Alyssa's life changing surgery!
Donation protected
Hey there! My name is Alyssa and I am a 20 year old college nursing student. I am looking to raise money in order to cover my breast reduction surgery. Unfortunately, my insurance will not cover the surgery, even though my primary care doctor recommended the surgery and my surgeon determined my case to be medically necessary as my breasts are too large for my body and cause me a significant amount of pain and issues every day...for years.
Because I am a nursing student, if everything goes according to plan, I will be beginning my full time (and VERY busy)nursing courses/clinicals fall of this year, so my surgeon recommended getting the surgery done by this summer. If you are taking the time to read this, I want to thank you so much. ANY donation would mean the entire world to me, no matter the amount. If you are unable to donate, sharing my page with others would make me just as happy!
A little bit of background and detail about my situation begins at the age of 12. When I entered middle school, I went from being a flat-chested training bra girl, to being significantly more developed, in the span of one summer. Once my breasts began to develop, they just didn't stop. From 7th grade to my freshman year, I went from a C cup all the way to an E cup, leaving me with intense stretchmarks and a lot of pain. By the age of 15, I was begging my parents for this surgery, but I was too young, not fully developed and hadn't tried other methods of relief. As expected, my breasts grew even more as I progressed through high school and are now at my current size, which is a G cup. My breasts are also different sizes, and the uneven weight distribution has an impact on my posture and areas of pain. The amount of pain and the confidence issues this has caused me are immeasurable. Most recently I have begun to experience very painful cases of Intertrigo under my breasts. For some personal information, but necessary, I will explain. "Intertrigo (sometimes called candida intertrigo) can occur anywhere on the body where skin rubs against skin, such as between the thighs or on the underside of the belly or armpit. A warm, moist environment encourages infection by either yeast, fungus or bacteria. Sometimes swelling, sores and blisters can also occur"...yeah. Basically, because my breasts are so heavy, air is unable to flow freely between the skin of my breasts and the skin of my chest. This leads to moisture buildup and friction throughout the day and can result in infections. These happen to me very, very often and cause me a lot of pain, so much sometimes that I can't sleep.
I have tried everything when it comes to dealing with my breast size and the pain and issues it causes me. The first thing I tried was weight loss. In my Sophomore year I lost around 30 pounds, but my breasts stayed about the same size, making them a bit more painful and finding clothing that fit me properly even more difficult than it already was. Not to mention, the weight that came down on my chest while trying to work out made it incredibly hard for me to exercise and even breathe. I am unable to run at all for exercise, as the constant weight coming down is too much for my chest to bear. When I finally found a sports bra that was even remotely close to supportive enough, and the right size, it cost over 70 dollars and after one hour of wear I had large red marks and dips in my collar due to all the pressure. I also tried buying more supportive regular bras as well, and while they work for some time, they are also 80+ dollars for ONE and the weight of my breasts wears them out very quickly. Due to the high price, I generally only own ONE bra at a time.
I then moved to physical therapy, which was recommended by my primary care doctor. After a couple months of doing physical therapy, my therapist actually decided to "drop" my case, telling me that what we were doing clearly wasn't working, and she recommended I try a different treatment route.
Frustrated and desperate for relief, I started seeing an acupuncturist. While the sessions gave me a great nap, lol, they did nothing to relieve my pain. Finally, I was recommended to try chiropractic therapy. I was disappointed to find out upon completing a few appointments with the chiropractor, that it was all the same treatment as physical therapy, with occasional adjustments (which caused me pain) and was going to have me out 800+ dollars!
The pain is not only physical, my breasts have caused me intense emotional discomfort and dysphoria. As a female, and from a young age, I receive/d a lot of unwanted looks, comments and attention. Finding clothes that fit me properly is so difficult due to the large difference between my breast size and the rest of my body. So, not only do I feel self conscious in my skin, but I can't ever find clothes that make me feel good about myself because nothing ever fits. Anything that does fit usually costs me $50 or more due to "special sizing". As a result, I turn to baggy clothes in attempt to hide my large chest, which are not flattering and often make me feel embarrassed. I'm 20 years old, I would love to feel good in my own skin and to be able to dress in a way that makes me happy. I haven't ever known what that feels like. I am brought to tears with discomfort if I am asked to remove my shirt. It doesn't matter if its my mom or even my doctor. I request that my boyfriend of 4 years look away when I am changing...and it really hurts. In fact, I don't even like to take my shirt off when I am alone. I have spent countless hours looking in the mirror and wishing I was someone else. I have spent so much time crying over this. Unfortunately, I feel as though my breast size has held me back from doing a lot of the things I want to do in life, because I am embarrassed and sometimes ashamed.
After spending well over $1,000+ and going through exhausting efforts to get relief for my back and neck, I have reached a mental and physical breaking point. My back is in pain constantly, and every night when I lie down, the sudden loss of strain on my back actually causes my back to cramp up and I can't lay flat for the first few minutes without intense spasms and pain. I finally had a consultation with a surgeon here in Maryland who has excellent credentials and reviews. He told me that because of the weight and size of my breasts, he would remove almost HALF of each of my breasts.
My dream is that with the surgery, I will be able to live a happier and more comfortable life. I believe that my pain would decrease significantly and I'd actually be able to exercise!!! I will no longer get constant infections and I'll be able to do more of the physical activities I wish to partake in. I will be able to find clothing that fits me properly and save A LOT of money each year. if you've gotten this far, I just want to thank you again for taking the time to read about my case.
