I have a very neat scar (single mastectomy) from August surgery and lymph node clearance. Right now I can’t see myself wanting to bother with reconstruction. I am oddly proud of my scar. I know I can change my mind at any point and I was advised to delay any reconstruction anyway, so there’s no pressure. But going flat is certainly something I may choose. I think I would be even more that way inclined if I had a double mastectomy, to be honest
It’s all very personal and individual!
Another one with a single mastectomy and staying flat. I had a node clearance too so I have quite a long scar but it is incredibly neat. If I am eventually allowed I would like the other boob off to match! I went to a breast cancer conference last week and a surgeon was amongst the speakers and she said training is now being given to surgeons for aesthetic flat closures so hopefully near scars will soon become the norm! I recovered well from mine. Do the exercises they give you as they really help x
If it helps anyone I have no problem with sharing a modest pic of my scar - just ask and I will grant your wish!
@claspe - hi there and welcome to the forum. 
hi there and welcome to the forum.
I had a single left sided mastectomy and sentinel node biopsy on September 23 last year. It was decided that I wasn’t suitable for a reconstruction as my hospital only offered implants and I’d only recently given up smoking and so that there was a risk that the implant would fail. 
Unfortunately, if I wanted a DIEP reconstruction, I would’ve needed to be referred to a different hospital which could’ve delayed my surgery and I really didn’t want to delay it any more than necessary as I had very extensive multifocal DCIS with invasive ductal carcinoma which was HER 2 positive.
My only thoughts were getting rid of the cancer and I just wanted to have the mastectomy over and done with as soon as possible. My surgeon in fairness did try to talk me out of having a mastectomy without an implant, pointing out that I was still young which I found quite flattering as I was 52 at the time 
and that I might regret not having a reconstruction. However, she was also a fantastic surgeon and I left the hospital on the day with not even a drain in place. The only issue that I had was a small seroma which is a collection of fluid which has a small infection in the scar a couple of weeks later but a short course of antibiotics sorted that out. I wasn’t in pain when I came home from the hospital as id had a nerve block injected into the chest wall and I spent the next couple of weeks sleeping on one of those nice V shaped pillows which was an absolute godsend and stopped me from rolling over onto my operated side .
fast forward to now and although I had a few wobbles where I wondered if I’ve made a mistake not having a reconstruction I can honestly say that I’m really happy with my operation scar. I know that sounds absolutely crazy to say it but it’s actually a beautifully neat scar. My surgeon did a fantastic job . I have a smile shaped surgery site but the scar has faded so well , actually if I stood from a distance you would barely spot it now I have a small flap of skin that hangs a bit just under my arm but that’s probably because I was a bit overweight anyway and that’s where they remove the sentinel nodes, Looking directly on. There’s no lumps , there’s no bumps there’s no dog ears or anything. I’m really quite pleased with it , a few months after my surgery I started just rubbing massage oil into the area also just to hope to try and get some sensation back as I have been left with some numbness there which I’ve been told is quite normal and doesn’t impact on my daily life although I do get some strange sharp pains in there from time to time which again I’ve been told is perfectly normal.
My breast apparently weighed 2 1/2 lb so it’s quite sizable 
and my prosthetic I was fitted with the January following my surgery and to be honest with you I absolutely love my prosthetic. It looks just like a breast inside my bra and I plucked up the courage to go onto a bra fitters in the summer thinking that I was going to be stuck with some really ugly mastectomy style bras for the rest of my life and she fitted me up with some beautiful underwired lacy black bras which my prosthetic just sits really nicely in And honestly when I tell people I’ve had a mastectomy they’re absolutely gobsmacked because I don’t look ,with my clothes on as if I’ve had one and in fact even when I take my top off with my nice bras on - even the lacy one that’s a bit see-through you wouldn’t really know that that’s a prosthetic.
The only giveaway is the slight lack of the cleavage that I used to have.
All in all I’ve come to terms with my new body now and I don’t grieve my breast in the way that I thought I would because in my eyes it had to go because it was going to kill me. I know it’s personal preference and not everybody wants to be left with just one breast and I’ll be honest enough to say that I would’ve been quite happy to have had the other one removed as well, but obviously this was not going to happen as my surgeon would not do this surgery but I would like to look at getting “tidying up surgery” of my other breast at some point in the future.
