My breast reduction surgery - from all those years ago!

So I was talking to someone about my surgery today and realised I'd never actually posted about it. I had meant to ages ago, using an email that I wrote to someone debating if they should get it done. 

And here it is: my feedback on my reduction - which is still one of the best things to have happened!

This was something my parents and I had been talking about for years. It was always difficult to find bras that fit - and you'd think in a country of large-breasted women, there would be more options... We hoped to get it through my dad's medical aid, but they had a BMI requirement that I didn't meet (mine was too low!). One of the doctors that I saw after I fell off a table even put down "back ache" as the reason for appointment, so that I could use it as motivation for the surgery.  Didn't help my actual back pain after that fall... 

Eventually, my dad had something pay out, I can't even remember what, and I was working in the same building as the plastic surgeon (who was phenomenal!), so it seemed like a good time to just make it happen. 

The surgery was just a reduction no implants - I had 1.2kg of breast tissue removed... that's insane... Immediately after the surgery my boobs were very boxy.  I had been warned about it and it took almost a year for everything to relax and settle.  At first they were quite tight and felt a bit flat, mostly because the bras were a bit tighter to let the scars heal.  Mine "loosened up" after about a month and were even better by 6 months later.  I took some before and after pics and then tried to take fairly regular photos to see the changes.  When I look back at the before pics I can't believe that it was me!

My reduction was from E to C because going smaller on my frame would have been too small - thankfully I had an ethical surgeon who was more concerned with keeping women natural. The surgery technique also makes sure that afterwards they are as natural as possible. 

It's really kind of weird to think about how it's done and I have the utmost respect for someone who will stand there for hours and try to reconnect everything. The scars are anchor-shaped, and, from the shapes that the surgeon drew on me before the surgery, basically a wedge is taken out of the breast and the sides then brought round to meet up around the nipple.  

A truly weird thing for me was that my armpit moved!! You don't really think about things like that. 

I have a little pucker on the one side at the end of the scar that does irritate me and it hurts occasionally - perhaps more because bras aggravate it... The shape of my boobs was different because they were so much smaller.  You know the mannequins that you see in shop windows?  I always thought those weren't realistic - till after the surgery. (I mean, they're still not realistic, but it just wasn't even similar for me!)

I had morning surgery that took 3 hours, I was really dopey until about 6 or 7pm.  Stayed overnight and was discharged about 11am the next day.  The worst part for me was when the drains came out - it still gives me shivers. 

I took 2 weeks off work to just sit at home and do nothing.  I stayed in bed most of the time but slowly went out because I knew I had to go back to work - going over speedbumps was horrendous.  That really hurt!  The hospital gave me paracetamol which I just laughed at.  I've always had more success with ibuprofen.

When I went back to work, I had to take it easy for about 4 or 6 weeks - no lifting anything heavy or lifting my arms above my head.  I think I was too cautious because it took a long time for the skin and flesh to stretch again and even now it pulls a little more than I think it should. 

The nerve pain also lingered for longer than I expected - four years later it still happened.  It's really only since the 8 or 10 year anniversary that it really faded. My mom and I used to compare our surgery-effects, though her mastectomy was quite a bit harder to deal with.  I think cos my boobs could form new connections, whereas my mum was missing the whole boob.  

Some of the skin along the scars is still numb and may never have feeling, but it has improved over time.  

I don't regret this at all.  I honestly do love them!  

Every person I've heard about getting a reduction does not regret it.  I might if I ever have kids because I won't be able to breastfeed, but I had the opportunity to get it done and would have regretted waiting.  The most common comment I've heard is that people say they should have done it earlier.  I haven't heard of anyone advising against it.