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Talksurgery adheres to the Health On the Net Foundation's Code of Conduct
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No Sweat
Pros:
No more back, shoulder and neck aches.
My body is much more proportionate.
My breasts are now more attractive than they ever were.
I can wear clothes that I couldn't before.
I am happy happier happiest :)
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Cons:
Major discomfort: ITCHING, sleeplessness,
nausea,
dizziness,
low energy,
near fainting
Post-op depression
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Cost:
covered by insurance
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Healing time:
still healing
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Pain-o-meter: 6
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Ok, where to begin... During my senior year of high school, I could have afforded to lose 30 lbs off my statuesque frame, so I did. Sadly, in college I gained that all back plus another 60. I did the yo-yo dieting thing, which probably messed up my metabolism for life, but the weight eventually crept back on and it all had to go somewhere.
So, in my mid-twenties where I still am today, my breasts were at their largest, which ranged in size from 42-44 D. That might not seem too terribly large and they did not always present a problem, except for recently (the last 2 yrs) when I developed chronic muscle tension in my back, neck and shoulders.
Within the last year, through healthy eating and exercise, I knocked off 55 lbs. Sadly, none of the weight came from my breasts. Now I had less weight all over, but the same amount of breast. This was even more of a burden on my body structure. I frequented my family physician many times in the hopes of remedying the problem. Nothing worked.
The pain got worse and began to interfere with daily tasks of living. Last summer I was hospitalized briefly for depression, which was caused in part by this chronic physical pain with no apparent cure. So, to make this long story a bit shorter, I sought the expertise of a recommended plastic surgeon.
During the consultation, my doctor was great. I was already self-conscious about my "unflattering" breasts, but he made me feel very at ease. He took the required photos along with his letter, a note from my family physician, and a letter I wrote myself and forwarded everything to my insurer. The insurance company advised me that the turnaround was 4-6 wks. Well, I guess all of our letters paid off because it was about 2-4 weeks and the surgery was ok'd.
My surgeon was very informative about the risks, complications and the actual procedure itself. He made sure that I knew what to expect. I have never had surgery before, so I was nervous about the anesthesia thing. My surgeon required an overnight stay for observation, so that made me feel better about it all.
So, 7am on a Monday morning, I was all registered, poked, prodded and prepped for my 9 am procedure. My doctor wrote all over my chest with a permanent black marker (it really did eventually come off). The anesthesiologist hooked me to an IV and injected something that he said would make me feel calmer in about 30 seconds.
The next thing I remember, I woke up in the recovery room. I think that was probably the worse part of the whole thing. My throat was all scratchy from the O2 tube and they had an O2 mask over my face, which was making me feel claustrophobic. I was sweating so much, I kept trying to take my socks and blankets off, but could not move. I heard people all around me, but could not open my eyes because I felt sick.... anyway, I eventually got out of there and up to my room.
Shortly thereafter they began giving me morphine in my IV, which was nice of course. I was very thirsty and had an appetite, which the nurses and doctors said was very good because most people had nausea after anesthesia. By nightfall, the morphine injections ceased (they were only for breakthrough pain I was told) and I resorted to popping a couple painkillers every 4-6 hours.
I had some visitors and they enjoyed helping me walk to the bathroom (I'm sure). I still had an IV in until they were sure I was taking fluids (it came out later that night). Oh, I also had those drains in and the nurses came around to empty them (that was kind of icky and I did not like them at all, but I guess they speed up healing because they get rid of the swelling).
In the morning, 3 surgeons came in to check my incisions. They may have been interns as they looked awfully young, fortunately they seemed to know what they were doing. They advised me that they were in the OR along with my PS. They gave me some general aftercare info and I was to see my PS in two days. Much to my dismay, I had to go home with those drains in, but it was fun to gross out my roommates.
The hospital gave me a support bra to take home along with the one I was wearing which was not very nice looking at this point. My left breast was draining a lot and it was getting all over my beautiful white support bra. Anyway, I went home and stayed drugged up for those first 2 days. I still managed to be productive and get minor household tasks completed. The docs said to only take the painkillers for 3-4 days, which was fine with me because I did not like that doped up feeling-- my legs would not work right and I just sort of sat there and stared at nothing.
I only ended up taking the painkillers for 2 days because I felt like getting out of the house and had to be off those pills before I could drive. I was having these intense bouts of nausea and was somewhat constipated for at least a week--- it was probably from the anesthesia, which I was told could take up to a week to get out of my system. I drove myself to my follow-up on Thurs. and almost passed out in the waiting room from overexertion.
