Breast Reduction Update #2

Today is post-op day #12. I wish I could say that my pain was all gone and I never thought that this far after surgery I would still be having pain, but I am. Of course, it is not as extreme as it was. It is sometimes sharp pains that make me feel like I cannot breathe. It is sometimes an aching feeling that hurts and hurts. It is sometimes in one spot but sometimes all over. However, there are 2 pains that are so much better...my back and neck. My back has hurt because sleeping on my back in one position is not always comfortable but that has only happened once or twice. I cannot wait for this pain to be gone. I cannot wait to be healed better and to be able to wear something than a sports bra. I cannot wait to sleep on my stomach. I cannot wait to go shopping for new bras and shirts. I will be patient though as I still have a long time to go until I am completely healed. It will also take time for my breasts to look natural, usually 6 months. I can wait though...because I am THRILLED with my new breasts.

By the way...I don't have any after pictures with my shirt on so I will not be posting any pictures here until I do. I have a bunch of before and afters that are nude. I have shared them because I am very open about and proud of my surgery.

Post Surgery Appointment #2

I went to my second post-op appointment on Tuesday, December 23. I was glad to be going because I had some questions regarding what was going on with my breasts. The appointment went well. Dr. Monacelli (my plastic surgeon) is pleased with my healing. He checked a red area I was concerned was an infection. He said he did not think it was an infection but natural healing. However, to make sure, he prescribed cephalexin just to make sure. I have also had some serious, serious pain in my right nipple. He examined that and said I have a hypersensitive nipple. He said that time and massage (which he will teach me at a later date) will change that. After the examination I told him thank you so much. I told him that my pain is so much better. I told him that my life has changed and I am very happy. He said you're welcome with a huge smile on his face. I am truly so thankful that I have had the opportunity to have this surgery. It has changed so much for me already. I cannot even imagine what the long-term affects are going to be but I cannot wait to find out!

My Mom's surgery has been so rough on me!!!!!

Breast Reduction Update #1 - Not feeling well

It has not been the greatest day. I am in pain and I just in general feel like crap. I know that I should not expect to feel wonderful but I really did not think I would feel this way. :(

Post Surgery Appointment #1

I was so glad I was going back to the plastic surgeon's office today. First, I was anxious to see what my breasts looked like and second I was having a lot of pain that did not seem my pain killer was even touching. Mom and I went to McDonald's, my pain was so bad I did not even want to eat...I love McDonald's usually! So off to the plastic surgeon's office we go. They ask how I am, I tell them I am having a lot more pain than I anticipated. The nurse and surgeon then cut the ace bandage off from me, pulled the gauze away and there were my new breasts. I could only see them from the top but Mom got a great view...such a great view that she started crying and then told the surgeon they are beautiful. The surgeon said they looked great and he would not need to see me on Friday. Instead he will see me next Tuesday. By the way...some of my pain was relieved when the tight ace bandage was taken off. The entire ride home I was anxious to see my boobs. When we got here one of my aides from work was here to bring me somethings. I pulled my sweatshirt back and showed her. The first thing we did when we got into the house was to take my bra off, let me look at them and then take a picture, I am documenting this in pictures. I thought they look a little funky but so much better than before and they will change...after all, it is only he first day after surgery. So I cannot keep my hands of my new boobs, partially because they are great and the other reason because I feel like I m massaging or touching the pain away.

I have had a few episodes today where I did not believe that I had a breast reduction and cannot believe that my boobs are so much smaller and nicer. It is weird! However, I am so glad I had it done!

