How a breast reduction surgery helped me lose 50 pounds and changed my life, Business Insider

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I had a breast reduction at 18 years old.

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Kristina Udice

• Growing up, being overweight and having rather big breasts has caused a lot of problems.
• At the age of 18, I had a breast reduction.
• The recovery process was not easy, but I would not change anything.
• Since the operation, I have been able to lose 50 pounds.

I grew up overweight and I also grew up with rather big breasts.

Both were a problem that I treated throughout my adolescence and adolescence. At college, I noticed that my breasts were getting bigger – they were getting much bigger than other girls' breasts – and I hated that.

The trend has continued well in high school, at that time they are not only boring, they are downright harmful. It was hard to work: running in class, playing softball and jumping in the pool were things I could not do because I simply did not seem to be able to control my chest. He really had a spirit all his own. And that, in turn, has led to spiraling into a state of self-awareness and anxiety.

In addition to that, I would have horrible back and shoulder pains. The simple fact of wearing a bra put such a burden on my body that at the end of the day, I suffered from deep red marks on my shoulders that could cause bruising and irritation.

And that's when I started to consider breast reduction surgery

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Even just wearing a bra would put my body to the test.

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Phased Phatsrivong / Shutterstock

At the time, I was still only a teenager, full of hormones, insanity and all the emotions associated with adolescence. But I knew that to feel happy and really accept myself and feel comfortable in my skin, I had to make a change.

Of course, I tried the traditional paths. I was working on. I ate more healthily. But nothing worked. And that had a negative impact on my psyche. But I pushed, I stayed strong and I worked hard.

I talked to my doctor about breast reduction at the age of 17 years old. I was still in high school, but my doctor was more than accepting and encouraging – just like my mother. I really could not do it without her, I do not think so.

And that's where I started my trip. At 17, I was finishing high school, getting ready for college, and taking the necessary steps to allow me to undergo the operation that I hoped would solve at least some of my problems.

The process was pretty simple. First, I spent some time talking with doctors and explaining to them the problems I was having. Then I was sent to a physiotherapist. After a few weeks of trying to correct my posture and relieve my muscle tension, I had another appointment with my doctor. And as my problems persisted, they sent me to a plastic surgeon.

Everything goes smoothly from here, at least physically. Mentally, I had a lot of questions, concerns and doubts. It was the only thing I had wanted for so long, but all of a sudden, the more I felt worried, the more worried I became.

Would I regret it? And if it's not right? What if I react excessively?

I wondered if my inability to lose weight and the restrictions imposed by my F-sized breasts on my ability to perform relatively basic tasks were more important.

Finally, I believed in myself and in what I was doing

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The surgery only took a few hours.

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tk / Shutterstock

Early in the morning, in the spring, after I was 18, I was operated on. It only took a few hours – I was in the hospital in the morning and woke up in the afternoon. I had to spend a night at the hospital, but the next morning, I was sent home.

It looked like a dream – but it was probably thanks to all the medications I was taking. I do not remember being very different, at least not at first.

I had to continue to consult my doctor a few weeks after the surgery. Essentially, they suited me with drainage tubes right at the edge of my breasts. And they had to be emptied, checked and eventually removed in the next few weeks.

It took a while for the swelling to decrease. I really noticed the difference only a few weeks later, when everything had fallen into place and stood.

Of course, I had pain. The first week, I felt really bad in the chest and I could not really do much with my arms. But as the weeks went by, it became less and less intense.

It took me about three weeks to really feel different and by the fourth week – although I was certainly not supposed to be – I was still on tour. I was hiking, working and going to class.

I could actually run, swim in the pool and wear a strapless dress. I always had body problems, but with my newfound freedom, I felt as if a weight had been removed literally and figuratively from my chest. I could see things completely differently.

In the first few months after my surgery, I lost 15 pounds. And yes, part of that came from the actual weight of the ablation of the breast itself. In the year following my surgery, I lost 30 pounds. And since my surgery, I lost 50 pounds in total.

And I could not have done so much if I had not undergone my breast reduction surgery

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I did it because it suited me and I would not change anything.

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Kristina Udice

I really could not do a lot of things that others could do because of my breasts. It was a problem that required a solution and I have made every effort to correct this solution in order to improve my quality of myself, my mind, my body and my overall health.

My breast reduction surgery and my weight loss journey have been difficult. It was a long, difficult and sometimes seemingly impossible process. I was pissed off, frustrated and miserable.

But having me operated, I was able to change my perceptions and really accept it, whatever happens. I was in this trip for no one else. I did not do it to make others happy or to fit into a societal mold. I did it because it suited me and I would not change anything.

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