I have suffered from back, neck and shoulder pain for years. I always blamed sitting at a computer all day, poor posture etc. So, in recent years I've made a real effort to invest in correct chairs for my height, sort out my posture and exercise regularly. I lost weight. I got fit. I started regular chiropractic and massage.
In the last two years, my pain levels dropped to a manageable level. I also started to enjoy the benefits that a lighter, fitter more upright body brings. However, I was still having pain. In June, my doctor recommended I see a breast surgeon. I had honestly never made the connection between the neck and shoulder pain and the size of my bust.
The first consultation with my surgeon revealed that although my breasts weren't the biggest in the world (F cup), they were very tissue-dense and heavy. That's why they stayed the same size despite my weight loss. She suggested that I could stand to lose several hundred grams of tissue from each, to take me down to around a small D/large C. I thought about it for about a month then decided (after a second visit) to go ahead. My surgery took place on 3 September 2014 so I am now at the five-week mark.
My partner Paul, and friends and family have been extremely supportive all the way through. The company I work for has also been really flexible, as I took a week off and have been working from home since mid September. I'm healing well although very a lot of the time.
It took me about a week to get to grips with my new profile. I just couldn't make the mind-body connection. Now I am very used to my new size (after the swelling subsides I estimate I'll be a C). I'm already noticing improvements in my posture and balance. And, from a fashion perspective, it will open up a whole new world for me.
I've spent a lot of time over the past few weeks thinking about the relationship between a woman's bust size and her femininity. To my surprise, I actually feel more feminine now than ever. Society sends us such mixed messages. Every day we're bombarded with images of busty women and told that it's sexy. But conversely, fashion designers design for flat-chested, almost androgynous women. Confused?
For me, it was a medical decision to have a breast reduction but the cosmetic benefits are also exciting. I look forward to styling the new body and sharing my shopping adventures with you all in the coming months!
P.S. All blog photos up until now were taken back in August. The photo below is from Instagram, taken about two weeks ago.
Photo from Instagram
Hi, Jody. I'm glad you're feeling benefits from your reduction and making it through recovery. I hear that can be rough. I suffer from neck and shoulder pain pretty much daily and it's an aggravation.
ReplyDeleteYou certainly look super slender! I've never been one to want larger anything. ha I'd love to be about a size smaller up top (but lifted). :)