I Sympatize People With Gigantomastia

If you know me, you know that I have written quite extensively on macromastia--both from my own experience and from the experiences of my macro friends.

Here I would like to write about reduction surgery. A common suggestion that macro women often hear is, "Why don't you ('just'--as though it's an easy decision) have surgery to get your breasts reduced?" I have myself heard this many times over the years and if it is not said forthrightly, it is STRONGLY suggested. The first thing I want to say is that the decision to have a reduction is an intensely personal one. I do not want to have reduction surgery and I will resist having it as long as possible. My reasons are many and I will not go into them here. If you follow my SW writings on macromastia, you can probably find them in one of my earlier posts. However, if a friend of mine elects to have reduction surgery, I will support her decision fully. Every macro woman has her own unique circumstances and her own personal struggles. I have absolutely no authority to tell her what she should do because I have not walked in her shoes. My only admonition to my friend is that she thoroughly research the subject, talk to others about their surgical experiences, and think/pray long and hard before jumping at the procedure. There are many doctors who are convinced that the only viable treatment for macromastia is to dramatically reduce the mass of the breasts through surgery. But there are many irreversible effects of such surgery that are not often shared with the woman and her family. All of these aspects need to be completely aired and discussed.

The other issue I want to mention is the incredibly convoluted and frustrating experience that many macro women have with their medical insurance providers. Way too many insurers put a woman through bureaucratic hell to receive insurance approval for reduction operations. This is just not acceptable. A woman--often an underage female--who has suffered through the medical pain and social indignities of macromastia should not have to tolerate the unconscionable reluctance of insurance companies to cover ANY part of their treatment, let alone reduction surgery. My advice to the woman who finds herself in this fix is to make absolutely certain that your doctor will support you fully and in writing and will be willing to jump through all the hoops that insurers demand before they will pay. Have a trusted and persistent family member or friend who has dealt with insurers before handle the heavy lifting for you. You have suffered enough. You should not have to engage insurance companies in prolonged battles as well.

With regard to national health insurance departments like those in either the United Kingdom or Canada, you especially have my sympathies. The limited contact I have had with macro women in those countries indicates to me that it is VERY difficult to get national health insurers ("single payers") to assent to reduction surgery. The tendency of those outfits is to resist and deny interminably which makes a bad situation numerous times worse for the macro sufferer. For many macro women, the election to have surgery is NOT a mere cosmetic determination, but relates directly to the woman's health and quality of life.

So, if you are macro and are considering reduction surgery, please explore all your medical options thoroughly and extensively, and may God bless you in whatever decision you believe is right for you! 🙂