 Hey y'all, what's up? My name is Sonali. Welcome to my channel if you guys are new and if you are definitely hit that subscribe button. Today I'm going to be filming a very highly requested video and I'm so excited to finally answer all of your questions about my breast reduction. So I got it in September of 2021. It is currently July of 2022. So it's almost been a year since my surgery. So in this video, we're going to be talking about post-op scars. How am I feeling? Am I regretting it? And I've blocked the whole entire process from the pre-op appointment through recovery and everything in between. And I know a lot of people are interested about the cost of the surgery and that's also in one of the pre-op vlogs. So definitely go check that video out and I have a whole playlist about my breast reduction surgery that I will link in the description box. First off, I wanted to talk about what made me decide to get a breast reduction. I have been thinking about it since college. So that was like 2016-17. I actually tried to get it covered by insurance in college and see how that would go and it did not go well. I went to the doctor. I complained about it multiple times and they told me to go to a back doctor where I got x-rays. And they pretty much said I had bad posture but nothing was wrong with me. And I'm like, yes, there's a reason why I have bad posture. But they told me to go to physical therapy and I was just not having it because I was like, I don't want to waste my time or money. I know what I want. I know I want to get the surgery. So years later, I saved up and was able to get the surgery on my own without insurance. I'm not too sure about like the whole process of insurance or how long it really takes to get it approved and all that. But I did get a lift and a breast reduction and the lift was actually the most expensive part. So that was definitely interesting. I got my surgery done at Westlake Dermatology with Dr. Chiki Obi here in Austin, Texas. I had a bunch of questions come through over on Instagram about the surgery. But before I get into those, I wanted to go through a list of things that I highly recommend that you purchase before your surgery. And I will have it linked all in the description box so you guys can collect them. And I think most of the items you can find on Amazon. So it'll be super fast shipping too. The first thing you definitely need to buy are the bras with the zipper in the front. My surgeon only gave me one and I'm pretty sure they have like mini clasps. And it just wasn't as comfortable as the ones I actually purchased myself. And they came in a pack of three, I believe I actually wore these bras months after my surgery. And I still wear them just because I feel like they're really secure and super freaking comfortable. Next up are these rinse-free bath sponges. My surgeon actually didn't tell me about this. But somebody else recommended it to me when they went through a surgery. And let me tell you, these came in clutch because you can't shower for about a week. So these just made me feel so clean. And then my mom washed my hair in the sink. I just kind of like laid on the kitchen island. So that's kind of how I dealt with just not being smelly. And also itchy will get into that because the next thing is gauze and tape. So the most uncomfortable thing about the surgery in my opinion was having drains in me. And these were so freaking itchy guys. So itchy. I was like literally driving myself insane because I couldn't itch them because they're like in me and I don't want them to move and it kind of like hurts when they move. So I would highly recommend to get gauze and tape because they're going to tape up the drains. But when they become itchy, it really helped to change out the gauze and tape. Or you can also call your doctor and ask if you can take a Benadryl. They said if I really needed to I could, but I changed the gauze and I was totally fine. So yes, definitely, definitely get some gauze and tape because you do not want to go insane. And if you don't have drains, consider yourself very, very lucky. Your surgeon will probably ask you to arrive in a button-down shirt and you're going to want to buy a couple of these. And I also recommend to get a oversized fit because you don't want it to be like super fitted. I feel like that would be very uncomfortable. And it's really difficult to raise your hands over your head. So the button-downs are just really easy to take on and off. Liquid IV, which this was actually the first week I tried these magical powder packet things. And something about it made me feel so good. I guess it just made me feel like a lot more hydrated. To treat the scarring, my surgeon told me to use bio oil and just like massage it into the scars. Like, I don't remember how often, but pretty much every single day, if not more. And I was also recommended to get the Scarway Band-Aids, which I'm going to be honest, I didn't really use because they were really annoying. You would have to cut them and like place them on like your curved boob