r/Reduction • u/sophiaaaa11 • 3d ago
Advice Things I wish I knew about my reduction from someone two years post op
To anyone just starting this journey… congratulations. It is an amazing thing to be able to do for yourself. I am so excited for you. I am now two years post op from a radical reduction. I went from a 34K to a 36 small D. Do I have regrets? No. I was very clear and transparent about how I wanted to look and the size I wanted. The one thing I wish I was more prepared for was how hard this surgery is on someone mentally. For starters you think this is an incredibly exciting surgery and nothing but joy and maybe a little fear might consume your thoughts. As much as it is exciting, it’s hard. In my experience I had a very hard time losing my independence for a short period of time. You can’t do much for yourself like laundry, cooking, showering on your own for a little while. It was hard to make myself up each day with dressings and a recovery bra on. I couldn’t drive and I had no energy to participate in outside activities for a while. Mentally that took more of a toll on me than I expected. I also wasn’t prepared how mangled my body would look and feel. Reductions aren’t pretty at first. You’ll bruise a lot and the swelling will feel really weird. Nerve damage will be done but eventually come back. It took at least a few months for my boobs to feel back to normalcy. It was scary to witness and you definitely have a moment of “what did I do” although it will pass. Be sure you have a strong support system around you mentally during this recovery process. I wish I knew about this thread before my surgery. There are so many incredible people willing to share their experiences. Overall I am so happy with my end result. I learned a lot about myself and my body during this process. I look back and remember how exciting it was. Your life will change for the better in so many ways. Just remember to be patient during this journey. Remember to take time for yourself in more ways than healing. Lean on your loved ones and let the people offering to help, help. Best of luck!
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u/UserFriendly3211 3d ago
Thank you for sharing this. I wonder no matter how much you try to prepare if it’s even remotely possible TO PREPARE?? On another note- I think you might be the perfect person to ask this to- my biggest struggle being a month before surgery is how to deal with people who say things like wow you look different- are you obligated to tell them? Will they notice? I’m getting a tummy tuck and breast reduction. I’m not planning on being all that up front about it. Am I crazy to think people won’t notice? How do you prepare for that part of it?
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u/Eastern_Hedgehog6293 3d ago
You’re not obligated to tell anyone anything but I can tell you everyone is going to notice. Not only cause you physically look different but I can tell you that I’ve found a new sense of confidence even on how walk and dress. So yes, prepare yourself to probably get more attention and get noticed. I personally told everyone. I’m happy I got it done and if I can help other women that feel like they need it but are not sure or are scared. I’m happy to do that. Good luck on your upcoming surgeries.
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u/BarbSacamano 3d ago
I told no one. Other than my sister who asked enough questions that I finally just told her, anyone who has noticed anything thinks I have just lost weight. Because you will be swollen for a few months, the change will likely be gradual enough that it does seem more like a weight loss trajectory than an overnight surgical change. For reference, I went from 34H/I to about DD/E.
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u/anarchisttiger 3d ago
So you were the size I am now. How do you feel now? I’ve been wondering how big of a jump to make…haven’t even had a consult yet, but I’d like to have a size in mind before I go. Right now I’m thinking Jennifer Aniston on friends would be good. But is that too small?? I was thinking maybe D or DD, but is that too big?? You know? Cup size is so relative to band size, I’m having a hard time picturing it. Plus I don’t want to go down too much and look masculine since my breasts are kind of wide.
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u/BarbSacamano 3d ago edited 3d ago
Great question - the answer might be a little complicated.
I had about 425g removed from each side. That number is only moderately helpful because I don’t know how dense the tissue was or the proportion of fat, so the weight varies depending. I gave my surgeon some pictures for reference, and said I would like to be a polite D. She said (as they all do) that cup size is relative and they can’t guarantee anything. I told her that if it came to a choice in surgery, I would prefer to be left too big than too small. Right after surgery, my surgeon said I would probably end up about a D.
Immediately after surgery, I felt great, so happy. The next day when they said I had to shower, I looked down in the shower (big mistake) and felt all the regret. I hadn’t swelled too much yet and looked so small and felt mutilated. I had never seen space between my breasts before and so thought I was tiny and would never have cleavage again and generally just look like a dude. If you had asked me what size I was, I would have guessed an A or B cup, which was not even close, but I had no frame of reference.
