B's advice.

Here is the response from one of the girls that I talked to during this whole things. I have a few more of these, but I'll post them up one by one since it's a long read.

"I was just about 20 when I had my surgery. And I don’t have any regrets. The one thing I would suggest you to do is really think about whether you care about scaring. Because you will have some, mine now is barely noticeable. But I made the choice to go forward, knowing that depending on how your body heals the scaring could be more noticeable. But from the start you can’t see it with a bra or bathing suit on… so it didn’t really matter to me. Really you and a boyfriend will be the only people who will see it…so for myself the scaring was the least of my worries.

I was covered by OHIP, which was awesome. I was 5.7’, 130 lbs, and my size was bigger then a DD, 34’ around. My posture sucked, and I would roll my shoulders forward because I felt it made me look smaller, worst bra strap marks ever…they hurt and I would get indents. And I was very self aware of my chest’s size and how people would comment or stare…

I was bigger then a DD 34’. My doctor suggested a C, and I was perfectly ok with that. He wasn’t comfortable going smaller then that. And the other thing you should know is that they won’t know until they begin to cut what size you will truly be. When I woke up I was told that I had very tough tissue (muscle) and it was very hard to cut. So I ended up coming out as a large C. I was ok with that, he had mentioned to me that, the tissue I had no matter how much weight I had lost my chest would have stayed the same size. So I was completely happy with it. Also, know that your boob’s might be slightly different sizes or shapes… again it just has to do with how hard it is for them to cut and how everything settles. But this is something that I have just noticed; none of my boyfriends or friends have ever noticed.

My doctor was Dr. Jarmuske. I had my surgery in Ottawa. I only met with him. I researched him before, and he came highly recommend by my family doctor and other family friends who were doctors.

I was very lucky, I didn’t have any complications. But be sure to be aware of the risks involve both during surgery, and after… I think the main one, is you might not be able to breast feed, for myself that didn’t bother me to much.

My recovery was good. It’s a little werid… you’re on bed rest for one week… and Seriously I know its your boobs, but do this. Lay on the couch, watch movies, have your friends come over or family… it makes your recovery better and quicker if you do what is recommended. After that you can’t lift anything for at least 6 weeks, or till your scares are closed. Again this is important to follow too, because lifting can re-open the wound or prevent it from closing… and your scaring can be worst the longer it takes to heal. I have one stitch which my body pushed out, and that scare is a bit bigger then the rest. Honestly the recovery is fairly easier, but you just kinda feel useless because you can’t lift anything because of your chest, and that included not going to the gym for a bit. The other this is you really should not wear bras with under wire for the first 6 weeks (make sure you scares are healed) because again it can effect your scaring. For the first couple weeks I wore a sports bra to keep everything tight, and then after that I bought a couple bras with no under wire. Other then that I put vitamin E (liquid form) and Vaseline on my scares (and would put Kleenex over the scares and a sports bar on at night) for like 6-7 months. That was something I decided to do on my own, to minimize the scaring, my doctor said it might help, but it probably would not make a difference.

The only costs I endured were buying new bras, bathing suits and some new tops that fit!!! But this was more fun then anything else.

My friends and Family were very supportive threw the whole thing. All my close friends knew everything, everyone came to visit and ask questions. I was lucky in the sense, that my surgery was right after I finished my second year, so I was home for a couple days and then had my surgery. So I saw my friends at home a bit and they all knew I was going in for surgery, and then after they were awesome. I was really worried how a couple of my guy friends and how they were gonna handle it (at times they could be jack asses!). but they were really awesome with me, a couple pulled me a side and asked how I was doing, and said they didn’t think I needed it but they are glad I am happy. And for friends who I really only saw in the summer, or for my friends at school most people just commented on weight I had lost! Haha honestly it just looks like you lost weight.

I think too just after the surgery, for myself at least, I just had more confidence. I had always been an outgoing person, who was involved in tons of sports or other actives. It was just after I would walk into a room and people would talk to my face and not my chest, I felt taller; the first thing I noticed the first morning I woke up was I could see my tummy when I was laying down. Honestly I am totally for it, as you might be able to tell. The one thing I really recommend is make sure you are one hundred percent confident with your decision. Don’t have any serious questions or concerns going into this. I had thought about getting the surgery for two years before I brought it up to anyone.

Pain afterwards... you are given T3 or codine (normally enough for like 5-7 days). When it came to the actaully pain, its not a painful pain it is more of a sore pain. its kinda werid cause they just took like 2lbs out of your chest. its hard to explain it, because it wasn't really that painful for myself...but the couple times i did noticed more 'pain' within my first couple days of recovery would have been if i was standing for too long (like 3-4 hours walking around). and it was just too much pressure on the wounds, so that why i really recommend that if you do, do it. just plan for at least the first 4-5 days just stay home and stretch out.