and they just like wouldn't stay. So I definitely think that they would have helped a little bit more, but I was just not very convenient. So I didn't really end up using it very often. Everyone asks how bad is the pain from the surgery? And I'm going to be totally honest. I don't remember feeling any pain whatsoever. It was mainly the itchy drains. Like the drains are right here. I still have scars from the drains actually. So they're right here on the sides and they were so incredibly itchy. I mean, I already told you guys this, but that was like the most uncomfortable part. And then also, I'm pretty sure the anesthesia was a tube down my throat. And I kind of remember them saying like you're going to have like an itchy throat the next couple of days, but I had a very sore throat. Like I remember like feeling like almost sick because my throat was that sore. So just a heads up on that. I'm not sure if like that's the only way to get anesthesia. But if you get a tube stuck down your throat, that's probably why you have a sore throat the next couple of days. My second most asked question was how was recovery? And I've logged the whole entire week of recovery. So if you guys are interested in all the in-depth details, definitely check that video out, but I will kind of like recap it for you guys. So I got the surgery on Monday. I took off work Monday through Friday. And then by Saturday, I was kind of feeling like, okay, I was able to like get out. But then I went straight back home because I was like, okay, that's good enough for me. And then Sunday, it was kind of a little bit more. I was able to like go grocery shopping, not like move a ton, but like just be outside without feeling too fatigued. But every day kind of got better. I definitely recommend to just take a full week of work off if you can. I was extremely lucky that my mom was able to come over here and just help me through recovery. I live with my boyfriend and it would have been totally fine if, you know, he was on his own. But just something about having your mom there is so special. She was able to wash my hair, help me bathe, feed me. I'm very grateful that she did that for me. The whole week was this insane emotional roller coaster. I found out that it might have been the pain meds that did that to me. But like literally the first couple of hours that I was home from the surgery, I was like editing a video. I was super happy. I was like totally fine. I felt like myself like it was insane and then like it kind of spiraled down from there. So like I would kind of cry sometimes and just be like really high highs, really low lows. And then the day before my mom was leaving, I was crying because she was leaving and then she switched her flight. And it was just like wild to say the least. And like I said, I blocked it all in detail. So definitely go check out that recovery block. But overall recovery wasn't that bad. I'm pretty sure two weeks after I got the surgery, I went to ACL, which is a music festival. So like you're out all day long for three days and I was totally fine by then. And a month after my surgery, I actually had a beach vacation plan and I was able to swim. I'm pretty sure four weeks after the surgery. Also, if you guys are wondering what you can and can't do before and after the surgery or two to three weeks, you're supposed to avoid bath tubs, jacuzzi, school, anything that will have your boobs submerged in water. I put that in my pre-op vlog. I go through like the whole list of what the surgeon gave me. It's very interesting to see exactly what you can and can't do because I was kind of surprised by some of them. I know a lot of people are very interested in the scarring of the surgery because I know that was my biggest hesitation. Do I want these scars on my body pretty much for forever? Because yes, they do fade, but they're still very much there after almost a year. And honestly a month or two after, I didn't even care. I didn't even notice like I was so happy with my boobs. So I think just having these scars are like totally worth it. They are way bigger than I thought they would be. They went from here to all the way up here on each boob and then around the nipple, which you can't see at all, but then like a little line down here. So that is pretty much the only thing I see every day is the line because you can't really see the ones down here. But maybe like a little bit on my side if I'm wearing like a really low cut, you know, shirt like this. So yeah, the scars are still very much there, especially the ones on my boobs right here. I'm definitely not going to show that because I'm not going to put my boobs on the internet, but I will show you guys the scarring right in the middle of my boobs. Honestly, like even a month after the surgery, it just kind of looked like a shadow was there and you can't really tell that there are scars unless you look very closely. I will say that my surgeon told me that since I have a darker skin tone, my scars were not going to fade as easily. So that definitely like put a