I am sixty 67 year old motherof five and have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, having been told that i had this was a big enough shock for me, then I’m told that i will need to have a masectomy this is all too much. Now i’m faced with what surgery i need to have. My surgeon has reasurred me that the best would be for me to have a muscle from my back used to reconstruct my breast, i’m so scared and worried that my body will reject it and i will need to have so much surgery that i will be so scared my new breast will look horrific.
The other only alternative is not to have no breast at all and use a chicken fillet to pad out my bra, this option i feel would make me feel incomplete,less of a woman and every time i take the bra off i would have a constant reminder in front of me having no breast at all.
I need to decide soon because my op is going to be next month, and the team that will be operating and looking after me need to know one way or another.
Jean, just read your post! I haven’t had a mastectomy or recon but I can sympathise with you on the emotional turmoil. I had the choice of lumpectomy and rads or the mastectomy.Initially they told me I needed a mastectomy it was an awful choice but i would have gone with a recon if posible.Luckily it wasn’t as aggressive as first thought and they offered me the choice of lumpectomy or mastectomy. Some of the ladies here dont have the choice of an immediate recon, but manage with time. I’m sure you will get lots more advice from those who have gone through the same choices as you are now facing. Just wanted to send you lots of love at this awful time!
Julie X
dear Jean
sorry they’ve suggested a mastectomy, I didn’t want one under any circumstances, but my breast looks dented and some of the reconstructions I’ve seen look better. The back muscle is used because it is your own tissue therefore it doesn’t get rejected in the same way muscle from someone else would be. If I was you I’d try and talk to someone who has had that kind of reconstruction and find out what it’s like. I thought it sounded OK but there are other kinds as well. The surgeon you see may influence your choice of operation as he/she may specialise in a particular kind of op. I think it’s a good idea to go to a breast cancer centre of excellence as you are more likely to be offered a choice if you go to a specialist place. But when you are first diagnosed you are really not in a position to know what to do, I certainly wasn’t. I was entirely guided by the consultant surgeon. I would make different choices now with hindsight.
Mole
Hi Jean
I haven’t had a mascectomy as have a spread to my liver, but before told about the secondary cancer was having a double mascectomy (they said def. need single) and was going to have reconstruction at the same time. But had to go straight onto chem. I am 39 with 2 children under 4. It is an emotional time for you with your diagnosis and now having the operation, but you will receive loads of support from everyone on here, and many of them will have been through exactly what you are going through and try to help you.
Just wanted to let you know that am thinking of you and let us know how you get on.
Take care
Love
Dawn
x
Hi Jean Linda here I had a masectomy last January and also had to have 8 sesions of chemo after. I am 49 and I decided not to have the reconstruction as I am a bit of a coward I did feel at my age that my body had been through enough. I have a prostesis which I use all the time but at least I do feel well and I am ready to start a new job in 2 weeks. What you have to think about is all the pain you have after reconstruction. Yes when I do go in the shower every day I hate just having one breast then I think of all that bloody pain after it all and then I know I did the right thing. If there is anything you want to ask me then dont hesitate as I will answer anything you want. I have just got to add one thing if I had been in my 20s or 30s I definitely would have gone for it but at my age I feel I can cope with 1 boob also so can my husband Please let me know what you decide Love Linda
Hiya
Im sorry you are having to go through all this. I am 39 and was diagnosed last Nov. I had lumpectomy and then mastectomy - I couldnt have recon straight away as they didnt know if I would need chemo etc. I was lucky and didnt need chemo or rads - so had my recon using back muscle last monday. I can’t say that it wasnt painful - my back is still sore - but have got most movement back already and is getting easier by the day. The result is fantastic - having had no boob and the fillets wasnt very nice and wasnt something i could get used to. One of the ladies from our support group had the same op 9 weeks ago so i was lucky enough to see what it would look like. The pics on the web give some idea of finished result but seeing it for real is totally different. I am so glad that i went through the op - think the whole op took about 6 hours. I was undecided as ro whether to have other done for preventative reasons nex year as am triple negative, now have had this one reconstructed I will def be going ahead. You do have an “eye” shaped scar across the front of your new boob and the scar on the back is on the bra line so when healed will not be visible in swinwear etc. I wish you all the luck in the world whichever you decide. One of the other ladies at the group had hers last year and she is early 60’s - she has just had nipple tatoo and is thrilled to bits with result. Hope some of this may help with your decision.
Take care - all the best for your surgery - please let us know what you decide.
Tina x
Hi Jean
I’m 51 and had lumpectomy followed by mastectomy and immediate reconstruction in 2005. I think the immediate recon is fantastic! I have never really felt that I had a mastectomy as I never had to experience the absence of breast which goes with it. I had a tram flap because I had plenty of tummy to spare. But the LD reconstructions look v good too. You can see photos aon the web and your BC nurse may be able to give you photos of some done by your surgeon.
All the very best
K
Hi Jean
It’s all so very much at once and only you can make the final decisions. I was diagnosed just two weeks ago and right from the start knew it would have to be mastectomy, chemo, rads and hormones. I’m doing the sexy bald look first, then i’ll have my mastectomy in the new year with immediate reconstruction and reduction on side two - no idea yet what my surgeon recommends for the reconstruction but am more concerned that they match as much as possible.
It may be an idea to call your breast care nurse and talk it all through - she may well know why your surgeon made the recommendations he did.
hope all goes well
hugs
Ruth
Thank you all for your wonderful, and very helpful comments. I spoke to my breast care nurse this morning and have come to the decision to have breast reconstruction. I did see pictures that my surgeon had done and i must say i was not too impressed some of them looked as if they had been in some sort of car accident, but now I know what will be best for me. I know that im going to be in quite alot of pain after it all as well, and lots more visits backwards and forwards to hospital. They are going to expand my skin on the breast using a syringe and when it has strectched enough then I shall have my implant done.
My husband and children have supported me wonderfully and I know that at the end of this long road ahead is a healthly and long life.
Best wishes all and thank you so much for all your kind words
Regards
Jean
x
Hi Jean,
I had a mastectomy last October, and at the time they put what they call an expander in. It sounds like what you are going to have.
At first it looks odd, as if you have a ‘flat tyre’ but after a few weeks they start to inflate it a bit at a time using saline in a syringe. I wasn’t looking forward to that at all, but it was nothing. The skin just felt a bit tight for a few days afterwards. I had to go back once every two weeks, but it only takes a minute or so. Gradually, it filled out again until it matched the other one. Then you go back in to have the expander removed and a proper implant put in.
I should have gone back months ago, but for various reasons it was put back. I am due to go in on Wednesday to have the expander replaced with an implant.
I have been talking to Lilymay on this site under the ‘reconstruction’ heading. She had it done last Tuesday and is at home now.
It is scary when you are first told you need these operations, but I have just treated it like having a tooth out. (I hate having work done at the dentist) I feel fine now, and am not worrying too much about wednesday (yet)
I know people who had reconstruction using a flap from their back, but I wasn’t suitable for that type. Not enough of the right sort of fat, although there seems plenty there to me.
In any case, having it done this way means I only had one set of stitches to heal the first time round.
You will meet other ladies on the ward who are going through a similar thing. Every one’s treatment is slightly different but we all support each other.
Take care of yourself.
Heidicat
Hi Jean, i had my mastectomy and immediate back flap recon using muscle from my back on the 29th of june this year, i am delighted with the results, i am 44, and honestly, its hard to tell the difference, if you go to www.cancerbackup.org.uk you can see pics of what it looks like, and mine looks great, bit uncomfy at first, but looks good in a bra
Lots of love
Alisonxxxx