurance therefore pre approved a reduction of 300. Still, scared of that amount I backed out. Now insurance doesn't seem to do pre approvals or my PS doesn't like to get them cause she says often times they'll deny later and hit you with a bill for double the price. Anyone else experience this? Anyways, were going to go through with it and hope insurance will cover some as when we called they said if my PS codes for everything I have complained about, they will cover 80%.
My PS wants to remove 100-150 which I am a lot more comfortable about because I would like to be no smaller than a C cup. Anyways I'm getting nervous again about recovery and everything. Does anyone have any advice on what to buy ahead of time to prepare? Any good bra brands good for recovery, or good treatments for scars (I'm nervous about them as well)? I'll keep you updated as time gets closer. I think I'm just scared again because of all the "what ifs" but then I think about how uncomfortable I am with my breasts now and I know I won't regret it!

qrs123's provider

Susan E. Otero, MD

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

0

Replies (9)

December 3, 2014
Oh, honey! Go smaller than you think; life, age, pregnancy will affect your breats later on. The freedom of a B cup is indescribable! After my reduction, my breasts were firm and perky for about 2 years. I bought two sports bras to wear at the same time during the compression stage. After that, I bought pretty bras with tiny straps. Intimates by Britney Spears has really pretty things. I did't scar much but ask your doctor about an oil or cream to help with the scarring. I did end up hating underwires for a long time; they would rest on my healed incision and by the end of the day, I'd be yanking my bra off and jamming it into the jockey box. A reduction is totally worth it. You feel better and you become someone other than "that gal with the really big boobs"!
December 9, 2014
Thanks for the advice!
December 4, 2014
I agree with the advice below. Go small. Your young. Life takes its toll. If I were as small as you. I'd have gone much smaller. Susan is THE BEST! My breast a perfect! She cut me very carefully and gave me excellent symmetry. I'tll be a while before you can safely run again. I'd take my time as I fear the drooping coming back. So get in as much as you can prior to your date. If your anything like me you'll have cabin fever by day 5. If I could go back I would've run everyday rested a day before then had the surgery. Ask Doc if you can use Arnica for your swelling. Ask me anything.
December 9, 2014
Great thank you so much!! Good luck to you in your continued healing process
December 4, 2014
I'm glad you made the decision to go forward. It is so nerve racking... thinking of the scars, the recovery, the possible pain involved. I had my reduction done 3 weeks ago today. I had all the same thoughts you are having now. I can tell you that I am healing up fine! I don't smoke, I'm in fairly good shape and eat well enough which contributes to an uneventful healing process. I chose not to use anything for the scars. I researched and did not really find any definitive studies that showed any were of much benefit. I'm going with optimal nutrition, protein shakes with organic fruit and unsweetened coconut or Almond milk. So far so good. I think we heal the way we are going to heal. Someone else may have found differently. The pain, so tolerable that I was very surprised. I had one dose of Demerol post op so I could sleep well that night I had the surgery, then after that , Tylenol only. The hospital I stayed at actually hung IV Tylenol every 8 hours and I do believe that helped. I really took it easy the first week. I was up and about without issue. I took 3 weeks off from work as I am a nurse and do some heavy duty work at times...moving and grooving! My surgeon had me wear the surgical bra they put on post op for 2 weeks, day and night. I had a sports bra which was a little to snug and close to the incision site (paranoid) for my liking :) I went to a local department store to find a nice spandex version. I wish I was more prepared in the bra department for sure but it was difficult to shop as I had an E cup and never owned such a bra in my life! I could not even imagine fitting into one so that was weird. There are some on amazon if you look up post operative bras. They are a bit pricey but you can wear it for a while and is a worth while investment. Your thoughts are valid. I'm still getting used to these "new body parts". It's different looking at them. I will say the benefits far out way any scars that may happen. My neck and back are free of tension, my body is proportionate to my breasts, I'm comfortable and feel so much more freedom. Shopping is a PLEASURE!!! Things fit! I will end by saying, I have a friend who had a BR years ago. She said not one guy that she has been with since has mentioned scars or has any idea she had the surgery. Not to long ago a man said to her "you have pretty nice boobs!" Not bad for a 48 year old woman! Good luck with your journey.
December 4, 2014
PS I went from and E cup to a large C. Personally, I was so used to my large breasts and really identified with them. I had a friend that recommended I go smaller than I planned. She wished she had. For me, it was a very personal choice and again, I identified with my large breasts. I actually celebrated them and thought they were awesome looking, but they were just to heavy, dense and caused issues that I no longer wanted to deal with as I got older. I am 49 years old. Perhaps if I was younger, my thoughts would be different.
December 9, 2014
Thanks so much I really appreciate all your advice! I am definitely getting very nervous as it is only about a week away, but I know ill like it... the process is just so nerve racking and emotional
December 9, 2014
Just checkin on you. You ready?
December 27, 2014
Everything went excellent thank you for checking! Otero is amazing and recovery has not been bad at all! I'm loving it and very glad I had surgery
UPDATED FROM qrs123
9 days post

