I've definitely had a reaction to the tape, so today Sascha removed the sterile tape, and rather than putting the skin coloured tape on, she is letting me have 48 hours tape free. This should give my skin time to settle down, stop itching and get better. This isnt that uncommon so I'm not too worried, except the itching is still pretty bad. And the skin around where the tape was is a bit red and inflammed.

Its pretty scary seeing the wounds and the stitches minus the tape. With the tape they look clean and healed and well, but without the tape its pretty confronting. I have zombie boobies!

Although the stitches are clear, there is a bit of dried blood and whatnot on the stitches especially around the nipples. I had originally thought the stitches were coloured or black but nope, just blood and gunk!
The wounds down the breasts aren't entirely straight and are not yet just a thin line.So yeah, its a bit of a shock. Without the tape, I feel so fragile. Not that I'm likely to pop a seam or something, but the tape just made me feel more secure. I do have to watch I dont lift anything heavy for these 48 hours because I dont want to stretch the scar/wound while there's no tape on holding me together.

I went into mum's shop this afternoon and got a fresh new hair cut again, as well as new colour. its really really bright red, this new product Goldwell Elumen. It is a really vibrant, bright colour which I absolutely love and should stay in my hair for longer than previous products.
wheeee!

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Posted by reanon to Breast Reduction Journal at 6/29/2006 06:50:00 PM

oh my god, my boobs are so itchy!!!! argh its making me insane. although my appointment isn't until tomorrow, to have the tape removed etc, I actually went past Dr Gaffield's office today with mum (mum's been going there to sort out an operation my great-grandmother has to have in the coming weeks). I had a quick chat to Sascha and told her my nipples and boobs were really itchy and she said it was probably a reaction to the tape. everyone i've spoken to about it says when wounds are healing they can itch too.
so its not a big deal, or anything bad. but fuuuuuuck, i just want to scratch so badly. i thought it was probably because its been over a week since i scrubbed my chest, boobs. I've just let water run over them while showering but not really scrubbed them/exfoliated. but yeah, its just under and around the pieces of tape that feel tingly/itchy. thinkingn about it is just making it itch even more!

oh yeah, i went to Medicare with all my bills (the plastic surgeons bill and the anesthetist's bill) and I ended up getting $1200 back. I was surprised as I had been told I might get $600 back, but am very very pleased to have gotten something back! anything is better than nothing!

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Posted by reanon to Breast Reduction Journal at 6/28/2006 05:27:00 PM

it is now just more than one week post operation/post surgery. i can't believe it, how great my recover is.
sascha said my bruises will drain down my legs. so currently they are mid thigh.... but over the next week or so, they might drain down, even down past my knee onto my calf.... and then they will fade. mum has been massaging my legs and hips every day which is great because she said massging the area that was liposuctioned is great for it.... as well as walking. i went for a 45 minute walk today, just to get the legs moving.it felt great.

so i thought i'd share another photo. this was a self taken photo- my left boob does look bigger in this photo and i dont honestly know if its the angle the photo was taken on, or if they really are different sized. but even if they are, i dont care. they are still perky as! and who cares if they are a bit lopsided.
so here it is, this is day 8 post op. dont know if you notice but my love handles are massively gone in this photo. to me, its really really really noticeable!

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Posted by reanon to Breast Reduction Journal at 6/27/2006 11:23:00 PM

the last couple of days have been resting and recovery, watching hours and hours of dawsons creek and turning into an emotional mess and a hopeless romantic. all that grown up talk about soul mates between an imaginary group of friends- i found myself crying in almost every episodes. l4m3.

the stiff and soreness of my legs has lessened to the point where i can get up, sit down, lay down, move around with ease. I can walk normal again and not like a little old lady, hobbling along.

We've removed the little bandages off the puncture wounds and they are fully closed up. The bruises have really developed now. My hips, ass and thighs are covered in an elaborate pattern of red, yellow, black and blue. On the outside of both of my thighs, the bruising is really really bad. Perhaps because that is where the claps/zips of this tight compression suit sit, it has been so tight on my skin it didn't allow the blood to settle in some areas, so I actually have a zigzag pattern in my bruise. click here for a pic- be warned, its a pretty yucky bruise.

