Has anyone got any experience of a aesthetic flat closure, and I could ask some questions??
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Hi @claspe I know we’ve chatted before, update on me, my diep is not happening and I am now going flat! During my ct scan for the diep they have found that I have kidney cancer so its all change, the kidney cancer is small so they said that they would do the diep after saying they wouldn’t however I have now decided on a simple mastectomy for a quicker healing time so that I can recover ready to tackle the kidney! Its been a roller coaster, op is due on the 3rd December.
I hope you are well, sending love x
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Hiya ariella, thanks for getting back to me and ironically I am having my op on 3rd December too!! I’m so sorry about the kidney cancer that’s such a blow 
I hope it all works out for you.
So you decision to go flat is that a double flat your having? Have you asked your surgeon to show you any pictures of his work?? Thanks
Dear @claspe , I elected to go flat. Very happy with my decision and happy to answer any questions. My surgery was September 2023. Love Tulip x
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Hi im just having a single mastectomy, i talked ut through with the surgeon and he explained where the scar would be, If we are both in on the 3rd then we will be on the same journey. Are you having a double?
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Hi Tulip, I hope you are well, did you recover well from the op and did it take a while to get used to the new you?
My new new diagnosis has really changed my mindset up and I just want to be recovered as quick as possible before I tackle the next one so the diep does not fit in with this
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Yeh I’m having a double, be great to follow each other on this difficult journey at least we can compare notes 
x
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Hiya tulip29
Wow that’s great that ive found someone to talk too, sorry if I bombard you with questions. My main worries are the aesthetics, not taking enough skin so I have under arm skin that might rub or bulge through tops, my scar has dog ears, im also.worried about fluid build up and nerve pain. Have you had any of these problems with your surgery?? Thanks for reading x
Hi @ariella , I was discharged same day and only needed painkillers for a short time. My surgeon did not put in a drain. (the surgeon drained accumulating fluid with a syringe twice on subsequent follow up visits). It was difficult getting into and out of bed at first. I found sleeping on the opposite side of bed to mastectomy made it easier to roll out of bed. After a couple of days at home being looked after by my sister, i booked myself into a local care home for respite care. This gave me access to an adjustable bed, walk in shower, and three meals cooked for me each day! Whilst in the home I did go out for a walk to local shops most days. That week was all I needed after which I looked after myself but didn’t do any housework and got shopping delivered. Shortly after I went out on the bus to a concert, protecting my wound site with a small beaded cushion. The dressing eventually fell off. I have a curved scar at my own request. The sentinel lymph node biopsy was taken via the mastectomy incision. After 3 months I saw the prosthetics team to be fitted for my prosthesis. My pathology report included the weight in grams of the flesh removed. My prosthesis is the same weight. Before my op I called BCN Someone Like Me to talk to someone who had had a mastectomy, as well as talking to other friends who had been through the same. It was very helpful and reassuring. I had to wait 6 months from diagnosis till surgery so had plenty of time to get used to the idea and was anxious about the delay as you may imagine! I did wonder, beforehand, how I would cope pschycologically but in reality I accepted the new me far more quickly than I imagined. Losing my hair through chemo was way more traumatic for me than losing a breast which contained a fast growing cancerous tumour and I can still adopt a sexy and seductive pose in my bath robe with the one breast I have left! Love Tulip x
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Dear @claspe , yes, aesthetics is very important and it’s important to stress this to your surgeon. I took in some photos that I’d found on the Flat Friends website to show my surgeon what I liked best. I asked for a curved scar with no dog ears. I emphasised how much the final appearance of my scar was to me. In my case I have a deformed rib cage which my removed breast was hiding. My new flat area revealed my lumpy rib under the skin but this is all covered up by the prosthesis. In fact my new bras now fit better than they did pre surgery. I have a little numbness above the scar area and sometimes get little stabbing pains at the mastectomy site but these are transient and probably nerves growing back. I find it comforting to place my hand on the flat area. It is amazing to feel my heart beating strongly underneath ( my mastectomy was left side) and to feel my own warm flesh as opposed to an implant. When I go for my annual mammograms on remaining breast I have ultrasound on the mastectomy side as well for peace of mind. You have to ask for this as it’s not offered automatically. Love Tulip x
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That sounds very sexy! I have an amazing partner and family so I know I will have all the help in the world and compared to the recovery that I would of been going through with the diep this should be far easier I hope! Im just researching the pillow situation, I had purchased a reclining chair for downstairs as my bathroom is downstairs so was planning on sleeping on that whoever with just the mastectomy I feel that i’ll be ok in bed, luckily I am not needing chemo unless anything appears in the lymph nodes but I need a quick recovery as dont know what is in store with the kidney cancer yet 
Sending love x
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Wow that’s really reassuring thankyou so much for sharing your experience, I guess every woman’s experience is different. I’m not really sad about loosing my boobs, im big busted and they’ve always hindered me, they’ve fed my kids so they’ve done their job for me. The things I trying to stay positive about are hopefully no more cancer, being able to get a swimming costume without wires wearing a vest top in summer without under boob sweat!!! I think I’m just scared that my chest will look like frankenstines monter
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Hi again, if your future appearance is the big worry, and why wouldn’t it be! Then don’t hold back in making your worries crystal clear to the surgeon so that it’s forefront in their minds. Under the anaesthetic you will be lying flat with your arms out of the way above your head so the surgeon works with how you present to them in this position. Do ask about the incision they will use. You can ask them to draw it on you in clinic in advance. Something I forgot to mention is scar tissue massage therapy. I had this at my hospital ( funded my the hospital friends charity). It was wonderful and made me feel normal. I also learned how to continue to do this myself. I also care for my scar by applying castor oil. My scar has now changed from red to white and becomes less noticeable over time. X
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Thankyou for that, I had heard of massage for the scar tissue I will see if I can get that at Jimmy’s 
Thankyou tulip that all makes me feel so much better, its a strange journey to be on isn’t it. I am scared of all of it at the minute I will just be glad when ive had the surgery and I know what I’m up against xx
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Is caster oil as good as bio oil? How soon after your op did you start the massage therapy??
Think I’m gonna call the BCN tomorrow and voice some of my concerns, i have a phone pre assessment on 27th Nov and then a hospital appt on 28th but im not sure who I’m meeting on that day so I don’t want to leave it and risk not being able to ask the surgeon how he will perform the op and tell him what I want for the aesthetics of my scarring, is that something I would be able to do???
I started the massage therapy 9 months after my surgery but only because I only found out about it from one of the hospital volunteers who came into the chemo suite to massage peoples feet when I was there for my Herceptin injections and we got talking! I would have been ready for it after 3 or 4 months. Caster oil is my go to for everything. Its deeply penetrating and 100% pure. I’ve never tried bio oil. Its natural to be scared but your team will look after you. Wishing you all the very best going forward. Love Tulip x
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Caster oil it is then and I will ask about massage therapy on my follow ups. Thankyou for your advice and I will be thinking about everyone on here who has help me on this forum and try not to be too scared 
So today I called my BCN and voiced my c9ncerns about the aesthetic flat close, I did mention this term when I had my meeting with registrar but when she read my notes back to me it was not mentioned! So she has now done an email which she read back to me that I want an aesthetic flat closure, my concerns over ‘dog ears’ and the look of the scar eg. A smile shape or a straight line. I’m so glad I called she said she would add this to my notes and also she mentioned that I’m not looking for reconstruction in the future. She also said that I would be able to go through this with my surgeon on the 28th move before my surgery on 3rd Dec, it has put my mind at rest a bit
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