A week and 2 days post op

qrs123
Sorry I never got to posting a review. I had surgery then christmas came and went and now I have some free time to tell you how everything went. So the day of surgery I was TERRIFIED. I went back and was kind of left alone for a long time and told to change. When my PS came in though, I felt a lot better as she put me at ease. I forgot to mention the day before surgery my OBGYN told me she thinks it would be a HUGE mistake for me to get a breast reduction as she sees breasts all day and thinks that mine are not bad and since im thin I should be okay with them.. NOT the kind of thing you want to hear right before surgery, especially me who was having those concerns already. But I went through with it and talking to my PS made me feel better. Then i waited got an IV, talked to the anesthesiologist, my mom came back, and then i was wheeled up to the surgery room. There it was SO COLD! I was shivering and scared, but my ps and anesthesiologist were really nice. I remember them putting me to sleep, and then 3 hours later I woke up to the worst pain ever as well as being extremely cold and shivering. This was the worst of it. I didn't open my eyes but I was in terrible pain and so cold but the anesthesiologist gave me about 3 doses of pain medication (which burned bad) and my ps told me I did great and I was asleep. When I woke up in the recovery room my vision was blurry and it took a while to be able to see straight but I knew where I was and I was not in much pain. They emptied my drains and eventually after probably 2-3 hours they took my to my room. There I was pretty much awake and dosed in and out at 30 minute intervals a few times but all in all i was laughing with my mom and smiling. I even went to the bathroom on my own. I was light headed though and walking around made me nauseous but the nausea was the worst part. I spent the night in the hospital alone because visiting hours were over which was a little scary for a 19 year old but it turned out fine. my nurses came in and out giving me pain medication and antibiotics, but I wasn't in much pain and then at the end of the surgery day i switched from the IV meds to the pills. I first chose to take the 5mg but i felt pain later so then I went back up to the 20mg. In the morning my PS came in to remove my drains. the cutting of the stitches around them hurt a little and pulling the drains out hurt a little but it was bearable. They cleared me to go and after some blood work and more antibiotics (and too long of a wait for my nurse) we got to go home. This is when I had my migraine. I was frustrated from the hospital and all the needles. It was hard to get home but I just slept and then took excederine and I was so much better.
Today I am a week and 2 days post op and have very minimal pain. I would say that the experience was easier than I thought over all. If wasn't on break I would feel okay having to go back to work or school as of now, but it is definitely nice to not have anything to worry about. This surgery was really hard for me to come to terms with. I didn't know if I needed it because I was big but not huge but very saggy. I felt uncomfortable and had bad back pain when I exercised. I'm very pleased with the result and I CANNOT WAIT to run and exercise and get into great shape without pain.. but I have a while before that. If anyone has questions or is in a similar situation to me I would love to answer and encourage you. I know i could have used encouragement as this was a very hard choice for me.

Replies (2)

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December 27, 2014
You look great i am nearly 4 weeks post op i have had a great recovery so far but not happy with the size my horizontal incisions are very short not long like your ones for my height and build i needed more off
December 30, 2014
Congratulations! I'm almost 1 month post and started out similar to you. I'm sorry to hear your OBGYN wasn't supportive. It always annoys the heck out of me when ppl make assumptions about what it's like to live in someone else's body. If you were like me you were uncomfortable, in pain and embarrassed because of your breasts and they negativity affected your quality of life. That's all the reason you need for this procedure and no one else has the authority to tell you what they think is right for you. I hope you heal well and take full advantage of your new membership to the "itty bitty" club. Best wishes!
UPDATED FROM qrs123
15 days post

Quick Update

qrs123
Things are still doing well. I'm still sore but nothing too bad. At my last appointment my PS told me to start putting cream on. I got some cocoa butter skin therapy oil that was for scaring and stretch marks. Does anyone have advice on what to use on the incisions? I want to make scarring as minimal as possible clearly. I also got some arnica gel but it seems that is primarily for pain...

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