I can now start softly massaging the area, I think its to help move the fluid out of your body (if it hasn't left your body already) as well as to soften the scar tissue under your skin. To prevent scar tissue from hardening? i was told the areas that were lipo'ed could feel lumpy afterwards, but I haven't felt that yet.

of course, touching/rubbing a deep bruise hurts.

Not much change with the boobs. Still very little pain. The other day it sort of ached 'inside' the boob, like I could feel the wounds inside healing. I have the tape over the scars, it wont be changed til Monday, so I can't see the actual wound/stitches. Their shape is still good, they still have alot more settling to do, but they are looking good in my opinion.

My nipples are really sensitive, I wish I had taped gauze over them so they don't brush again my clothes all the time. I gues that's a good thing though, would have hated to lose sensitivity there.

I'm going to lunch down the road today with mum and her friends. This will be the first time out of this house since coming back Tuesday! woot!

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Posted by reanon to Breast Reduction Journal at 6/25/2006 08:39:00 AM

it turns out they removed 40grams from my boobs. 40 grams TOTAL!!!! so 20grams each boob. that is NOTHING, i had read stories from other women who have had 400 grams or more removed from EACH boobs.
It was mostly skin and a little breast tissue, but they mostly just re-constructed and re-shaped my boobs, for the better! Sascha said there was almost 2 Litres of fat and stuff removed from my thighs/hips!!!

Sascha had me up on a table while she removed the tape from my boobs. She cleaned the sutures and said they look very good. I had a quick glance but actually seeing stitches holding my skin together was a bit full on and I couldn't look for long.
After she put some anti-bacterial stuff on the wounds, which had made me skin turn yellow, she re-applied the tape and hopefully that will stay on til Monday when I have my next appointment.

I can start softly massaging my legs and hips, to help soften the scar tissue under the skin.

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Posted by reanon to Breast Reduction Journal at 6/22/2006 03:30:00 PM

its thursday morning, day #3 post op. I'm going back to see Sascha to have the dressing/tape on my boobs replaced. yesterday went by pretty uneventful... still very little pain in my boobs but my legs/hips have been really really stiff and i ccan feel they are very swollen. It hurts to sit, it hurts to stand. sitting on the toilet is painful. just moving in general is painful, once i get into a position on the couch i'm fine. I managed to get through 7 episodes of season 3 Dawson's Creek.

I was able to have a shower last night, so with mum's help we unzipped and peeled off the compression suit and looked at the mess underneath. my skin on my thighs and hips and ass is a mess of blue and black smears... most of it is just the blue pen Dr Gaffield had used to draw all over my but slowly the bruises are starting to show. Despite the swelling, I can definitely see a change in my shape and its exciting. By no means is my ass gone, but now its just alot more smoother... the curve from my waist to my hips is smoother and and the love handles are gone.
After the shower, mum was helping me dry myself and we removed the gauze from underneath my boobs... there was still tape all over the wounds, but through the tape you can see dried blood and get an idea of the wounds and suddenly I felt like i was going to vomit. I had a lay down on the bed for 10 minutes to stop my stomach from churning. I guess no one likes seeing their own blood and it was just too much.

I slept in a bit more this morning, but my nose was completely blocked and my couch woke me up. My legs have a dull ache all over them, worse than yesterday probably because I didnt take any pain killers last night... they have a tendency to 'bind' you up so I wanted to have a night without them to see how I went.

I miss everyone so much, although having mum around is great. I think its probably for the best that I'm away from Brisbane for these first few weeks because I dont want to put my friends or the boy through all the whinging that I'm bound to do. Mum is happy to wait on me hand and foot which is so nice, though I feel so lazy and she keeps telling me to stop saying sorry everytime i need her to do something for me.

I've been putting off sharing photos just because I know there will always be mean people out there who will have nothing but nasty things to say. It's already started in previous comments. I try to not let it bother me but of course everyone feels the hurtful remarks to some degree.
Be warned, the healing will take months, and this is by no means the final shape. They are still sitting quite high, and full at top- but over time they will settle down.