Surgery Day Story

On the morning of my surgery, I arrived at the hospital at 6:20. At around 6:30 I was taken back to my room. Things went quite quickly from there. I gave them a urine sample for a pregnancy test then immediately changed into my gown. The gowns were really cool. The hospital just started using these gowns called Bair Paws. Basically it is a gown that has portholes. A tube goes in, you get a remote control to determine the air temperature. It has a really calming effect. Throughout the next hour several nurses, an aide and the anesthesiologist came in. About 15 minutes before surgery my plastic surgeon came in to mark me up. At this point I had already been given some nausea medication and had patch behind my ear for nausea so I was feeling a little tired. It seemed like it took him forever to do the markings. One thing about the markings that shocked me was just how far up he was moving my nipples! It was 2 ½ - 3 inches! He also had to initial each breast because it is state law. About 10 minutes after he was done with the markings I was taken to the operating room. I don’t remember much just looking at the room for a minutes and then having a mask put over my face, a couple deep breathes and that was it. Waking up was horrible for me. My throat hurt really, really bad and I was also have pain on the scale of approximately a 9. I was given 3 vicodin and 2 shots of something I my IV. I was still having trouble with pain. One thing that helped was that I was laying far down in the bed and when they put the head of the bed up it made a little pain go away. They asked if I wanted to come home and I said yes so the nurse called my PS and asked what to give me. While she was waiting for him to I got up and walked to the bathroom. It was not nice to discover that I could not reach behind me. When I got back to my room she gave me a shot of something (D something) as a stronger, longer lasting pain killer. They monitored me for 30 minutes, my husband helped me get dressed and went to get the car while an orderly and my mother-in-law took me to meet the car. The ride home was ok. The bumps hurt. I sat in the front seat with a blanket across my boobs and my seatbelt on. One I was home Iaid down, got up, laid down, got up. I was so restless and I guess I still am. The hydrocodone he gave me is not working as well as I anticipated. I expected to be uncomfortable but not In pain like I am. I go back at 2 this afternoon to have my bandage taken off and a bra put on. I am really anxious to see what the girls look like. My Mom is going with me too and is equally excited. My Mom was at my house when I got home. She was telling my husband and I about how good I looked in the breast area as soon as she saw me. She asked me if the pain was what I thought it would be…my answer…nope, did not know it would hurt this bad. I don’t remember seeing the surgeon after surgery. He talked to my husband and mother-in-law. He said the surgery went well, minimal bleeding and he took off a little under 4 pounds. The surgery took 4 hours which was longer than anticipated. He had told my family 3 hours. I guess that is all I can think of for now.

OTR

Surgery is one! It has been a very long day and I am having quite a bit of pain but it is over. I will tell you all about it tomorrow or in a few days when I am more up to it. Thanks for all the prayers!

The day before

24 hours from now I should be 1 hour and 15 minutes into my surgery. I cannot believe time has gone by so fast. Yesterday I was thinking about just how fast it was gone. Just 5 months ago I was laying on the couch, taking vicodin recovering from my back surgery. Now I am preparing for a surgery that will hopefully change my life. To be honest this was not an easy decision for me to make. Of course I wanted to have it done but there are so many thoughts I have had through this journey...Many people will not understand because it truly is a "big breast thing".

I have feelings about my big breasts...
My breasts have always been something not many people had so they made me feel special in some sort of weird way. When I felt fat and ugly there were the boobs...the one thing about me that was attractive to the opposite sex. At the same time I am so sick of back aches and neck pain. Along with the neck pain comes headaches. I love to garden...do you know how hard it is to do this when you can only work in the flowers for a half an hour at a time and when you do it you can barely walk because your back hurts so bad? I am also sick of not being able to wear what I want, no button up shirts, dresses that fit right on top but not on bottom or vice versa. I am sick of my shoulders hurting from my bra cutting into them. I am sick of my breasts getting in the way all the time. I am sick of not being able to find a sports bra to work out in. I am sick of spending so much money on bras. I am sick of not being able to find a pretty bra but instead a bra that is a basic color with 4-5 hooks in the back. I am sick of not being able to wear a cute little bra and panty set because they don't make them with my size bra. I am sick of people (not just men) looking at me and seeing my breasts instead of me. I am sick of them.

Along with these thoughts come worries of what is to come...
Will I be happy with smaller breasts. Of course I am going to love the perkiness that comes with a reduction but what if I don't like my new breasts? What if Dustin hates my new breasts? What then, you just can't have them put back in. What if my back and neck pain does not get a lot better? (Although from everything I have heard and read it will get better immediately) Will I think I am too small? Will I get depressed as many women do?

Along with these thoughts come the thoughts that I am so excited about...
I will be able to buy a sports bra. Maybe I will finally be able to run...yeah, I have asthma but that can be controlled as long as I don't have to run holding my breasts. Maybe I will finally feel comfortable working out. Maybe I can finally lose this weight that I have wanted to lose so long? I will finally be able to buy bras and panty sets. I will finally be able to wear button up shirts without a cami underneath. I will not be embarassed about sagging, huge breasts. I won't put a bra on as soon as I get up and take it off right before I go to bed because I am embarassed. I will have a new big breast free life.

All in all, I am so excited about tomorrow. I wish it was over but soon enough it will be. I cannot wait to complete my recovery and be the new me.

Did you see it?

My ticker at the bottom of the page? Did you see that is says 7 days until my surgery? One week from this moment, if everything goes according to planned, I will be ending my third hour of surgery. I cannot believe it is so close! Remember when you were a child...you would get really excited about Christmas weeks before Christmas was actually here? I feel the same way...I am so excited I can barely sleep! One of the secretaries I work with asked if I was ready. Of course, I told her how excited I am. She told me I have a twinkle in my eyes. Oh I cannot wait!

