Click here to read the second part of my journey!

After about 10-15 minutes, he told me I am a very good candidate for a breast reduction. A very good candidate. It took all that I had to not burst out in tears right there in the exam room.

He took photos for insurance, made sure I knew all I could and answered all the questions he could. Then I was off. He would file for insurance that same week, but it could take weeks to a couple of months to be approved. Thus, the waiting game had begun.

For the first few days, I was confident. I was confident that I would get the surgery approved in no time and it would make me the happiest girl at Sam Houston State. Except those days turned in weeks.

In those weeks, I was a mess. It took everything I had to "forget" what I was waiting for.

On November 14th, I came home from school early and just sat in my car. I was letting a song finish when my phone rang from a number that I did not recognize. Normally in this situation, I let the number go straight to voicemail because of the scammers out there. Something told me that this number was a little different.

"Hello?"

"Hi is this Mackenzie Hoffman?"

"Yes..."

"I'm Emily** from Dr. Jason's** office. I am calling to let you know that insurance has accepted your claim! Your surgery date is December 26th."

This was it. My Fitbit let me know later that night that my heart rate escalated super fast and stayed that way for a little while. I had gotten the call that I had been waiting to hear. I had received my surgical date.

After that phone call, everything was a blur. Before I knew it, December 26th had arrived and I was ready. My journey was a short one compared to some women I met, but it was scary regardless.

Being told that you don't fit the surgical criteria, even though you're in so much pain, was my biggest nightmare. Now my biggest nightmare is everything growing back!

I am still healing, and am currently one and a half months out. I still have a long way to go before I am fully healed. but this was easily one of the best decisions I have ever made.

** Names changed