Michelle’s Story: My Breast Reduction
Since probably about the age of 13 (35 years ago) I have wanted to have a breast reduction. Having lived with large breasts and hiding behind baggy clothes so that they could not be seen.
I was of course worried about a reduction, aware of the usual risks that you take when having an anaesthetic and surgery. I did in fact go down the route of having them done back in 1992, but I decided then that I could not go through with it. Of course I now think why o why did you not have that done then, but hindsight is a great thing.
So in November 2013 I made the decision that I was going to have a breast reduction. I decided that I wanted this done for my 50th birthday which is in 2016. However a friend suggested that if I had it done sooner rather than later I would actually have “new boobs” for my 50th birthday and would be used to them and over all of the “surgery/aftercare”. She was absolutely right. So I started my search for a plastic surgeon on the internet. I had previously had an operation at The Spire in Tunbridge Wells so I had it in my mind that I wanted to have the operation there. I came across the web site of Anita Hazari; I didn’t know it at the time but this woman was going to change my outlook on life and myself completely.
I phoned and booked an initial 15 minute free consultation. On arrival I was not sure what to expect and was very nervous, here I was going to speak to somebody about the most embarrassing thing in my life and I knew that I would have to let her look at them. My fears and anxieties were soon put to rest when I met Anita, her “bedside manner” was impeccable and she explained the procedure to me in laymen’s terms, from the very beginning- she did not blind me with science or long complicated words. Anita made it very clear from our first meeting that she would be totally honest with me and would not make any false promises. The dreaded moment of examination came and I was so embarrassed, I remember now that I could not even look Anita in the eye. Again, I had no reason to be embarrassed, Anita was there to help me and she was going to give me something I had longed for all my life. Following my examination, Anita explained the procedure again with a brief description of what would happen after the operation. I left that appointment, some 40 minutes later I might add, with no hesitation in my mind and heart that I was going to have this done.
I had a follow up consultation with Anita to discuss the procedure in more detail; this is where we spoke about size and shape. I said that I wanted to be a B cup, however Anita suggested at D cup. Although I was hesitant about this I trusted Anita’s judgement, after all she has been doing this a long time. I realise now she was right, if I had been any smaller I would have looked silly, my size now is just perfect form my body frame. She was absolutely right I am glad that she was honest with me and deterred me away from such a small cup size.
I booked in to have my operation on 6th February 2014. This date will now always be a special day for me. I arrived at the hospital very early that day and before I knew it Anita was with me, she had come to draw all over me. She had a chat we me and totally put me at ease before the operation. I then met with the Anaesthetist who talked me through the procedure from their point of view. The porter then arrived to take me to theatre.
It was some 4 hours later and I was being woken up by the nurses. I remember feeling very groggy from the anaesthetic but I don’t remember being in any pain. I was being given strong pain killers and I can say with my hand on my heart, I was never really in any pain, discomfort and drowsiness was my state for the rest of the day. I had visitors however I think I slept through most of them. That evening whilst having my observations the nursing staff decided that they were going to check my wounds. I had at this time been in a very large soft corset-like dressing. I still find it very emotional now, just thinking about it, but they removed the soft corset to reveal the most perfect pair of breasts. My nipples were facing upwards; this had never been the case. They were just lying there pert and perfect. I was very emotional, I don’t think, unless you are in the same situation, I could ever expect anybody to understand that emotion. I was probably the happiest person in the world at that moment.
The following day the pain was still being controlled by the drugs; however the anaesthetic had worn off. I was still overjoyed at my decision and just wanted to shout from the highest hill. Look at me. The large dressing around my breasts was removed to leave small and very inconspicuous dressings on the scars under the breast, from the base to the nipple and around the nipple. I was allowed to go home under strict instructions of taking it easy for 2 weeks.
I had two weeks off of work to recuperate following the operation. I was given pain killers to take as and when I needed them, but again I was not really in pain, just discomfort from time to time. Sleeping was probably the most awkward as I had to lie on my back for 2 weeks. I did find that the scars and the breast tissue got very itchy at times, and my skin did get very dry, but I think this was just the healing process. There were a couple of times I didn’t think I could cope with it, but looking back now, it was a process that I had to go through. My emotions also were up and down, I think this is to be expected when you have been on an emotional rollercoaster as this had been for me for so many years. Apart from that I just wanted the time to go quicker so that I could be further down the line to see more of a result.
I had to return to Anita 1 week after surgery to have the dressings changed. The dressings look like a plaster and I did wonder how these were going to be removed without pain, however they just peeled off it was totally painless. The stitches were all dissolvable, so there was no pain involved there, they just disappeared over time. The following week my husband changed my dressings at home and the third week I returned to see Anita to have the dressings removed completely. Slowly but surely I was getting there.
When I left the hospital my breasts were very hard and pert, and the sensations would sometimes be very very high and other times no sensation at all, especially around the nipples. Now some 4 months down the line this has all settled down and the sensation is creeping back in slowly. My breasts have dropped slightly to give a more natural appearance and I am now wearing an E cup bra, which I am over the moon about. The scars have faded remarkably. I have two slight “dog ear” scars either side of my breasts, this is because of the size of my breasts originally, however I am happy to live with these.
I can truly say that having a breast reduction has been one of the best decisions I have ever made and has made me feel like a real woman who is proud of her breasts and not a freak who was always so ashamed of them.
