Sunday 11-20-11
Boobies busting out all over...
In my last post I talked a lot about The Girls, and how they have influenced my life since their arrival. My breasts developed early and, like a houseplant that has found a favorite window, they grew, and grew, and...I don't think they ever completely stopped. As my body size has increased, my breasts have increased as well. When I have dieted and exercised to shrink, however, I have successfully lost inches around my rib cage and back, but The Girls have always held their ground. My chest must be some prime real estate because The Girls ain't budging!
I have toyed for over 20 years with the idea of getting breast reduction surgery, but something always held me back from going ahead with it. I feel sure this is another part of God's plans and His timing, because now I am at a point where I am ready for weight loss surgery. I am so big now all over, it's time to just shrink everything. With the kind of weight the surgeon tells me I can expect to lose, some breast loss is all but inevitable. And I am fine with that.
Some education about breasts and their confinement: First of all, bra cup sizes don't stop at the letter D, or even at more than one or 2 D's. There is a whole alphabet of cup sizes beyond D, they just don't stock them in stores. Even the bras at so-called "plus-size" retailers never worked for me because the cups were just not big enough. My "cups runneth over." And believe me, I write this with nothing but humility (bordering on humiliation).
Secondly, for girls with Big Girls, we often need to find either an online source for bras that will accommodate us, or better yet, a custom fitter within a decent distance of where we live. I am blessed to live in a city where a custom fitter has operated a little shop out of her house for decades. Here busty ladies can find bras that will work for us, fitted with both expertise and compassion for our situation. I call her my Lingerie Lady, and I have referred countless other girls to her over the years for fittings. Nothing much is worse than trying to pour, stuff or force The Girls into a space too small to house them, in a style or fabric intended for much smaller breasts. Big Girls need substantial undergarments for daily wear, and comfort is not to be had in some filmy, flimsy, next-to-nothing bra, period. Back, neck and shoulder strain and pain are sure to follow. Some gals can wear lingerie; when you're built like I am, it's more like armor!
Some medical history about The Girls is in order as well, especially since I mentioned that they've been contentious ever since they were installed. I had my first scare with a breast lump at age 12. It was incredibly painful and, even with the miniscule likelihood of a malignancy at that age, I and my Mama were both pretty freaked-out about it. After seeing my lifelong (male) pediatrician, I was referred to a surgeon, a man with no bedside manner and cold hands. Fortunately he was also knowledgeable and preferred to take a wait-and-see approach to my lump, which he said was most likely a clogged milk duct, and while it was painful, it was harmless and would likely resolve on its own, which it did.
In the years that followed I was diagnosed with fibrocystic breasts, which makes sense because they've been lumpy for as long as I can remember. I had a lump come up about a year after the Hubs and I got married, and at age 23, I underwent my first mammogram. That lump (as well as the mammogram) also turned out to be harmless, thank God. The years that followed brought several other lumps, many mammograms and a few breast ultrasounds and/or spot compressions when something suspicious showed up. Most women have yearly mammograms starting at age 40, but because of my history of lumps and the sheer size of my breasts, I began having annual mammograms at age 35, which my insurance always covered. There has never been any cancer, for which I again thank God, and knock wood!
I will stress here the vital importance of monthly self-exams for all women of every breast size, because all of us women need to know how Our Girls feel normally. That way if something out of the norm pops up, we can be aware of it and get it checked. We have to be our own best advocate when it comes to our health. This public service announcement is proudly sponsored my My Girls, for the health and benefit of Your Girls.
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