Before pic
2 day Post-Op

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Posted by reanon to Breast Reduction Journal at 6/22/2006 07:41:00 AM

wow its done! I cant believe it.

Dad and I rocked up at the hospital about 11:30am and we sat around til about 12:15 when they finally admitted me. We went over all the same questions as before- "Do you have allergies, do you have any health problems" etc etc. I had been feeling queasy and nervous on and off while waiting in the room, but once I said goodbye to dad and they took me in, I was strangley calm. I went into a dressing room and had to change into the hospital gown, dressing gown, paper hat, paper slipper and paper undies - it was such a fashionable look heheh! I actually snuck a couple of photos in.

I went to the toilet and gave the nurse a urine sample, and then we put my bags in the locker and she took me to a bed where I got up on and she hooked up the leg stocking things. They wrapped around my knees and calves and every 45 seconds they fill up with air- kind of like the things they use around your arms when taking your blood pressure. They fill up with air and then release. Its to help prevent deep vein thrombosis I believe.

This was about 1:10pm and I watched a bit of Dr Phil and a variety of people came by, asking me more health questions and general chit chat.

Finally, I was wheeled down the hall about 1:30pm, and my bed was placed just outside one of the operating theatres. I was still completely calm. I could have even had a nap, I was so comfortable and relaxed in this bed. I got chatting to a young girl who was a medical student and would be coming into my surgery to observe the procedure. Dr Gaffield then came in and I got up from the bed and lowered my gown and he started drawing on me and we spoke about size. He remembered I had previously said large B/small C cup during our first consultation in April.

I told him how mum and I had thought since then, that a B cup would be a better size. Just because I might get bigger with age, with weight gain, with pregnancy etc. And the bigger I am the more I'm likely to sag again. Althought Dr Gaffield agreed, he said he didn't want to go too small in case I regretted it. If I went too small, the only way to fix that would be with implants, where as if in a few years I feel I'm still a tad too big, there are very easy ways to fix that. Not sure what he meant by that, but maybe through liposuction of the boobs. *shrugs* Anyway, I said I trusted his opinion, since he is the expert and just wanted to be a good size that suited me.

He then drew all over my hips and thighs, marking where he would be removing lipo and where he wouldn't be. I looked like a crazy piece of art with blue pen all over me in a range of squiggles, dots and lines.

I got back up on the bed, and was wheeled into the operating room. There were so many people in there, Dr Gaffield, the anaesthetist, his assistant, the medical student, at least 3 or more nurses setting up things. I laid there for a good 5-10 minutes while they were talking to me and setting things up. They had the radio on and that stupid Faker song, Hurricane was playing and I was praying it would not be the last song I heard before going under. Luckily it wasn't!

I joked to the anaesthetist's assistant, that its moments like this I wish I had not seen so many episodes of Nip/Tuck! I had so many images flashing in my head. But still fairly calm.

The anaesthetists came in and I told him as well that I had woken up today with a stuffy nose, but he said that wouldn't be a problem. He tied a strap around my left bicep, really really tightly (ouch!) to make the veins show up. He tapped my hand to bring them up and that hurt a little- lack of blood flow, pins and needles, and his tapping. It was weird. Not really hurting, just a little uncomfortable. He then said he was putting in the drip and said there would be a small bite/sting. There was, but after my latest tattoo on the back of my neck, this really didn't hurt that much at all.

A mask came over my face but it was just oxygen and I took a few deep breaths and they kept setting up and talking. Then he said he was going to put me to sleep and BAM......

Next thing I remember, I'm waking up, some people are talking to me. Its all a bit of a blur, but I slowly came to and nurses told me it was all done. They asked if I had any pain, but strangely I didn't. I said I needed to pee and they said I had a cathedar in, which would make me feel like I needed to pee, and if I did need to, to just go. The tube goes into your bladder and the urine just flows into a bag.

