The consultation

(image caption: a comic book picture. A person with very large breasts says to a doctor "They tell me I have pretty feet and I'd like to see them.")

It took a long time for me to get to the point of choosing a surgeon, and even then I put off actually having a consultation for months. I had emailed the surgery and had been informed of the price, and that it would need to be paid up front, and I had to seriously consider if now was the right time to be dropping that sort of cash. What about my wedding? the honeymoon? a deposit on a property? Any money that I spent on myself, was money that I was taking away from my partner to be spent on us as a couple.

Finally I had decided to just make the appointment, and then if I didn't want to go through with it, at least I would know whether or not I was a suitable candidate, and have the chance to answer any questions.

On the 15th January my partner and I made our way to the Lido Medical clinic, to meet with surgeon Dr Stephenson. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I had prepared a speech in case he turned me down on the grounds of being overweight. Yes I am large around the belly, but I was also attending the appointment inbetween evening pantomime shows, where I sang and danced after doing a regular job in the day. I was determined to prove that I was in excellent shape, fit enough to go under the knife.

My weight has been a struggle in recent years, as I have battled endometriosis, and my mobility has decreased naturally due to my congenital physical disability (bi-lateral hip dysplasia), and at this point, with my breasts as heavy as they are, and literally crushing my lungs, it's certainly not easy to lose fat. However, there is plenty of research out there showing that people who have breast reductions find that afterwards they find their mobility so much increased that they start losing weight.

BUT, I must stress, this surgery was not, and is not, about regular weight loss. Sure, if I lose some fat I'll be happy about it, but this surgery is about all-round quality of life.

Whilst there, Dr Stephenson checked my breasts for any lumps, and I am relieved to say he found none. I haven't always been great at checking my breasts, because I dislike them so much to the point where I just try to ignore them.

We talked about my ideal cup size, and I said that I would like to go down to a C, and he talked about the actual surgery itself, and what it would entail. I was advised that there would be a lot of scarring, however it would fade over time. My partner also had a few questions to ask.

In the end, I didn't need to give my speech about being fit whilst fat, though I did mention it. As the meeting drew to a close, Dr Stephenson simply asked when I would like to go ahead. I hadn't really thought that far. Somewhere between now, and long enough to get my finances in order. I said March, and he said that the 7th of March was free. I said let's do it.

Choosing a surgeon

(photo caption: a headless photo of a person in a doctor's white outfit, wearing a stethoscope, with arms crossed in front of their chest).

I can't exactly pinpoint the day when I decided that the time was now, and that I was going to go ahead with the surgery. I had started to organise my wedding dress in 2019 (for 2021), and that was definitely a big factor. I had picked the design and the dressmaker, and I started to really think about how I would feel on the day wearing it. How I would do my hair, my makeup, and how it would feel walking down the aisle.

Now, I'm not a thin person. For much of my life I have been both thin and active, but I was born with a disability that has made my mobility increasingly limited, especially since entering my 30's, and then I was also unfortunate enough to develop an incurable condition called endometriosis. So, when picturing walking down the aisle, I was already at peace with the idea that I was, and am, going to be a bigger bride than the ones you see in all the magazines, and that's totally fine. My body still rocks. But in examining all of that, I understood that there was one part of me that I was completely unable to make peace with, and that was the size of my breasts.

To some of you reading this, that might sound stupid, ridiculous, whiny, whatever. If so, you don't get me, or my journey, so you might as well not read any more of this blog! To me, it was a big sign that something needed to change.

It's not just about how I'm going to feel on that wedding day, that day just happens to represent one of many phases of my life, and a new part of my life journey. The bigger picture is, how would I feel ten, twenty, thirty years down the line if I never got the surgery? I'm 100% sure that I would regret it.

Living in the Channel Islands, I may have more or less choice than where you, the reader lives, but overall I consider my choices to be very limited.

1) There was no option for me to get this surgery paid for by my health provider (the government). They do offer some breast reduction surgeries, but the criteria is so narrow that there was no way I would have been accepted as a candidate.

2) Living on a small island means that there is generally less access to health professionals.

3) I did not want to travel to have the surgery. This was a big deal for me. The idea of having a surgery and then getting on a flight to come home was just unbearable. And what about the aftercare? Would it be as good? It just felt too frightening.

So, after reviewing the surgeons available, it became apparent that there was in fact only one suitable surgeon. They are highly recommended, local, and they perform the surgery in the local hospital. The downside is they require full payment (around £6,000) in full before the surgery. Although I intend to take out the necessary loan to pay for this, it is a large amount of money, and that is why I am crowdfunding to see if any kind souls out there have a few spare pennies. Yes, I know, there are more worthy causes.

If you should have any spare pennies, please click the link below:

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/lisasweddingbreasts/

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/lisasweddingbreasts/

If you would like to know more about the surgeon that I have selected, you can find them at the link below. I found Dr Stephenson to be completely understanding and sympathetic, and I have full confidence that he is going to give me a good outcome. (If he doesn't, I'll rant here about it post-surgery.)

https://www.jerseysurgery.co.uk/

In the beginning...there were giant breasts

Hello and welcome! Settle down, and I'll tell you all about the Quest for Smaller Breasts, and our hero (me).

My name is Lisa, and I was born in England back in 1986. I was a pole-thin child, of average height. Around the age of 15, puberty hit me HARD. I don't even remember going through training bras, or A, B or C cups. By 16, I had giant, heavy, D cup breasts.

There are lots of crappy things about having giant breasts, and there is no one defining reason as to why I decided to get rid of them. Let's make a list!

1) They are incredibly heavy.
2) Neck pain.
3) Back pain.
4) The breast tissue itself hurting as it stretches due to its own weight.
5) Clothes not fitting well.
6) They get in the way when you try to do any sport or activity.
7) Basically being in pain every day and always being hyper aware of them, and the discomfort.

When I was 21, and my breasts had become a G cup, I decided to get a referral for a breast reduction. I had the first appointment, but I was too scared to go any further, and my partner at the time was not supportive of the surgery.

But now, at the age of 33, I have decided enough is enough, and it's time to take the gals down. Join me as I go through my journey (dangerous quest) and learn all of the ins and outs of getting a breast reduction, and if you have some spare pennies, feel free to donate to the cause.

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/lisasweddingbreasts