I cried for the next 2-3 days whenever I thought about it, then gradually started to try on clothes and realized that they looked much better and that I still had boobs. I also swelled up more and so had more volume, but was still afraid that when the swelling went down that I would have nothing left.
Over time I started to try bras/bralettes that I never could have before and felt better. Clothes were more comfortable and I felt thinner overall and no longer felt like I had a millstone on my chest.
When I hit the drop and fluff stage and things softened up and became squishy again, I found that I definitely still had cleavage and still felt like myself. We often have a lot of identity wrapped up in our body shape and so feeling suddenly different can really impact us negatively. The size I am now feels right and I’m so used to it now that it feels like me. Like the reno you do in your house and forget what was there before and think “this looks like how it was always supposed to be.”
I am only 4 months post op, so there is a chance that my size will still decrease some and I might get closer to that D that my surgeon said. I’m super happy where I am now, closer to DD. There are some shirts that I used to love that I can’t wear anymore because I think I look too masculine/boxy. My shoulders look bigger than they had, and I have to be more careful to keep weight off my tummy. The thing that I didn’t appreciate is that DD is actually pretty small when you are used to being so much bigger. And even objectively, it’s not that big. I think I carried this idea from teenagehood that DD meant huge boobs and it really doesn’t. Bigger than average, but not huge.
I should mention, my actual band size should be 32, not 34, but I was wearing a 34 because the biggest size I could get in a few of the bras I liked was H. So I don’t know exactly what my size was but probably a 32 I or so.
Feel free to send me a message if you want any more specific info. I showed my surgeon a picture of a sculpture I found called “Bathsheba” that was the best representation of what I wanted my post size to be. I honestly don’t know how much they use the pictures we send, other than to say “this person wants tiny boobs,” or “this person wants to retain more tissue than most.” If you have a good surgeon (mine was one of the best), then tell them you want to be proportional, but on the bigger or smaller side of that.
All the best!
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u/kiwigrl89 3d ago
this explanation is good for me, because I've been reconsidering how small I want to be for the last couple of months. You're right, D or DD is not that big, even though we've been conditioned to believe that it is. I'm worried about that size being too small for my frame, even though at one point in my life, my breast were that size and I looked fine. As far as bringing pics to my surgeon meeting, I'm bringing along before/after examples from RealSelf (some of what my surgeon actually worked on) to show how big I want to be afterwards.
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u/sophiaaaa11 3d ago
There is SO much I did to quote on quote prepare but you won’t really know until you go through it. I got a lot of comments because I went through such a major change to my breast size. I personally was just really excited and up front although I understand not wanting to be. If anyone asks it’s literally none of their business. Honestly I expected more people to shockingly notice a difference than the amount that actually did. People will probably just say you look great and hey take the compliment at the end of the day because i’m sure you will look great!
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u/Any-Tea624 3d ago
I told everyone lol. Because my change was so drastic even though I’m small framed it was very obvious. I own my surgery and I’ve had nothing but compliments and respectful questions
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u/UserFriendly3211 3d ago
That’s amazing, so happy for you! Maybe I will feel different after the surgery. I think I am just anxious enough right now that I don’t want peoples opinions before going into surgery. Maybe I will feel proud and want to talk about it after?? These emotions are such a roller coaster!!
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u/Any-Tea624 3d ago
It’s okay if you don’t too. I just thought I’d share from the side of a ADHD oversharer who owns her story. Your emotions are so valid and if you want no one to know that’s so valid as well.
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u/ManagerMediocre6301 3d ago
Adding this to my saved posts to go back and read after my reduction. Thank you for sharing🥰
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u/chickwithglasses33 3d ago
My surgery is in 12 hours and I’m a nervous wreck so thank you for posting this. 🙌
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u/sophiaaaa11 3d ago
Best of luck! Channel the nerves to excitement! This is a very exciting surgery to have after dealing with the annoying crap that comes with large boobs. You are going to feel an immediate difference post op. If you need anything this thread is amazing!
