Breast Reduction- what DON'T they tell you?

[franticalities.livejournal.com]

Hi All,

After years of agonizing, I've finally decided to have a breast reduction to get my 28G boobs down to a size I feel will be more conducive to my active lifestyle and personal comfort. The surgery is booked for Dec 10th. My surgeon says that the best course of action for me is to have the lollipop incision, along with a lift and lipo. He asked me what size I wanted to be, and I said a B or a C. He said that realistically, he could only get me to a small D. I should have asked why at the time, and I do plan to call him and ask, but does anyone have any ideas as to why he may have said that? Anyway, I have a few questions for you ladies who have had breast reductions:


1) What size were you before/after surgery? Are you pleased with it?
2) I've read all the usual ' what to do after' info- but what does that leave out, based on your own experiences? What tips do you have to ensure a speedy recovery and to minimize scarring? What do you wish someone had told you before the surgery?
3) How long did it take you to get back to work? I work at starbucks, so while I could get away with not lifting heavy stuff for as long as I need, I would need to be able to move my arms enough to hand people change and to serve cups of coffee.

Thanks so much, everyone!

Cyst? Or ingrown hair? Advice required please!

[miss-underjoyed.livejournal.com]

 Hi,
Since Friday I have had a bump appear to the left of my vagina.
It is sore and lumpy and I believe it could be an ingrown hair from shaving.
But I would like your input?
What should I do about it? I've tried hot compresses but it's not solving the pain :(
I really want it to go down ASAP as it's hurting!

Thanks!

( photos )

Dull ache?

[ieatbacon.livejournal.com]

Hello VPers!

I've got a kind of strange question I don't think I've come across before...

I've got this weird dull achy feeling in my right outer lip. It reminds me a bit of the feeling you get when you bruise, say, your arm or something, but (unless I've been doing crrrrrazy things in my sleep) I haven't done anything that might get me bruised there! I looked at the area and it looks totally normal, but there's still this achy feeling. It's not very painful, but it's been going on for a couple of days now and I'm starting to wonder what might be up.

Anyone else ever have this happen? Anyone know what it might be?

Thanks! :)

Feeling "off"... and probably more nervous about it than the situation warrants.

[onlygoodbook.livejournal.com]

My last period came right on time. It was normal in every way. The cramps were bad. The bleeding was heavy. The length was regular (five days). I'm now on Day 12 or so of my cycle and usually at this point, my discharge would be increasing, clear, copious, you know, the whole pre-ovulation special... but nothing yet. I still feel pretty dry.

I've been having fairly serious headaches almost daily since my period ended, and some minor drainage down my throat, as though I were on the verge of developing a cold, and feeling a little nauseous, hopefully just as a result of the drainage... It's just strange that my cycle doesn't seem to be moving. I've been intimate since my last period, but haven't had intercourse or anything near it (no genital-genital contact). It seems almost impossible that I'm pregnant, given the normal period (and no reason last month to suspect pregnancy before the period showed up on time), but that's of course what I'm worried about...

It's the headaches and the no-show (yet) clear ropey discharge I'm used to seeing around this time in my cycle that have me worried.





I'm STD-free.

I'm not on any form of HBC, but when my partner and I do have sex, we always use condoms carefully. We also have avoided days 9-19 of my cycle when I'm potentially fertile as an extra safety measure for the past two or three months.

I am quite thin. I eat plenty (seriously, I have a good appetite and I hate being hungry) and I'm physically fit, but I've got skinny genes. I just calculated my BMI and it's about 16.5. I wonder if a fluctuation of a few pounds would throw my cycle off. I started a new job three weeks ago and I've been running around a lot at work and walking to work and home, on top of the physical activity I engaged in during my last (more sedentary) job. I haven't noticed weight loss at all, but it's possible. A pound or two may count quite a bit when you're 5'6" and just over 100 to begin with. My weight dropped five pounds inexplicably (not accompanied by any uptick in exercise or decrease in appetite) three or four months ago and I haven't regained that, but my last cycles haven't been affected.

Headaches are relatively common for me, but they seem a little more frequent and a little less responsive to sleep and Excedrin. This could be related to the new job. I am going to work earlier and getting less sleep.

the (ins) and outs of it!

[vaginahelppp.livejournal.com]

I need some help here. I am 19 and have never really been inside of my vagina. I know! I was raised by my two dads, and while they are wonderful, I always felt weird going to them about this stuff. I never had a woman help me with the basics. I have always worn pads and my boyfriend is (18) also a virgin. We want to do this together but I want to be comfortable with myself first. The good news is that I've been masturbating (clitoral stimulation) since I was around 5 and have that down to an art. :) 

So... I have tried visiting the clitoris .com and so forth but the sites just make me more confused. For example, below my clit- the fleshy part. Is this my vagina? WHAT IS IT? Is the vaginal opening BELOW that? I have touched that part and when I do, it seems like a soft wall that I cannot push through and I feel like I'm touching the wrong thing. Basically, I want to try fingering myself during masturbation but I want to make sure I know where the opening is and what's going on in the middle there. Graphic descriptions, pictures, etc are welcomed. Thank you.