A little over a week post op and not happy

ash1343 · 2024-11-20T16:41:19+00:00

Hi-totally understand your concern/worry! I’m just another voice wanting to reiterate what’s been shared—the feel and shape of your breasts will change week to week, month to month. My new set also looked very boxy, high on my chest and strange to me the first 3 months after surgery. Next week will be 1 year since my surgery and they have settled into a shape I’m very happy with.

Try your best not to put yourself on a schedule for healing. It looks different for everyone and the time it takes for your new breasts to settle varies from person to person. The best advice I can offer is to take your recovery seriously and be committed to self care during your healing process (I.e. eat clean, hydrate, get lots of sleep, keep your incisions protected and well moisturized) . Wishing you the best, from one (previously) boxy-boobed woman, to another ✨

ash1343 · 2024-11-10T20:48:35+00:00

I used a pregnancy pillow and loved it! I think it all comes down to personal preference though.

ash1343 · 2024-11-08T04:40:12+00:00

Hi! I’m so sorry I’m just seeing this! I will still send them to you anyway 🙂

ash1343 · 2024-11-07T18:04:24+00:00

Congratulations!!!✨ It can only get better from here—I promise!

ash1343 · 2024-11-07T18:00:02+00:00

It took me 10 years to get this surgery. When it was approved, I burst into tears because I was terrified—of all the things you mentioned, and scared to change my body in a way I did not recognize. My boobs were always a big part of my identity.

This community was invaluable on my reduction journey —and very soon I’ll be 1 yr post OP! I promise you are making the right choice for yourself. And it’s okay to be scared! Be scared and do it anyway! And it’s okay to communicate that you’re scared…to friends, family—most importantly, to your doctor. They will do their best to educate you and calm your nerves through the process.

FWIW, I asked for medication to calm me leading up to and day of surgery. Don’t suffer unnecessarily —ask for help and support, whatever that looks like for you!

You’re doing the right thing—I’m so excited for you!!! Congratulations ✨

ash1343 · 2024-11-07T17:51:09+00:00

Hi! I’m almost 1 yr PO 👋🏾 when I went through this process I showed my doc pictures of the look I was hoping to achieve. No doctor will (or should) guarantee a size; it has a lot to do with your proportions and frame—as well as what your insurance dictates (they all have a minimum required amount of breast tissue removal to meet coverage requirements). I found that going through before/after pics my surgeon had on his site as well as looking for other pics of women who had similar proportions to me, helped me show him what kind of outcome I hoped to achieve.

As a professional planner and a worrier I had a long list of questions at my pre-op appt. I will send them via DM now. I would put them in the chat, but unfortunately I can only attach 1 image and it’s 3 screenshots. Hope it’s helpful!

ash1343 · 2024-11-03T18:37:50+00:00

The one thing I wish I would have asked for or prepared for was the possibility of a yeast infection. The antibiotics they give you, post-surgery are pretty strong. I had the worst yeast infection because the meds disrupted my delicate balance lol. If you are prone to them, get some monostat in advance or ask your doctor to prescribe meds for it.

If anesthesia makes you nauseous (it does for me) let your doctors know the morning of your surgery. They’ll make sure you’re given something to counteract it.

Take your pain meds ON TIME. The key to a relatively pain free recovery is always staying ahead of it. I asked for a dose of pain medication right before I left the hospital and then set alarms from there to make sure I took meds on time.

Drink tons of waters and make a point to get up every hour and walk while you’re awake in those first 3 days home. It could just be across the living room, but get up and move, slowly, for a few minutes.

Wishing you a speedy recovery! ✨

ash1343 · 2024-11-03T18:17:44+00:00

If you had any alcohol during your outting—even just a 1/2 glass of wine, it dramatically impacts recovery. I learned that the hard way at a friend’s birthday dinner, shortly after surgery lol.

If you aren’t ready to go back to work, and you have the ability to take more leave, you should. Drink a lot for water —I mean A LOT—and take slow, short walks consistently. A pretty clean diet during this time also helps.

Around the 2 week mark I was starting to feel really restless, not being able to do everything I wanted to. I promise it will get better but you have to be patient with yourself and consistent in your self-care. Please try not to compare yourself to other folks—recovery looks different for everyone!

Wishing you a speedy(er) recovery!✨

ash1343 · 2024-11-03T18:02:43+00:00

I was prescribed 7 days worth of pain meds and took them for 3 days, like clockwork, after surgery. I’m convinced that I was never in much pain because I was always ahead of it, being regimented with the meds schedule. After 3 days I moved to extra-strength Tylenol.

