It’s been quite the change.
I’m almost three weeks post-op, and I am very pleased so far. I had grown to hate my boobs. When I was a sophomore in high school and a C cup, they were pretty cool. In my 20s after the first child they were a DD and could be a hindrance at times. My waist measurement hasn’t changed all that significantly since my early 20s (excepting pregnancy) depending on stress levels and such. My ribcage measurement was always very stable as well at around a 34. My boobs just kept growing though, so at 40, after three kids, I was a 34 H, and I was close to overflowing those cups.
The grooves in my shoulders no longer disappeared overnight. No button-up shirts for me, unless I bought them so large that they came down to my knees. I looked like a pair of legs topped by a set of cartoonish breasts. They took over my whole torso. Bras were now in the range of 100 a piece, too. About two years ago I began having some issues with the nerves being pinched in my shoulders, making my arm go numb, had to have some shots in the joint to get it back to normal. I’d had headaches for years, as well, and my doctor said, “You know, you might want to get those reduced.” She started documenting, and I started thinking about it seriously, instead of wistfully.
I got a plastic surgeon recommendation from a coworker who’d had some reconstruction work done, and scheduled a consultation at the beginning of this summer. There were measurements, pictures, forms to fill out , but at the end of the visit he said, “We can absolutely do this, and I think you’ll be very happy with the results.” No lie. I am happy. Ecstatically so. I still have to wear soft, stretchy bras, but I’m not ashamed to admit that I wept tears of joy when I put on those seemingly tiny little articles of clothing. I have bought tank tops and spaghetti- strapped dresses all while humming “A Whole New World” in the department store.
All, that to say, if anyone is thinking about this and has questions, fire away! Also, if anyone has their story to share about the process, procedure, and recovery, please share. I’ve still got a ways to go before full recovery, I’m told, and there have been small hiccups along the past three weeks.
So pleased that it went well for you, FairieBeth. That must have been uncomfortable and hard on your back too. I bet you will enjoy your young silhouette again too!
If you don’t mind, I’d like to share your post, and perhaps others on this thread, with a friend’s daughter who has had a similar experience after childbearing. Her mother has been encouraging her to go for surgery, but she’s frightened.
MoodIndigo1, please share! I don’t mind at all! Truthfully, I was frightened, too. Especially once the surgery center called to check on the the day before the procedure to ask if I had a Living Will! :eek: I know that’s standard procedure for any time you go under the knife, but it did not help my mental state at the time. I had weighed a lot of pros and cons over the past year, though, and I knew I just needed to jump in and do it. I would feel so much better afterward. And I did! Well, with the help of some morphine for a few days.
Antinor01, they are supposed to settle into a C cup, once the swelling all goes down. They are likely about a D, right now, I think.
Awesome. Really glad to hear it went well for you! I grew up around very well endowed women and any number of them would strongly benefit from doing the same. (Anything smaller than a DD seemed tiny to me for years because of them!)
From H to C!? That’s a huge amount of tissue loss. Did the doctor bring up any worries that your nipples might die from lack of blood flow? Also how did they handle the nipples in general? Were they completely removed and reattached later or did they make a keyhole incision and leave them attached to the breast? Did you bother with an implant or just use your own tissue?
I had my fifteenth surgery on April 29 of this year. A third tumor had to be removed from my liver. All of my surgeries so far have been about saving my life or making me more functional in some way. I’ve never had one to make me happier.
My breasts have always been a problem and something I really hate about myself. I’m currently a DD-DDD cup depending on the brand and I find my breasts very uncomfortable and ugly. I’ve been thinking about a reduction for twenty years but the idea of losing all feeling in my nipples or losing them all-together has kept me from pursuing it. That and the fact that it would be another surgery. I also scar very badly but a reduction would be more about physical comfort than looks.
Did you have any trouble getting your insurance to cover it? Are you happy with how they are shaped and how they hang? I have planned on getting a reduction after I finish losing weight if I still have enough left to qualify insurance-wise. At this point, they are not annoyingly big any more (34DDD), but I really want the lift that comes with a reduction. So much extra skin, and I still have about 35 lbs to lose!
When we were doing the initial measurements, he told me that there was a significant chance they’d have to remove and then reattach my nipple. He said his usual procedure (if it looked like it could go either way) was to go ahead and start with the assumption that they could stay attached, and watch during the surgery (2 hours long) to see if they retained their blood flow. Mine did, so they stayed attached. For a week, while I had the drains in, every time we emptied and cleaned the drains, my husband did what the nurse had just called 'the nipple test". He’d poke in my nipple until it lost its blood flow and color, then let it pop back out. We were to watch to make certain it pinked back up to indicate that the blood flow was good. So far, so good!
We didn’t use any implants, just all me. I had plenty to work with.
That’s a lot of time on the table. I’m so sorry you’ve had to keep going through it, but certainly glad they’ve been helping you. Anesthesia is rough. I’ve had 5 surgeries - 3 c-sections, Gall bladder, and now this. I think every time I will say the worst part is having your body go through reboot from being shut down.
Right now my biggest discomfort is too much feeling! All the nerves are been agitated, and I almost can’t stand to take a shower because the water hits my nipples and it hurts. This is a new experience for me, since mine were so large they weren’t very sensitive at all. Although I was concerned about losing the nipple, I’d done enough research to know that reconstructive surgery has come a long way. If I’d lost them, they could be rebuilt!
As for the scars, my husband compared them to the seams on my dressmakers dummy. Plastic surgeons who know know their stuff can make them tiny, tiny!
I did my research with my policy to see the company guidelines for coverage, and made certain I had either jumped those hoops or was prepared to jump before we ever submitted the paperwork to them. All told, it was a year’s endeavor. My insurance required documentation with my GP of issues related to too much breast tissue going back a year. The issues had to be recurring and not ameliorated by regular treatment. For me, that was the shoulder grooves, the shoulder pain, the headaches. After it has been almost a year of getting those things on my chart, I set up the consultation with the plastic surgeon. GP sent the referral, Plastic surgeon did all the measurements, pictures, and notes. My insurance also required a certain amount of tissue be taken off relative to the weight of the patient. I was given a packet to take back to my GP’s office with instructions on what letters she should write to the insurance to accompany the plastic surgeon’s file of pictures and notes. Once I dropped that off, I did nothing else, other than wait by the mailbox. In three weeks, I got the okay from the insurance.
Oh, and a lift is a part of the surgery. So not only are my boobs now the same size as when I was 19, they are perky, too! I know I’m supposed to keep them wrapped up in stretchy bras right now, but I did cheat for one lunch date with my husband and went braless under a strappy little sundress. Yep. Super happy, so far!
My 20 year old niece just had hers done about a week and a half ago. Even with the post-op swelling that she’s still working through, the visual difference is striking. She’s super happy so far too. Congrats on finally getting all the ducks in a row to have your surgery!
Congrats to your niece, as well! I wish I’d been more diligent about getting the ball rolling earlier in my life. Best wishes to her for a speedy, trouble-free recovery!
I had a double mastectomy,went from DDD to perhaps an A… Don’t care,I’m old and fluffy… My back doesn’t hurt and I save a ton on bras! To say nothing of not needing a mammogram every 6 months
Thanks, Shodan! They removed three pounds of tissue(about 1360 grams), almost twice what insurance would have required (which was 350 grams per breast for me on their chart).
I don’t have any questions to add, I just wanted to say I’m happy for you! I’ve had a relative and a friend both have breast reduction surgery. The relative had back and neck problems that were improved by the reduction. My friend was getting ulcers in the skin on her shoulders from her bra straps digging in. They’ve both said they’d do it again in a heartbeat.