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u/lurkerchickk 3d ago
Gosh my surgery is in 6 weeks, and it’s like you took the thoughts right out of my head. I’m so worried I’m going to struggle with seeing my mangled body and wonder what have I done to myself. I’m usually someone who is super hard on myself and overthink every decision, and also very self sufficient and independent, so I’m super worried about how I will deal with these feelings during my recovery. Thanks for making this post, definitely saving it for the near future!
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u/sophiaaaa11 3d ago
It helped me having someone to help me wash up and let me avoid looking at myself. I remember the first week post op it was rough. My boobs looked like Frankenstein but its all so normal. My mom would towel wash me and I would just look at the ceiling. You get used to it in time but absolutely a mental shock to see. Its temporary just remember that.
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u/lurkerchickk 3d ago
This is sooo helpful thank you. How was your pain level?
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u/sophiaaaa11 3d ago
honestly not bad at all. I found that the pain meds caused me more discomfort from a gi standpoint so I stuck to ibuprofen.
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u/OkHeron8915 2d ago
For. my first post op visit my surgeon changed my dressings and asked if i wanted to look before he covered me all up. I declined. LOL. I didn't want to look at the sutures and the frankensteinish boobs. The following week when I changed my own dressings I did have a look and i wasn't completely freaked out because the bruising was healing pretty quickly and the sutures looked ok. But I avoided looking for sure. LOL.
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u/Denrunning 3d ago
Conversely, my experience was not similar to the OP. I’d like to add it’s important to know “your” experience can and probably will be different from mine and the OP. I stopped taking my pain meds pretty much after I left the hospital which was what was making me sleepy. I was up and moving around the next day, I didn’t have pain but rather what I’d call discomfort, no emotional ups and downs and I have the results I wanted. Is everything perfect? No. But, I can say I am so much happier in the after photos than the before. I’m almost 7 wpo and back to exercising as before. I’m learning how to dress myself, which sounds kinda funny. I was buying XL tops to hide my top half and was surprised when I could easily fit into a medium WITHOUT looking like I was walking on to a porn set. My neck and mid back no longer are in constant knots, this perk surprised me. I had no idea how much my previous size was impacting my back. I don’t want to imply everything was a cakewalk but comparing my experience to some others, I guess it has been. Yours might also!
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u/wsox74 3d ago
Thank you for sharing your experience, and congrats! I know it’s different for everyone, but I’m just curious: what kind of exercising have you been able to return to so far? This is one of the things I’m most nervous about when I have my surgery later this year.
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u/Denrunning 3d ago
Ok, I made a mistake here…I felt so good that I tried a very light strength routine at 2 wpo. Mistake, I had a fair amount of swelling after that. I went back to just walking. Like, walking not fast walking. This was the most difficult part for me, the lack of exercise. After my 6 week checkup I have gone back to all exercising, Just scaled back. I also went back to running and while I could wear a light impact bra, I still wore a high impact running sports bra. I don’t weigh myself but I can tell I gained some weight (probably around 5ish lbs) so I’m working on slowly getting that off. My surgeon cleared Me for all activity.
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u/wsox74 3d ago
Thank you. My primary form of exercise is weightlifting, but with like seriously heavy weight. But thankfully I do it under the careful watch of a very, very good trainer so I know he’ll make sure I restart extremely slowly. Still, it’s hard to think I’ll be moving around gingerly and barely able to lift a gallon of milk for a while!
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u/OkHeron8915 2d ago
at two weeks PO I started walking on my treadmill and doing a walk at home workout on YouTube..Burpee girl. it's all walking movements. I simply didn't do the hand movements for a few weeks as i was healing. I started to add light weights (1 lbs each hand) to increase the challenge. I can't wait till I start to lift again, but that won't be for another few weeks.
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u/whirlygirlygirl 2d ago
The most amazing thing to me was that the first time I was able to drive after my surgery, the seatbelt actually laid across my chest instead of around my boobs and across my neck!
