I'll have the breast reduction

Get it?

Dear Edahn,

I have a problem that all men and some women may not view as a problem. For whatever reason, I have been blessed with very big breasts since I was a very small pre-teen. However, on the downside, these breasts are very heavy and have always hurt my back. Now they are also starting to hurt my front, meaning my ribcage is very sore from wearing under-wire for so many years. I have been approved by my insurance to get a breast reduction from one of the top surgeons in my city, but I am feeling so many emotions when it comes to actually doing it. First off, I have always been known as someone with "big boobs," so a piece of my identity will be reduced along with them. Second, I am afraid of the pain of having such a big surgery, as I have never had surgery before and the recovery time is at least a few months. Lastly, and in a way, the biggest issue for me, is I am concerned about the scarring on a place of my body that I want to look beautiful. The plus sides are that I will feel much better in my body and clothes will fit better, despite what people may think (it's very hard to find clothing for big breasts). Even with the downsides of this procedure, I have never heard of anyone being unhappy with their results-- actually quite the contrary. Anyone who's had it has told me "it's the best thing I have ever done." Despite this evidence, I am still really freaked out about it. What do you think?

Signed, 

Busty and Bummed

LET'S TRY AND SIMPLIFY this dilemma. The pain isn't going to kill you, so let's put that aside. It's uncomfortable, but not permanent or unbearable and you'll be under general anesthesia. The fact that a piece of a your identity is going to be removed might seem weird, but you're a tough girl. You're more than just a girl with big boobs, and really, our identities are always changing anyway. As we change our jobs or friendships or habits or locations, our identity changes too. It happens naturally and it's not something you need to be afraid of.

That leaves the scarring issue. Any surgeon will tell you that it's impossible to know exactly what type of scars you'll show because everyone's body reacts differently. Your doctor should, however, be able to tell you what type of incision he'll need to make. The choices are either: a) incision around the areola for big breasts, b) (a) with a vertical incision from the bottom of the areola and down for bigger breasts (lollipop), or c) (b) with an addition horizontal incision on the bottom (anchor) for the biggest breasts. More incisions mean more scarring. Even though it'll be hard to predict what the scars will look like, what you should do if you haven't already is do a google-image search for breast reduction scars. Bear in mind that most of the pictures you see will be from plastic surgeons displaying their best work. Lastly, you should read some testimonials. I asked my cousin, a plastic surgeon, about breast reduction surgeries. He said that even though there's scarring, the women are the happiest of all his patients.

In the end, it sounds like there are drawbacks to both getting the surgery and not getting the surgery. It doesn't sound like there's a solution that will make you 100% satisfied and comfortable. Either way, you're going to have to weather through some discomfort. I guess the question is which discomfort is worse? The aesthetic drawbacks or the constant back and rib pain?