My PS said that my breasts were beautiful and healing nicely. He took the drains out, which did not hurt, but felt really weird because I could feel them pull under my skin like a worm burrowing thru, even though I have never had a worm under my skin. He said I could return to work in 1.5 wks, and told me to come back in two wks.
Before I forget, here are some specifics: The surgery was 4 hrs, plus 1.5-2 hrs in recovery. 1 lb from each breast (approx 700 mg), 4 surgeons in the OR, plus at least one nurse, the IV/drug doctor, and various med students (It was a big old party on me and I had to miss it. My PS reassured me that the 3 other surgeons did the "knotting" and he did all the cutting and the "design". I liked how he said that - it was funny. If you're not laughing, I guess you had to be there. Anyway, he asked me if I had any questions, I said "no" because I really didn't at that time, but I managed to come up with a whole list for him a few days later.
On Thurs. afternoon when I returned from the appointment, I definitely felt more sick. I knew I overdid it. I decided to sit around and kill time by going online. I don't know what website I was on, but it was awful. Women who had breast reductions were posting and answering questions. I read some of them and I started to have an anxiety issue. I was already somewhat "down" because I am used to being on the go and full of energy, but was now practically bedridden due to low energy, plus I felt physically ill (nausea, dizziness, all over "blah").
By the way, I hardly ever get ill, so when I am, it is depressing in itself. Some of the topics on that "awful" site were fat necrosis, nipples turning black and falling off, a woman going from a new 36 B back to her old 42 DD in less than a year, seeping incisions 6 mths after they were healed, etc. I'll stop there because I don't want to make anyone else freak out. So, I spent the whole weekend crying and being depressed about everything.
I couldn't eat for two days because I was nauseas, I did not want to move for fear of infection or necrosis. I was running a temperature and had myself convinced I was going to die. I had my PS’s office number, but being the weekend, it is only for emergencies. Of course I was rational enough to realize that I would have to wait until Monday to talk to him. I surfed the web some more and read enough other sites, such as this one, to realize that those cases were most likely the extreme and those women probably had crappy surgeons.
I also read an article on post-op depression, so I felt better that I knew this "after surgery depression thing" was not all that uncommon, especially for those with a history of depression. The pain thing has basically subsided, except for a throbbing here and a pang there. The one thing that I cannot stand right now (6 days post op) is the unbearable itching. I want to scratch and scratch, but would probably result in popping open some sutures. I have yet to ask my PS how long it takes for those buggers to dissolve. Ice packs on my suture lines does ease the itching a bit.
The one other thing is that I have not been able to sleep the last two nights. Also, I have been having surgery related nightmares because I woke up screaming and crying a couple times this week and I never do that. But, to reassure you pre-ops out there, I tend to be overly sensitive and carry a lot over into my subconscious. Lets see, I think I may actually be done with my story. Whew, it made me feel a lot better to write this. I'm sure glad I found this site. Even though I have not been having the swiftest and easiest recovery, I am very happy that I went through with the breast reduction. I am already proud of my new physique, even if they are still a bit bruised and battered.
The important thing is to make sure that you feel absolutely comfortable beforehand with your surgeon. In a couple months down the road, I'll look back at this whole experience and think "NO sweat" because it was definitely worth it. Oh, and it's ok if you want to look at your new and improved breasts 100 times a day in the mirror and even touch them, not that I do, but it is ok :)
Here are more details:
How results differed from what I expected:
I did not expect my breasts to be a work of art, but thanks to a gifted surgeon, they are.
Biggest fears pre-procedure:
Complications during surgery, such as dying.
Healing aids used:
no
Number of doctors consulted:
1
Number of years I thought about having the procedure:
7
Had an elective procedure before:
No
Complications or follow-up procedures:
Not Specified
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This information is not to substitute for professional medical advice. You
should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or
disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please
consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have
regarding your condition.
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Gender:
Female
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Age:
old
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Ethnic group:
Caucasian
Education:
Community college or university
Country:
United States
State/Province:
Michigan
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About 52 percent of American women consider themselves to be overweight and 40 percent are currently trying to lose weight.
(Source: The Role of Weight Management in the Health of Women" by Sachiko T. St. Jeor, professor and director of Nutrition Education and Research at the University of Nevada, School of Medicine)
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