Hello all. Thank you all for sharing .
Im awaiting my treatmeng plan, had BC primary in 2019, now in other breast so Im getting prepared, Im 56 , my boobs are not big but thank you to all, If they advise on Mastercomy I think I will say no reconstruction. Thank you beautiful friends stay strong xxx
Same here @Gelbel ! I so wanted to like the Boost, but found it uncomfortable sitting on my chest wall & it felt clammy somehow! I also returned it & much prefer a Knitted Knocker, or the TruLife beanbag type which is great in a swimsuit.
Hi @jam1 thanks for these questions. I had mine three weeks ago today. My scar is very neat and my chest doesn’t look concave. Of course I guess it will depend on our individual body shape and the nature of the op as to what the appearance will be, but I’d definitely write a list of questions and ask your surgeon, or ask your BCN to forward your questions.
I was as pleased wit the results as could be expected. My scar is straight and neat, and I don’t have a dog ear.
It is very numb for quite a while, due to the meds you’re on immediately post op. I was also given codeine which helped manage pain brilliantly. I stopped taking them after about three days to avoid constipation which is a big issue for me. I moved on to paracetamol and NSAIDs and that worked fine. After just under a week I was hardly taking any pain medication. There is tingling and a bit of soreness now as the nerve endings wake up, but truly nowhere near as bad as I imagined. The pain is completely manageable, and if it is getting on my nerves then paracetamol sort it right out. Important…do the exercises they give you.
After care for me was very good. You should have home visits for at least a week until the drain is taken out and then the dressing is removed. Neither of these things hurt at all btw.
The biggest pain in the bum for me was hefting the drain around. My bottle was massive and I wasn’t given a bag until one of the kindly nurses fetched a soft cloth bag from her car. That made a difference.
Your anxieties are totally understandable. I was just the same, but the lovely community on here reassured me and they were right, it isn’t nearly as bad as my anxious mind had been imagining.
Just rest, listen to your body, drink lots of water and do the exercises and hopefully you will sail through. xxx
NB I opted for flat. I can’t speak for how it is if you have any kind of reconstruction.
Thanks Jaygo. That is very reassuring. I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I hope that the rest of your recovery continues to go smoothly. X
Just to add, some surgeons don’t do drains, mine didn’t (I had a single mastectomy and axillary node clearance without reconstruction).
@dilly really good point, thanks for adding. 
Me too - I had a drain in overnight in the hospital and they removed it in the morning before I went home. No swelling or anything. The nurse who removed it said that ‘larger ladies’ are more likely to need the drains in longer and get seromas. Im slim and small boobed (32a/B) - had a single mastectomy just before Christmas and have a very neat scar.
They said I can have reconstruction later but at the moment I am happy to stay flat, I still struggle to look at the scar but getting there, I am planning a tattoo at some point - there are some beautiful designs.
I think if I ended up having to have the other breast removed at some point then I may go for reconstruction - the logic being I like having the one boob with sensation and dont mind being lopsided (I wear crop tops with or without a stuffy and not that fussed by it), but if it came to both not having sensation then I would potentially want reconstruction. But thats not a decision for now, just a thought I had during sleepless chemo nights.
Prosthetic update! Went shopping in town with 2 pals today. 2 hours in Primark anyone? Anyway, I bought one of their £6 false boobs. Managed to find a XL right one for my 40D sizing. It’s covered, sturdy foam and the blurb says it’s washable. A quick try on and it appears to fit a treat. The size is spot on and I couldn’t ‘feel’ it. There’s a tiny little bit of side boobage in the shaping. The nipple does protrude and, as a result, I won’t wear it under thin clothes - it’s perkier and higher than my real, left boob nipple! Even with that niggle, to me it’s a huge improvement on the M&S offering - I found that an awful shape.
At the very least it will be a holiday bikini boob - my £22 Nicola Jane one has seen better days. I was about to buy a new one - that’s £16 +postage saved! I’m going to try to wear on it on not going out days. I need a lazy day around the house to see how it goes - my only concern is it won’t be heavy enough in a full cup, normal (non-pocketed) bra so it could ride up. Who knows, if it’s OK in my bras, it could be a wear under baggier clothes and thicker jumpers and the like type of thing.
Morning! Update on surgery for those behind me in the process. I’m about three and a half weeks in now. I’m walking every day (not easy with a herniated disc and sciatica but I’m forcing myself to do it). Pain is minimal, just the odd day where it feels a bit twingey. Went out out on Saturday night. Note to self, tell people NO HUGS. I hurt the next day 
but it was worth it…I have missed hugs SO MUCH.
Still feeling tired and still feeling a bit swelly belly, but just sleeping as much as I can and need. The belly will go in time (I hope).
Still sleeping propped up until I’ve seen the surgeon this Friday (delayed by a week due to Easter), but after that I’m hoping to start gradually sleeping flatter and trying to side sleep with the help of pillows.
Hope that’s helpful and reassuring for folk who have an op coming up. x
Hello everyone! I’m 2 yrs into my cancer treatment Invasive lobular and mixed ductal at same time with lymph nodes involved. I had a wide local excision and full axillary clearance 5 mths of chemo and 3 weeks of radio alongside letrozole and zolodex. I’m currently on cancer targeted therapy Abemaciclib and finish that next April. It’s now been decided that I have a double mastectomy. I’m currently a 34GG although my affected boob has lymphoedema so is larger. Due to the current cancer targeted therapy my oncologist only wants me to be off the drugs for 4 weeks so I can only go flat as anymore they think would be too much. The plan is then if I want to have reconstruction I can do this when I finish all the drugs. I know it’s the right thing to do however my op date is fast approaching and as some one who’s always been so busty I think it’s going to be very strange when I look down and I’m flat! I understand that you can get prosthesis ect. I just wondered what everyone wore immediately after a mastectomy do you bother with a bra? I have no idea! Any help or advice on what I should buy or do I’d really appreciate it. Thanks so much Helen x
Hi Helen
I’m sure it will feel strange at first, but I was amazed at how quickly I got used to it. I only had one side done. I don’t want to say what I’m thinking, because we have to be careful what we wish for, but I feel almost odd having the other one there if you know what I mean.
