Breast Reduction Surgery - The Results are in!

I did have the bandages removed from my skin graft a couple of weeks ago. The graft still had a bit of healing to do, unfortunately. So last Friday I had a check-in with my surgeon, who finally gave me the "all clear" to get back to my normal activities.

Which is good. Because I haven't been able to exercise in over two months. And if I don't exercise, I gain weight. Quickly. So I can get started with my exercise routine this week. I'm not particularly excited about that, but I know the results will be worth it.

And on Saturday, I got to go BRA SHOPPING! Woo-hoo!!!! (During the recovery, I had been wearing exercise bras. Not fun, and NOT flattering!) I had no idea what size to get, so I went to Soma and had a fitting. I am now . . . . drum roll, please . . . . a size 36 D! (I was a 36 DDD before the surgery!) I actually was able to find bras that FIT ME! Although I did discover that I'm not quite ready for an underwire yet. That wire didn't feel so good over my scar tissue, no matter how padded the wire was.

In case you're curious, I purchased the "Heather" bra from Soma. I also found a Bali bra that worked well for me - the Double Support Spa Closure Wireless. (And it was a LOT less expensive than the one from Soma!) These are two great wireless bras with plenty of support and comfort.

Eventually, I'll be able to wear something lacy and racy. But for now, just getting into a regular bra is a victory.

Also, for those of you who have been following my story or have been pointed here by someone, I've summarized all my posts about my surgery in the sidebar for easier reference.

Breast Reduction Surgery - Update

It's been two months since my breast reduction surgery. I am very happy with the results, but I've had a frustrating complication. One of my incisions has refused to heal properly. I've learned that this sometimes happens; the skin surrounding the incision for some strange reason stops trying to grow together. My doctor said that it would eventually heal, but a skin graft was a way of trying to speed things up. So last week I had a skin graft.

In addition to the general discomfort, I'm having to go without a bra for a week. Which is a little strange, since I've been wearing bras 24/7 since the first surgery! I also can't get these bandages wet, so that means sponge baths. Not fun, folks!

I go back on Wednesday of this week to have the bandages removed. Here's hoping that I'm back to normal soon! I really really really really really want to go bra shopping . . .

Breast Reduction Surgery - Recovery

Lots of people have been asking how my post-operative experience has been since my surgery. Let me tell you, you never realize just how much you use those chest muscles until you can't use them! No lifting whatsoever was allowed for the first week. Not that I would have wanted to! OUCH! I was given Percocet for the first five days, and once that ran out I requested more as I was still having pretty significant pain. They gave me Darvocet which is less powerful. Two weeks later, I'm only taking the Darvocet at night just to help me sleep more comfortably. I'm taking Tylenol during the day.

The first couple of days were pretty rough. I had to have help doing everything - including getting dressed and even going to the bathroom. Getting out of bed was extremely difficult, and I found it best to just prop myself up into a sitting position and not get out of bed at all unless I really needed to. If you are considering having this surgery or anything like it, make sure you have someone who can stay with you 24/7 for at least the first 48 hours!

My surgeon used surgical tapes on my incisions instead of bandages. This meant that I could shower normally - as soon as I was able to stand up! - and didn't have to expose the incisions changing the dressings. He took the tapes off a week later. Two weeks after the surgery, I am still having occasional bleeding and fluid discharge from my incisions. This is perfectly normal and can continue as long as four weeks, I'm told. So I asked him what I was supposed to use to cover the incisions - and get this! They recommend super long Maxi pads! Hey, don't knock it!They're soft and absorbent, sanitary, and they work! (Gives a whole new meaning to "padding your bra!")

I went back to work a week after my surgery and am doing pretty well. I occasionally have flare-ups of pain. My right side is healing much faster than my left, for some strange reason. But I've resumed my normal life with the exception of working out and am feeling great about having done this!

It will be a few more weeks before I can wear a regular bra. I'm so excited about going to get myself sized and being able to buy pretty, lacy bras instead of indstrial-strength ones!

I've already bought a couple of new tops - including the one I am most proud of, which is a beautiful white cotton long sleeved button-front blouse. I haven't been able to wear a blouse like that in years! It's still a little too hot in Georgia for long sleeves, but believe me - I plan to wear it the first day the temperatures start to drop!