The count down has now really started!

Today I had my pre-op appointment at the hospital where I am having my surgery. I have never been to this hospital so I was a little nervous. I did not even know where the hospital was so that made me a little more nervous. I made it in about 1 hour which I did not think was bad. I got to the hospital at around 12:30 which was a half an hour early. I had brought a book so I sat there and read. At 12:40 I decided to go in so I could go to the bathroom before my appointment. While I was washing my hands I looked in the mirror to see a horrible rash on my chest! It was all red and splotchy. It was also on my arms. I was so nervous that for some reason they would think it was a rash I have had and it would keep me from having surgery. I went, did paperwork and about 15 minutes later was taken in to meet with my nurses. There was a male and female nurse. The male nurse took my blood pressure and blood, the female went over all the paperwork with me and gave me directions. The first thing the male nurse asked is if I was Stephanie Roach the surgeon. There is an orthopedic surgeon in Ithaca named Stephanie Roach. She also recently started working in the area I am from. I have been asked before, more seriously if I was her. I just say I wish. Anyway...I said I wish. He said no, I knew you weren't here before I even saw you because she would not need to have the same surgery you are having. I laughed and laughed then said...well, I have never met her but now I know one thing about what she looks like. Anyway...my blood pressure was 150/100. Now I have high blood pressure but it has never been this high. When I went to my regular Dr. last week it was 126/82. I told him I was really nervous. He said the other nurse would check it at the end of my appointment. So went the rest of the appointment...history of surgeries, medication I am on, instructions, health problems, allergies, etc. It was not a bad appointment at all. We laughed and joked. I was so sure my blood pressure would be great at the end but guess what...it was 147/96! I cannot believe it was so high! I was afraid that the high blood pressure would keep me from having surgery. The nurse said there was a cutoff but not to worry because she would make sure we got it below the cut off. She checked the cutoff and PTL my blood pressure was below that. So...pending a pregnancy test (which I am 99.9999999% sure will be negative) and me getting better (which I am) and not getting sick again I am set to go. 12 days and counting!

Appointment #2 and misc. surgery stuff

I just realized that I have not posted about appointment #2. This was the appointment with my plastic surgeon (that sounds so weird, me, have a plastic surgeon). It was nothing like I anticipated. It was about an hour long. For the most part we went over a ton of paperwork. He did all the orders for the hospital including meds to give me before and after surgery. We talked about what pain killers I have taken before and got a prescription for fill prior to the surgery. We also talked about instructions prior to and after the surgery. The first week after my surgery I have a lot of appointments. Surgery is Monday the 15. My first appointment will be on Tuesday the 16. At this appointment the ace bandage will be taken off me. The plastic surgeon will put a bra on me. I will need to wear that 24/7 except for when I am showering for quite a while. I will have another appointment on Friday the 19 and yet another one on Tuesday the 23. I am glad I have so many because it will help set my mind at ease. After that I will have one a week for 2-3 weeks, a 3 month, 6 month and 1 year. The one thing that happened at my appointment was him asking me what method I wanted him to use. There is a lollipop (Le Jour) incision and an anchor incision. He gave me the pros and cons for both and left it up to me. I told him I would call and let him know. I think I have decided on the anchor method. This is traditional, more incisions but it seems he has done more of these and I am more comfortable with thsi method. It also seems to have the less "bad" effects. I will be calling Monday or Tuesday to let him know.

I have purchased my pillows for my recovery. I got a wedge and 2 firm king size pillows (I cannot believe the price of king pillowcases. Thank goodness I got them on sale). I also bought 2 body pillows for our bed upstairs and might use them in recovery. Also, Dustin's mom bought me a "husband". At least that is what we called them. I cannot believe how much money I spend on pillows but if it helps make me comfortable it will be worth it.

As my surgery comes closer and closer please pray for a few things.

1. That my anxiety will be little.
2. That I continue not to smoke...it is so hard when I am nervous or anxious
3. That I will be prepared for Christmas and with meals
4. That my stress will be controlled
5. That I feel better, both my illness and my allergies

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers.

One down, two more to go

I had the first of three appointments prior to my breast reduction. This was a pre-op to make sure I am physically able to have surgery. I guess I am getting old because I have never had to have a check-up prior to surgery. I was really worried about it for some reason. I was thinking they would find some reason I would be unable to have surgery. However, all went well and I am in prime condition to have surgery. I am really excited.

