Sorry for the long post!
Hello, i’ve been a lurker on this subreddit and was further encouraged to get my breast reduction! I have always had bigger breasts, which got way bigger due to weight gain (although i lost at least half of the weight later on) that caused severe back, neck, and shoulder pain. In addition with the fact that I would be starting my master’s program in the summer, I thought it would be the perfect time to get my breast reduction! I got approved by insurance after switching insurances and was able to secure a surgery date of 4/14.
I was extremely nervous, but got through surgery and started recovery. Around day 3 or 4, i started to get chills at night and would wake up with a slightly high temp. I let my doctor know, but they told me to not be worried unless my temp was over 101.4 for a prolonged period of time and to continue taking Tylenol, which caused my temp to go go down. I kept calling them multiple times within the week as I was concerned, but was basically given advice to calm down, take my medication (which did not include antibiotics). I also could not see anything because my reduction was wrapped up. It wasn’t until the following Monday when my temp would no longer go down and my heart rate was over 120 bpm that I decided to go to the ER, and it was revealed that I had an infected wounds in both breasts. One of the wounds popped open and started draining while at the hospital. But regardless, I had to stay in the hospital and fight the infection from Tuesday to Friday, which was when i was discharged with antibiotics and instructions on how to dressings for my wounds for the next 2-3 months.
I have huge wound dehiscence on both breasts, with my left breast having bigger wounds than my right. It seems that my whole vertical incision is open on the left. And on the right, which wasn’t initially open but I assume opened due to the infection, I have open wounds on the nipple and another open wound on the vertical incision, which is a little smaller than the left. (I will post pics)
I saw my surgeon today and they let me know they haven’t really seen wounds like this before (lucky me :)) but have referred me to a wound care clinic for hyperbaric wound treatment. He also mentioned possibly getting a skin graft and future scar revision surgery.
I can’t lie, this has been a horrible and traumatic experience. I was excited to be rid of the pain from my large breasts, but I definitely have been wondering whether this was the right decision. I definitely wished I had trusted myself and listened more to my body rather than putting my trust in my surgeon. I am grateful that the infection didn’t turn into sepsis, but that has not made the mental and emotional load any lighter. I am especially concerned about the wounds healing. I am very sad and scared and it’s made worse by the fact that I have to move out of state to start school next month. I’m not entirely sure how to go about this situation. Please, if anyone has any advice or support, it would be greatly appreciated.