I had crazy shakes for a little while, like my whole lower body was shuddering. I've had this same shakes a few times, sometimes when I've smoked pot (hence why I don't do it, I really don't like the feeling I get on it)

My eyesight was strangley blurring for a while, and I couldn't see things in the distance clearly. It was like my eyesight BEFORE my laser eye surgery a few years ago. I had a little mini freak out that somehow my eyesight had been reverted back the way it used to be, but realized that wasn't the case and it soon cleared up.

Eventually they wheeled me to my room and my head felt very clear. I couldn't believe how awake I was. It was about 7.30pm and I put on the tv and was watching Big Brother. The nurses set me up with some water and my mobile phone and the room phone all on the table beside me. The got me changed out of the gown and put on my pajama top. I didn't have any pants or underwear on because I still had the cathedar in. It was the strangest feeling. I felt like I had a very full bladder and I tried to pee- although I didn't feel like I did anything my bladder suddenly felt empty. Seriously if only I had one of those when I'm at home watching movies heheheh!

My mouth was extremely dry and I kept drinking sips of water while I watched more tv. I sms'ed mum, dad, david, Rachel, dan and others. Mum and dad both called and then david called later on and they couldn't believe how alert and awake I was.

I was able to look at my new boobs and they looked pretty fantastic even though they had gauze over both boobs, covering the nipples. But the shape of the boobs was amazing. They were tight and perky and firm. They definitely look slightly smaller and not as wide, but they just sit up so high!!!!! They haven't been like this since high school.

I have about 8 little bits of gauze on my thighs and hips. I can definitely feel my inner thighs are missing a fair bit of fat, and I think my outer thighs and top of my hips feel smaller, although there is a fair bit of swelling. I'm not too bruised yet but I think they will start showing up over the next few days.

I finally tried to sleep about 11pm, however the drip made a noise every 30 seconds and the leg tights filled up with air every 45 seconds, so I was struggling to fall asleep.

I turned on the tv and the radio and found it easier to doze with that as background noise.
I slept ok but did wake up pretty much every hour. Someone came in and took my temperature and blood pressure every 30 minutes until about 11.30pm, then it was just every hour, and then every four hours.

I didn't have any more pain relivers until 3am, when I asked for some more morphine. My left boob wasn't hurting but I was "aware" of it. On a pain scale of 1-10 I would have said it was a 2 or 3. I also hoped the morphine would help me sleep. I still woke up every hour but I don't feel tired after this restless sleep.

A nurse came in about 6am and took my blood pressure and temperature again, and then I turned the tv back on and also got one of the nurses to bring over my laptop and I started writing this post.

Since starting it, Dr Gaffield and his assistant Sascha came by. Sascha took off the gauze and I could finally see my nipples. There is still this type of tape around the nipple and down the breast, where the incisions are. She took the leg stocking things off and put me into this compression suit. Its black think stretchy satin, with lace around each leg and around the middle. It goes from my knees, right up to under my boobs and is really tight. Its to help keep your new shape and she said it also helps the fluid come out of your body. Before liposuction they inject a large amount of saline fluid into the areas to help break down the fat cells and make it easier to suck them out. I believe the fluid will come out in your urine (another reason I had the cathedar in) and I might leak a bit from the small incisions. Ew!

I have to wear the compression suit for 6 weeks, all the time, except when showering and washing it. It is crotchless and has this hole that runs between my legs, from front to back. So I'm meant to pee and poo with this thing on!!!!! OMG!

I got up before and went to the toilet and peed. It kinda hurt sitting on the toilet because I have an incision on the back of each thigh right where I sit. I just don't think the hole at the back feels big enough to wipe my bum if I do a no#2. I've got so many issues about poop already, now I have to wear this thing for 6 weeks? Hopefully as incisions heal and I'm a little less sensitive I will be able to take the compression suit on and off with ease, I really hope so.

I've looked at my boobs a lot now in the mirror and taken a bunch of photos. I'm happy with the look of them, although they do look more perky and very full at the top. But I know with time they will settle down.

