After years of wanting to have it done, the day is finally scheduled and I'm starting to get really nervous. I've been all over the internet looking at before and after pictures, horror stories and success stories. Nothing seems to quite answer my questions. I am a 38 DDD/E. My dr says she can get me down to a small D, large C. I'm not even sure what size that is. I think I went from none at all to DDD in 6th grade so I don't know what a C or D looks like. I've looked in some Playboy magazines because they tell you what size they are but they are too polished from photoshop to look normal. I do want to go smaller, but on the other hand, not too small. I want to be able to walk into any store and buy a bathing suit without crying and cussing and weeks of searching the internet trying to find something that will cover and support at the same time, which is near impossible.
Anyway, my thoughts go like this: I don't want to look like Mrs. Frankenstein with hideous scars and stitches. I'm worried about what I'll look like afterwards in regards to my belly fat. I've never had to worry about excercise before because my breasts are so large, my shirts stick out far enough and my belly fat is hidden underneath. How soon can you start to excercise? I'm taking a week off from work, is this going to be long enough? Has anybody had problems with symmetry once they were completely healed? How do I know what size to tell my doctor? My pre-op appt is Monday and I'm not sure what I need to cover with the Dr during that consultation. Can anybody help with their own story, good or bad? Thanks!
I don't have first hand experiences with breast reduction surgery. However, you mention that you've never had to exercise because your breasts help cover up any weight. And you are also concerned about the size of your breasts afterward... Granted, I was never abundantly endowed, but I was a D-cup... And even then, I had constant back and shoulder aches from having to carry around that much breast weight on my frame. So I do sympathize and don't mean to talk you out of your surgery.
So, I thought it might be worthwhile to mention that your weight greatly influences your breast size. If you are thinking about exercising after surgery, one aspect to consider is that, if you reduce to a D/C cup and then start to exercise, tone-up and lose weight... You will lose additional breast size as you lose weight. That is definitely something you want to ask your doctor about... Because if you end up losing 10-20 pounds after your reduction, what cup size will you actually end up with? If a D/C cup is your goal and you are carrying additional weight, I would think that you need to factor that into your post surgery cup size... maybe you want to be a bit bigger than a D/C? (For me, I lost 15 pounds and went from a D cup to a C cup... and am more a B/C now factoring in motherhood body changes).
Good luck!
Well my mom had this surgery last year. We both have the same story you do, I'm a F and my mom was a DDD. Her Dr. told her she would be a large C small D. She now can wear any bra from walmart and even can go without a bra when she wants. She has the perkiest breasts I've ever seen on a 60 year old and she says it's the best thing she's ever done and she wishes she did it years ago. That said...when the boobs went down her stomach became much more noticeable, which she hates. She always thought of herself as having large breasts and a small stomach comparatively and now her belly sticks out past her breasts, so you might be right to be concerned about that. However, without the extra weight she finds it easier to exercise. The other thing is, even though she hasn't gained weight since the surgery, her breasts have started getting bigger again. I think some of us are just made to have really large breasts. As for scarring, it's really minimal and her breasts truly look fantastic. Even at a small D they are still very large but firm and perky and she pretty much looks like a porn star (if porn stars were 60!) All in all, I think you are going to be really happy. I intend to get mine done when I am sure I am done with nursing. Good luck and please let us know how it goes! Oh, and just a warning, my mom says plastic surgery is addictive. After she got her breasts reduced she got her eyes done and now she's thinking about lipo!
I went from a 30 C to 42 DDD/ F after I delivered my first child (I was on bedrest and gained a whole lot of weight, went from 10/12 to a 20/22.) I thought a C was great....an F not so much.
But I do second the concern that if you loose weight your breasts will reduce in size as well. You definitely need to talk to your dr about how much you may loose in your breast size if you loose weight.
Sarah, mom to 4 Earth angels and 5 Heavenly treasures!
I had a breast reduction in 2002. I have mixed feelings about it. I would have liked to have gone smaller. My doctor was pretty conservative about what he removed. I was MUCH perkier. My scars healed well-though they are visible, they are pretty fine and not a big deal.
I did have the surgery before I became a mom, and I was NOT able to breastfeed. I did not have my nipple removed during the surgery and my milk supply was still drastically reduced. I hear this is the norm, although I was told that I would most likely be able to breastfeed before I had it done. I don't think doctors understand that just because you have some milk it doesn't mean that you will be able to nurse successfully. I wish that I had been more properly warned of the dangers. I was very sad when my son wasn't able to breastfeed at all. If I had it to do over again, I would have waited. Check out the website for bfar.org, it's about breastfeeding after a reduction.
I wasn't really overweight so I can't speak to that aspect. But do you realistically think that you will lose the weight, and have you thought about waiting until you do?
