Breast Reduction - 1 yr ago! Update #40

[FourFaults]

Hey all,

Thanks to maxxtrot and everyone who weighed in with their opinion and shared their stories about breast reductions. Combined with these and my friend going - I had my consult yesterday with a surgeon.

He was very nice, explained everything, and I’m now booked in on April 2nd. I have concerns of course - what if things go wrong, what if I’m the 1/500 to have nipple death (gah!), or keloid scarring, or what if I throw up after (phobia with throwing up!), but I think the end results will be worth it.

I’m in Ontario, Canada so he has to take 150 grams each minimum to have it covered. Not a problem there lol! Although, did anyone hesitate a bit when you realized how much smaller your “smaller” breast would be? My right is significantly smaller than my left so I freaked a bit inside thinking “Oh…I’ll have nothing left on the right!” When I mentioned it, he said it’s common b/c we are so used to them being so large and assured me, it will be fine.

Mr. FF came too, and I’m happy he did. He learned a lot and asked good questions and said he didn’t see any red flags for me to choose not to do it. It’s as close to an agreement that I think I’ll get and I’m happy with it.

Concerns aside, I’m very excited when I think forward to how much lighter they will be and that I will be able to wear pretty bra’s!

Boo to being off my horse for 6 weeks though. When he found out I ride, he said “Please, please give it at least 6 weeks.” Ha, sounds like he knows us crazy horse folks and our desire to be back in the saddle.

I will keep y’all posted as it gets closer.

Thanks again!
Jenn

[Laurierace]

Assuming you mean throwing up from the anesthesia, ask them to put a seasick patch on you before you go in. Works miracles for me, I threw up every 30 seconds or so after surgery without one and wasn’t even queasy with one. They left it on for a couple days afterwards which allowed me to take percocet on an empty stomach where normally I can’t tolerate at all.

[maxxtrot]

I’m so excited for you! are they using general or twilight? you will be so damn happy you did this I swear. I feel awesome, no more headaches. I still have not ridden but because I’m so busy at work. I was back at work as an equine vet tech in 2 weeks, never any problems or pain. I would do it agin in a heartbeat. wish I had done it 10 yrs ago. keep me posted, and please if you have any questions, pm me.

[ThreeHorseNight]

Congrats, that’s great! You can minimize the possibility of vomiting after surgery by eating the right foods the day before surgery. Check out BreastHealthOnline.org for info. It’s a great site and they’ve got a recommended day before surgery diet. It’s a community full of women who have already had breast reduction or who are investigating it.

150 grams is nothing - in most women that’s not even or barely a cup size!

Good luck!

[JanM]

Fourfaults-the most important thing to prevent nausea after the procedure is that strictly follow the anesthesiologist’s guidelines about consuming food or drink, and the morning of the procedure not one drop of liquid at all.

I know you’ll be fine.

[FourFaults]

Thanks you guys!! I will definitely check out the site and keep in mind my diet the day before. The day before happens to be a riding lesson so I don’t usually each much before or after. It’s too bad I didn’t do this earlier - with the cold weather and snow storms, I haven’t ridden since Jan 7th! That’s pretty much 6 weeks right there lol!

I’m having general through an IV and he did mention he can give me something for the nausea. I have some forms to fill out, a pre-op appt and then the big day! I know 150 g is nothing - think that is what will be the smaller of the two and he mentioned something like twice that in the larger one.

I’m getting excited!
Did you all tell your coaches why you were off or just that you had to have surgery?

Thanks again! Will keep y’all posted.

Jenn

[FourFaults]

April 2 is the day. Eating my supper soon since I can’t eat after midnight and who knows when I will want to eat again ha ha!

Wish me well everyone!!

Jenn

[Laurierace]

Best of luck, I am sure you will do fine. Remember to ask for the seasick patch.

[csb]

Good luck and welcome to the IBT club.

