Hi all im 25 years old and unfortunatly this is not the 1st time for me to be posting a link on this sight.
I was diagnosed in 2006 at 22 with breast cancer in my right breast, had lumpectomy, chemo and rads! last oct at 25 i was diagnosed again this time at 25 the lump being much larger then the 1st 4 by 3 cm and had caused a reaction in my breast to swell. I had only had a check up in june with nothing found(although a scan had not been done, just a quick grope by a doc that had never seen me before)
I have just completed my last chemo YESTERDAY and am to have my op as soon as recovered from this. i am contiplateing a double masectomy!! with this having been the 2nd time of local breast cancer and in seperate breasts. I have obviously talked through risks of it re-occuing else where other then my breasts with surgeon bcn and onc so know that my mind will never be full at ease. I do not need the mas to be rid of the cancer as i have reacted very well to the chemo with massive shrinkage :O) so it will be for a risk reduceing sake of local recurrance.
I have been told i will be having rads weather its a mas or lumpectomy so implant will be not be an option for me as immediate re-con but possibly as delayed i have an appointment to see plastic surgeon on 17th feb. The latimus dorsi flap has been suggested to me but sounds very scary. I think that i would much rather have no breasts for a while and have the much simpilar op of implant.
Does anyone have any similar experiences out there wheather they have had to make this choice or these types of re-con and how happy they feel about it now?
please excuse my bad spelling, its necer been my strong point.
lots of love
Nic
Hi Nic,
i too have simular questions, i had breast cancer 11 years ago and i have found it again in the same breast. i have just finished my last of 6 fec chemo’s on 25th jan i cannot have radiotherapy again as i had it last time, so i am now facing a mastectomy and am not sure which option to go for, recon from the tummy or back. i too would be very interested in anyone that has had this type of surgery, good and bad as i have an appointment with my consultant on the 9th feb.
After reading your posts regarding choice of reconstruction I wondered if you might find BCC’s animation regarding reconstruction useful. I have put the link below and hope it helps. If you would like to talk to someone in confidence about reconstruction then please do phone the helpline, the staff are here to support you through this.
Hi there,
Sorry I can’t be of huge help - very new to all this myself. I’m home from hospital today having had MX and a tissue expander implant fitted. I’m in a lot of pain so maybe not the best time to be positive about the experience, but what I did want to say was that my surgeon was very positive that was the right course of reconstruction for me, ( I think primarily based on the fact that I have smallish breasts that don’t droop )
I have to say I was incredibly gutted to hear (when I came round ) that the chest cavity was very small and the expander is a very tight fit - so there’s been no inflation done at all, usually they try to inflate slightly at operation so at least you have a breast mound to awake to. In my case its going to be approx 4 weeks before the gradual inflation will start.
Its a hugely personal thing obviously - I was put off by the other reconstructions being much more major operations, not considering myself to be the healthiest specimin I was concerned I could be storing up trouble, personally I was relieved when he suggested the lesser of the options. Good Luck, very sore,
We could debate for quite some time about whether or not to have a mx. It was the wrong thing for me but other owmen seem to almost revel in “getting rid of them” so each to their own.
If you do go down such a drastic route, whatever the reasons, then you may find an absence intolerable and consider reconstructive surgery.
There are many options there and some are better than others. I’d suggest you spend a lot of time looking into anything like this because none of it is simple. Even implants alone are not straight forward. You have to be armed with a lot of information before making a decision because such decisions tend to be final and life changing.
Hi so sorry you have had to come on this site again - i was diagnosed May 2009 with tumour in right breast i have opted for a double max so i know what you are going through. I decided on double for the reasons you have stated, my tumour was nearly 7 cm so lumpectomy never an option, my decision came through many questions that i had to answer for myself. I decided that i knew i would find it harder to cope with being ‘lopsided’ than having a blank canvas ( i was a 36G before diagnosis), also the whole issue of recurrence i wanted to cut down my chances although as you say nothing is taken for granted! I had the op in October 2009, to be honest it has not been as bad as i thought, although you realise how much your boobs put your body in proportion, and there are times when i struggle (like this morning going swimming) but in all of the struggles i absolutely believe i have done the right thing for me. At this point i do not intend to have reconstruction as i feel that my body has been through enough and i think once i lose weight i will feel a lot happier in every way! Feel free to PM if this helps or just want to chat.
Karen xx
I had BC in 2005 at the age of 30, had WLE, chemo and rads. Have since been diagnosed with BRCA1 and as the risk of the BC coming back is so high I choose to have a double macestomy. I had the op (LD flap, teardrop shape implant, nipple and skin sparing) beginning of Nov 2009 and I can safetly say its the best thing I could have done. Cosmetically I have a good result although a further op is needed because one of the implants has moved but pyschologically I feel so much better. I felt incredibly relieved to have the breast tissue removed, to not have annual mammogram or the worry of it coming back (although I know there is still a chance - but much smaller). Also on another note I actually decided to go a bit bigger (as a present to myself!) and went from an A cup to a D cup.
The op was very big and I carried out a lot of research before I had it but for me it was without doubt worth it.
I have had two mx three years apart. Due to other long term illnesses recon was out of the question, in any way, shape or form. I find it impossible to come to terms with my ‘new’ body. This has ruined my relationships with almost everyone I know, especially the very special one I had with my husband.
I have always wondered how other people deal with having lost both breasts, and if ‘choice or no choice’ made it easier to live with.
After having been a ‘chubby child/tomboy’, then having 3 children, I had only ( at 45) become happy with my body, finding it was better than it had been as a teenager. I was only 36B, but they were not droopy, even after b/feeding the kids. To be hit with first a right side mx, then less than 3 years later the left, I was devastated.
I know I am making it difficult for anyone to help me, as I just seem unable to move on and still wish I had never signed the consent for the first op.
I admire all you ladies who find the strength to make these decisions and live with the effects, but I’m just not one of you.
Sorry if this sounds real negative. I do wish you all well with your choices and hope the results are what you hope for.
I’m 35 & had a double mastectomy on the 1st Feb with immed recon with implants due to results from genetic testing. I chose this option as it had the quickest recovery time due to having a young family
I have met someone who had a double mastectomy with immed recon using lat dorsi muscle & I must say I was very impressed with the result.
The op was fine I was out less than 24 hours after I came back from theatre & have been fine, better than I had expected, no pain, just pressure when standing up after lying down allnight.
I know I have long road ahead before I have the final results but it’s done & they are away & I now have 2 pert boobies.