I am a 32FF NOW, even after my surgery. But this is also years later and after a baby. One thing is that I had definitely not been fitted correctly for a bra. I would strongly suggest that you get a proper bra fitting at a nice lingerie store (not Victoria's Secret, something more upscale). Most women wear the wrong bra size and wear a bra that is too large around the band and too small in the cup. Supposedly the band provides most of the support, not the shoulder straps. The right bra has really worked wonders for my back pain and discomfort. You can wait until after you've healed from the surgery to be fitted.
Jennifer,
Relax. I have a friend who had it done by a Dr. Tit in San Antonio and she was very pleased. She had back trouble and a hard time finding clothes she could wear. She went from a EEE to a C/D. She was so firm that she didn't have to wear a bra. She loved it. No more back trouble and she could wear whatever she wanted. The scaring is minimal and under the breast where it really doesn't show. You will love it.
B
You need to talk to your doc about when you will be able to start exercising, chances are 6 wks or so. As for scarring, you know there will be scars. Even the best plastic surgeon can't do anything about that and a lot of what happens to your scars is genetic so they might be beautiful and hardly noticable or they could be yucky. As for symmetry, I'm sure your doc will try, but there are no gaurentees (read that fine print before you sign, it says that no matter what happens, short of gross negligence, the doc can't be held responsible, each person is different and will heal as such)
I know you WANT this, but is it nessicary? Are you ready for the commitment? If you have it done but don't keep up with the exercise, chances are you'll gain weight which will effect your new reduced breasts...
I'm a 36G (yeah that's right, G) and the thought of a reduction is appealing, but I'm way to affraid of the unknowns and possibilities to do it myself. I get by with a few great bras (not cheap crappy V's S crap) that fit me perfectly, which can't be said for most women who buy from a shelf in a store. A properly fitted bra makes all the difference!
I am a size D. When I am thinner ( BMI weight ) i am a size C. There are still some clothes that my boobs wont fit in. Its hard to find bras at Victoria Secret (perhaps its just our smaller town). They arent so big they look like a porn star but i wear a bra and a sports bra if I go jogging. As for how long to stay off work and waiting for exercise, that all depends on how quickly you heal and what your doctor says. Have you ever had surgery before? how did your other scars heal? You can use that for a guide line. Good luck hope you love your results. Nervous before surgery is normal its like cold feet before a wedding.
A size D or C is a good size. I think it's big without being too big or too small. As far as the scars, surgery today shouldn't leave you with too big scars. I haven't ever done this, but I have had surgery for other things. After the surgery, the scars show but over time they get smaller. I'm not sure when you could go back to work. Maybe you should ask your cosmetic surgeon, but I would say after a week or two. You probably won't be able to wear a bra for a couple of weeks. You can usually exercise about 3-4 weeks after having surgery, or that was the case in my situation. Hope this helps some.
look on facebook for groups. i have a friend who had it done with some minor complications and is so happy she had it done. iwant it too but am scared to death of it. worrking on losing weight and going through the process with my doc in order to get insurance to cover it.
hi,
Both my cousin and a friend of mine have had this surgery and they are very happy with it. i'm not sure what size they were before but they both went down to a c-cup and are very happy with that. They love their new size.
i also read an oline article a few motnhs ago about a lady who went from an I cup down to a c-cup and she was also very happy.
just thought i would send you this info hope it helps.
I have the opposite problem (barely an A after 3 kids) but have had friends who have had the surgery. They feel so much better afterwards! They all wished they had done it earlier! Their backs and hips fell better, they have more energy, they feel great about themselves!
I believe that a "c" cup is 3 inches different between the circumference of the bust at the widest part and the circumference at the rib cage right below the breasts. A "D" cup is 4" difference, I think.
I think that's what I've heard from bra fitting experts at dept. stores.
(When you have nearly nothing like me, bra shopping is an uneventful experience. LOL)
I don't want to scare you at all, that is not my intention. I had A breast reduction done in Oktober of 2005 & ended up losing my whole breast, plus some of my chest cavity. The problem was that the surgeon did not connect all the blood vessels, & necrosis set in. I was living in Germany at the time, & was with A very highly regarded doctor in Munich. They did not explain to me the complications of the surgery when you are A large cup size. PLEASE make sure you have gone over all of this with your doctor. You can NEVER be to informed when it comes to your body & all the complications that are possible. I wish you the best.
I will keep you in my prayers.
My cousin had this done and the Dr. if he is a good one will "shrink you down" to a proportionate size.
My cousins Dr. was great he Said he would get her as small as he could with out making her look "off set".
He was pleased with her new size and when my aunt asked what size she was so she can go bra shopping. He said she was size..."perky-C" ...(not in a demented sense, but humorous).
