mastectomy & reduction - questions questions questions

Hi

I have undergone a lumpectomy and partial lymph removal a few weeks ago. The good news was there was no spread to lymph from my very early stage BC however they discovered a large part of my breast has pre-cancer. I have now been told I need a mastectomy and probably a reduction on the healthy breast as I am a 36ff/g.

I am meeting the consultant next week and I don’t even know where to begin when it comes to questions to ask. I’m still trying to get my head around it all! The more I read the more confusing it all seems. I am able to have immediate reconstruction but from reading some of the forums, it seems that not all types of reconstruction are possible for very large breasts.

Help!

When considering a delayed reconstruction(4 years on!), I found the help on this site very useful. There is a pamphlet to download and, despite the short notice (I wanted it immediately, once I’d made my mind up), they put me in touch with people who had had good and bad experiences of the two main types I was considering.
I was lucky to get a good ‘volume match’ from a free flap TRAM/DIEP and have never bothered to get a nipple done. Without a bra, getting the ‘droop’ to match is virtually impossible, and with a bra, who’s going to notice? I have put on a bit of weight since, so use a shell prosthesis during the week, (promising myself to diet just as soon as I finish the Letrazole) but it’s still a lot better than the hassle of a full prosthesis.
The only warning I would give, and please don’t take this as a negative, but the people I know who have had immediate reconstructions seem to be less satisfied with the results than those of us who had one later. Objective evidence such as pictures you can see on the web and one or two people who’ve compared with mine is to the contrary. Immediate reconstructions are just as successful, and some surgeons say they are easier because there is less scar tissue in the way, but maybe expectations are a bit higher.