I am now halfway through my chemo I met with my consultant 2 weeks ago for a review and asked re timing for double masectomy and reconstruction. At the beginning of year on diagnosis he gave impression full surgery incl recon after he changed my treatment plan to chemo first. He then advised me the ps would be looking at delayed as he works this way. Has thrown me as I want tram flap diep immediate for one surgery to get back to life and work. Have asked for appointment still waiting been two weeks now. I have spread to lymph nodes under arm so another surgeon needs to time in with surgery. I will have three weeks of rads at end
Has anyone else who wanted immediate had issues ie needed to push request it seems from BCn comments the ps does delayed for better cosmetic results but I’m nearly 50 I just want boob shapes
Is it easy to get a second opinion? Do I need second opinion from hospital they advised recon and operation will be carried out royal free hampstead or can I go into london?
Very annoyed with consultant on the changeling nature of reverting despite him constantly telling me my choice my decision.
Also my oncologist said last week she thought I was to have lumpectomy rather than Dix as tumour has shunk by hall. Not that I had heard a change of possible plan in 4 days sine I saw consultant! And no advise to me I hope she has this wrong as I plan to go through with masectomy to lower my risk of reoccurrence.
I finish chemo mid July hoping I can have agreed plan in place before end of June. Advice greatlfulkt appreciated.
Poor you, it’s a horrible time, where you are right now. The only advice I can give is that I was encouraged to have a lumpectomy by my surgeon, whom I trust and respect. I suggested that mastectomy would give greatest chance of removal of all cancer. She told me that the outcomes are the same, but if clear margins Re not reached, a mx would be necessary. So two weeks after the lumpectomy and SNB, I was told that clear margins were not achieve and therefore I went on to have mx. This then meant that I didn’t need radiotherapy. In a way I wished I’d gone straight for mx, but it was the right choice at the time and I was guided by my surgeon.
If I were you, I would discuss all of this with your bc nurse, if you have a good rapport with her.
Like you, I was desperate to just get on with it all,but what I’ve learnt is that you do need to be patient and it will all take time. I’m now one year on from diagnosis and have just had implant reconstruction with augmentation on my good side. Initially I had a tissue expander implant but opted to have it changed to silicone. Unfortunately the implant is too high and I’m facing yet another op, but I am focusing on the long term. Like you, I just wanted some form of normality and basic boon shape, but as time has gone on, I have begun to realise that a better cosmetic result is what I really want.
Regarding a second opinion, I wonder if you should call the helpline on here, as I’m sure they can advise.
Best of luck, take your time and look after yourself
S
Dear Books and Wine
My situation is different from yours. In my case I had radiotherapy before my double mastectomy and double lat flap recon. My operation was mid March and I am recovering well. My most recent radiotherapy on the right side finished in mid Jan. The left side was last year. Like you, I was told there needed to be a significant gap between radio and recon. However, I too was having a very difficult time accepting how I would look and feel. So bad, in fact, that I was prescribed anti anxiety meds and had a course of psychotherapy. For a number of reasons I had the left mastectomy in February (not least was that a new large tumour appeared while I was finishing chemo for the tumour on the right). My surgeon put in a temporary implant which he removed when I had the right mastectomy and double recon in March. So, I was never flat. It took a great deal of persuasion for my original WLE surgeon to accept that I was having problems accepting being flat for up to a year before recon, which was his plan. A friend who came with me to the appointment when he was actually scheduling this procedure insisted that I talk to the plastic surgeon before anything further happened. I cannot recommend this enough as it was then I found out what my recon options were and he also agreed to proceed differently as long as I accepted the risks of operating on recently radiated skin. My relief was tremendous. It has been a hard few months but all is well. I have lat flap recon with implants. These are now being inflated. Later I will undergo some minor refinements and nipple recon.
Happy to give more info.