I can feel less fat on my inner thighs but its hard to tell on my hips/outer thighs. My ass and thighs still look pretty much the same, but I really hope that's because of swelling and everything. I hope my lower half is more slimmed down, as I was really looking forward to losing a bit of the flab and will be disappointed if the results aren't as good as I hoped.

I think I'll just go home this afternoon and not stay the extra night, as I have almost no pain, and surprisingly I don't have drains. I thought I would have had them and had always heard that looking after them was important and can be a bit difficult so an extra day in the hospital would be a lot easier for me and mum.

I think when I peed before and it hurt the back of my right thigh, and then from getting up and down from the bed, I bumped the incision and made it bleed. I just got up from the bed and saw some fresh blood on the sheets, and can feel it on the back of my right thigh. Lucky everything I'm wearing is black, but the nurse has just taken my sheets and is changing them over. I'm sure its only a tiny bit of blood and mostly fluid so I'm not too worried though I might called Sascha and check with her.

Anyway its 10.25am now and I believe a photographer is coming at 10.30am to get a follow up photo for the article in Thursdays paper, so I might try and make myself look less disgusting heheh.
Will no doubt write more (although I wont be able to upload this til I get home and have net access again)

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Posted by reanon to Breast Reduction Journal at 6/20/2006 07:18:00 PM

and hopefully the big ass too!!! well, lets keep the booty but just lose the love handles/thighs and saddle bags!

good music is distracting me and while I was in the shower, a strange sort of calm came over me. This is going to be a crazy adventure, and a huge change but I've got to just do it.
It's 10.30am so no more water for me.

No hair products so my hair is fluffy and crappy looking. i've got a big thick headband, but I'm struggling to get it to look right. PFFFT out of the all the things to worry about, my hair should be the least. But I'm vain. The journalist from the newspaper called and said they want to do a follow up article in Thursday's paper. And wanted a photo to go along with it. Originally it was going to be today, before the surgery, however now the photographer cant make it so she wanted to know if tomorrrow or wednesday morning would do...
I had to refuse tomorrow morning, HELLO i will only be getting out of surgery about 6.30pm tonight, I DONT think i'll be up for a photo the first morning after the surgery.
But I did say wednesday would be ok. Who knows how I'll feel, I'll probably still feel like mega shit and will look dreadful. I'm more worried about what I'll look like than how I'll be feeling.
dad should be here soon to pick me up. so this is probably it.... oh man *deep breath*

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Posted by reanon to Breast Reduction Journal at 6/19/2006 10:28:00 AM

thank you rachel!!!! your sms came just in time, i was pacing around the place feeling like i wanted to vomit. there's nothing like todd's soothing vocals to calm my nerves and settle my stomach.

oh god, i can't beleive today is the day. i had a very crazy sleep last night, lots of weird dreams. scary dreams, action packed dreams. it was a bit of a restless sleep because my nose had started to get a bit blocked before bed. i've woken up with a bit of a stuffy nose, which I'm worried about. I hope it doesn't get in the way. When I saw the anaesthetist on friday he had said someone had pulled out of their surgery because they were sick with the flu.
Its definitely not a cold or the flu yet, but it could end up that way. Usuually I would start taking vitamins or cold n flu tablets and eat lots of fruit but I can't do any of that. i got up at 6am and had a slice of toast and a mandarin and then went back to bed til 7.45am.
mum has had to go to work and dad is picking me up a bit before 11am. I've still got to pack my bag for the hospital and have a shower...

Sometimes I feel reasonably calm, other times I start to panic. I keep telling myself I am doing the right thing. And what will be a few weeks/months of healing and discomfort, will end up being years of happiness. feeling better about my body. being happier with it.

I think I'm going to get really scared when I'm at the hospital.

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Posted by reanon to Breast Reduction Journal at 6/19/2006 08:10:00 AM

I had a good day today... a bit of a sleep in (lazy sunday) and then mum and i got ready and my sister came over and we went to a cafe along the beachfront and had a lazy, late breakfast. Lots of good conversation and great food. After we wandered back home, stopping at mum's friends place along the way, dad came down and we all went to ANOTHER cafe and had coffee/tea.