I was nervous about seeing the result. I looked as soon as I woke up and felt ok about it. Then I had a bad tearful time 2 weeks after, but that can be a reaction to the operation in general. Now I’m back to feeling alright about it. I mean…as alright as one can do.
I didn’t get anything bar the squishy prior to the op, which I never used. I wasn’t told about wearing any bra and when I woke up I had a clear plaster dressing on it. I just left it as was. Once the dressing was off I wore a front fastening sports type bra. I can wear it for a few hours then it gets uncomfortable so I take it off again. The top of my ribs ache from the op.
I think a lot might depend on you as an individual around your body shape and size, how well things are healing etc. Given you’re having the double, you don’t need to think about supporting a remaining breast which might make things less tricky from that point of view.
I didn’t feel like putting much on it for a couple of weeks. Once you have the nurses coming to see you after the op, maybe run it by them, or ring your BCN.
Good luck with it. xxx
Ahh thanks for your kind words! I hope you are OK and continue to recover well. Onwards and upwards!
I just had a the single MX too but was very small breasted anyway. All I wore after my op for quite a few weeks was M&S cotton vests underneath my usual teeshirts, sweaters etc.. I gradually migrated into their cotton crop tops which I’m still in. I hated bras anyway so I’m probably not a great person to comment on this - always found them very uncomfortable.
My best advice is wear something that’s comfy and don’t worry about what you look like or what people think. Your priority is recovery and being well.
Hi Helen
I had a single R mastectomy. I bought a couple of different mastectomy bras initially from M&S. Front fastening. Soft. Then a back fastening one with a more padded cup. Ive never worn either of them yet.
I found Cancer Researches Bamboo front fastening bra. Its fabulous. It is stretchy, soft, easy to put on. It stretches to accommodate my healthy breast, but stays flat for my right side. It has pockets for softies etc.
I use the NHS softie with it. Simply because it is so soft. It makes me feel “safe/protected”. Especially if I go to town. Cant cope with the chance of “knocks/bumps” so the softie reduces my concerns.
But when at home I like to have it without the softy. The bra stays flat and comfortable. No empty annoying cup to cope with.
I have a seroma and my scar was sore. I still feel sensitive 7weeks on due to the seroma. So the softie and bamboo bra work well together. At 63 im not bothered about looking perfect, or level, or equal. I am aware the softie is lighter within the bra, so sits higher than my remaining breast. Not much though. So it doesnt bother me. I could place a small bead bag/rice bag in to weight it a little, but I couldnt be bothered in truth.
The downside of the CR bamboo is the clips/fasteners used to attach the straps to the bra. Ive found these were a bit too flimsy. Bend. So this resulted in the straps unfastening as I was trying to put it on. Not good when mobility/pain is an issue after lymph removal. Ive emailed CResearch about this problem. But I love the bra so much I just got my needle and thread out and sewed them on permanently.
No bra is perfect.
Re bamboo. It has to be hand washed. Never tumble dried. Ive tumble dried bamboo socks before today and they shrink. So a good spin in the washing machine helps it air dry. But the softness is worth the minor hassle of a hand wash.
Re softie….I love the “comfort” of the softie. I tried the m&s prosthetic but I found it too firm, so it irritated my new scar. That may change over time.
Hope this helps. Xxx
Thanks Poppy for all this helpful information, I’m definitely going to look at some bamboo vests and tops too. At the moment I don’t know if I will ever have a reconstruction the last 2 years have been so gruelling and the thought of more surgery after this fills me with dread. However equally I’ve always been a really busty girl and without realising it, it often defines you a little bit so being completely flat will probably be a bit of a shock. I know it’s for the best and I need to focus on getting better and completely removing all my risk and cancer. Thanks again for taking the time to help me Helen x
Thanks Sam, I hope you are doing well now too x
Sending heart felt wishes Helen, for your future op. You have already climbed Everest. My treatment has yet to start.
To be honest, my surgeon did an amazing mastectomy. My scar goes along the shape of my breast. Its thin and really neat.
The rest of my chest/skin is undamaged… Smooth, normal sensitivity, normal generally and not at all scary to look at. I checked out photos of scars from websites, so I was prepared for the end result. I said goodbye to my boob the day before.
I personally could not cope with more operations for a reconstruction. My recovery, as it stands, has been tricky with the seroma, pain on stretching, reduced movement and numb arm after lymph removal. So I think that is enough for me.
7 weeks on I am seeing improvements. I can now do most things. Have been in my garden, and sorted my house with much more ease. Much less pain. But in all honesty the pain was only due to extended movements. I never had “pain” generally. I hardly ever needed pain killers. I think ibuprofen twice!!!
I couldnt even cope with having my ears pierced 
. Happy to accept my limits.
If anything my chest just looks pre-pubescent so its not unfamiliar. Not concaved. Not unknown to me. But I understand how boobs define us in many ways. So choices are individual and important.
Cancer is a seriously cruel plague on so many of us. I breast fed both daughters and was told that reduced my risk of cancer in the future. But cancer has its own agenda and the most important thing is to cure it or control it.
Stay strong 
. If you’ve coped with chemo, the mastectomy will be a breeze. Xxx