[equisusan]

Good luck today

[FourFaults]

I made it. :). Home last night around 7. Went fine as far as I know. Everyone was so nice and comforting. And no problem with the anesthetic! It’s so wild. A few inhales of oxygen, and the next thing I know it’s 4 hrs later! First waking up everything was blurry and I saw doubles of the people around me lol! Nurses said I was there funniest patient that day. Even looped I’m entertaining.

Woke up today with a lot of pain and discomfort. Seems they only sent me home with an anti-inflammatory. I called to say not cutting it, and bf is on his way back with painkillers. That should help me get through the next few days. I also have a sore throat and cough from the trachea tube, which I’m told is normal. Trying to sit up when I can to make sure it doesn’t get worse.

I feel sort of sad about the piece of me that is gone. Long term though, I think I will be happy to join the IBT club.

Thanks everyone!
Jenn

[Kyrabee]

Well…regarding the smaller breast…it is now my left one which before surgery was quite a bit larger. There isn’t much discrepancy but talk about a switcheroo. Just kind of weird when the left was sooo much bigger all my life.

5 years out and very happy with my decision. I have been very impressed how well they have kept their shape despite a 25-30 lb weight loss. Something I should have done before surgery but exercise was so darned uncomfortable.It is much easier to get motivated not packing all that around on your front and especially so much better balanced in the saddle.

Jingles for a smooth recovery.

Susan

[FourFaults]

Thanks Susan. :). I got the bandages off yesterday at the surgeons office. He says I’m on track and what I can expect over the next week or so. He told me that my left ended up being twice the size. It will still be the bigger one, but not so glaringly! Yesterday was a bad day. To keep it short - just caught up with me, the drugs, and not enough sleep. I did get to shower…when I stepped out and actually saw them, I cried. He told me it will all settle, but to see them all square like and bruised made me wonder what I’ve done. I know it gets better, but it was just shocking in a way I hadn’t prepared for.

I got a lot of sleep overnight and have just watched movies today so it’s been a better day. This might be silly, but I don’t wants bf to see them. He says he is fine, but I really don’t want them to be imprinted in his mind as they are now. He is taking very good care of me in the meantime.

I go back to his office again to have the non dissolving stitches out - another little milestone along the way.

[Kyrabee]

Yes, Fourfaults,

The first glimpse of the Frankenboobs is quite dramatic. I work in a hospital and see all manner of incisions and trauma–surgical and otherwise but seeing it on your own body is a whole 'nuther ball of wax.

They will look better ;). Give yourself time to heal.

Susan

[FourFaults]

Thanks again Susan. I was so excited about getting this done that I overlooked recovery and the emotional part that goes into this surgery. Each day is a bit better. Today I got my stitches out (the ones that don’t dissolve). Yay. Yet another milestone in the process.

Jenn

[chestnuthunter]

How awesome for you! Keep us updated

I had my reduction last summer (I was 16 at the time) and now, a year out from surgery, I am so happy! I can wear normal sports bras, show coats off the rack, and my riding pictures show a sleek (ish) physique instead of a huge bulge up top. I can’t even tell you how much better my neck and shoulders feel. I went from a DDD to a small B.

My recovery was a little rough. They had taken off quite a lot of tissue and done lipo all down my sides. I was bruised from chest to navel (when they took off the bandages it looked like I was a victim of war) and in quite a lot of pain for about a week. They kept me in the hospital overnight with a morphine drip, and then the next day they sent me home with heavy, heavy painkillers and muscle relaxers.

I was back in the saddle and at the 4-H State show exactly 5 weeks to the day from surgery. I know, I know, they say 6…but, that’s flexible!

The scars aren’t bad, and I don’t regret having the surgery done one bit. Did I sacrifice breast feeding a potential future child for my right-now riding career? Yes, I sure did, and I’m still happy with that decision.

Congrats on your surgery! I’m sorry I didn’t see your first thread; I would have happily shared my story with you before earlier!