But i think if you did it on a reading week, and made sure that you took your T3's and laid down for that week, you would be fine, for sure. I know a friend who after a that week went back to work, and everyhting was great. The important thing for a quick good recovery is that your wounds start to heal quickly, and you really dont want to aggervate or postpone that.

The other thing is... if you have had surgery before that might be an indication on your healing porcess. or just look at how your body normally heals open wounds (quickly?). For myself i dont scare that easily so going into this i was really hoping that would be the case."

The Reward :)

So, I'm going to need new clothes after this surgery. And I have just rewarded myself with a $100 gift card to Joe Fresh with my PC points. I've been collecting my points for years and I have never found anything suitable enough for me to want to spend those points. And this is PERFECT! I am a poor student and this is just amazing. I get my card in 3 - 4 weeks. This will be one of the things to motivate myself until the surgery comes along. WOOHOOO! Other motivations may or may not include buying a C cup bra and hanging it up on my wall ;) hahaha!

74 days to go! :D.

The Date

So, I called Dr. Sean Rice's office and told them that I was going away until Jan 6th and that they would probably not be able to get in touch with me when my OHIP approval comes in and asked if I could go ahead and pick a date right now. And they said yes. So, it's DONE!!!!!

My breast reduction surgery is on February 22nd.

I am SO excited :)!!!

A Video

Here's an example of someone who went through the breast reduction surgery. The process here is laser - I'm not sure if mine is laser and I'm not doing the "bra lift" (whatever that is) but it's a good video I think.

The Reviews...so far.

I found some reviews online for Dr. Sean Rice. None of them are for breast reduction but it gives a good idea of the kind of doctor he is.

http://www.canadaba.ca/php/viewforum.php?f=63&sid=8f821796e0e19c58e9aeb9ba744e5869

and

http://www.plasticsurgeryinfo.ca/php/viewforum.php?f=62&sid=c7976c9749c68e6460a22c72361f8b3d

The One!

Found him.

I had an appointment with Dr.Sean Rice today. It was amazing. I was SO comfortable with him. He was 100% professional. Here are the things I liked about this surgeon, these reasons also set him apart from other surgeons:

1. When visiting his website I noticed that he had Breast Reduction in a section separate from Cosmetic Surgery. He has it listed under Reconstructive Surgery. This was a good thing. I visited some other surgeons websites and they a) didn't have Breast Surgery listed on their website (but performed the surgery anyway) b) If they did have it listed they did not intentionally make a distinction between that and cosmetic surgery. So, going in I had a good feeling with him to begin with.
   
   
2. His office looked very much like a doctor's office. He was in scrubs and it felt like I was going to a doctor, not just a plastic surgeon.
   
   
3. He answered a lot of my question with patience. He even talked openly about breast-feeding possibilities for the future. He said there was a lot of literature out there talking about this but he cannot promise or make a guarantee that I will be able to breastfeed, because there are other reasons that a woman may not be able to breastfeed and you just can't be sure. But he did say "Consider the possibility that you may not be able to breastfeed" as opposed to "Go into this thinking you won't be able to" - which is what the other surgeons said. He even told me how much would be reduced without my prompting. With both other surgeons I had to ask.
   
   
4. He didn't draw on me. That meant a lot. He explained the incision process and all that on a piece of paper. I only had to take my shirt off for measurement reasons and even then he barely touched me. He left the room when I was undressing and closed the door (both of the previous surgeons didn't do this) and he gave me a gown (the other didn't do this either).
   
   
5. When I was waiting in his office they were playing a recording of a session when he appeared on TV. He was answering questions about plastic surgery and taking calls etc. Clearly, he is reputable.
   
   
6. He gave me an information package about plastic surgery in general and also material specifically on breast reduction. Neither of the other doctors sent me home with information.
   

Overall, he just made me feel completely at ease. He was totally professional, very respectful and he felt like he cared for his patients. He is available all of January and February, which is perfect. I could definitely get it done during reading week. I'm even considering coming back from Scottsdale early to get it done in January. Something I need to think about.

I am so excited that I found this surgeon! I had such a good feeling with him even before I saw him and I definitely think he is the one!

The Wait?

So, I called Dr. Assad today - the doctor I mentioned in my last post. The lady said that their surgeries are all booked up for the next year and a half. That's insane. How could a man be doing that many plastic surgeries?

Bummer.
I don't think I'll be waiting that long.

Anyway, my next appointment is in 5 days! I am pretty excited. I googled the surgeon and found his website. It looks good. The website says that Dr. Sean Rice has "special interest in breast and body contouring surgery".

The Buddy

One of the most exciting aspects of this process is the fact that I have a friend doing it WITH me! It was amazing the way it worked out. We were supposed to get together for dinner just to catch up and when I shared my intent to go through with this surgery I found out that this was something that she had been thinking about for a while too. We spent the next two hours talking about boobs. It was awesome. We're going for our next consultation together (not the one I have on the 26th, but one after) and we're pretty sure that that last doctor we see will be the one we go through this surgery with. He comes highly recommended by a good friend, who had the breast reduction a few years ago, and her doctor.

