You can read part one here and part two here.
Exactly one year ago today, I had my breast reduction surgery. I truly can’t believe its only been a year. It seems like yesterday, (or maybe a few months ago,) that I woke up and headed to the Reading Hospital. I remember the night before, not having slept, being nervous about anesthesia. I remember waking up post surgery, crying because I thought the wrong family was coming to see me. I remember feeling so loved and cared for by my family and friends.
Last year, I blogged one week post surgery and did not really bring it up again on my blog. Just a week after my surgery, I knew that I had made the best decision of my life. A year later, nothing has changed and I stand by that statement. So what exactly has changed for me?
I can say I have never been more confident with my body. Even though my weight has gone up and down due to inconsistencies with working out and eating healthy, my breasts have remained the same. Even with the ups and downs, I still love my body so much more than ever before. The difference truly changed the way that I see myself.
I wrote before that I was worried about my identity post losing one of my biggest assets. I had big boobs since I was 13 so of course it was something I was afraid of being without. Plus so many people would be like, “but why are you getting this done? / They’re not that big/ What does Oscar think?” I was confident in my decision but hearing things like that did put tiny fears in my head. But I learned that I’m me with big boobs or not, and not having them anymore didn’t change who I was as a person. As for Oscar, he just wanted to see me happy.
My breast are still on the bigger side (sometimes in pictures they don’t even look reduced) but they are totally different than before. The reduction also does a lift and changes the shape. I can often go bra-less which I would never do before, except for when I was at home. I can wear low impact sport bras as my regular bras (in fact, I don’t wear anything else,) and can wear dresses and tops I would have never dreamed of wearing.
For the first time ever, I was able to wear different types of bathing suit tops. Before, I would have to buy an expensive top (because it was the only thing supportive enough) and just switch out the bottoms. This past year, I had so many options and took full on advantage. Clothes also fit me better and If I wear a graphic tee, you can actually read the words without them being super stretched out. I use to dread shopping and trying clothes on because they just would not fit right. Now I can shop and not worry about that.
Physically, I also feel so much better. My posture has improved dramatically and I don’t have any weight dragging my neck and shoulders down like before. I no longer get rashes or bad “boob sweat.” I don’t have those deep indents on my shoulders and back from my bras anymore. It is so much easier to workout. I do have some scarring but with a quick look at me, it is very hard to tell. They have faded so much and are almost invisible. I did use Bio oil religiously for scarring for a few months post op.
One of the biggest outcomes out of this surgery, is what happened afterwards. Due to blogging about this experience, I had so many people reach out to me to inquire about getting the surgery themselves or asking for a friend/family member. You can get a lot of information online, but sometimes talking to someone in your real life who has gone through it is easier. A million people can have this surgery but when you know someone who has done it and you can talk to them about it, it becomes a lot realer. I’ve also had a lot of traffic on my website because of this blog post series. (In fact, part two of this series has the most views on any post I’ve done.) I’ve had wonderful comments and messages from strangers.
This surgery and my willingness to get it has also helped me become more of a “do-er.” I said in my last post that my only regret was waiting as long as I did to get it and because of that, I no longer want to feel that way with anything else. If I want to make a change, I do it now. I am no longer sitting back, waiting unhappily for things to change. I am taking matters into my own hands and I advise you to do the same. Whether its surgery or whatever else. Life is truly too short to live it wishing you would do it instead of just doing it.
