Surgery date is coming faster than I'm ready! **Women only q

DisneyAddictRW

I run 42.4 miles in 3 days at the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend in January 2011. I spent my miles holding my bra up to keep the weight off my shoulders. I have all the typical problems that qualify me for a breast reduction. I met with two doctors and both agreed along with my regular doc who sent me for the referral. I finally got the insurance approved for the surgery but I'm starting to freak out. Wondering if anyone else has been through the surgery and had second thoughts during the weeks leading up to the surgery. I know the benefit of no more back pain and the indents in my shoulders. I'll be able to run without pain (well without the pain from this problem) However I'm a small 42 DD. I say small b/c docs says I'm on the smaller side of what they normally see however I do still suffer from the problems. I'm worried I'll have too much removed. I have always been "big" chested. I don't want to go from big to small. I want to still look normal and have a chest (if that makes sense). I have to have a certain amount removed via insurnace reasons. I have the surgery on July 8th but worried I should cancel it since I'm not 100% sure. I can't have it done until next February if I don't go through with it in July. (Due to races, vacation plans, and a few other reasons) Am I just freaking out for no reason? Has anyone else experienced this? I'm usually the one taking care of family not being the one who needs help and I'm not looking forward to being off my feet or the needy one.

allystone

I had a friend go through it and she stated it was the best thing she's ever done, Just do it. It'll make for a better you.

guppygirl322

One of my in-laws had it done as a teenager. She went down to a full C and was THRILLED. After that I always saw her in a bikini top.

HOWEVER, if you are unsure, wait.

Perfectlycrooked

I don't think they'll make it so durastic that it's scary. I think they'll only remove what's necesary to make you more comfortable. I think you'll be glad you got it done anyways(:

MrsRobertson1005

I have a friend who had it done too, she went down to a C, she is SOO happy

Thriceshy

My advice is to do it, and enjoy. I would suggest talking to your doctor about the preservation of milk ducts if you plan on having kids (some docs will tell you they can't, but that's just laziness talking--there are methods for protecting/preserving them). Other than that, I don't see anything but good in this for you. Good luck!

Kris

Soccer_Chick

Bump to ready later.

Good luck.

Mrs_TrimWaistFatWallet

I haven't known anyone or had it done myself, but this is what I think... I think the girls are getting in the way of YOU. I see that it bothers you and you want a solution. In fact, you have a solution and you're worried because surgery is no joke. I think that's normal. I think they won't take too much and that there will be a recovery period, but you will be glad you did it. Best of luck to you and our thoughts are with you in recovery if/when you do it..

demery12371

I had mine done in 2003 and I had the same worries but the end result was what pushed me through. It was the BEST thing I have ever done for myself. They took 4 pounds and I still had plenty of breasts left and looked like I lost 20 pounds because I was able to stand up better/straighter and my migraines went completely away...

I reccommend this to anyone!!! (Well larger chested women anyway)
Good Luck and You'll do just fine!!

Tereztaylor07

I had a friend who had it done and she is still thrilled 5 years later. Just personal experience but I have lost a cup size from a full C to a B and at first it sucked a little. But I actually think my chest looks great a little smaller, and it's nice to have perky little boobs instead of big ones. You will still look great so I wouldn't sweat it.

bzmom

bump

RoseVernon

If you're not completely sure I think you should wait. I was a 36E and sometimes 36EE depending on the bra style. After I lost 25 pounds I'm now a 34D and love my new size. I'm wondering after you're done with your weight loss journey if you loose a lot from your chest too. What does your husband think about it?

Best of luck and well wishes either way!!

Kathryn72

My SIl and her BFF both had breast reductions about 13 years ago. Neither one of them have regretted it for a second. They were about your cup size and have both gone down to probably a C cup. Both are still very well endowed but now they can wear bras from "regular" stores, shirts that button up properly, tops and jackets that fit. Both of them looked like they had lost 20 pounds.

