0 [ Permalink ]

[  Mood: Cool ]

[  Currently: Surfing the net  ]

It has been 2 1/2 years since my BR surgery, so I thought I’d update this ancient blog.

I had my surgery in July 2006 and went from an H to a C with 5 lbs of tissue removed.

Over two years out, here is my advice:
For those considering a BR, it is no minor thing. Do your research, read the message boards on this site and ask questions. Understand that there is a risk, whether a bad BR or problems healing. Even with the best surgeon, there can still be complications. You may not get exactly what you wanted and be prepared to accept it.

For those heading into a BR, set aside the time to heal. Stop smoking, drink lots of water, before and after. Don’t do too much too soon. You only get one shot at this and you have to live with the results the rest of your life.

For those of you impatient to heal, it can take a year to truly heal, so be patient.

Here are some things I noted about my BR:

Scarring: I am surprised at how much my scars have faded. I hardly notice them anymore. I didn't use anything on them, but they have faded nicely.

Shape: Let's face it, not all breasts are (re)created equal, especially my left and right. The left breast has no issues, but my right had problems healing. I had some fat necrosis that changed the shape of my right breast. It is now more flat on the interior side. The right breast also turned out a bit smaller. You cannot tell if I'm wearing a bra though. The outer sides of the breasts turned out great on both sides.

Under arms: I had the lipo under the arms, but I still have quite a bit of fat on my back and sides, so I have fat hanging over the sides of my bra pretty bad. I need to loose weight.

Tenderness: My right breast is still tender at times. Especially, when my hormones change, like around my period. It's not horrible, but it's there. It is also making me leery about getting my mammogram. I am going to talk with my gynecologist about it.

Sensitivity: I was very happy when I retained sensitivity in my nipples. They are more sensitive than before the surgery because they are not all stretched out. At first they were oversensitive, but after a few months, they calmed down. To this day my nipples itch intermittently. Both sides. I should put lotion on them, but I always forget.

Emotional: I had the surgery primarily for health reasons. For me, my H size breasts were like a deformity that caused health problems as well as making me feel less confident. The surgery and healing is no easy thing. It was long and drawn out. I had ups and downs. I was not real happy that my breasts did not turn out even, but I was still glad I had the surgery.

Would I do it again? I may complain a bit about the symmetry of my breasts or the tenderness, but YES, I WOULD DO IT AGAIN WITHOUT HESITATION.

It has changed my life! My upper back paid is gone. My trips to the chiropractor are down from 3 times a week to every other month. I've taken up hand drumming and kayaking, two hobbies I would have been too self conscious about before because my breasts would keep getting in the way. I’m more confident in work situations too.

I was just reading my last entry from Sept of 2006 and in one of the last sentences I said that I hoped that I would never take my BR for granted. While I have become used to it now, I still remember the way it was. Some days I think about how awful it would be to have not had the surgery.

I hope this helps those of you who are on your own BR journey. I’ll try to update my pictures page with the latest. I’ll post here when I do.

2730 [ Permalink ]

[  Mood: Cool ]

[  Currently: Surfing the net  ]

Two and a half months post-op. On one hand, it sounds like a long time, on the other hand it doesn't seem long at all. About 3 - 4 weeks after surgery, I started to feel pretty good and begain doing a lot more.

At 8 weeks I was pretty much doing everything again. My incisions were completely closed and there was no sign of spitting stitches (yeah ).

At 10 weeks, I am amazed at how much I have healed and I am also amazed at how much healing remains. Even now my shape is still changing, though slowly. I still have some hard spots on the outsides and the girls are still a bit tender when pressure is applied.

I met an old friend the other day and she gave be a big, hard hug. If it had lasted any longer, I would have had to stop her (ouch!). When I roll over in bed at night I get a bit of an ache when the girls change position. I'm still amazed at how long it takes to COMPLETELY heal.

I don't want to discourage anyone who might be reading this and considering BR surgery. It has changed my life in more ways that I can express. I don't even think about what my life would be like if I had NOT had the surgery, it's too scary. I would have suffered so much and so needlessly.

I had one of those no-words-can-express-my-joy-at-having-my-breast-reduction moment. I had to go to a tradeshow/conference and my company was vendoring. I wore a new blouse I bought for business things like this. I was chatting with someone and caught a glimpse of myself in a wall mirror.

I was startled at how professional I looked. Before, I had to wear tents for tops and everything looked frumpy on me. It was impossible to look professional and it affected my confidence. Now when I talk to new clients, I don't feel like some kind of freak.

I will try my hardest to never take my BR for granted. I feel so lucky to have had it and to have recovered so well.

582 [ Permalink ]

[  Mood: Cool ]

[  Currently: Surfing the net  ]

My PS appt on Tuesday went really well. She took pictures and we looked at them along side the ones she took pre-op. We talked about bras and she cleared me to do most anything. (I'm still tender in some areas, so I won't get too out of hand ).

I have some puppy dog ears (excess skin on my sides). It's not too bad and has been shrinking. She said that if they didn't go away in 6 months, I should come back for a revision.

I got a copy of my surgery report (didn't understand most of it, but I wanted it for my records. )

I'm putting lotion on my scars and I may start looking for some scar reduction stuff. The scars really aren't that bad. The scars running underneath will be hidden when I'm done with the drop and fluff.

598 [ Permalink ]

[  Mood: Happy ]

[  Currently: Working well sort of... ]

Yes, I finally got my two month pics up. Wow what a change. You can see the fluff and drop difference 60 days can make.

http://www.makemeheal.com/pictures/viewAlbum.php?albumid=1453&password=silencebr

I see my PS on Tuesday and she is going to take pics for the file.

My IC said my PS dropped off my plan before the surgery, but it was a mistake so they are reprocessing the claim. They still say they don't have the pathology report from the hospital (which was sent July 31st). I see an insurance nightmare in my future. My company has been great at getting the mix up resolved.

I'm thinking of stopping in to talk to my regular doc about getting some physical therapy. My back doesn't hurt anymore, but I does not feel aligned properly, so I want to see if there are some exercises that will help along with some adjustments by my chiropractor.

1995 [ Permalink ]

[  Mood: Cool ]

[  Currently: Surfing the net  ]

This is the two month mark - Yeah!

I'm searching for my camera so I can take some snap shots and post them on my picture page.

Things are still healing really well. I haven't had time to look into scar reduction products. The scars don't really look that bad. I'm pretty happy with everything, though I feel like the right nipple is a bit lower than the left, but I think I can live with it.

I see my PS on Tuesday for pictures and final exam. I still have a hard lump in my upper right breast. I know it will probably go away with time, but it's a bit annoying.

I also haven't been hitting the gym as regularly as I would like. I need to set up a regiment and stick to it. I really want to loose weight now, but I seem less motivated to get to the gym. Part of it is how busy I am at work. I could work to midnight each night and still not make headway. No matter how busy I am, there is always time for the gym, I just need to make it.

I did clean out my closet and bagged up the clothes that I never where or that were too big. I then did some shopping. I am trying to buy clothes that are dressier for work. My tummy is still protruding, but I can now dress a bit less frumpy. Once I lose some more weight, my close are going to look so good.

Now just need to get motivated to get to the gym. I think I just need a routine.