Why I reversed my breast reduction surgery
December 5, 2006
Size does matter: Jenn Gearey explains why, 10 years after having her breasts reduced, she changed her mind and went under the knife again
OTTAWA — Growing up, I obsessed about covering my oversized headlights. They pushed through sweaters, bubbled out of sundresses and ached after long cross-country runs. From burdensome backaches to stinging stares, I felt that my breasts were a disability: physical discomfort that required me to wear more than one support bra at a time sometimes; emotional agony every time I was judged — by men or women — all because of my genes, all because of double-Ds on my 5-foot-2 frame.
There are certainly worse things in the world than big breasts, but at 19, I loathed the fact that the over- the- shoulder- boulder- holders I had to wear had big thick straps, and looked nothing like the cute, sexy, sequin-studded bras other women were sporting. If anything, emotionally, my breasts made me feel unwomanly, more like a slave to my biology, which caused me to be objectified by wandering eyes.
Breasts have power — power to make people feel good or bad. By the time I reached 20, mine had already been making me feel bad for years, and so I went under the knife to have them reduced.
Patricia Berbari, a cosmetic surgeon in Gatineau, Que., says four reasons prompt women to opt for breast-reduction surgery:
- Physical ailments, such as back or neck pain, irritation or rashes, and headaches;
- Social problems, such as being unable to find clothes that fit because of the discrepancy between chest and waist sizes;
- An inability to take part in sports because the breasts are too big and heavy;
- Cosmetics, as very large breasts can be droopy and unsightly.
The recovery from a breast reduction is painful and there are scars, but for those who want the physical and emotional weight lifted, the discomfort can be worth it. For a while, I loved my new, B breasts — the freedom I had to move, the clothes I could buy, the inconspicuousness I could experience wearing a fitted white T-shirt.
In time, I lost a few dress sizes and had two children — something not kind to breasts, especially ones that have already been reduced. The result: bags of A-cup skin.
I didn’t regret the reduction 10 years ago, but I wanted to fill a champagne glass again — and, although my husband will appreciate it, I’m doing this for me, to like the way I look and feel.
And so last week, I went under the knife again.
While silicone gel implants are now approved for use here, and are said to look and feel more like real breasts, I chose saline (salt water) implants.
The surgery went well, and the breasts look more beautiful than I ever expected. But above all, the confidence I’ve gained goes far beyond having 630 cubic centimetres restored to my chest.
- Source: The Globe and Mail, Dec. 2, 2006