My sister hung around for most of the afternoon and we went back over to mum's friends place, and had a drink or two at sherrie's... and then even ended up at the pub for a bit of a gamble on the pokie machines and more drinks. i didn't want to drink too much but still ended up having a few too many, but was home by 6pm and have drunk a few huge glasses of water and had a light dinner while watching big brother.

The boy and I have been in touch since I've been in Bundaberg, and we spoke a couple of times today. however he called me just before and we had another big chat... we always have a laugh together but it eventually turned into almost a goodbye type conversation.. NOT THAT I"M GOING ANYWHERE, but i guess it was goodbye until after the surgery. He went a bit quiet, maybe choked up... and that made me totally tear up and I started crying. I just feel so bad putting him through all of this. He's been nothing but supportive the whole time (although thinks I'm a tad stupid and thinks my body is fine as it is)... but its just not the normal thing you usually have to go through when you're dating someone. And I feel guilty for putting him through this. And I do worry what he's going to think afterwards. Will he still find me sexy? Will he be ok with scars and healing for a number of months? Will he be pissed off I'm putting our sex life on hold for a while?
I do realize I'm being silly and irrational and deep down I DO know he will no doubt be fine, but I still feel guilty that I'm asking alot of him...
I want nothing more than to give him a hug right now :(

Everything is starting to feel really surreal. I can't believe I'm here and this is finally happening. I've barely spoken to some of my supposed "best friends" about this... I'm sure its mostly my own fault, but I feel weird that they have been so distant lately. And maybe that's what has perpetuated my feeling of isolation. I know people have their own lives, but it really makes me wonder.

Of course I've probably been just as bad a friend, since this is all that's been on my mind lately.

And the person who has been the most supportive through it all, I feel like he's totally getting the raw end of the stick. I owe him so much, and hope to god he still loves me afterwards.

oh god, I've fully fallen into scared mode now.

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Posted by reanon to Breast Reduction Journal at 6/18/2006 09:19:00 PM

the article ran in todays newspaper... a small pic was on the cover and the full pic and article was on page 3... so I guess that makes me a page three girl! hahaha

Mum has advertised in the paper multiple times and she said page three is the most expensive page for ads, so I'm pretty stoked to end up on that page. Yes, saturday is usually a quieter day for stories (hence why they run the human interest story, rather than a 'real' news story).

Already I'm seeing consequences from the story.. one of my high school best buddies (who I had lost contact with) ended up tracking me down after realizing I was back in town. heaps of people have contacted and commented to mum after seeing the story. AND heather (aka carrot cake) who lives in BRISBANE.... more than 400km away from bundaberg... someone brought the bundaberg newsmail into her parents shop to have something on the opposite page photocopied, and lo and behold her brother and friend recognised me!!! what the dooce??@!!
gawd its such a small world sometimes.





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Posted by reanon to Breast Reduction Journal at 6/17/2006 07:05:00 PM

all posts I post in the Breast Reduction Journal are meant to be automatically forwarded to my main blog via email and email forwards. However I keep getting error emails, so I'll just manually copy it over here.
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I woke up bright and early this morning and finished packing. My flight was at 10.30am, so I headed down to the train station at 9am. The whole time I had this horrible feeling I had forgotten something and kept going over everything in my head. The most important things weren't clothes... but rather the computer, digital camera and webcam and all the necessary cables!!! Clothes are replaceable but all the tech I need is indispensable!

I got into Bundy at 11.30am and dad met me at the airport and dropped me into town at mum's salon. I got a quick hair trim- just to spruce it up before the photo shoot.
A photographer from the local newspaper was meeting me at the lingerie shop for some photos, which would be used with the article about my surgeries.