This doctor actually guarenteed our friend who has already been through this that she would be able to breastfeed. He also keeps the patients over night at his own expense so he can make sure they're totally OK (all the other doctors perform is as an "outpatient surgery" - which means I have my surgery and go home the same day). I haven't met this doctor and I already feel much more confident in him than I do with the others.

Anyway, I just wanted to share my excitement over my Bye Bye Boobies buddy. She may be a contributor to this blog so look out for some posts from here as well.

The Surgery Procedure

"Techniques for breast reduction vary, but the most common procedure involves an an anchor shaped incision that circles the areola, extends downward, and follows the natural curve of the crease beneath the breast.

The surgeon removes excess glandular tissue, fat, and skin, and moves the nipple and areola into their new position. He or she then brings the skin from both sides of the breast down and around the areola, shaping the new contour of the breast. Liposuction may be used to remove excess fat from the armpit area.

In most cases, the nipples remain attached to their blood vessels and nerves. However, if the breasts are very large or pendulous, the nipples and areolas may have to be completely removed and grafted into a higher position. (This will result in a loss of sensation in the nipple and areolar tissue.) [Thankfully, this is not the case for me - I do not need a nipple graft].

Stitches are usually located around the areola, in a vertical line extending downward, and along the lower crease of the breast. In some cases, techniques can he used that eliminate the vertical part of the scar. And occasionally, when only fat needs to be removed, liposuction alone can be used to reduce breast size, leaving minimal scars."

If you are interested in seeing that that would look like you can click here.

The Beginning

So, this blog is for my lovely friends. Something to keep you updated on this process - probably one of THE most important decisions I have made so far. I can't believe I am finally really going through the process of a breast reduction. It's been on my mind for so long. It's always sort of been at the back of my mind - but this year I found out that OHIP covers it and I couldn't think of a reason to not seriously consider it.

So here I am hours of research and 2 consultations later. It's been an interesting process so far.

It began about a month ago I think. I woke up one Tuesday morning and something came over me. I called the walk-in clinic, made and appointment and went to the doctor in the next 3o minutes. I told him what I was thinking and he gave me a referral. I came home and did hours of research on the process, the advantages, the risks, everything I could possibly find on this. Then i found some more plastic surgeons around and made appointments. Two on Nov 5th and one on Nov 26th. I continued my research after making those appointments.

It's crazy how common this surgery is. Every single person I talked to about this knew one or more person in their friends circle or family that's done it. I was able to talk to these women and get a lot of my questions answered. The consensus from all these women was that this was one of the best decisions they have ever made.That was comforting. Since I am a Christian getting this sort of information from Christian women I respect also meant a lot. It would have been difficult if it was an issue of right or wrong. But it's not. My intentions are not rooted in vanity but primarily physical issues and concerns, things that are real to me and have been for a very long time (constant back, neck and shoulder pains) and self-consciousness (sexual harassment). I feel like my shoulders are permanently hunched over from all that weight. It's frustrating. The idea of not having to deal with stuff like that is so tempting. I know that there is a deeper level of healing that needs to take place from the self-consciousness all these years but this will be a good start. I am extremely excited for it.

There are a few risks though. The ones that are most commonly mentioned are negative effects on breastfeeding and temporary or permanent loss of feeling in nipples. The breastfeeding one was the biggest concern - But not very much of a big deal. Does that make sense? It was what I looked into most because it is serious but I don't feel strongly about it. It is an important thing and I'm very much for breastfeeding but my research also shows that women are definitely able to breastfeed after, perhaps not 100% capacity but they are and there are ways to increase the milk supply. Also, there are tons of women out there who are unable to breastfeed for various other reasons. This issue is not something I feel strongly about. I'm not sure if I am being selfish but I don't find myself caring SO much about it. As for the nipple-feeling loss in all my research I haven't found anyone with that problem so I am pretty confident that it's not a big deal. But if it does happen I am willing to just deal with it.

I have had consultations so far. Jenna came to both of them with me. I couldn't have done it alone. It was an awkward process but it wasn't as bad I thought it would be. The first doctor was a big jerk, with the bedside manners of a jerk. I had a TON of questions and it seemed like he was taken aback, offended almost, that I would be so concerned as to bring a list of question. How could he expect anything different??? Definitely not doing my surgery with him. The second one was extremely nice and helpful and totally willing to answer my questions. He seemed to really care. He is the top choice so far. I want to go to a couple more before I make a decision.

I am really hoping to get this surgery done during the reading week in Feb. Take that week off and really rest it up. I want to get it done before I start working. I just don't want to deal with this stuff then. I want to be taken seriously when I get to that stage and just keep this part separate from that stage of life. I really hope the timing works out.

More to come in the upcoming months. It's going to be quite the journey.