hi everyone. i am new to this forum and have been reading some of the lovely kind and helpful messages. i was diagnosed with breast cancer on 6th may 2010 after finding a lump. i had the lump and 3 lymph nodes taken away at beginning of june. results were a grade 1 and has not nodes were clear, which is brill news. still have some pre-cancer cells so am having another op this month. i really dense breast tissue so any further mammogramms and mri scans which should detect further cancers may not be sucessful so i have decided for my own peace of mind to have a full mastectomy with reconstruction at the same time. just wondered if there was anyone out there who has been thru this. it’s been a really hard decision to make, but i know it’s the only way i can look forward and get on with my life again. please, if there is anyone who can tell me how they got thru it and whats really involved, i would really appreciate your advise. thank you ladies. julie xx
Hi robbenn
Which surgery are you going to have? I had the LD flap 2 months ago, are you having the same?
Hi Julie
I am booked in for double MX and recon on 24th August (and have just started a new thread called ‘Tips for my hospital stay’ or something like that.
I agree that it’s been a hard decision to make, but I found that once I had made my mind up, I knew it was for the best
Shenagh xx
Hi Robbenn,
I had a mx and immediate diep recon back in oct 09, if you have considered this type of recon then please pm me and I will try and help answer any questions you may have. I have recently had my nipple recon and am waiting on the tattooing so am a fair distance into my treatment and am returning to work next week as well. Do hope you get the answers you need to look and move forward following your dx which is always a shock.
Take care,
Marjay xxxx
Hi Robbenn,
It’s a hard time isn’t it? I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the end of May, and underwent a full mastectomy as the tumour was attached to the back of my nipple and little tissue was salvageable. I am now just one week post op and waiting to hear, on the 19th, whether the cancer has wandered elsewhere. I opted for an immediate strattice reconstruction. Unfortunately my remaining skin was insufficient to accomodate a full size implant, so my surgeon fitted an expander which, over the next month or so will be topped up with saline to stretch my healing skin and achieve the same vloume as the other side. To be honest I was initially quite disappointed with the top heavy appearance (it looked like a third of a boob upside down!!) but in a well fitting non-wired bra which lifts my other breast, the appearance is so good that when I am dressed it’s almost impossible to tell I’ve had anything done!!
I have only had pain relief at night since the day after the op. The wound is quite sore now and my shoulder is stiff but gentle massage and exercise help a great deal. I look and feel like myself, and although I know it’s early days I can honestly say my fear of the surgery and aftermath were excessive.
You will obviously have a double whammy as you will be losing both breasts, but try to look upon it as a modification rather than a destructive process. I loved my boobs and I will again. The person that your lovely husband fell for is just having her outline altered slightly. Nobody can take away what makes you who you are.
My second husband and I had only been married 8 months when I was diagnosed and we have a grandchild on the way. Focus on everything that this surgery will allow you to look forward to.
Love Moominmama xxxxxxxxxx
hi moominmama
nice to hear from you. hope your recovery goes well and you get good results on 19th let me know how you get on. i have seen my bcn today and she has gone thru all types of implants and how they do the op and it all sounds really scary. i suppose its going into the unknown because everyone recovers different and no on woman will have the same appearance. she said it can be a quite lengthy op and it varies with different people how long they take to recover but i know that one day i will get back into my wn bra’s that i like and that with my clothes on no one will ever know that i had anything done at all. my tumour was near the nipple also do expect i will be losing quite a bit of tissue. i will let you know how i get after the op. good luck with your results. thank you again for the info. you take care. julie xx
Hi Ladies,
I am new to this site, as you are julie and I am finding it very helpful to read other peoples experiences and to share my own. I am booked in for a bilat Mx on the 14th july (getting a bit scared now as its not long). I was diagnosed in feb (aged 24) with a grade 1 tumor (fortunately, like you Julie I had no lymph nodes involved). because of this I was offered a lumpectomy however was advised by my surgeon that because of my age and family history (both breast and ovarian cancers) I had an 80% chance that it would return. I therefore opted for bilateral mastectomy with immediate strattice reconstruction. I can understand your decision Julie - I found it very difficult to make the decision to have a bilateral mastectomy when a lumpectomy would have removed my tumor. I came to the decision purely because I weighed up the pros of keeping my own breast Vs. the cons of living with the fear of the cancer returning. (the risk reduces from 80% to around 5%!!!)
I would be interested to hear more of your experience moominmamma as I don’t know of any other women who have had strattice recon. I also dont know whether I will be able to have immediate implant or expander as ther surgeon said he would have to make that decision at the time of the op. To be hones I hope I can just have the impant as I would rather everything be finished in one go - is that how you feel?
Also Julie regarding the operating time I have been told that my operation will take 5hrs. I know its all scary just remember you are in the best possible hands and as Moominmamma said try and think of it as a modification process - although you are loosing your breasts as I will be, we are gaining peace of mind!!!
Sorry for rambling on!
Take care Pippa xxx
hi pippa
you are so young to be getting this horrible disease. i can remember when i went for my mammogram noticing how young some of the women (actually just young girls) were there with the same thing. so glad that you have no nodes involved pippa and that its only grade 1. i really hope that your surgery goes well on 14th and that they are able to do everything all at once for you. i wll be having an expander inlant put in at the same time and will then need to go every 1 or 2 weeks to have saline put in. they say that if the expander settles ok and is not causing problems that they can leave it in or they will put a silicone implant in if i choose that. my bcn said that she will come and fit me with a bra bit like a front fastening sports bra around 2 days after surgery and am to wear it day and night to help the implant settle into the righ position. my op is booked for 20th july and cant seem to focus on anything else at the moment. it just all keeps goin around in my head. its very confusing situation isnt it and i sympathise with you feeling scared but i know that you will be just fine. i wish you a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing your messages on here again very soon. big good luck hug. julie xx
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