I bought two soft, underwire-free croptop bras that fasten at the front- I'll probably wear these in the first few weeks. It's important that the clasp is at the front, because I wont be able to lift my arms over my head for some time. There were two types of smalls- small A/B, and small C/D... I ended up getting the small A/B! it looks small but exactly what I want.
The photographer arrived and we had a ball taken lots of silly photos with bras. We found a 26G bra (I'm a 12D), with cups the size of my head, and I took a heap of photos cringing towards this monstrosity.
We then grabbed a bunch of lacey pretty little 10B bras (the size I hope to be), and took photos of me looking extremely excited and happy while holding these bras.
Then we took some photos holding both the skimpy little cute bras and the big heffa bra, probably with me looking confused!
Anyway I had a blast, I wish people could take photos of me ALL the time. Hehehe

I went to the chemist and dropped in my scripts for my drugs, and then headed to the hospital for my consultation with the anaesthetist. He had a listen to my heart and asked lots of health questions and took me through a few of the things- I can have a light breakfast before 6am, and can drink water up until 10.30am. It looks like my surgery is booked for 2pm and admission time is midday.

I handed over almost $2000 to pay for the anaesthetist. I'm under for pretty much 4.5 hours and he charges per hour. Ouch!

A nurse then took me into another room and took my blood pressure and asked all sorts of health questions and even weighed me on these high tech scales. Woot 55kg! and that was right after lunch. I have been wondering what I might weigh after the surgery. NOT that weight is a big issue for me, I'm comfortable being 55kg, and its definitely in my healthy body range. But it would be crazy to maybe be 53kg again, I haven't been that weight since grade 12!

After the onslaught of health questions, I went deeper into the hospital, it actually was part of the hospital, maybe a recovery/test area. Eeek. They pulled the curtain around my bed, and I had to strip off my top while the nurse stuck sticky pads all over my chest and on my arms and even on my ankles. It was an EKG machine, I think, and it analysed all my heart movements and stuff.

I thought while laying there, how good it would have been to have a photo of me all hooked up to this machine... Of course I had my boobs hanging out, so maybe not! Haha

Then I was done and I wandered back into town, slowly walking past streets and shops and areas of town that had years and years of memories. It felt so bizarre, and felt like such a life time ago that I used to live here and walk these exact same streets.

So that's it for now. I'm all set- I've got my admission time, all my instructions for the day, my drugs and everything. Now I just have a nice relaxing weekend with mum, and then its D-Day!!! EEEEK!

hahaha a guy at work just snorted a line of whizzfizz for $15!!!!! I think everyone assumes I'm a drug expert when I pulled out a $50 note to make the straw to snort it up. TV & Movies are the world's best teacher.
Oh my stomach hurts from laughter.... and cramps. God damn girly bits. At least it will be finished BEFORE the surgery. I was so worried I'd be going into surgery with ...*ahem* you know, that time of month thing. I wonder what would happen if I did.... would someone have to change you...? ew gross.

I read some woman's breast reduction journal and she had a urinary catheter during the operation... but no one I've spoken to personally has had one. The idea of one just sounds uncomfortable and gross!

less than a week! eeeek!

i had to pay the doctor's surgery today... I transferred money from my savings account into my regular account and felt extremely wealthy all weekend. But today I had to take a chunk of that money and pay the first part of the cost. I will still have to pay the hospital, I think not until I'm actually there. I'm guessing it will before the operation, while I'm waiting around. Those hours waiting in the hospital will be the most nerve-wrecking hours. I feel nervous and sick just thinking about it.

So I went to my bank and enquired about what the best method of withdrawing such a large sum of money. I assume it would be in bank cheque or something, but the teller said I could save the time and hassle (and a few dollars) by just receiving cash, and since the bank I needed to deposit the money in, was RIGHT beside my bank, I figured why not?

HOLY SHIT! Nothing like a WAD of cash to suddenly make it all seem fucking real! I had two envelopes full of $100 and $50 notes. FULL! My god, the walk out of the bank, 30 metres down the road and into the other bank was the scariest walk of my life. My knuckles were turning white gripping onto my bag, I swear I was bright red... trying desperately not to look like I had thousands of dollars in my bag.

Of course that corner is the local favourite spot for buskers, charity collectors and promo people, so I had to avoid being stopped by about half a dozen different people.

I deposited the money with no problems, but afterwards I felt so lightheaded and woozy. There's no going back now, its really happening.