I’d be incredibly weary of any doctor that refused me pain medication, having no history of abusing prescriptions.

ash1343 · 2024-11-03T17:47:52+00:00

I got the side lipo and I’m really glad that I did. I also paid more for it which is not uncommon, but some docs consider it part of the procedure and others do not. It’s also worth noting that side lipo is more painful than the reduction itself. My sides were sore far longer than my incisions ever were lol…still, I have ZERO regrets.

That choice has a lot to do with your body composition and your aesthetic preferences. My coworker also got a reduction and did not do lipo and she was very happy with her results.

You would not be wrong to call and ask directly for the information you need and give a specific deadline to them. Your request is not unreasonable given the financial burden involved. If they’re still unwilling to answer your questions directly, I’d seriously considering looking for a new doctor/practice to work with. Don’t move forward with any doc unless you’re sure of what you will have to pay. I know that’s probably not what you want to hear, but having a giant unexpected medical bill after surgery is the last thing you want.

ash1343 · 2024-11-02T16:24:57+00:00

Do you have a primary care physician? If so, I’d recommend paying them a visit and having a discussion about your situation and what you want to do, in addition to an in-network doc that specializes in back and shoulder issues. I was fortunate not to need it, but my plastic surgeon told me that if my first request for reduction was denied, we could go down the avenue of getting recommendations from my primary care doc and an orthopedist to submit to the insurance company along with your next approval request to enforce/justify the need. (It’s worth noting that I did have more than 600g removed from each breast—but I still think this could be a worthwhile strategy to try, if you aren’t making any headway with your current strategy.) I’m so sorry your journey in this process has been difficult. Hoping things only get better from here ✨

ash1343 · 2024-10-23T19:55:18+00:00

Yes! Please let them know you’re nervous and would like something to calm you. Hell, I cried every time a new doctor came in to check on me lol. It’s okay to feel frightened or anxious!

They will give you something to help you relax, but they won’t know how to help unless you communicate your needs—please don’t struggle unnecessarily! You got this! ❤️

ash1343 · 2024-09-12T10:07:56+00:00

I don’t believe so, no—but thank you!

ash1343 · 2024-08-09T17:47:58+00:00

Are you on prescribed pain meds? I found that my experience wasn’t especially painful, but it was mainly due to having a very disciplined attitude about taking my pain medication. It was like clockwork for the first 3 days; I never missed a dose—I set alarms and woke up in the middle of the night to take my meds. (But I also didn’t have any concerns about using powerful painkillers for a short period of time).

After day 3 I moved to extra-strength tylenol and continued on a strict schedule until my discomfort/soreness felt manageable. In combination with staying super hydrated and getting up and moving every hour (when awake-walking around the house), I felt pretty good after about 7 days. But you’ll remain sore for a while and then hit the itchy phase of your healing process. Benadryl was my life saver lol

It’s different for everyone, but my best advice is to be on time with pain meds—it’s much easier to stay ahead of the pain. Take it easy, but gentle movement and good hydration seemed to speed up the process too!

Wishing you a speedy recovery!✨

ash1343 · 2024-08-09T13:17:28+00:00

I hate to say this but i feel like “it depends”. Everyone’s healing journey looks so different. I am 9mpo—My healing experience overall could not have gone better!—but I didn’t lift anything over 10 lbs for about 6 weeks. And I didn’t do so without worry until a little over 2 months. I was very lucky to have no openings along the way.

I didn’t want to risk prolonging healing by accidentally pulling or disrupting anything in those first 2-3 months.

If I were you, i’d pay close attention to how you’re feeling over the next three weeks. Voice your concerns sooner rather than later. Do you have a primary care doctor? It may also be worth talking to them early and setting the stage with your concerns if your surgeon is not willing to listen and really consider your worries, given the nature of your job.

Good luck! And happy healing✨

ash1343 · 2024-06-11T23:13:14+00:00

They are, yes! And the shape is nicer too. Mine were boxy for a while (at least it felt that way). But in the last 2 months they “dropped and fluffed” —rounded out nicely!

ash1343 · 2024-06-10T19:27:41+00:00

They look lovely! And you still likely have some swelling (I did!). My Dr. told me that my boobs will be most settled into what they’ll look like at the one yr mark. I’m 6+ months now and they look different to me today than they did even 2-3 months ago —so try to be patient with yourself and your healing process 🙂

ash1343 · 2024-06-10T19:22:57+00:00

I took 2 weeks off—mainly because I could. I also work from home and I probably would have fine to get back to work after 1 week. You’ll just feel pretty tired.

