The Consultation

Finally, my name was called.  I followed a stick-thin girl to the consulting room, where she welcomed me and went through the forms I'd filled in online.  No mention of why I hadn't told them who I work for or who my Manager is.  I can only assume that, as I suspected, it's totally irrelavent and just some means of collecting data to sell.  Infuriating!  Because of her edge on me with her slim figure and younger years, I was immediately on the defensive with her.  A coping mechanism I learned years ago, as a child, to protect me from emotional harm.  However, I was to be saved from this downward spiral of negativity; this lady is English and so is her husband.  A link that gave us something in common and something I could relate to.  Immediately, I felt my guard drop and finally began to feel at ease in this unfamiliar place.


After some chit-chat about 'soccer' (it's football!), she handed me a very soft white robe and said I had to strip from the waist up and put the robe on.  She also started a video playing which, she said, would give me an overview of what a breast reduction entails and would help to answer some of my questions.  Then she left the room.  I removed my top and bra, put the robe on and sat to watch the video.  It told me nothing I didn't already know.  I mean, who goes for this kind of thing without doing some research first, right?  It was all very fluffy and nice, with pastel colours, smiling people and animations of the procedure.  It lasted about 5 minutes, with the final screen having a list of other procedures and a message saying "Please feel free to explore some of our other cosmetic procedures while you wait".  10 out of 10 for the marketing ploy!!  If I was a millionaire, I might have been tempted to fall for it and, no doubt, signed up there and then for a whole list of things I didn't know I needed.  As it is, I didn't bother.  I sat in silence, reading the certificates on the wall, telling of the various achievements of the surgeons who worked there.  Of course, they meant nothing to me and could've been printed that morning from a Word document, for all I know!

After a further 5 minutes, my saviour, my god, the man who held my dream in his hands entered the room.  He seemed younger than I'd imagined (isn't everybody, when you get to 52?).  Of course, that could be down to the cosmetic surgery he may have had!  Anyway, he was very nice, with a good sense of humour and.....he's a runner!  He asked me why I wanted the procedure, how my large breasts were affecting my life and what my expectations are.  Here are my answers;

Why do I want a breast reduction?
I'm done with these things.  I've hated them since I was 17.  They've served their purpose and now they need to go.

How do my large breasts affect my life?
They're constantly in the way.  I hate having to wear bras big enough to support them.  I loathe that 'strapped up' feeling.  All my clothes look awful.  They're either too tight or they hang like a tent.  They bounce when I run and make me feel totally self conscious and embarrassed.  In the hot weather it's much worse.  I sweat underneath and between them and I'm constantly worried in case I smell.  I look dreadful when I'm undressed.  And I hate the grooves in my collar bones, which will only get worse as I get older.

What are my expectations?
To be a B cup.  I know that sounds drastic but that's what I want and when I'm back down to 139lbs (which I will be!) they'll look fine.  I expect to be able to wear thin strappy tops.  I want to go without a bra, if I choose to.  I want wear pretty underwear and backless dresses (something I've never been able to do).  I want to look better undressed.  I want to run without that heavy feeling on my chest.  And I want to stop having red lines on me when I take my bra off.

My surgeon understood everything I said.  His only hesitation was about me wanting to be a B cup.  He said he could get me down to a C.  No!  I so want to be a B!  He said, "OK, what about a small C?"  "As small as you can get!", I replied.  He also said that he would do some liposuction to remove the fat at the side of my breasts.  I told him that I was determined to lose as much weight as possible between now and the sugery and to tone up a whole load, too.  He said that in that case I may not need the liposuction.  Great, I can get my eyes done, too!  See how you get drawn into it?!

He told me that I was a good candidate because I'm so focuused and realistic about what I want.  He also said that I should heal really well and the best bit.....I could be back running after just one week!!  That was simply amazing news, as I have a Half Marathon booked back in England in September that I don't want to miss for the world.

I promised him I would do all I can to get in the best shape for surgery and, with that, he left the room, still holding my dream but with a better understanding of it.