HE NEEDS TO KNOW
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Florida woman who once wore a G-cup bra underwent dramatic breast reduction after giving birth
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Cameron “Cam” Light opens up about her decision — and why she has no regrets — in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE
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“I didn’t realize how much discomfort I had normalized over the years,” says the 30-year-old.
A Florida woman who once wore a G-cup bra underwent a dramatic breast reduction. She documented the entire journey on Instagram and is now speaking out about her decision – and why she has no regrets.
Cameron “Cam” Light says she started having problems with her breasts as a teenager. “I started realizing my discomfort in high school,” she tells PEOPLE exclusively.
“In college, I was overwhelmed by their weight. I vividly remember crying to my then-boyfriend, now husband, at 18 in the freshman bathroom, explaining how uncomfortable I was,” she continues. “They were heavy, hurt, and didn’t feel like mine. I wanted a discount so badly, even then.”
Light, 30, says she had her first breast reduction consultation in her 20s, but several factors kept her from getting the surgery at the time — including the high cost of the procedure and being told she might not be able to breastfeed her children afterward.
“I didn’t want to wait, but they had a lot working against me,” she recalls. “The cost was prohibitive most of the time. I still wasn’t sure if I wanted kids. Plus, the younger you are when you get a discount, the more likely you are to need another.”
Light says she and her husband eventually decided they wanted children, and she eventually gave birth to a son. At that moment, however, the discomfort caused by her breasts worsened.
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In a candid Instagram post, Light revealed that her bra size measured 42G.
“They got heavier and smaller from pregnancy and nursing, weighing over 10 pounds and hanging near the belly button,” she tells PEOPLE.
Light, who was studying to become a midwife at the time, tells PEOPLE that she still had a long way to go before she finally had the surgery.
“I kept dreaming of the day I finished school so I could have surgery. We also weighed a potential second pregnancy before that, but in the end we decided we were done having kids,” she recalls.
Finally, several years after her initial consultation, Light began researching surgeons and eventually found the right fit.
“She was smart, kind, and supportive of my goals,” Light says, describing her surgeon, Dr. Emily Jiles. “He knew how small I wanted to go and gave me the best suggestions on how to get there. There was never any pressure to make one decision over another and as a supplier that gave me so much confidence going forward.”
Courtesy of Cameron Light
Light – who also owns Amaze Games, a small business escape room and board game lounge – went up and running in January, “after 12 very long years”.
She says she decided to pay for the procedure out of pocket instead of trying to go through her insurance because she wanted maximum control over the outcome. (“I wanted to go as small as possible,” she explained on Instagram.)
“Insurance companies have a say in the procedures they allow and the amounts they take out. I didn’t want some random person telling me what I could and couldn’t do with a permanent decision for my body, so I saved the money and did it myself,” she further explains to PEOPLE.
Light says she doesn’t regret her decision to undergo the surgery. “I feel more like myself than I have in many, many years. The relief was immediate,” she explains, adding that she immediately lost 5 lbs. from her chest.
“I’m snoring less, the heartburn is completely gone, and I don’t find myself gasping for air while standing because the weight is finally off my lungs and diaphragm. I still have a long way to go to correct the damage the weight has done to my body, but I’m looking forward to this journey,” adds Light.
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“I didn’t realize how much discomfort I had normalized over the years,” she continues. “They were an ever-present annoyance that I had gotten used to…constantly adjusting, planning outfits around what could support the weight, crossing my arms in public so I wouldn’t be seen, wearing multiple bras just to feel some semblance of support while working and exercising…the list goes on. It had all become so normal to me.”
As for what advice Light would give to others considering breast reduction surgery? She recommends meeting with several providers until one finds the perfect match.
“I wanted a doctor who would listen to me and not try to change my mind or make me bigger than I wanted to stay ‘in proportion’. Cuts are life-changing surgery – it shouldn’t be something you do on a whim with people you don’t trust,” she says.
Light adds that it’s okay to “grief” an old body, even if someone is 100 percent sure they want the surgery.
“I’ve always loved my body, even when it no longer fit what I needed. I celebrated it with my friends a few nights before the surgery by having a breast party and burning bras in my backyard,” she recalls.
Courtesy of Cameron Light
Light also says she worked with a therapist before undergoing surgery to make sure the transition went as smoothly as possible.
“I felt pure joy just from waking up after the surgery, and I attribute a lot of that to the emotional work I did before the surgery,” she tells PEOPLE.
Read the original article on People