She had no complications and didn't even need Tylenol or ibuprofen afterward. Best of Luck....
I don't know anything about the surgery itself, but here is my opinion on what size to tellthe Dr. . . . I would go with the small D/Large C - especially if you are planning to lose weight. for most women, weight comes off the chest first, and as you said you don't want to go from big to nothing. .
my opinion (DD opinon) is to ask for a C bordering on a D . . .
Good luck and although it sounds weird to say in - congrats!
I had a breast reduction surgery about 5 yrs. ago and my only regret was not doing it sooner. I was a 36DD/E and my Dr. wanted to take me to a B. I was unsure but took his advice because he knows what he's doing. I am glad I listed, it is better to go smaller than larger! I am currently a large B/C and am so happy. I am a teacher and was off for the summer so I really can't tell you how long it really took me to fully recooperate as I had 2 months. Do take is easy though because muscles I had no idea were attached are and lifting anything (even your arms) took a lot of effort and was quite painful. As for your tummy, yup I discovered mine was bigger than I had though, but with all that new found confidence and zest I fixed that with a gym membership and watching what I ate. I was totally happy with my body in 6 months! So Good luck and relax, you will love the results. Oh yeah, the scars heal great and do disappear. You can still see mine if you look for them, but by the time gravity fixes the initial tightness of he surgery and time goes by you can barely see the scars.
My reduction surgery November of 2007 was a pretty good success. I remember getting my (very first!) mammogram and mentioning the upcoming surgery to the technician. When she said that the doctor "did good work" because she had seen other women who already had reduction surgery done by this same doctor.
You need to re-examine what you think you heard. When your doctor said she can "get you down to a small D, large C", she's not giving you a choice. She won't know until she gets the surgery started. She is letting you know that is about the size you should end up with. But, in my opinion, a lot of women are a size D. Personally, I wouldn't recoil if you asked me, woman-to-woman, what cup size I have on. Don't hesitate to ask "Do you mind if I ask what cup size you are wearing right now?" of a stranger. You might get a huff or "no way", but I bet any one of us would be honest, though curious about why you ask. You can say that you are considering (the stranger doesn't need to know that you already have it scheduled) having breast-reduction surgery and that you're just curious what "cup size D" looks like. :)
I needed more than one week before I was ready to return to work. I think one week is the usual case. In my situation, I had an extra excess amount of drainage. Do ask your 7-yr-old twins to hold off on hugs for a couple of weeks! Wearing a shirt over your bandages won't give them a clue to remind them that you have an "ouw-ie"!
I do have scars but they are not visible even wearing a bathing suit. I don't have a string bikini, but I think that gives you the idea. Use lots of vitamin E cream! There really isn't "too much" vitamin E cream that you can apply. The vitamin E cream helps the scar(s) not remain stiff. It helps that cosmetic surgeons have come a long way to doing such small stitches that there is hardly a visible scar. My more visible scar is one on my finger where there was not a clean slice but a nasty tear (struck the faucet handle when I fell in the shower!).
I hope the best for you. Don't worry so about worrying! It keeps you on your toes about caring for yourself!
Breathe in, slowly. Let it go, SLOWLY.
I went from a 38DD/E to 38D - and I actually FIT in a D cup now!! (we were shooting for a "C" cup, but I'm glad I'm not that small.) No regrets at all!
My surgery was on Dec 12 and I "ran" (... actually, more of a "wog") in a 5K on Jan 1. I was glad that I scheduled my surgery before the holiday - that way I was only missing from work for a week, but had the additional time if needed. It was several years ago ('03), but I do remember having the surgery on a Friday and going to church on Sunday. I still had the drains in, but no one noticed anything different. God knows I felt better.
GOOD LUCK!!! Soon you'll be "over the rainbow" and glad you are!
My sister had volley balls for breasts. She had the surgery when she was 20 because of back problems (super model frame.) She was scared as well but loves what it did for her. You have been carrying around a toddler on your chest. Be free!!!! A size D or large C is awesome. It is the perfect size for Victoria's Secret bras!!!! My sister's scars are hardly noticable. They have faded nicely and hers are perfectly symmetrical (even though most of us are not.) I would definitely cover anything you have questions about with the doctor. Write them down. I will say a prayer for your safe and quick recovery. Freedom from boobs! Yeah! You can run, wear low cut or tight shirts, men may actually look at your eyes (don't count on it) and clap without hinderance. CB
I've been debating the surgery issue myself. I have had 4 friends who have had it done. Three in town one, out of town. All but one healed in a week, 3 went to a large C and one to a D cup. The symmetry is good and nothing noticable sticks out. All were pleased witht he final result.