[FourFaults]

Thanks chestnuthunter. :). I’m pretty excited to see after pics of me on my horse too. Good for you for not waiting for years to do it. Not fully healed yet, but I’m pretty sure I’m going to be in the “why did I wait so long” club!

I had the lipo done on the sides too. It is, by far, the most painful part of the whole thing. It also bruised something fierce. They are now all a green-yellow so probably will be gone within the next week. I still haven’t shown my bf; maybe soon though. After the bruising is gone and when my nipples look like nipples again lol!

I will probably wait the entire 6 weeks before I get back on b/c it took me a very, very long time to deal with a bad fall a few years ago and it’s only within the past 6 months that it’s been fun to ride again. Don’t want to mess with that by worrying about falling off onto my chest lol!

I made the mistake of not wearing my bra the whole night thinking it would help the lipo areas. Not so! Very swollen today so lesson learned.

The only real new stuff happening is that I saw my Mom and Aunt today for the first time since surgery. Their reaction made me cry in a good way. They said I looked so good. Even this soon, my shoulders aren’t as hunched and they could see me. Amazing how much of a visible difference it makes. So that was really nice to hear.

[FourFaults]

Good evening all,

I think by the # of views this thread has that some are keeping tabs on it so I shall continue to update. Considering this one is at 1 am it’s not a good one. OMFG is this ever uncomfortable!! The swelling I had from not wearing my bra all night Sat sort of went away until I sat wrong on the couch last night (in a way that would let gravity pull at the lower bottom sides) so it’s back with a lot of soreness. I just took a painkiller, but not really helping.

I also have these feelings like when your clothes rub your skin. If I took off my bra I’d see red rub marks on the tops of my girls and the sides where I had the lipo. Of course I checked and there isn’t. Add on feeling as though I’m bursting out of my bra where the underneath incisions are and it will be amazing if I sleep tonight.

This is all normal. Right? I called my surgeon and they didn’t seem to be concerned enough to have me drive down (hr away). Did say I could be scheduled in if I wanted to be, but don’t want to have bf take more time off work to get there and I’m fine.

Clearly I’m not a fast healer. I looked up some old threads and saw some posts about people going back to work in a week or two and riding by the third. Not happening here holy cow. We moved my return date to the first week of May. I’m trying to hard to not push it too, but it’s tough. Turn off my lamp - why call my hubby to do it when he’s down on the couch all comfy and it’s RIGHT there? Sigh. He made dinner and left all the dishes and gave me orders not to clean them tomorrow. It’s so hard to do that. You’d think I’d love this break lol!

Anyhow. I know it’s invasive surgery and I can’t expect it to be a walk in the park and it will be worth it. Just had to share a bad few days. Mom and bf can only hear it so often.

I broke 7 ribs a few years back and only cried once - with this I swear I can cry on command now & I’m. Not. A. Crier!

Gah. Thanks for listening. Gonna try and sleep now.

:-}

[Kyrabee]

I am so sorry you are so uncomfortable.
Do you have drains? I know some surgeons do them and some don’t. I had them and I think that helps so much with the swelling. I didn’t have any lipo…kind of wish I did but maybe not?

Rule #1 of pain control…do not let it get out of control. I would take a pain pill every 4 hours (or whatever interval the directions say) overnight and see if you can get a handle on it.

Jingles for a quick resolution to your owies.

Susan

[_Teddy]

Take the meds every 4 hrs!! I didnt have a reduction but a pelvic laproscopy in september, if it helps it took me 5months for the swelling ect to go down and wear jeans!!! But i was not the only one, it was common actually!

Dont read those heal quick stories, we heal at different rates, and the quick arent usually in line with normal.

Scars will fade but will look ugly awhile, i panicked cause mine went purple, but that was ok as they arent raised anymore, just a deep red…

Stay on top of the meds! If you cant sleep watch youtube,movies tv read onlinr