Before I start I just want to say that no one should ever feel like they have to change their body because of anyone else. I chose, after a long time of thinking, to undergo surgery and thought I'd share my journey.

Background

In June of 2019 I got the surgery I wanted from the age I was 10. I had such severe back pain, permanent marks from my bra, and I just was so unhappy with how I looked in clothes. When I was 10 years old I was already a C and by the time I was 12, I was DD and then a DDD. They were growing at an alarming rate, which I learned from my surgeon was called juvenile breast hypertrophy which is a rare and incapacitating condition that causes rapid breast growth during puberty. By the time I was 18 I was wearing a 36G but over half of my breast was spilling out.

I never truly knew what size I was but I did know that I couldn't shop at stores, that I was hypersexualized by older men constantly, and that every outfit I wanted to wear became sexualized. As a minor, I had old men hit on me and make crude comments and I felt genuinely insecure.

But that still isn't the major issue I had.

At one point the pain was just so bad that I broke down in tears. I used to work out but the pain of them made me stop. I had hoped working out would make them go down in size but it never did. My bra started to leave marks that cut into my shoulders after my sister's birthday party.

No matter what I did I was in constant pain and at that point, I had had enough--I just couldn't deal with it anymore. Between the self-image issues and the pain, I just wanted it to stop.

The Consultation

When I walked into my surgeon's office I didn't know what to expect. I sat there in my medical gown and wondered what he'd say. When he walked in and we discussed what I wanted he had to see them to give me an estimate of how much he'd remove. The next words honestly surprised me.

"You poor thing. I'm so sorry."

He explained that I most likely had suffered from juvenile breast hypertrophy and how debilitating that had to be. He asked if working out was difficult and it was. He asked if wearing a bra was painful and, guessing by the marks on my shoulders, he assumed it was and he was correct. Every question he asked felt like I was really being heard about all of the pain I had been dealing with for ten years. I nearly cried right there. The one thing he did mention was that sometimes they have to remove the nipple if there isn't blood flow and because my breasts were so big it was a possibility. So, it meant if I wanted to have kids at some point I might not be able to breastfeed.

He then explained that he didn't know how much he'd remove--probably around 7 lbs-- in order to make them proportionate t my body and with a breast reduction also came a breast lift. So there was no cup size in mind going into the surgery and I was okay with that. He wanted me to be proportionate t my body and I tested that. He also explained that my breasts weighed so much that my back pain wasn't just in my head--it was real and it was bad. He explained how it's equivocal to weights dangling from strings attached to my chest. That moment solidified I wanted this done.

Preparing for surgery

Preparing for surgery wasn't at all bad. I met with my doctor who said she supported this and told me with how much weight I had that I probably would need a cane to walk by the time I'm 40 because of how much weight they were. Because of the size and severe pain, I had insurance did cover the surgery which I was very grateful for. My surgery was scheduled for June 22, 2019.

I then had to get bloodwork done just to make sure everything was in check and that all went smoothly. I just needed to get some tight sports bras in for post-op.

The Day of Surgery

I was in relatively early the day of surgery and I waited nervously, but excitedly. I got hooked up and went in and several hours later I woke up. They had to do this test where they use a tool to check if there's blood flow to your nipples and luckily there was so nothing more was needed in regards to that. I went home the same day in a binder that was given. I know many people that had drains attached to them after surgery but I didn't, only gauze and the binder.

Post-Op and Complications

For a few days, I had trouble getting around and needed assistance just because there was pressure. Not too much pain except for the first day. The swelling lasted for about a month or two though.

I did have a few mild complications but they were not big deals! First, a little bit of fluid was in my left breast so I had to go into the hospital for them to drain it. They used ultrasound and a needle but, from someone who is deathly afraid of needles, it was not bad at all. the second was some of my stitches didn't dissolve fully so he had to use tweezers to remove them. Which again didn't hurt except a few on my left breast which was just a little more sensitive.

Those were the only complications I ran into. My scar wasn't that bad even then. It's an anchor scar that goes around the nipple, down the middle, then under the breast. I was actually in surgery longer than he expected because he wanted to make sure it was done right and the scar would be as small as possible. I was also told when he finished one side (it was after some time) they brought in a new anesthesiologist and it shocked the operating room with the comparison.

Today

Almost two years post-surgery and I cannot be happier with my decision. I didn't wear wire bras again until recently where I discovered I'm a 36D. Originally supposed to be 7 lbs removed it ended up being between 5-6 lbs removed. I don't have the same issues and constant pain that I once had and I now carry myself differently (seriously, my shoulders used to be rounded from the weight so I gained an inch in height).

For me, this was the best decision I could've made and I am so grateful to have had the surgeon I did.

To this day, I am so much happier.