Recovery will be strenuous, but you're in good shape, right? When SIL had her surgery, she had a 4 year old, 2 year old and 1 year old at home and she wasn't allowed to lift anything!! If she can make it through under those circumstances, I think you do just fine!

Best of luck!

bzmom

This is what I was thinking. It seems some of us loose a cup size or so with weightloss not sure how much more to your goal. I would say talk to your doctor about your concerns.

If you're not completely sure I think you should wait. I was a 36E and sometimes 36EE depending on the bra style. After I lost 25 pounds I'm now a 34D and love my new size. I'm wondering after you're done with your weight loss journey if you loose a lot from your chest too. What does your husband think about it?

Best of luck and well wishes either way!!

aviduser

I know you said women only, but I could not resist. My only thought is to see how you look AFTER you hit your weight loss goal. You have 32 lbs to go.

I have lost 42 lbs, and I lost it everywhere--places I did not even realize I had fat (arm pits, throat, jawline) plus all the obvious places (belly, butt). I would expect that you might get some reduction just from weight loss. If it is still an issue after you reach your weight target, you could still get the surgery.

Also, I have a friend who doubles up on the sports bra when she runs, so that might help in the meantime.

Just my $.02. I understand the hesitation for surgery.

DisneyAddictRW

no more kids for me. 3 csections later and I'm done (love my kids but 3 is all I can handle!). I talked to them and they said no matter what they have to remove the min amt required by insurance. I just hope it's not too much. They can't give me a "cup size" b/c everyone's tissue is a different weight. I have 2 friends who went through it and they said it was the best thing they've ever done. They were bigger than me but they look great. They said pain they had in their back is gone. They also said they didn't realize some of the pain they were having until it was gone after the surgery. I've been thinking about this since last September. I started training in July 2010 for races and thats when I started to realize the problems. I've honestly tried a lot of things to help (2 sport bras, different styles, etc...) My doc was shocked I haven't looked into it sooner.

I have a family daycare of 12 kids. No lifting 10lbs or more for the first few weeks. I have a niece, sister, and a cousin that can help me so I can keep daycare going. I won't have this option in the future if I wait. Just got really lucky to have them this summer due to college plans. Plus my husband travels a lot for work so this would be an issue in the future too.

Daisy_May

I had a reduction 2.5 years ago, first let me say it was the best thing I have ever done in my entire life, I wish I had of done it way sooner! I went from a 38H to a 38 DD.

But if you’re looking for actual advice on how recovery was I'm not going to sugar coat it because it was better off being prepared. I was sent home the same day and I think it was a really bad move on their part, I was a mess, a drugged up mess though so I don't remember much from the first day or two but I'm told I was not in good shape.
The first week I slept almost all the time, the pain was pretty bad but I made sure to get up and at lest walk around to avoid blood clots. I had a home nurse come and change my dressing and empty my tubes and this is where my problems started, she kept the tubes in WAY longer then my surgeon instructed and I got a pretty bad infection. So with that it took me a good month to get back on my feet and another month before my energy came back.

With all that being said, I couldn't be happier with my decision. My scares are minimal but I did lose sensation in most of my breasts (other then the nipple, thank god for small favours!) my back pain is completely gone and I can buy pretty bras now!!

A few hints from my recovery, buy a body pillow or two I propped myself up on both sides with them and it helped.
Buy PJ's that button up, trust me you do not want to lift your arms to change.
This sounds gross but pads (like for your period) really made the best dressing for the wounds.
Sleep, sleep sleep! Give your body the rest it needs and don’t' rush back to your day to day routine!
I also froze a few meals so I wouldn't have to worry about cooking for the fist week :-)
If you have any questions feel free to email me!

Thriceshy

I can't say, all I can say is that I think I would do it. If I was having pain, if they were causing me grief and interfering with the things I love to do, I'd do it.

I'm wishing you all the luck!