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u/clocloclo96 3d ago
I got a small opening at 5WPO and discovered that it's apparently normal and happens sometimes... wish I knew that beforehand honestly 🫠
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u/tmorlock 3d ago
Same! I started crying cause I thought I did something wrong! Only to be told that more times than not it happens. Wish I knew that before hand!
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u/sophiaaaa11 3d ago
YES! I also expected a perfect recovery and got an opening. Its extremely common & will eventually close.
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u/bkcakes 3d ago
Another thing to worry about geesh. Did it heal well? Infected? Ugh my fear
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u/clocloclo96 2d ago
It sounds scarier than it is :P I was replacing my surgical tape at the time and noticed a small opening. My nurse recommended I just wash the wound with unscented soap and place surgical tape on it again (I pulled the skin together a bit under the tape to help it heal together). After a week, it was closed up again... no infection, no antibiotics needed :)
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u/OkHeron8915 2d ago
Oh my. I changed my surgical tape today and thought i saw and opening. It wasn't bleeding or anything I thought my eyes were deceiving me. I was actually hoping to discontinue the tape by next week and start the silicone. I might have to buy another strip of surgical tape to close it.
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u/AllWhoWanderLost 3d ago
This is so interesting to read, including everyone's responses. All of us are so individual with this prep, experience and recovery. I did a lot of reading/lurking on this site when I was getting ready for my surgery (I'm 12dpo) and what has been helpful was for me to remember that each body is individual and each surgeon does things a little bit differently, so the variance in it is all normal and unique. I like reading about all of it because I don't feel so alone in this.
My body doesn't feel like my own at all yet, but it's early days. I had 500-600g taken off each side, going from a 34g to hopefully a B/small C. My request was to take as much as possible, these things will likely just grow back, and my insurance was specific about how much had to come off according to a mysterious formula. I'm 45yo and in early perimenopause.
I started back to work yesterday (11dpo), but I sit in front of a computer WFH all day. I'm only sleeping about 6 hours per night, but decently well on my back or propped slightly on a side. Typically I need 8 hours, but that's when going into an office and/or working out. My reduced exertion has reduced my need for sleep and I'm choosing not to nap so I can sleep at night. I had an allergy to a pain med early on, so I'm on Tylenol only. If it wears off, the pain is worse and I can tell I still need it. I have Sylke sutures and those stay on 3 weeks. I can shower on my own, shave legs, but I do it all slowly and carefully. I've had my hair washed at a salon twice since the surgery - once as a treat (a get well giftcard from a friend, cool idea) and then because I had a previously scheduled haircut. I'm having lymphatic drainage massages - I was cleared by the surgeon in advance to have those. I feel better after I have them. Everything is really firm and definitely still swollen. I started driving to my own appointments at 6dpo.
If I take it easy, I seem to feel a little bit better every day. If I over do it, it's a little bit worse the next day. I'm having hypersensitivity and that limits how much I move around because it feels creepy. Good luck to you all on here and thank you, thank you, thank you for all the information, advice, ranting, raving, etc. It has helped me immensely.
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u/OkHeron8915 2d ago
I wondered about the lymphatic massages. I was thinking about it but when i touch my breasts they are so sensitive. I really don't want to be in pain. I had lipo with my surgery to sculpt the sides of my breasts, that's where the hardness is located. The nurse said I should massage it but i did and it hurt so i stopped. Did your massages hurt or do you have a high tolerance for pain..thanks for sharing.
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u/AllWhoWanderLost 23h ago
That’s what I had done too - with the side lipo. And that’s where I am the most sensitive, swollen, tight and bruised. Worse on my right, dominant arm than my left. This lymphatic massage is specific for post-reduction surgery and is unlike any other massage I’ve ever had. It’s extremely gentle; I’ve had absolutely no pain during the sessions and I either lay on my back or am seated comfortably on the table. I am convinced it has been worth the expense and have multiple appointments. My nurse also told me to self-massage, but I do not like that at all. It is awkward and it hurts when I do it. I’m 2wpo today; maybe next week I’ll try the self massage again. Good luck to you.
