Hi there, Susan. I can't recommend strongly enough getting this taken care of if your breasts present any kind of hardship. For me it was a life-changing procedure.
I had a breast reduction 21 years ago when I was 19, so I'd imagine there have been some advances since then. (One can only hope!
) I was 107 pounds at the time, and I had 6 pounds of fat removed from my breasts. Insurance covered it because my mother died of breast cancer, and my breasts were so very big (and had been since I was 13.) They cut underneath the breasts (like half-rounds, or smiles) and then cut around my nipples and laid them to the side to replace in their new, higher positions. Then there were straight, vertical incisions connecting the other two cuts, and that was the result of the then-current technique of drawing the breasts together so as to create more fullness at the top. (Many large-breasted women, myself included, have less fullness above the nipple than below it, vs. smaller breasted women, who's breasts tend to be rounder.) The process at that time involved cutting the fat out, so in the process nerve endings were severed, and there was a risk of losing the ability to breast feed or have nipple sensation. I do have reduced sensation in one nipple as a result of a complication during the surgery. During the healing process, and I think for the first year after the surgery, I would get sensations that I called "knives" and "daggers," both of them sudden and painful, and one more of a dull ache and the other more sharp. I was in the hospital for I think 2 days, during which I had drainage tubes coming out of each breast; then I had 6 weeks during which I was to take it very easy and avoid at all costs lifting my arms over my head. (So shampooing, opening a cabinet, pulling something off a shelf, etc....these activities were verboten.) I had to return after a couple of weeks to have sutures removed and then later the stitches came out........and there were a lot of them, as you can imagine. A couple of months after the surgery, I developed a large cyst in the scar above one nipple as a result of a misses suture, and the scar is wider there, which used to bother me a lot. (Now I worry about world peace and equal rights for all on earth!) I went from an E cup (but I wore a DDDD -- hello denial! I just couldn't fathom an E at 107 pounds) to a C. My surgeon left me with C's despite our agreement that they would be a B. I was very upset (livid) and he offered to go back in once they'd healed and remove more (after saying that he though they were just fine as is and "lovely" -- gee thanks, YOU carry them around for the rest of your life, you sexist &*%$#@!) but I said "forget it," and just lived with the larger size. I stopped wearing a bra all the time too soon, and their shape changed as a result. They were initially crazy-looking -- perfect cones, points and all! Then they sort of settled into just perfectly gorgeous breasts (with scars, but if you've had breasts that are so large they need to be reduced, and then they ARE reduced??? Scars are the LEAST of your concerns!) They ended up getting a little more saggy as a result of my pushing it too much too soon. As for bounciness -- oh yeah! I remember just plopping onto a couch and being so HAPPY!! They were not at all hard, as it's all still your own natural breast tissue in there! From having so much removed, my balance was off initially, which surprised me and made me laugh, but that passed pretty quickly. And then one of the BIGGEST bonuses was that I could see and touch my stomach and ribs!!! I just couldn't keep my hands off myself! I would just stand comfortably holding my own torso......just because I could!
*God I loved those boobs!*
I will say that the phrase, "Never say never" can be applicable here, because when I gained all the weight (see siggy below) they came back. Yep, they freaking came back. And now that I'm losing weight, I have big, long, scarred boobs whose skin has reduced elasticity from the weight loss......sure makes me grateful I'm no longer dating! Yet another benefit of being loved, eh?? *sigh* Anyway, that just leads me to encourage you to keep yourself at or around goal weight, as your breasts WILL be affected.
It's a painful procedure, but oh-so-worth it. Invest in excellent bras for afterwards, particularly since you run, and enjoy your new body and reduced pain. I wish you a speedy recovery and every happiness.
breast reduction surgery and excercise...
She's probably got some for Mars and Venus too!