Kris

meggers123

I had the surgery Oct. 15, 2010. I'm now a full D. To be honest, it was a hard recovery. It was a rough two weeks, and a hard recovery. I was lucky and didn't need tubes, but it was still a tough recovery. Ok, and I was lucky that I had an AMAZING surgeon, and my mom and step dad are both RNs, so they could check on me over the first week.

That being said, I am sooooo happy with my decision.

A DD is the borderline for getting the operation, and if you are still planning on losing weight, I might say put it off. If you are already at your ideal weight, then go ahead. If you have any doubts, it might be better to wait. It's not something to take lightly, that's for sure.

DisneyAddictRW

I know you said women only, but I could not resist. My only thought is to see how you look AFTER you hit your weight loss goal. You have 32 lbs to go.

I have lost 42 lbs, and I lost it everywhere--places I did not even realize I had fat (arm pits, throat, jawline) plus all the obvious places (belly, butt). I would expect that you might get some reduction just from weight loss. If it is still an issue after you reach your weight target, you could still get the surgery.

Also, I have a friend who doubles up on the sports bra when she runs, so that might help in the meantime.

Just my $.02. I understand the hesitation for surgery.

I did talk to my regular doc about this same thought. We looked back at my medical chart over the past 10 yrs. My weight has gone up and down from 150 to 240. I seem to keep getting bigger even when I took the weight off. Once my husband gets home this week from working on the road we really need to sit down and talk. It's hard to discuss over the phone something like this. He's my best friend and I know he'll be honest. (He thinks waiting would be a good thing too to see what happens but he also watches me run with tears from pain.) It's hard to struggle through something I love to do when I know surgery would help.

I know this probably sounds crazy to some but I also haven't told very many people. I'm affraid what they'll think. My mother in law has already given me a hard time b/c she thinks I'm crazy to do it. (She's an opinionated woman, 350lbs, nurse who only sees bad things happen since she works in the hospital on surgery floor. She thinks I can just put up with it and learn to deal with it)

BillieBrink

I had it done 10 years ago and 6 pounds taken off. It is wonderful. The surgery actually gives you support that you did not have before. As all of your friends busts are sagging, yours will not be. Right after surgery, I had funny little pains in my back because I was actually standing up straight and my shoulders were back where they are supposed to be. The confidence is great too. My fellow co worker just had it done last year, she is very happy. The recovery is not easy but it is well worth it for the rest of your life! Good luck, I would not delay. I wished I had done mine before I did it.

Daisy_May

I just wanted to add one more thing.

I think the hardest part of it all for me wasn't the actual surgery (yes it was painful but that went away fairly quickly) but how I felt without my boobies (lol sorry!). Since I was 11 that's what people noticed me for and what I thought every guy liked about me, it was a REALLY hard transition, I felt like part of me ( a big part of my self esteem ) was missing.
I often think now that part of the reason I gained weight was so that people would stop staring at my in a sexual way, people saw big boobs and made automatic assumptions about me.
So you really need to be at peace with your decision before you do it because it's going to be a hard enough thing to deal with when you are 100% sure.

SaLandrum

I have a friend that had the surgery this past Thursday and she is very, very happy with the immediate results.

I am glad that insurance companies are more open to this surgery now than they were 10-15 years ago.

cheri0627

I had this done, almost 10 years ago. It was the best thing I've ever done for myself and I don't regret it for an instant.

I will be honest -- there is a lot of pain involved, especially right after surgery and then for the first several days. I had no clue what 10 on the pain scale meant until I woke up in recovery. Then I had horrible nausea from the pain pills and couldn't keep them down for the first few days, which meant I had more pain than I should have had. Once my doctor got me something for the nausea and I was able to take the pills, the pain was very manageable. Recovery is tough. You can't lift anything weighing more than a couple of pounds for a while. You can't lift your arms over your head for several days. I also had a reaction to my stitches, so things didn't heal as well as they should have. I have quite a bit of scarring because of that. Even knowing all of this, I still would do it all over again.