Any amount of a donation is so greatly appreciated, and if you cannot donate, I just ask that you share this page so that I can get the help I need!
Thanks,
Alyssa
Because I am a nursing student, if everything goes according to plan, I will be beginning my full time (and VERY busy)nursing courses/clinicals fall of this year, so my surgeon recommended getting the surgery done by this summer. If you are taking the time to read this, I want to thank you so much. ANY donation would mean the entire world to me, no matter the amount. If you are unable to donate, sharing my page with others would make me just as happy!
A little bit of background and detail about my situation begins at the age of 12. When I entered middle school, I went from being a flat-chested training bra girl, to being significantly more developed, in the span of one summer. Once my breasts began to develop, they just didn't stop. From 7th grade to my freshman year, I went from a C cup all the way to an E cup, leaving me with intense stretchmarks and a lot of pain. By the age of 15, I was begging my parents for this surgery, but I was too young, not fully developed and hadn't tried other methods of relief. As expected, my breasts grew even more as I progressed through high school and are now at my current size, which is a G cup. My breasts are also different sizes, and the uneven weight distribution has an impact on my posture and areas of pain. The amount of pain and the confidence issues this has caused me are immeasurable. Most recently I have begun to experience very painful cases of Intertrigo under my breasts. For some personal information, but necessary, I will explain. "Intertrigo (sometimes called candida intertrigo) can occur anywhere on the body where skin rubs against skin, such as between the thighs or on the underside of the belly or armpit. A warm, moist environment encourages infection by either yeast, fungus or bacteria. Sometimes swelling, sores and blisters can also occur"...yeah. Basically, because my breasts are so heavy, air is unable to flow freely between the skin of my breasts and the skin of my chest. This leads to moisture buildup and friction throughout the day and can result in infections. These happen to me very, very often and cause me a lot of pain, so much sometimes that I can't sleep.
I have tried everything when it comes to dealing with my breast size and the pain and issues it causes me. The first thing I tried was weight loss. In my Sophomore year I lost around 30 pounds, but my breasts stayed about the same size, making them a bit more painful and finding clothing that fit me properly even more difficult than it already was. Not to mention, the weight that came down on my chest while trying to work out made it incredibly hard for me to exercise and even breathe. I am unable to run at all for exercise, as the constant weight coming down is too much for my chest to bear. When I finally found a sports bra that was even remotely close to supportive enough, and the right size, it cost over 70 dollars and after one hour of wear I had large red marks and dips in my collar due to all the pressure. I also tried buying more supportive regular bras as well, and while they work for some time, they are also 80+ dollars for ONE and the weight of my breasts wears them out very quickly. Due to the high price, I generally only own ONE bra at a time.
I then moved to physical therapy, which was recommended by my primary care doctor. After a couple months of doing physical therapy, my therapist actually decided to "drop" my case, telling me that what we were doing clearly wasn't working, and she recommended I try a different treatment route.
Frustrated and desperate for relief, I started seeing an acupuncturist. While the sessions gave me a great nap, lol, they did nothing to relieve my pain. Finally, I was recommended to try chiropractic therapy. I was disappointed to find out upon completing a few appointments with the chiropractor, that it was all the same treatment as physical therapy, with occasional adjustments (which caused me pain) and was going to have me out 800+ dollars!
The pain is not only physical, my breasts have caused me intense emotional discomfort and dysphoria. As a female, and from a young age, I receive/d a lot of unwanted looks, comments and attention. Finding clothes that fit me properly is so difficult due to the large difference between my breast size and the rest of my body. So, not only do I feel self conscious in my skin, but I can't ever find clothes that make me feel good about myself because nothing ever fits. Anything that does fit usually costs me $50 or more due to "special sizing". As a result, I turn to baggy clothes in attempt to hide my large chest, which are not flattering and often make me feel embarrassed. I'm 20 years old, I would love to feel good in my own skin and to be able to dress in a way that makes me happy. I haven't ever known what that feels like. I am brought to tears with discomfort if I am asked to remove my shirt. It doesn't matter if its my mom or even my doctor. I request that my boyfriend of 4 years look away when I am changing...and it really hurts. In fact, I don't even like to take my shirt off when I am alone. I have spent countless hours looking in the mirror and wishing I was someone else. I have spent so much time crying over this. Unfortunately, I feel as though my breast size has held me back from doing a lot of the things I want to do in life, because I am embarrassed and sometimes ashamed.
After spending well over $1,000+ and going through exhausting efforts to get relief for my back and neck, I have reached a mental and physical breaking point. My back is in pain constantly, and every night when I lie down, the sudden loss of strain on my back actually causes my back to cramp up and I can't lay flat for the first few minutes without intense spasms and pain. I finally had a consultation with a surgeon here in Maryland who has excellent credentials and reviews. He told me that because of the weight and size of my breasts, he would remove almost HALF of each of my breasts.
My dream is that with the surgery, I will be able to live a happier and more comfortable life. I believe that my pain would decrease significantly and I'd actually be able to exercise!!! I will no longer get constant infections and I'll be able to do more of the physical activities I wish to partake in. I will be able to find clothing that fits me properly and save A LOT of money each year. if you've gotten this far, I just want to thank you again for taking the time to read about my case.
Any amount of a donation is so greatly appreciated, and if you cannot donate, I just ask that you share this page so that I can get the help I need!
Thanks,
Alyssa
Organizer
Alyssa Currier
Organizer
Columbia, MD
