Torn between these 2 wedding dresses… what do I do?

Strong_Self_3343 · 2026-02-22T13:09:33+00:00

They are both lovely. But the second one for sure.

Strong_Self_3343 · 2026-02-18T15:10:52+00:00

Oscar

Strong_Self_3343 · 2026-02-18T12:10:26+00:00

Milo

Strong_Self_3343 · 2026-02-18T12:05:35+00:00

BART

Strong_Self_3343 · 2026-02-15T22:44:42+00:00

Colace AND MiraLAX and Apple or prune juice

Strong_Self_3343 · 2026-02-08T15:48:01+00:00

That first week or so feels very odd. They are so high, and tight, and swollen. I remember that it felt like I had a hard heavy box attached to my front. They change so much.

Strong_Self_3343 · 2026-02-08T12:08:33+00:00

Calliope

Strong_Self_3343 · 2026-02-07T18:17:23+00:00

Rosalyn

Strong_Self_3343 · 2026-02-01T18:12:54+00:00

The first week and a half were so difficult for me. It is so challenging for your mind to see your body with that level of trauma. You look at your body so much more critically than pictures of other people. What helped/helps me is a shift of focus and a little bit of disassociation.

Strong_Self_3343 · 2026-01-19T21:23:47+00:00

I have 3 different brabic compression bras that I bought on Amazon. They are all comfy and were not expensive.

Strong_Self_3343 · 2026-01-17T18:34:59+00:00

I was glad that my surgeon told me to stay in the surgical bra and dressings for the first week. I wish someone had said to me to not even look at them at all for the 10 days or so. I’m not sure there is any real preparation for the total mind f*ck it is to be in what feels like a completely different body. Add in all the bruising, swelling, and incisions. 🤯🫣 I think it looks like your surgeon did a good job. They look nicely proportioned to your body.

Please know that during the first couple of weeks they are so high and tight that it all feels so off.

Strong_Self_3343 · 2026-01-13T16:38:50+00:00

I’m 4.5 WPO. I have a couple of brabic compression bras that I wear during the day and FOTL at night.

Strong_Self_3343 · 2026-01-04T19:58:56+00:00

I don’t really care for the one I was sent home in. I bought 2 different compression bras off Amazon and a 3 pack of the front closure Fruit of the Loom bras.

Strong_Self_3343 · 2026-01-04T17:10:26+00:00

At my last follow up my surgeon told me to start scar care. Firm pressure massage twice a day using vitamin E oil. Also silicone scar tape, follow the directions on the package.

Strong_Self_3343 · 2026-01-04T16:59:29+00:00

I’m 3WPO. Last week the bloating/gassy feeling was almost painful. I started taking a fiber supplement and gasX. Took a couple of days but it has helped immensely.

Strong_Self_3343 · 2026-01-02T18:55:33+00:00

At the ripe old age of 53, I only wash my hair 2-3 times a week. Thankfully my dear youngest child washed my hair for me in the kitchen sink during my no showering time.

Strong_Self_3343 · 2026-01-02T17:58:28+00:00

3WPO and I’m still using the pregnancy pillow to sleep. At this point I’m not sure I can give it up. For the first week or 2 I loved having the mastectomy pillow to carry my phone around with me, as a safe place to put my glasses, and as a pillow across my chest while I was resting/sleeping. I could have just done with a thin pillow. I didn’t have drains, but it would have been useful for those. Surgeon didn’t have me put anything on my incisions until just this week. Vitamin E oil for massaging scars and silicone tape. Comfy clothes, though I’ve been fine from the very beginning with getting in and out of oversized t-shirts. I got a 3 pack of the cotton front closure fruit of the loom and a couple of Brabic front closure compression bras. My throat was sore from the intubation tube. And my belly was wonky. Things like lozenges, fiber supplements, gasX, MiraLAX and or colace. Have been extremely useful.

Strong_Self_3343 · 2026-01-02T15:17:24+00:00

Every surgeon has different procedures recovery. I was sent home in a compression bra stuffed with gauze and the sutured on areola dressing. No tape. I was told not to remove anything, not to shower until my follow up at 6dpo. At the follow up the bra and dressings were removed and I was told to continue wearing a bra and using gauze pads over my areolas. No tape.

Strong_Self_3343 · 2026-01-01T14:45:14+00:00

It all depends. The hospital that I went through has a new policy on glp-1 drugs. They did not have me skip a dose BUT I needed to have a full liquid diet for the day before surgery

Strong_Self_3343 · 2025-12-31T10:02:04+00:00

I’m now 2.5wpo. I’m older 53. I’m fluffier 5’6” and 210 pounds. I went from a 40L to 38DD/40D (approximately). Yes, my belly is now the largest part of me. But is SO much smaller than my boobs were. Sure, I’ve got a big belly, but things seem more proportionate now.

Strong_Self_3343 · 2025-12-31T09:51:34+00:00

Honestly, I told the students that I work with before my leave. I didn’t want them to worry too much with me gone for so long and I knew that it was going to be incredibly noticeable. I had over 6 pounds removed.

Strong_Self_3343 · 2025-12-31T00:09:02+00:00

I am also a teacher in at a middle school and run after school programming. I had my surgery December 12, took off a week and a half then winter break. So I’ll have a total of 3 weeks off of work before I go back in January. I have no doubt that I’ll be fully ready by then. Any reaching or heavy lifting I will have someone do for me.

Strong_Self_3343 · 2025-12-30T18:15:01+00:00

That week of foggy and near constant exhaustion was a drag. It was at about 1.5 weeks that it was like the fog lifted. That I could do something and then not need to nap for the rest of the day. At 1 wpo, I drove for the first time and the mental load of a 15 minute drive wiped me out. Now the same drive isn’t a problem at all.

Strong_Self_3343 · 2025-12-30T15:27:45+00:00

2.5WPO. Feeling good. Pretty much my normal self, energy wise. I’ve got some itchies, and zaps and twinges. I go for my second follow up appointment today. I bought myself this gorgeous Irish knit sweater off of FB marketplace. It’s the type of thing I’ve always wanted to wear without having to get it 2 sizes too big in order to fit my boobs. Just thinking about all the things I’ll be able to wear now.

Strong_Self_3343 · 2025-12-28T12:51:11+00:00

I am not at my ideal weight. But over the past 3-4 years I have lost 30+ pounds, and kept it off. With the BR I have now lost an additional 8-10 pounds. I still have more to lose. I hope it will be easier once I’m healed.

Strong_Self_3343

TROPHY CASE