I don't know where you are weight-wise, and how weight loss impacts your breasts. For me, I had lost weight, but never from the chest. (When I had the surgery, I was at my lightest since my early teens) but not everyone is like that. If you are still losing weight, you may want to wait if you do lose it from the chest. At the same time, the results will really help you when you exercise and run. Most people don't realize how debilitating large breasts can be; they just think it's a blessing. It sounds like from your follow up posts that weight loss doesn't seem to impact them.

When I was going through the process, I found a great website/community: breasthealthonline.com Everyone was very supportive. It was people who had already gone through the process, people recovering, people exploring the option, etc. It was wonderful finding other people who knew what I was going through, people who could answer my questions and offer suggestions. I just checked and it's still around. I strongly urge you check it out and join. Talk about your questions and concerns with them. The group was just so supportive and knowledgeable and amazing. I couldn't have gotten through it without them.

It does sound like time wise for the rest of the things in your life that going through with it now would work well, but you can't let that be the driving force in making this decision. You need to decide for yourself. Your husband is important to talk with about this, as are your doctors, but the decision ultimately is your own.

If you do decide to go through with the surgery, my best suggestion is if you don't already have one, get a recliner for after surgery. You need to sleep elevated, plus getting in and out of a regular bed is next to impossible when you can't use your arms.

Best of luck!

DisneyAddictRW

When I was going through the process, I found a great website/community: breasthealthonline.com
If you do decide to go through with the surgery, my best suggestion is if you don't already have one, get a recliner for after surgery. You need to sleep elevated, plus getting in and out of a regular bed is next to impossible when you can't use your arms.

Best of luck!

I'll have to check out the website thanks for sharing. Got a recliner and slept in it after my last csection. The worse pain I had ever felt. I had my tubes tied at the same time and never expected to have the pain I did.

I'm nervous about the recovery time. The doc didn't make it sound like it would take this much to recover. I expect no running for 6-8 weeks. I also expected no cardio for awhile. I didn't expect the not lifting the arms and needing too much time off work. I'm won't lie I'm really nervous.

I'm currently 192.4 and my goal is honestly 160. I have a ways to go. When I was 240 I was the same size then as I am now. I seem to lose weight other places than my chest.

cheri0627

I took a little more than 2 weeks off of work. (Surgery was Thursday and I took the next 2 full weeks off.) Then again, I sit at a desk in front of a computer all day. You may need to take more time off, or have a lot more help around for a few more weeks, since you're running a daycare. I also had a more complicated recovery due to the stitches issue.

brneydgrlie

If you decide to go for it, you may want to look into taking quercetin/bromelain supplements before/during/after surgery. They are natural anti-inflammitories, and can help with quicker healing because there is less swelling. Over the past few years, surgeons have started recommending this to their patients - especially plastic surgeons.

Daisy_May

I added my before and after pics from my reduction to my profile if anyone is interested, I'm in the same cilver shirt in both of them! As you can see I still have lots left :-)

DisneyAddictRW

how long was it before you could drive? I know it sounds crazy but I didn't think to ask the doc.

Daisy_May

A month but that's because I was on pain killers and shouldn't drive on them!

DisneyAddictRW

daisy_may - how much "weight" did they remove? I'm expected to have 3 lbs total removed. I'm wondering if the plastic surgery office would be able to submit my current weight to see if it would change what the insurance requires. They had me at 209lbs and I'm not 192. I would feel better if they had less they "required" to remove. Then the doctor could make the choice if he felt he needed to remove more or less. I was told they have to remove what the insurance requires but may have to remove more they won't know for sure until they start the surgery.

I hate surgery and I'm worried something will go wrong. I seem to alway have things go wrong. Just my experience with life and medical issues. My csections went great but knee surgery, eye surgery, etc... had issues that were unexpected and caused things to be a long process to heal.