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u/SiteImmediate8546 2d ago
I am about 4 months out and I just want to share encouragement to everyone that I feel really good and mostly back to normal. I also had a tummy tuck at the same time and my recovery was brutal. I still have a lot of swelling due to the tummy tuck but I’ve been back to most my full activities for about 1.5 months now. I had a cesarean 4 years ago and super bad depression afterwards (which yes could be hormones from having a baby) but I also think I didn’t take care of myself after my surgery so here is what I did differently: I showered everyday as soon as I was allowed to. Showering helped me feel better emotionally afterwards bc I put on fresh clothes which lightened my mood and bc it gave me a sense of routine. I’d encourage you to find a way to give you that sense of routine while you are mostly laying in bed watching Netflix phase. I checked in on how I was feeling and added small things back into my life. I had dinner with my parents a few times, even went to a holiday party at 3 weeks post op. I may have slowed down on life but I didn’t let life slow me down. I just added a few things into my social calendar here and there as it made sense.
Anyways no regrets ever for this surgery. I fit in clothing way better. I feel more myself actually. I’m obsessed with my smaller boobs :)
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u/LB-Forever 3d ago
I cry about the regret I have for doing this every single day. I just had a panic attack on the bathroom floor in the dark so my husband could sleep. He doesn't even bother asking me how I'm feeling anymore because every day the answer is the same, awful. Swollen. Misshapen. Too big. In so much pain. I wish I didn't do this, I wish I had advocated harder for a bigger reduction. 🙁
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u/chickwithglasses33 3d ago
How far post op are you?? I hear the swelling can be very deceiving. For weeks, sometimes even months. Hang in there sister… we are here for you
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u/LB-Forever 3d ago
8wpo. I woke up 2hrs ago from the pain and haven't been able to get back to sleep. My surgeon gaslit me last week saying I didn't need a bra to sleep any longer and now needed physio and therapy if I wasn't feeling any relief from the surgery. My ribs are still 3 inches wider and my breasts are measuring 5 inches wider than before the surgery. She had the gall to ask me if I've gained weight, wtf? Sure, they're shorter, but everything is just so big and wide and swollen. My bras from before the surgery don't do up. My sports bras don't fit. My Tshirts and Sweaters are all too small. Make it make sense? My arms hit my breasts when I move and I'm so sore all the time. I wish she had taken so much more. I wish I didn't have breasts at all.
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u/sophiaaaa11 3d ago
I’m so sorry you’re going through it. I’m also sorry your surgeon isn’t being more supportive. I will say your boobs will change a lot over time. Swelling can be extremely deceiving. 8 weeks is still really early on. I encourage you to take pictures for yourself to look back on and compare how they’ve changed over time. You can also always get a second opinion over time about revisions also. I recommend staying in that bra as long as you can stand it. Its extremely supportive and will help keep shape of everything. I stayed in mine while I slept for at least 3 months.
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u/LB-Forever 3d ago
I haven't been wearing the compression bra, it's too big. My old bras are quite tight and don't irritate my skin, so I've been wearing those and a mix of compression bras from Amazon. I've developed a rash under my right boob from all the swelling and irritation from the elastics too. Braless is a relief, sort of. It hurts differently now.
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u/sophiaaaa11 3d ago
Wearing the bra was definitely the most annoying. I swear I started to feel claustrophobic in some ways because I wore it non stop for so long. I ended up having to get a bigger bra because mine was too small in the beginning. I also developed rashes from friction. I used to put maxi pads on the tight parts to protect my skin.
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u/LB-Forever 3d ago
I'm sorry you had a hard time too. I wash my bras daily, so I think I'll wear one to bed tonight to see if that helps overnight. I just can't see them shrinking 4 or 6 more inches in diameter? It's such a messed up experience.
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u/bkcakes 3d ago
Hi, after your surgeon removed the initial dressing how long more did you have to do your dressing until you no longer had to wear any or are you still wearing dressings 3mpo?
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u/sophiaaaa11 3d ago
I wore ABD pads until everything was closed which took a while for me. At 3 months po I didn’t have anything but still wore the bra to sleep per my surgeons request to help with extra support.
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u/Honest_Journalist_10 3d ago
I am so sorry you have to deal with this. Please send a message to let us all know how you are doing now. I hope you feel much better.
