I have just returned from my first reconstruction consultation and I am totally confused and very upset!!! Ignorant me, thought I’d walk out with a perfect new pair?? Not the case obviously! I am extremely squeamish and really needle phobic (even after 6 months of chemo)! I know I’ve been through a lot this year but I am so so scared of this op. I really wanted to have it done as I still struggle to look at my missing boob! I was hoping for some optimistic consultant to tell me everything would be fine instead of frightening the life out of me by pointing out what could go wrong and somehow I was made to feel vain by wanting this done!! It’s not the case at all, I just want my life back…Anyone as scared as me had this done?
you may be better posting under reconstructive surgery. i’m not keen on needles either, particularly in the wrong hands and quite honestly cancer treatment hasn’t enhanced my enjoyment of them. You can now have a cream called emla put on to numb the area so I’d suggest having that plus learning some deep breathing exercises. I now assume I’m going to loathe every minute so this prepares me for my few visits to the doctors these days. It’s perfectly reasonable to be scared because you can’t be certain about the results, you need to look at some reconstructions in the flesh I think, good and bad, and talk to a few surgeons before you go ahead. I’m not very trusting so as far as I am concerned I like to imagine worst case scenario as well as best and do my research ahead of times.
Unfortunately i was only given a week and a half’s notice of my partial mastectomy and I still regret getting what was the surgeon’s usual op for my kind of cancer, size of breast and position and size of cancer. Nowadays I know far more so I’d shop around, if I had my time over that is.