Since probably about the age of 13 (35 years ago) I have wanted to have a breast reduction. Having lived with large breasts and hiding behind baggy clothes so that they could not be seen.
I was of course worried about a reduction, aware of the usual risks that you take when having an anaesthetic and surgery. I did in fact go down the route of having them done back in 1992, but I decided then that I could not go through with it. Of course I now think why o why did you not have that done then, but hindsight is a great thing.
So in November 2013 I made the decision that I was going to have a breast reduction. I decided that I wanted this done for my 50th birthday which is in 2016. However a friend suggested that if I had it done sooner rather than later I would actually have “new boobs” for my 50th birthday and would be used to them and over all of the “surgery/aftercare”. She was absolutely right. So I started my search for a plastic surgeon on the internet. I had previously had an operation at The Spire in Tunbridge Wells so I had it in my mind that I wanted to have the operation there. I came across the web site of Anita Hazari; I didn’t know it at the time but this woman was going to change my outlook on life and myself completely.
I phoned and booked an initial 15 minute free consultation. On arrival I was not sure what to expect and was very nervous, here I was going to speak to somebody about the most embarrassing thing in my life and I knew that I would have to let her look at them. My fears and anxieties were soon put to rest when I met Anita, her “bedside manner” was impeccable and she explained the procedure to me in laymen’s terms, from the very beginning- she did not blind me with science or long complicated words. Anita made it very clear from our first meeting that she would be totally honest with me and would not make any false promises. The dreaded moment of examination came and I was so embarrassed, I remember now that I could not even look Anita in the eye. Again, I had no reason to be embarrassed, Anita was there to help me and she was going to give me something I had longed for all my life. Following my examination, Anita explained the procedure again with a brief description of what would happen after the operation. I left that appointment, some 40 minutes later I might add, with no hesitation in my mind and heart that I was going to have this done.
I had a follow up consultation with Anita to discuss the procedure in more detail; this is where we spoke about size and shape. I said that I wanted to be a B cup, however Anita suggested at D cup. Although I was hesitant about this I trusted Anita’s judgement, after all she has been doing this a long time. I realise now she was right, if I had been any smaller I would have looked silly, my size now is just perfect form my body frame. She was absolutely right I am glad that she was honest with me and deterred me away from such a small cup size.
I booked in to have my operation on 6th February 2014. This date will now always be a special day for me. I arrived at the hospital very early that day and before I knew it Anita was with me, she had come to draw all over me. She had a chat we me and totally put me at ease before the operation. I then met with the Anaesthetist who talked me through the procedure from their point of view. The porter then arrived to take me to theatre.
It was some 4 hours later and I was being woken up by the nurses. I remember feeling very groggy from the anaesthetic but I don’t remember being in any pain. I was being given strong pain killers and I can say with my hand on my heart, I was never really in any pain, discomfort and drowsiness was my state for the rest of the day. I had visitors however I think I slept through most of them. That evening whilst having my observations the nursing staff decided that they were going to check my wounds. I had at this time been in a very large soft corset-like dressing. I still find it very emotional now, just thinking about it, but they removed the soft corset to reveal the most perfect pair of breasts. My nipples were facing upwards; this had never been the case. They were just lying there pert and perfect. I was very emotional, I don’t think, unless you are in the same situation, I could ever expect anybody to understand that emotion. I was probably the happiest person in the world at that moment.
The following day the pain was still being controlled by the drugs; however the anaesthetic had worn off. I was still overjoyed at my decision and just wanted to shout from the highest hill. Look at me. The large dressing around my breasts was removed to leave small and very inconspicuous dressings on the scars under the breast, from the base to the nipple and around the nipple. I was allowed to go home under strict instructions of taking it easy for 2 weeks.
I had two weeks off of work to recuperate following the operation. I was given pain killers to take as and when I needed them, but again I was not really in pain, just discomfort from time to time. Sleeping was probably the most awkward as I had to lie on my back for 2 weeks. I did find that the scars and the breast tissue got very itchy at times, and my skin did get very dry, but I think this was just the healing process. There were a couple of times I didn’t think I could cope with it, but looking back now, it was a process that I had to go through. My emotions also were up and down, I think this is to be expected when you have been on an emotional rollercoaster as this had been for me for so many years. Apart from that I just wanted the time to go quicker so that I could be further down the line to see more of a result.
I had to return to Anita 1 week after surgery to have the dressings changed. The dressings look like a plaster and I did wonder how these were going to be removed without pain, however they just peeled off it was totally painless. The stitches were all dissolvable, so there was no pain involved there, they just disappeared over time. The following week my husband changed my dressings at home and the third week I returned to see Anita to have the dressings removed completely. Slowly but surely I was getting there.
When I left the hospital my breasts were very hard and pert, and the sensations would sometimes be very very high and other times no sensation at all, especially around the nipples. Now some 4 months down the line this has all settled down and the sensation is creeping back in slowly. My breasts have dropped slightly to give a more natural appearance and I am now wearing an E cup bra, which I am over the moon about. The scars have faded remarkably. I have two slight “dog ear” scars either side of my breasts, this is because of the size of my breasts originally, however I am happy to live with these.
I can truly say that having a breast reduction has been one of the best decisions I have ever made and has made me feel like a real woman who is proud of her breasts and not a freak who was always so ashamed of them.