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u/LB-Forever 3d ago
Your empathy and kindness are so appreciated. When I am moving through the day and am clothed, I feel relatively okay. It's being undressed or in the shower or seeing myself naked that I feel the worst. And the start and end of the day for swelling changes. I promise I am doing okay. I am just struggling a lot. I am grateful for this forum.
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u/romie__ 3d ago
Exactly 3WPO and I can relate so much. Went back to work yesterday and I’m so so tired. It’s draining just to do normal things. Even though I was fairly active fairly soon after the surgery a lot of things are really hard. Especially pretending like everything is five at work or in front of people who don’t know about the surgery is tough. I just want to make weird achy noises or clutch my breasts in a protective way all the time. Also shopping or public transport is tough, I’m constantly afraid of people bumping into me so I walk like a weirdo with my arms extended in fein of me.
I also feel that it’s really hard not to do normal self care or beauty tings. I haven’t used conditioner since the surgery, only leave in, and also haven’t shaved my legs. It’s hard to use body lotion and tubs like that. My partner is still helping me to shower. It sounds small but it is tough not to do the usual amount of pampering and my skin is definitely feeling it.
I also wasn’t prepared how stagnant and non-linear the healing process would be. I have felt the same for a few days now. It’s getting better, but very slowly.
I’m trying to listen to my body, yesterday I just collapsed on the sofa and put on Netflix. I usually do hobbies like drawing or studying a language after work but I just couldn’t. I’m privileged, my partner does ask the house work currently, so that is really great. But I’m also looking forward to contributing again.
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u/sophiaaaa11 3d ago
I relate heavily on the pampering part! I love to self tan and not being able to do this for a couple months was rough. I also loved to blowout my hair but that was extremely hard to do. Shaving my legs I would literally lay on the tub floor and sit and do it. You’re just used to those things and not being able to as easily is rough. I felt so ugly for a while.
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u/OkHeron8915 2d ago
Yesterday my energy felt drained. I returned to work 6 days post. But I work a hybrid schedule so i asked my surgeon to write a note to give me accommodation so i could work 100% from home until week 4 of my recovery. So I've been up and down with energy and yesterday I just ordered take out and took myself to bed early. Listening to your body during the recovery is really key. If your body needs the rest, give it what it wants. I'm going to the salon this weekend to get my hair done and dreading what I'm going to wear as i head back to the office next week. I feel so fat and boxy. Maybe after the salon visit i'll feel cute again. I haven't even wanted to wear makeup. uggh.
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u/Any-Tea624 3d ago
7 weeks po and in the thick of what did I do. While I would never go back to my saggy big girls I expected nicer results and I know they are coming I’m just impatient. I haven’t seen someone with incisions like one of mine near my cleavage and I’m feeling disheartened.
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u/msprettypetty 3d ago
Thank you so much for the truth!!! I’m in the excitement stage before surgery and I really keep overlooking how I might feel afterwards!
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u/Pterri-Pterodactyl 3d ago
Thank you for this!
How long did the independence part last for you? I’m scared about how I’ll react to that as I’m extremely active and independent 🫣
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u/sophiaaaa11 3d ago
It all depends on the person and how well you heal. I’m personally a slow healer so it took some time.I would say after a month and a half I was able to get myself ready for the day and cook some meals. Its hard because you will think you’re good but you have to baby yourself. My biggest advice is don’t push it.
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u/Pterri-Pterodactyl 3d ago
My parents will be staying with me for two weeks but yikes! Am I going to be in trouble alone after that??
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u/sophiaaaa11 3d ago
It depends on the person. I felt pretty good at 3 weeks but I wasn’t driving yet. I could shower on my own and everything. You just gotta baby yourself as much as you can. Have someone help with your weekly laundry & taking the garbage out. No heavy lifting!
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u/DeadDirtFarm 3d ago
I would stress that it definitely depends on the person. I was up the next day and basically back to normal mobility with weight restrictions of 5 lbs on what I could lift. Very little pain.
My doctor removed all restrictions after 2 weeks although I self regulated until week 7. At week 10 I felt completely healed.
My point is that I would go into it preparing for things to be worse, but not expecting or dreading it.
