Cosmetic Surgery: am I Mad?

ariadne . And what a nice compliment!

Celebrities – hypocritical. Surely not gettingonas bit.

Sorry I have broken the nail on my index finger right across the middle of the nail bed and typing is increasingly difficult and painful.

You may need nail repair surgery, absent

After having difficulty in getting a bra to fit me/to be comfortable/not to result in the dreaded '4 boobs' etc, I went to be measured and fitted properly for a bra. I'm horrified that I need 36GG.

I've been considering, for some time now, investigating the possibility of reduction mammoplasty (breast reduction) which is cosmetic surgery. This is not just about appearance. It's about comfort too. As I'm not very tall, to have a chest this size means my boobs enter a room before me. And yes, I know that all surgery carries risks. My background in the health services, plus other types of surgery I've had, have given me a good appreciation of all that.

I'm going for a 10-minute free consultation at our local Spire hospital on 8th December.

No, I don't accept that 'we should accept the way we look' etc etc, which is the same argument as 'grow old gracefully'. I plan to fight, kick and struggle every step of the way, and if my boobs can be made smaller by surgical means then it will be money well spent. I'd far rather spend on that, than on any cruise ever invented.

Margrete - I would not describe a breast reduction as cosmetic - you must suffer badly from back ache and I think you ought to be able to get that procedure on the NHS. That is quite different from women with perfectly normal breasts who want to enlarge them.

I agree. I thought you could have this operation on the NHS if you are in a lot of discomfort.

I considered trying to go through the NHS and I read what they say about it on the NHS website. For various reasons, I'd rather not have the waiting and all the rest of it. I've already had surgery in the private sector - orthopaedics and gynae, as well as similar in the NHS. I want it done as soon as possible if the man I'm seeing agrees to it, I want it done in comfort and privacy. Yes, it's very uncomfortable, the weight dragging in front, and even with a very expensive bra, I get pain in the upper back between the shoulder-blades. The NHS at present seems geared to saving money and saying 'no' to people or, at very least, making them wait. If I can get this done in January that will be great, plenty of time to recover before spring. We're away over New Year and we don't spend a lot over Christmas. It even affects my clothes. To get a nice jacket that fits me over the shoulders means it won't do up at the front. Blouses gape. For most of my adult life I was size 34C, never gave it a thought, lived an active life with a career and a family, no problems. I'd like to get back to 36C. 36" is the measurement around the rib-cage and GG is the size of boobs.

It's so unfair when you think how much has been paid out by the NHS because of those botched boob jobs. I've always been flatasapancake; used to upset me when I was young but not now.

No indeed crimson. I know what you mean about clothes margrete because occasionally I help my busty friend shop for clothes and it is a problem getting things that fit in other places but still contain her bosom properly.

Why do boobs get so much bigger for some of us, as we get older?
I'm not that much heavier than I used to be but my breasts are much bigger.

I always think it is strange just how much they do vary. Good job other body parts not so variable... thumbs, noses etc

Although I have noticed my earlobes seem to be longer than they were.... I don't wear Bet Lynch-type dangly earrings, either!

Noses do, suposedly carry on growing when the other facial features have stopped, but I'm not sure how long they keep growing for; probably not forever or we'd all look like the child catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

It is well known that ears continue to grow as we age .

I have had the opposite experience, Ella. After losing two stones through strenuous walking my breasts have shrunk from a firm 38C to a couple of empty sacs, 35B. Good job I don't care about my appearance. If only we could dictate where we lost weight - I have never had any excess fat above my waist but my arms now look like twigs. My wrist is barely 6" and I have had to pay to have my watch strap shortened. I am happy that my hips/waist have gone from 45/35 to 41/29 as that means I still have the magic 70% healthy ratio and a flat stomach, but my thighs are still a chunky 21". I am no longer losing weight, even though I am walking whenever I can (thick snow here at the moment, and -5C, so it would be dangerous) so I can only assume that 10 stone is my natural weight, with a BMI of 22.5.
I suppose there are specific exercises I could do to reduce my hips and thighs, but I would be very bored just exercising for the sake of it so as long as I remain a size 14 I will live with my pear shape.

Chunky 21" thighs..greatnan my thighs have never been that thin! I've even got a bit of paper that I kept a record of my thigh measurements on..21 1/2 was the thinnest but the other one was always an inch more. And I'm quite petite as well. When I was very young my weight went down to just over 7st, and I still had huge legs . Along with having no boobs I am the ultimate pear shape.

It is much healthier than an apple shape, Crimson! Apparently, a bit of fat on the buttocks and thighs is good to have.

Stores all the toxins, allegedly; trouble is, when I do sometimes lose a bit of weight off the hips and thighs I start wondering about how many toxins I'm releasing . Cause there's room for an awful lot of them!

Greatnan The size of your thighs will be down to all the walking that you do, increasing the size and strength of the muscles.
That's good "chunky"

I like you, Ella! You should see my calves after a very steep walk - they are as hard as a rugby player's (not that I have ever felt a rugby player's calves.....)

I thought to myself , just for a grin I would measure my thighs , lo and behold they 21 inches .

Then decided to measure my wrists , lo and behold they were 6 inches .

However, I have always had slim limbs , so even if I put on weight they sort of balance me up ,

Takes all sorts , heyho .

My wrist measures 6" as well!

Greatnan I have

THen to be frank they are not so unusual .

[Christmas smile] 6 and a bit hours