fire under my butt and I was just rubbing bio oil all over them for a very long time. I kind of stopped doing it, but I definitely need to get back into it, especially in the summer months. Like I don't want them to get like too exposed. A couple of random things I wanted to mention is that one, the anesthesia is probably going to make you constipated. So just be aware of that. And then two, when you get your bandages off and drains out and you see your boobs for the first time, it's going to be so weird. I feel like I remember almost passing out. Honestly, like I don't know why it was so weird to even just see it. And I mean, obviously I was very happy with it, but it definitely takes some time to get used to your new boobs. And I've actually gotten some DMs where people were missing their cleavage and I'll tell you guys, it definitely comes back, which may be good or bad for some people, but yeah, they definitely drop a little bit and I'll get into that a little bit later. But let's go through the questions that came through on Instagram and there is a ton and I want to get to everyone's questions. I'm going to try to keep them short and go through them really fast. First question is, do you regret not going smaller? Yes, 100%. I went from a triple D or a double D. I never know because everyone's size is so differently, but I was a D cup and I asked for a C cup and I really wish I asked for a B cup. Even though the surgeon agreed that a C cup would look really good and it does look really good. I just really wanted like small boobs so that I can wear even more tops because I still feel like my boobs are like a good size and they're still pretty big, but they're not like as huge as they used to be. I do feel like they fit my frame a lot better. Like I do not regret this surgery at all. The past few months, I do feel like they dropped like a good bit, which kind of sucks because I loved when my boobs were like here, which they will be for like, you know, the first couple of months. And I also do feel like I put on a little bit of weight so I'm not sure if that's the reason why they got bigger, but I do wish I went smaller. Next question is, do you think your posture has improved? And absolutely not. That's all on me. Like I think I need like a little back posture tightener, which I literally have. I just never use, but I will say that I do think it helped with the back pain that I used to get. I am a photographer and my back would start hurting so incredibly bad after an hour or an hour and a half of shooting and just standing up and having this big chunky thing around my neck. So I definitely think that's helped a little bit. I don't feel like I have like those back spasms anymore. So that is very nice. Someone asked if I had to change my bras after my breast reduction and I actually got a bunch of bras from Nate Why. It was actually a sponsorship I did with that. It was there barely there line, but I literally wear them all the freaking time and they're not like the cutest bras ever, but I don't really care because I'm able to not even wear a bra anymore, which is amazing. Like this body suit, for example, I'm not wearing a bra. I will say that sometimes when I'm wearing t-shirts and stuff, like when it's like more flowy and not like holding them in a little bit more, I definitely wear a bra, but I really, really like the barely there line from Nate Why and I did do a sponsorship, but I seriously wear them all the time and they're just like more comfy bras. I also like the skims triangle bra. I wear that one a lot. I need to get more of those, but I think they're like almost always sold out, which was so annoying, but I will link the exact styles I used down below. And someone told me before my surgery to not wear any like underwire bras because they're like right along the scars. So they said something about like the scars would be like worse if you wore that. So it kind of scared me away from wearing those types of bras. So I think I tried to wear it once, but honestly, it was like too soon and it was just like really uncomfortable. So I've really just been wearing my Nate Why bras and my skims bras and I still have yet to get measured at like a store. So I'm not even sure what size I am currently. I really need to go to like a SOMA and get measured soon. Maybe I can vlog that for you guys. That would be very exciting. There are a lot of questions about how my boobs feel and this might be TMI but I'm going to give you guys the lowdown starting off with like how my boobs actually feel. Like I said, they dropped and so they're pretty like normal. They feel really normal. They're like normal feeling boobs, I guess. But when I first got them done, they were like up here. I already told you guys this up here, rock hard and I kind of missed that. I didn't have any cleavage and I didn't really care because I loved those small boobs. But as you can see, the cleavage is back and they feel like normal boobs. But the nipples, let's go into the nipples because I feel like that is kind of just like one