I'll basically tell everyone that I got a breast reduction. It's not a secret. I'm so proud of it and still so excited about it that it's a public declaration. I worked so hard to do all of the steps that I had to take beforehand and waited for so long to have the actual procedure. At some points in time in the waiting, it was extremely stressful. I had to be waiting and making sure the insurance would cover it, finding a surgeon in our network, making sure that I had taken all of the necessary steps... etc.

After the procedure, I endured a painful recovery that included being forced to sleep in a recliner. I learned that eventually, yes, you do get tired of sitting down. But nevertheless, I started to thrive after that recovery.

I noticed changes right away. The first one was the obvious matter of half of my chest missing. Looking in a mirror brought extremely strange feelings. It's like I knew I had a new body, and I was looking at it, but it didn't feel like my body. It felt like someone else's body and my head. I also noticed that every piece of clothing fit differently, mostly in a good and loose way. I also got to be someone new.

It was like suddenly I wasn't the girl with big boobs, and I was just a girl. A piece of my identity got stripped, and I was more than happy to part ways with it. Having to constantly worry about what my shirt is doing or how it's pulling is exhausting. Even wearing t-shirts, I didn't get a break. It's a lot.

My life is changed for the better since having surgery. I feel the most "myself" than I have in YEARS. I have the freedom to do whatever I want, without limitations. I can buy a bikini... from TARGET. *yelling* TARGET !!! Overall, I'm so much more confident. I don't know why I thought of my large boobs as a hindrance to being confident, but they truly were. I spent so much time trying to hide them.

Now, I put on a piece of clothing and check myself out. I even pull down my shirt if I'm feeling like it. I feel like for the first time in a long time, I can finally love the body that God gave me in the right way. My body is now capable of so many things, and I feel on top of the world. It's almost been a year, and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. I'm now able to talk to women who are considering a breast reduction and let them know that It was the best life decision that I've ever made. I can use this experience to help other people because I get it.

I've gone through something so unique, and it's worth sharing. Will it make some people uncomfortable? Probably. Have some men been in the wrong space at the wrong time while I discuss it with another girl? You bet. Do those things make me stop talking about it? You bet not.

I got a breast reduction at 19 years old, and I have no regrets.