Tomorrow should prove to be the most interesting appointment. It is the appointment with my plastic surgeon. I think I will get marked up and we will talk about post-op and all that stuff. I have a list of questions I want to ask him about recovery and what I need to get.

On December 3 I will be going to the hospital for my pre-admissions. I think this is odd because I have always done pre-admission things over the phone. However, nobody I know has been to this hospital. I don't even know where it is so it is good that I have to go there. I think it will cut down on some stress three weeks from today...yep, you heard it...THREE WEEKS FROM TODAY...that is 21 days...504 hours...30, 240 minutes...1, 814, 400 seconds...not that I am really counting or anything. :)

OTR

About a month ago I joined a message board for women who are going to or have had breast reductions. I am really glad I joined because I have learned so much and have gotten so many tips. The one thing I have been wondering about is OTR. Everyone keeps talking about being OTR. From reading it is obviously after surgery but for the life of me I could not even imagine what it stood for. After a little research I finally know. You probably won't find it as interesting as I did but I am going to tell you anyway.

OTR means Over the Rainbow. Why you ask? It refers to Judy Garland's chest in the Wizard of Oz. Apparently, her chest was wrapped so she'd appear flat-chestedto make her look more like a little girl.

Thoughts on my Breast Reduction

As everyone probably knows I will be having a breast reduction. My thoughts lately seemed to be consumed a lot about my coming surgery. I will be having surgery on December 15 at 10:45. I have been told the surgery will last between 3-4 hours. I have been told I will be going home that night unless I experience problems with nausea or pain. In a way, I want to go home so I can be in the comfort of my own home. However, in another way I want to stay in the hospital. My Mom has taken Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday off after my surgery to stay at our house if we need her. Dustin will probably be laid off by then too so I am not sure what is going to happen. I have been told to plan on taking 3-4 weeks off work. If I go back the day we return from break that will be 3 weeks exactly. I did ask my plastic surgeon if I could go back at least for half days the fourth week if he won't let me go full-time.

I am nervous and anxious about my surgery. However, I am very excited too!

All I want for Christmas is...

No, not my two front teeth...I already have them! I want a gift certificate or two (or three) to Victoria's Secret because, finally, I will be able to get some pretty bras that fit! I also want money for new clothes. Why the new clothes? Well, I have 12 weeks until my surgery. If I lose 2 pounds a week that will be 24 pounds gone. That, combined with my reduction means...Stephanie needs some new clothes! I will be so easy to shop for this year! :)

Well that was fast!

I called my plastic surgeon's (how weird is it to write that!) office this morning. I told her what day I wanted to have my surgery. She said she would have to get back to me. She said it would probably be a few days. Well...she just called. I cannot believe it was that fast. Here is the run down...

November 25 - Appointment at the office
December 3 - Appointment at the hospital

and for the big day...

December 15 at 10:45 so if things go well by December 15 at 3:00 I should be in or on my way to the recovery room.

Now I feel a little sick to my stomach because of all I have to do! Here is my list...

Get everything ready for Christmas...early!
Have the house very, very clean so Dustin only has to maintain
Make some meals and freeze them so it will be easier for Dustin

I know I have a ton of time but if you know me well you also know I am a planner so I will need to start planning now!

The letter finally came!

I received the letter from my insurance company regarding my breast reduction today. IT WAS APPROVED! I guess I really should not be surprised but I am. Tomorrow I am going to call the office to see what the next step is. I really, really want to get the surgery scheduled. This might mean I need to add another ticker at the bottom, if I can find one for that sort of thing. :)

Breast Reduction

I realized today that I have not posted much about the possibility of having a breast reduction. At first I thought it might be too personal but then I thought, hey, I posted how much I weigh here so what is the big deal anyway? :)

Two weeks ago tomorrow, Mom and I met with a plastic surgeon in Ithaca to talk about me getting a breast reduction. He said I am a perfect candidate except for one thing...I smoke. Apparently you are more at risk for getting necrosis of the fat and tissue, which basically means your skin and tissue does after surgery and you are left with horrible scars. I definitely don't want that so the next day I started making plans to quit smoking. Anyway...the surgeon took pictures, measurements, and write a bunch of things down to submit to my insurance company. He said if I don't hear in 6 weeks to call them. He also said if it was denied he would fight for me to get it approved. 2 weeks ago I thought 6 weeks seemed like forever, now it is only 4 weeks away. I cannot believe 2 weeks has already passed! Incidentally, 6 weeks from my consultation would be my 32nd birthday! Maybe that is a good sign.

When I left the appointment I was so excited about the possibility I felt like I was going to cry! What a difference a reduction would make in my life. To be pain free or at least a lot less pain in my back...I cannot even imagine!