of my main issues with the surgery right now. They're kind of being wonky. I don't know why. So first off, my boobs were pretty low, you know, before the surgery and so my nipples were too and now they're so high that I have so many nipslips because I don't even like know that they're out, you know, and that happens a lot in bathing suits. I don't know if everyone has this issue, but I don't, I don't just like they're so high and maybe I'm not used to it. But I don't know if that's normal for them to like be placed so high. And my surgeon also made them a lot smaller, which was honestly nice. I didn't mind that. Also, someone asked if I can feel my nipples and I don't really think so to be honest. Like, I mean, I feel, I know that I'm like doing that, but I don't think they can really feel anything, which is weird. My parents were very supportive of the surgery and I was 24 at the time. I was already out of the house. I had the money to pay for it. So they didn't really care that I was doing it, I guess. And, you know, they understood, especially my mom, she totally gets it. But her base hesitation was if I was able to breastfeed once I decided to have kids. And so when I went to my first consultation, I had like a list of all these questions, but the biggest question was that. And basically, I didn't even know this, but apparently not everyone can even breastfeed. She was saying that there's a 50-50 chance of you being able to even do that. But the technology these days, I should be able to breastfeed if I choose to. But once that day comes, which is not anytime soon, I will definitely tell you guys if I'm able to. Last question is, do you feel lighter when moving or working out? So before my surgery, I was really into doing 12-3-30, which is a treadmill workout where you do like a 12-inclined 3-speed for 30 minutes. And I literally have videos of my chest just bouncing up and down, which like that definitely does not happen anymore. And I've also tried to do more running now, which I definitely still need to invest in like a little bit more of a supportive bra for that. But like even in just like my set active bras, running feels a lot better because like this is just not like bouncing up and down. You don't feel that like tension on your chest. So that I would say definitely feels a little bit different. But like weightlifting, I don't think I ever really had a problem with that. Overall, I am insanely grateful and just so happy that I was able to get the surgery. I know it is not cheap whatsoever and it was like so worth every penny. And I do not regret it one bit because I feel like it just fits my frame so much better. And I'm able to wear clothes that I wasn't able to fit into because my boobs are so big and they would just spill out over the top or the sides. And now I really don't have that problem and I am still a size 10 slash large. I just fit my clothes so much better and that is like the best feeling in the world. So if you are looking into it, I definitely recommend to do it if you are able to. And once you get that gut feeling that you really want to do it, go ahead and make that consultation and book your surgery date. I'm pretty sure I had my consultation in maybe like July or June. I really can't remember at the top of my head. I was really lucky because somebody had canceled. So September was the next surgery date available. So that still was a bit of a wait, but I think it would have been a little bit longer. And last year people were still kind of like scared to get surgeries because of COVID and everything. And so now I feel like more people are okay with getting surgery. So my thought process would be that the weights would be even longer. So like I said, if you guys are thinking about it, definitely do your research now and like make moves because I feel like once you decide to get it, especially me, I'm very impatient and waiting for the surgery date belt like years. And if you guys are in Austin, Texas, definitely recommend to go to Westlake Dermatology. Dr. Chiki Obi was amazing. If you guys do end up going to him, definitely tell him I sent you. So that wraps up this video. I'm hoping I don't forget anything. And if you guys have questions, I definitely recommend to watch every one of my breast reduction videos because I swear I go so in-depth and give you guys all the T on the whole surgery and process. And if you guys have any more questions after that, my DMs are always open on Instagram. It is so underscore gnarly without the G. I also made an Instagram highlight and a TikTok playlist answering more breast reduction questions kind of just going in depth. And I'm pretty sure on my Instagram I have a daily kind of written out vlog of how I was feeling every single day. So it's definitely interesting to look back and see how exactly like the whole process was because like now almost a year later, I don't even remember half the things. I'm just so happy I did it for you guys. Leave here. Definitely hit that subscribe button and I will see y'all in my next video. Bye.