Hi Today I have seen my surgeon and it has been decided I will have a single left mastectomy, after chemotherapy.
My chemo finishes in May and they hope to complete surgery mid June.
I am fully aware that the surgery is necessary but now it is getting closer I am getting scared. Any advice and tips would be most welcome 
Welcome to the forum Heather ,I haven’t had a mastectomy myself but I’m sure there will be plenty of advice and support offered from people who have . Very best of luck with your surgery. Jill
Hi @heatherd77
I’m 4 weeks post left mastectomy, no reconstruction (Grade 2 IDC & DCIS). I didn’t have a drain which helped with recovery. You will be absolutely fine! Just rest, take your time, stock up on paracetomal, button up tops and try to stick to the daily exercises. I bought a mastectomy pillow which has been brilliant! In all honesty, I was just glad to know the breast was gone. My inbox is always open if you have any questions.
Sending virtual hugs & positive thoughts. X x
Hi Heather,
I’m the other way around and started with surgery and, honestly, the surgery was so so much easier for me than the chemo is. Within 3 weeks I was recovered and feeling good (I didn’t reconstruct though as I need radiotherapy too!). If you can survive chemo then the surgery will hopefully feel a huge amount easier. I think it takes a bit longer to recover if you’re reconstructing too but my friends who have done that (one DIEP flap, one silicon) certainly didn’t find it wildly different to me with a flat closure.
Good luck with it all and well done on getting this far with chemo!
Sarah x
@heatherd77
Glad you’ve found us here and getting ideas on how to get yourself ready.
I would agree with others, I found mastectomy easiest part of the process-didn’t need pain relief, no drains used by my surgeon, washed my hair in shower next day ( altho probably not best wash due to arm limitations), pegged out washing next day, visited family the weekend after who live 2.5 hours away by car (did have compression stockings to wear for few weeks)…
Have button or zip tops, putting affected side in first. As I had ops in summer, I put on spaghetti strap vests/dresses that I could step into and pull up, along with zip hoodie if cold.
I found bamboo tops really soft and cool. Likewise bamboo pillow case on squishy pillow that I could put under my armpit/arm when sitting or laying.
Under my arm was tingly and the bamboo/pillow was cooling for that.
Do your exercises religiously when you should, but not overdoing, so you regain shoulder movement. I recommend doing them in front of mirror as what I thought I was doing, wasn’t what I was actually doing.
The hospital gave me little heart shaped pillow for under armpit to stop arm/side rubbing together which came in useful for a while.
Rest when you need, pamper yourself with nice creams to keep skin moisturised, eat and drink well to build yourself back up. Try go walk every day for same reason altho this rain/storms not helpful at the moment.
Take pain meds if needed, especially if you need for exercises, maybe half hour before-no awards given to those who suffer.
I spent lots of money on front fastening bras, post surgery, pockets…in the end used m and s flexifit crop in bigger size which held softie. So try different things to see what works but don’t spend loads.
I hope you find something useful in there.
I was worried at op but over riding feeling was to get rid of cancer so just hold that thought when nerves kick in. It’s the next bit to getting your life back
Big hugs
Laura
Hi ive just read your reply to someone else’s concern over having her surgery. Im due to have right side mastectomy next month, im due for pre op and to see my breast nurse tomorrow. I have to decide whether to have reconstruction or not. You sounded really positive about your experience, im getting more tempted not to have reconstruction I assume you feel you really made the right decision? I really dont want anything done thats not absolutely necessary and im looking at bras and pads/prosthesis, i think this might be the route for me.
Sandra
Hi @sandie57,
I’m 7 weeks on from surgery now, and I can say, for me, no reconstruction was the right option. I knew from the beginning that’s what I wanted. I also had a mammoplasty reduction on the other side to feel more balanced. The mastectomy side has healed really well. There are a lot of options now for different prosthesis. In all honesty, I love the softie and forget it’s there most days.
I hope you’re meeting goes well with the BCN. Any questions, just let me know.
Sending virtual hugs. X x
Hi Sandra,
I hope you got some helpful advice from your BCN on making your decision whether to reconstruct or not.
I had left side Mastectomy with immediate reconstruction with Becker expander implant 2 weeks ago.
It’s a really hard decision to make, and I’m not convinced I chose correctly.
The Mastectomy recovery was tough week 1 due to drains and nasty reaction to the painkillers. But generally the rest has been fine. However I’m finding the implant very hard to get on with.
I chose this route because I already had
13 yr old silicone implants and couldn’t get my head round having one giant 32 E boob and one flattie! DIEP surgery wasn’t really an option as I dont have enough skin.
But like you, I have read so many positive stories of people going flat on this forum, and reducing the other breast that I’m now regretting this weird foreign object in my chest, that feels like Iron Man’s Arc Reactor !!! It’s nothing like the silicone implant in my other breast.
Unfortunately you get bamboozled by so many options and none of them are particularly appealing, especially when all you want is to be cancer free.
I realise 2 weeks is early days and it might settle down, but it’s not been an easy route.
Take your time making your decision, get as many opinions as you can, look at loads of photos and try to prioritise what’s important to you, rather than what you think may be important to other people .
And lastly I guess there’s no wrong decision, as you ( and I !) can always take the woman’s prerogative and change our minds!
Best of luck with your surgery and recovery, sending you positive healing thoughts.
Caron xx
Hi @heatherd77 and all,
I am sorry to hear you are having to make this decision it is a difficult one.
I had a double mastectomy last week with a DIEP rebuild and have to say it was fairly tough going last week, but the care team made sure I was comfy all of the time and helped me to be mobile the morning after surgery. I have a good stock of painkillers and use the stronger codeine ones to enable me to go for walks or do the exercises, so all is good. I have had a reaction to all the dressings having sensitive skin, so they removed my final DIEP site drain and the dressings yesterday.
Having the dressings removed and being only 8 days post-surgery I am so pleased with the results, my new boobs look and feel amazing.
I would say weigh up what is right for you, and ask lots of questions if you are unsure. Don’t be concerned about being scared about the surgery it is natural! but they will look after you and it really isn’t that bad, I have had 2 lumpectomies and a re-excision previous to the double mastectomy all were scary but fine.
My main advice would be to invest in a couple of front-fastening soft bras for immediately post-surgery, M&S and Asda do really good ones and proceeds go to Breast Cancer Now. I also, always use a High impact sports compression-type bra when the dressings come off and the breasts start to swell as this helps to stop the Seroma building up which can be really painful, also, wear them 24 hours a day for at least the first couple of weeks or as long as needed.
Hope all goes well with your treatment xx