2 weeks and counting....The days are zooming by and I still have so much I want to do. Like take a whole series of "before" photos, for my own record... photos in outfits, clothes that are too tight etc.

I met a girl yesterday who had had a reduction almost 18 months ago. She was shorter than me and quite small build, but she had a G cup before the reduction. She's now a nice perky C cup and she's so thankful she did the surgery. Her surgery actually costs her very little because she had private medical insurance - where as I do not. Its a shame that it will cost so much,but I think still think it will be worth it.

She let me see her scars - she had the anchor method... scars around the nipple, down the breast and then a big scar running in a semi circle under the whole breast, from underarm to middle of her chest. I wont have that big scar underneath the breast, but even so, you can barely see it (unless she holds her breasts up). The scars around her nipples were slightly noticeable but barely. And the scar running down the breast was barely there. Unless you pulled the skin tight, you couldn't see it at all! And they weren't red at all!

It was quite reassuring to see these well healed scars. The first 12 months will be the worst.She told me about her first few weeks healing, and all the scar care and treatment.

She had only good things to say about pain afterwards. She had a bit of a bad reaction to the morphine so didn't have alot of that, and didn't even take alot of pain killers in the days afterwards and yet she said she had minimal pain. However, she did warn me that having the drains removed was probably the most painful thing... mostly because she just didn't expect it. eeek something to NOT look forward to.

She said she avoided lifting things heavier than a kilo for the few week or so and needed someone to help her shower and wash her hair etc. Another reason whyI'm glad I'll be home with mum. But went back to work after 4 weeks, and was running and playing sport again after 3 months.

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Posted by reanon to Breast Reduction Journal at 6/05/2006 04:33:00 PM

Naturally the scars will I have from this reduction are what I'm probably most scared of. They are pretty major scars and are not something that will heal in a few weeks. The truth of it, is they could be red and quite noticeable for up to 12 months.

Of course, they wont be seen when I'm clothed. The only people who will see the scars will be me and the boy.... and a few friends. And some of you who read my site.

I guess these scars wont be the first permanent thing I've inflicted on my body. I've chosen to have three tattoos permanently inked on various parts of my body, so I keep telling myself that these scars are yet another permanent body modification which will make me unique.

I also keep reminding myself that my breasts weren't perfect beforehand anyway- there are stretch marks and shit. What is better - scar-free breasts that are saggy and heavy and stretched, or perky cute boobs with a few scars?

Most people say that the scars start to fade after 12 months and over time will become less and less noticeable. There are various scar reduction treatments- creams and ointment to rub on the scars to help them fade. The surgeon's assistant spoke about this scar tape that they will insist I get. You then cut it to the size you want and stick it over the scars after they have initially healed and this will help improve the scars. I think this is the stuff.

My surgeon will be performing the Lejour reduction method on my breasts - this is also known as a Vertical reduction, lollipop incision or a short scar reduction. This method has less scarring and is best for women who are not that big.
The difference between the Lejour reduction method and the other method, is there is no large scar running under the breasts. Usually the scars from a breast reduction look like an anchor - scars around the nipples, down the breast and underneath, like a big upsidedown T shape. The Lejour method is just the scar around the nipple and down. Like a lollipop. See pic below.



Actually, my surgeon will be doing a small cut at the bottom of the scar running down my breast, just to eliminate any bunching of the skin - which is sometimes a result of a lollipop incision. But the small cut underneath will only be small and will not run from armpit to middle of the chest like usual. It should only be an inch at most.

Here are some other diagrams of the way they perform the reduction and an idea of scarring.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/images/ency/fullsize/1106.jpg (this one is quite realistic and graphic so be warned- but its only a drawing)
http://www.cpsdocs.com/illustrations/breastreduc2.gif
http://www.antell-md.com/images/brstred2.jpg
http://www.antell-md.com/images/brstred3.jpg
http://www.antell-md.com/images/brstred4.jpg

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Posted by reanon to Breast Reduction Journal at 6/05/2006 04:03:00 PM