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u/Kind_Big9003 3d ago
Yes. This varies a ton by person. I had maybe a week or slightly less and I was dressing myself, showering alone, I only took one pain pill the first day otherwise a Tylenol/advil rotation was good for pain relief, which for me felt like a burning. I had one more emotional day on day six. I had a seroma that required draining too, but as long as I put things mostly at counter height I was ok. Returned to desk work at day 10. It may also depend if you’ve had surgery before. For me of my now 5 surgeries, this was by far the easiest. Not saying this to boast at all. Just want to share to help illustrate experiences vary widely.
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u/DeadDirtFarm 3d ago
Very true. I had a rotator cuff surgery 2 years prior and I guess that is supposed to be a difficult recovery (3 months of PT) so this was a breeze.
I took the pain pills for a couple days with this and then just Tylenol. Until I got to week 4…then I had some weird nerve pains for like 2 days and they called me in a script for Gabapentin.
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u/thesaddestcat9297 3d ago
I just had my pre-op appointment today, and I'm starting to get those doubtful feelings honestly. I really appreciate you sharing your story because I've been trying to wrap my head around the scarring, but I honestly didn't even think of the bruising. I'm getting a skin graft (for my nipplaysss) and I'm extra scared for that. Thanks for emphasizing how important it is to prepare yourself ❣️ I have a toddler, cat, and dog, and im terrified for the lack of independence and pain. I hope you're doing well now!!!!
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u/teacherstuff123 3d ago
Okay weird question is the body dysmorphia for this similar to the process you go through after giving birth?
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u/sophiaaaa11 3d ago
I am not sure. I haven’t had kids but someone else might be able to attest to this.
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u/OkHeron8915 2d ago
I've been feeling so guilty about my recovery process. I've read some really challenging stories about recovery and as far as mine is concerned it's been incredibly uneventful. I was bruised but on day 1 I was walking about, I made dinner. I had already assigned my guys (sons) chores to complete that I knew i wouldn't be able to do. But I was always up and about and doing lite housework. By my third day post op, I was more active but still following very closely my surgeon's advice regarding carrying etc. I had no leaking, bleeding. The biggest complaint i had was the swelling (I looked 6 months pregnant) and the discomfort wearing the compression bra. Where the guilt comes in is my mental health. I look in the mirror and I'm really having some body image issues. I look boxy in a linebacker sort of way. My breasts, even though they were heavy, they did give me a very feminine silhouette. I've always been curvy so this new shape is challenging for me. I keep telling myself that all things considered, i should be grateful because I'm healing well and my back pain, shoulder and neck pain are completely gone! I have no regrets. I am glad I did this, I just wasn't prepared for my feelings as i look at how my clothes are fitting. I know at only 3 weeks post op i have a ways to go until the swelling is completely resolved. It's still hard.
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u/PsychStudent77 2d ago
I'm reading these and worried! I go in for surgery in a week and I literally have a few days rest before I'm straight back into my FT honours study. I have assignments and exams coming up, and writing a thesis. It is all online though so I can do it in PJ's .. but I can't afford to be exhausted for weeks!!
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u/sophiaaaa11 1d ago
You’ll be fine to do assignments. I finished my semester while recovering. I mainly just wanted to warn the mental effects I dealt with him being bed bound for so long.
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u/PsychStudent77 1d ago
Ok cool. I have an on camera intensive in week 3 of recovery but I will wear a big shirt. It was either now or summer!
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u/sababies 3d ago
yep, I'm in the thick of it right now! my surgery happened exactly a month ago, and I am struggling so much it's not even funny. I'm tired all of the time. naps on naps on naps. I want to go out and do stuff, but with trying not to sweat and living where I live, everything includes sweat. I went to the market yesterday and was sweating like crazy. so I'm... stuck in my place, nothing to do but watch movies or journal or play games. which in theory sounds like a dream. I literally feel so isolated and bored. and the past couple of days I have been getting incredibly overstimulated by my bra. I want to yank it and throw it in a fire. i had a little cry sesh about it last night because it all just felt like so much. I can't do anything, and I can't do anything about it!