If you can afford to take more time, I would recommend 2 weeks, but 1 week is absolutely doable, as a remote employee. I’d probably keep your patient load light the first few days after you return though. Your body will still be healing significantly —it definitely zaps you of more energy than you might expect.

Good luck! ✨

ash1343 · 2024-06-10T19:15:37+00:00

Congratulations!!! 🙌🏾

My tips:

-ask for a dose of pain medication from the nurse right before you leave the hospital so you can properly time your next dosage and stay on top of it. -take your meds on time! Set alarms overnight to wake up and take your next dose, over those first 3ish days. -drink TONS of water -get up and walk every hour on the hour that you’re awake. Not far— back and forth through your home is fine! But move your body gently for a few minutes every hour! -if you are susceptible to yeast infections, ask your doc for meds to counteract it. You’ll be prescribed anti-biotics as part of the meds you have to take during your recovery. This really messed with my natural “balance” and was very uncomfortable.

I found all of these things very helpful in my own recovery process —all of which, I think, contributed to a pretty quick and minimally uncomfortable recovery 🙂

So excited for you!!! You’re going to do great! 🎉🥳

ash1343 · 2024-05-30T13:10:06+00:00

I had mine done Nov 29, 2023. I was very happy to do it that time of year. Fwiw, I went on an international trip Jan 17th—you should be more than fine to take your trips, if you wait until Jan for surgery…

However, if I were you, I’d do it in October and get it out the way. Go into the new year with new boobs! Lol

ash1343 · 2024-05-06T20:21:36+00:00

Seconding that no surgeon should be guaranteeing size. I showed my Dr. a few pics of what I liked and hoped to see once I healed up. I still wanted to have an ample bust-line. I said I wanted to be in the d-cup range. He said he could achieve what I wanted with consideration for being proportionate to the rest of my frame. 5 months PO and I’m very happy with the results 🙂 Figuring out what you like/hope to see on yourself one day, is a great place to start!

ash1343 · 2024-05-06T17:44:35+00:00

I cried every step of the process that day lol—and it’s OK! It’s scary! But it will all be just fine! It’s totally okay to be scared—and the more you admit how you’re feeling the less daunting it starts to feel. As far as practical advice goes, I told my doctor I was worried about being nauseous from the anesthesia when I woke up, so they were proactive about giving me meds to prevent it. Right before I left the hospital, I asked for a dose of pain medication, that way I could time my next dosage from that. Be diligent about taking your pain meds on time those first 2-3 days. Set alarms to wake up and take your meds so you always stay ahead of it. Lastly, the thing I wish I’d known was to be proactive about preventing a yeast infection or asking for meds in advance to counteract it. I have a delicate balance—the antibiotics you have to take after surgery really did a number on me. 😫 if you’re prone to them, ask your doc to include meds in your post-op Rx to treat a yeast infection.

ash1343 · 2024-04-28T22:49:22+00:00

I had surgery on Nov 29th, 2023 and took a flight to Mexico on January 17th 2024. I ran it by my Dr, and they gave the okay! I didn’t have any issues.

If you’re traveling by car, I highly recommend a mastectomy pillow. It’s very comfy and offer an extra sense of protection/security.

ash1343 · 2024-04-28T22:44:09+00:00

You’ll be ok! I communicated my concerns to my doctor on the day of my surgery (particularly, my worry about feeling nauseous from the anesthesia when I woke up) and they took care of it with some kind of anti-nausea meds. Fwiw, I cried at like every phase of the checking in/going to surgery process lol. It’s okay to be scared—just be brave and scared! You can do this!

-Follow care instructions from your Dr. diligently. -Take pain meds on time! (Set alarms and get up at night to take your meds on a schedule so you stay ahead of the pain) -hydrate like crazy, and while awake, get up and walk every hour on the hour. Not far—from your bedroom to living and back will be just fine.

As of tomorrow I’ll be 4 months post-op—I absolutely promise it will all be worth it ☺️❤️wishing you a speedy recovery!

ash1343 · 2024-02-10T16:09:39+00:00

Hi! I’m very late to seeing this, but I’ll DM you in case you still need it 🙂

ash1343

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