I was a 42 double D so I’d quite like to have the right breast just reduced a little bit and maybe you know lifted up a little bit
Have lots of detailed chats with your surgeon, remember that this is your body and there is nothing wrong with explaining how you would like it to look after this surgery, just because you have cancer doesn’t mean that you have to come out of surgery looking like you’ve been attacked with a tin opener !
It’s really important that the aesthetics of the surgery are something that you’re going to be happy with afterwards, best of luck with your surgery in December🩷
Arty1
That would be amazing and so helpful you are a life saver xx
Hi, that’s interesting to hear about the curved scar. I never knew I there was a choice & have ended up with a very long straight line that seems much higher than where the crease of my breast was it’s very visible if l wear a swimming costume both under my arm & the decilette as it starts with a pleat, heaven know why!
To make the scar even uglier I had to have 2 heamatomas removed after the mastectomy & the surgeon sewed my breast skin to my chest wall in several places so I now look like an upholstered sofa. I feel a bit sad about it as it looks like he just did it with not care for how I looked . This is after persuading me that “ he hadn’t give up on life at 60”, when l told him I did not want a reconstruction.
It seems very odd that women having mastectomies should be encouraged to have reconstructions when there are in fact dangers ie lymphomas & also possible necessity to remove the prosthesis if you subsequently need radiation therapy - which ai did.
Will take one later and share here xx
Oh may as well do it now.
To be honest it looks better with the whole chest in view haha.
I confess I have been very lax at massaging it, so this is a mid August surgery with limited aftercare. I did take care to do exercises tho which has been essential. There’s a bit of puffiness under my arm still as you can see. Still healing, but the line itself is neat. My tumour was extensive and high lymph nodes involvement so they took as much as they could get.
I am not really wearing bras at the moment, they had to lift up my whole pec muscle to get the lymph nodes out and it’s still tender where there would be a strap. Though I may get one of those unobras which just have a soft band of material that side eventually
Thankyou so much for such a detailed reply and it’s really encouraging to hear such a positive journey as yours. You seem like a really strong positive women especially after everything you’ve been through, I hope I can feel as good as you sound when I come through this!!! Xx
Happy to share pick of my scar too!
If you could that would be very much appreciated 
Wow that looks amazing was that just this August? You have healed beautifully, thankyou for sharing such an amazing picture xxx
Yes August 18th 
Amazing and gives me alot of hope for my op, did you explain to your surgeon how you wanted to look??
Actually no! I had no expectations or requests… so that’s quite impressive!
Wow that’s a great result then isn’t it, ive requested aesthetic flat close so fingers crossed it will look as smooth and neat as yours does 
@mrsp1 - gosh that’s shocking 
I’m so sorry to hear of your surgery experience 
@Kara your scar looks fantastic given it’s only a few months since your surgery x it is indeed very neat
@claspe - I’ve had my moments in the last year believe me ! I’ve had a period of feeling very angry and upset at the loss of my breast ,I couldn’t bare to touch my scar or lol at it .. but I finally got over that hurdle ..
I was wearing an unattractive mastectomy bra and I’d always worn underwired pretty bras , so I don’t think this was helping , as I hated the way the prosthetic and remaining boob looked in it- I needed the underwire to hold my boobs up!
The mastectomy bra made me look really matronly and the turning point was being fitted for some lovely bras , it made me feel like a woman again if that makes sense ?
The prosthetic was annoying during the hot weather but I’ve got a pocket thing for it now which is better . I did buy a boost prosthetic but sadly their largest size was nowhere near my boobs size so it’s ended up being redundant as it looks too small . They are probably great for women with smaller boobs as they are breathable and you can swim with them .
I leave my nhs boob on my dressing table and my 15 year old daughter says “stop leaving your boob lying around “
Arty1
Hiya Arty1 so sorry that you have struggled, I have no idea how I’m gonna feel after but im guessing I will be totally freaked out waking up with no boobs after 40 years with them. I’m a dd/e cup and always need an underwater, do you mind me asking what size you are?? X
