Late Reconstruction

[deeh]

Hi sasky

hope you are keeping well and have a good recovery.  You shouldn't feel guilty you have been through a lot to get to where you are now.

I have my first appointment with plastics on Friday as i start on my recon journey 🙂

Take care,   Dee x

[sasky]

Hi Everyone.
I am just home from a delayed recon. Had mx October 2012 & finished all treatment chemo/rads/herceptin in Jan 2014. So it is a big decision going from being active/ back at work etc to relying on other half and family members. I do feel guilty with it being elective. After much thinking/ worrying I feel it is the right decision for me. It's still early days as just home from hospital and have healing to do but feel really happy. Xx

[deeh]

hi impatiens.

just hoping you are ok as i sent you a msg and not heard from you.

really hoping all is well  x

[impatiens]

Hi deeh,

Yes do keep in touch, I'm now 4 weeks on and there's a real difference, standing upright, walking further - can do about ten minutes straight without needing to sit down to rest my back because walking is still a bit restricted, you realise that big steps stretch your stomach! But feel better and am going to start doing some work from home next week. Although I sleep for 2 hours most afternoons still. But like roadrunner I'm really pleased I've had it done and think it will make a huge difference to me.x

[deeh]

Thank you Kitten x

[kitten_mad]

To PM someone you just click on their user name and the option should come up. Messages will show at the top of general log in page, or you can opt to get an email when a new message comes in,

[deeh]

Hi Roadrunner

Thanks for the reply.  Im pleased that you are happy with your recon.

I hate the prosthesis too, but not because of the reminder but because of the price of nice, pretty bra's - i'm a George girl lol.

At the moment i am wearing my softie again - 1) because i have a bigger choice of bras and just use a safety pin to keep it in place and 2) because i have lost nearly 3 stone since being fitted my proper one is just too big.  However, I have spoken to Breast Care Nurse at hospital, and although by rights im not due for a new one until next year she has decided to bend the rules because she is impressed with my weight loss, so i am going for that on Thursday. 😄

Hope you are continuing to keep well

Dee x

[deeh]

Hi Alison,

Hope you had a nice time at your parents and that you are continuing to improve.

How do i pm you please - would like to keep in touch.

Take care

Dee x

[RoadRunner]

Hi Dee,

I had a mx in 2007.  I asked at the time for an immediate recon but was not allowed one.  It was hard then, choosing to go back for elective surgery at a later date, but I was sure in my mind that I wanted a recon.  As I had herceptin, I waited for that to be finished, then asked to go on the waiting list at my two year checkup.  It took six months to get an appointment with the plastic surgeon, then another six months to wait for an operation date.  So I had my recon (LD flap with implant - too slim to have any of my own fat to use) three years after the mx, and have never looked back.  It has made such a huge difference, and I am so pleased I did it.  I hated that prosthesis, it was a daily reminder of the cancer.  Going in to the operation was terrifying - this was elective, it wasn't like the mx that had to be done, what if it all went wrong?  But I trusted my surgeon, I had heard good reports of his work, which really helped.

[impatiens]

Hi deeh

So sorry, I've been at my parents and not able to get online for a few days. It's now nearly four weeks on and I'm much more upright and I can walk further, but if I sit for any length of time it all contracts a bit. But absolutely no pain, I've been putting aloe Vera straight from the plant on my skin on my stomach which feltmlike a cheese grater had been taken to it, and that's helped a LOT.

I ve always been told that the recovery was 2 to 3 months - can't drive for 6 weeks. I didn't really believe that but I can see now that might be- it's the walking upright which is slow to happen and which slows things up, and I get tired in the afternoons, however I've read posts from other women who've recovered really quickly, driving after four weeks and able to be upright much sooner than I seem to be able. One reason I think is that they had to take a vey big wedge of skin and fat from my stomach to give me a breast anything like the size of my other one, I had reduction on the other side at the same time.

The waiting lists for delayed recon seem to be long all over the country, and I had my op cancelled three times! Somif you're considering it you might want to go ahead and get yourself on the list, it'll probably be a while anyway and if you change your mind, then you can. Don't tell them you have doubts!

I have to say that I'm pleased I've done it even looking as horrible as I do at the moment - the scar on my stomach is HUGE! but I didn't realise how much I was being affected mentally by my one breastedness until I was given two again. I thought I'd completely come to terms with it, but apparently not, because I now feel like it's finally over. Do feel free to pm me if you'd like to and I'm more than happy to tell you my experiences as I recover.

Take care deeh and all the best

Alison

[deeh]

Thank you Janet, I have already ordered one - thats the first thing i did before posting on the forum.

Just to say I think all your publications are really good and useful - one of the reasons i am helping to raise money your charity.

[deeh]

Hi impatiens

Thanks for the reply.

Have they given you any idea how long recovery will take?

Ive only recently started to consider it - like you i hate the prosthesis, and hate having a limited choice of bra's.

I spoke to Nurse last week and she is going to refer me, so got a long way to go yet, but feel like i'm ready now - i have changed my life so much since finishing treatment (for the better) and now reconstruction has become more of a priority than it was originally.

Sending you lots of best wishes and hoping you feel better soon, and once again thank you for replying.

If you don't mind I'll keep in touch with you and see how you are getting on.

bye for now

Dee x

[impatiens]

Hi deeh,

I've just had reconstruction, a Diep flap, nearly three years on from my mastectomy. I would liked to have had it sooner but have been on various waiting lists after initial op, then chemo then radiotherapy. I can understand not wanting to have more surgery, I was dreading it, the anaesthetic, being in hospital, the long recovery, but I so hated that prosthesis and had hated the way my body looked I thought it was worth it. I still look like I've been in a car crash, but it's three weeks on so early days, it' s not painful, more uncomfortable and I'm still not able to walk completely upright, but Soooo pleased I've had it done. It does feel as if I can really move on now. It could always come back I suppose but I tend to ignore that aspect!

[Janet_BCC]

Hi deeh

While you are waiting for some replies to your post, I thought our booklet on Breast Reconstruction might be helpful.  I have attached a link:

http://www2.breastcancercare.org.uk/sites/default/files/breast_reconstruction_web.pdf

Very best wishes

Janet

BCC Moderator

[deeh]

Hi, hope I am in the right place for this?

I had mastectomy in Sept 2012, followed by chemo and rads.  At that point I was not interested in having a re-construction, but am now considering the possibility.  I have spoken to Breast Care Nurse who is going to refer me for a consultation, but was wondering/hoping that there will be people on here who have gone down this path ie: choosing reconstruction some time after initial mastectomy.

Would be great to hear from anyone who has or is considering this option.

Thanks in advance

Dee x