As always, please feel free to post questions in the comments. I hope that this information is helpful to someone out there!

The Big Day

I had my surgery on Tuesday, Aug. 25th. Prior to the surgery, I had completed a phone assessment where the nurse went through my medical history and took note of any prescriptions I was taking.

The surgery was performed at an outpatient surgery center which is located right across the street from a major hospital. (I guess if something goes wrong they can just stretchers down the sidewalk and into the ER! Wouldn't that be a sight to see!) This was the first time I had ever been under general anesthesia, so I had no idea what to expect and was very nervous. The nurses were so sweet and helpful; they really put me at ease. I changed into a "lovely" hospital gown and was given some stunningly fashionable(!) mesh underwear to wear. I should have taken a picture of those - they were quite funny! A local anesthetic, then something to relax me, then the surgeon came in and marked me up with a permanent marker. Some of the marks are still on my skin . . . I need one of those puppies! That's all I remember until I woke up in the recovery room.

The next thing I remember was telling someone that my pain was a 6 on a scale of 10. They must have given me something for it, and I woke up about an hour after that, groggy but generally feeling OK. That's when the nurse told me, "Well you should feel a lot lighter now - they removed over three pounds of tissue from you!" I was shocked! I mean, I knew my breasts were heavy but three pounds?????

I must have looked down, because then she told me, "Oh don't worry, you've got plenty of boobage left." Yep, she said boobage! Cracked me up! - and it hurt to laugh. Ugh. Anyway, her guess at that time was that I was still at least a C cup if not bigger. Three pounds gone and STILL a C cup? WOW.

They put me in a post-surgical bra. Note to anyone considering this procedure: you will NOT want to wear that thing any longer than you have to. All the closures were Velcro and were very, very itchy and uncomfortable. The nurse recommended that my husband go to Target and buy me at least two Champion sports bras in style C9. She said that I could shower as early as the next day and could change into that bra after I showered. I was given a prescription painkiller and antibiotic. We headed home and arrived at about 3:00 pm. DH helped me into bed, and I think I slept until the next morning.

In my next installment, I'll tell you about my first shower and more about my recovery. I hope this is helpful information for somebody out there! Please feel free to ask questions in the comments.

I lost Three Pounds in Three Hours! Here's how . . .

HA! I thought that would get your attention. No, this isn't a commercial for a magic diet pill. I had breast reduction surgery last week. And I am one happy camper!!!!!!

I've been debating about whether to blog this or not (possible TMI!!!!), but it seems like everyone that I've talked to is really curious about it. So I thought I'd share some of my experience with you.

The first question I always get is, "Why did you do it?" I have been having upper back, neck, and shoulder pain for quite some time now. I work as an administrative assistant and sit in front of a computer all day long, and of course my jewelry making adds to the strain. Also, it had become very painful for me to run or even walk fast. Not a good thing for a mom with a 6 year old son! I decided to ask my doctor if breast reduction might be the answer, and he agreed that I might be a good candidate for it.

In order for my health insurance to approve the surgery, I had to jump through some hoops. Considering that I'm on a pretty strict HMO plan, I would imagine that these are probably the conditions that just about any health insurance plan might require.

1. BMI has to be less than 30. I had to lose about 10 pounds to meet this one. Here's a website where you can calculate your BMI.

2. Breast size - You don't have to be a particular "cup size" to qualify (I was a DDD). Instead, your breasts have to be a certain length from the collarbone to the nipple. (Mine were 40 and 43 cm; I think the minimum was 30 but I could be wrong about that.)

3. Soft tissue damage - Do you have dents in your shoulders from your bras, or other soft tissue damage due to large breasts? I didn't, but this is another point that would build a case.

4. Pain - do you experience pain in the breasts or back, shoulders, and neck due to the heaviness of your breasts? You don't have to be taking a prescription painkiller, just something like Tylenol, Ibuprofen, or aspirin.

I had to go through physical therapy and have a custom bra made to see if these would help my symptoms. They didn't, and once I finished the physical therapy and lost some weight I returned to my doctor who then referred me to a plastic surgeon.

Tomorrow I'll tell you more about the surgery itself & my recovery so far! If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the comments and I will respond. (Responses with spammy links will be removed. )