hi all. i am 8 weeks out from having bilateral tug reconstruction (march 21) and it's been so very hard. i would never do this again or recommend it to others. having said that, everyone has their own experience.
i had stage 3 bc in the left breast and some suspicious spots on the right. since i also have family history i opted for bmx in february. my lymph nodes were negative but i still may need chemo and of course 5years of tamo.
i was so scared of the recon but didn't feel like myself flat, so i went ahead. when i woke from the 12 hour
surgery i had a cramp in my left calf and it stayed that way for an entire month despite daily massages. i also have tingling, burning, spasms, and general pain from my left hip to my toes. my skin is hypersensitive so wearing clothing is hard and shoes are harder. i can only walk for short distances before i am exhausted and almost in tears from the pain. i can't sit for too long in a regular chair, and i can't even lay in my bed comfortably. it is really so bad that all of my body is tensed up most of the time so i'm now having shoulder and other joint pain. i can't work, or take care of my house. in addition to that, i can't sleep because of the nerve pain and that makes everything worse. it has all taken such a toll and i'm really struggling to stay positive.
the surgeon apologized and said that nerve damage can happen and there wasn't anything to do for it but wait. about 4 weeks later he finally gave me gabapentin, but it doesn't always work. i had lots of support from family and even two weeks of service by a home health aid. they had to do everything for me-bathe me, help me dress, help me walk, they took care of my daughter, our house, and farm. i still have to have someone come in to clean, do dishes and laundry. my farm is a mess at this point.
i also had my incisions open in three places. the worst was on my inner right thigh and was three inches long by 2 inches wide. it opened three weeks post-op and it was a big gaping hole in my leg and i could see my bone! noone seemed fussed at the surgeon's office. their solution was for me to pack it with saline dampened gauze twice a day. it was too much for me and i started having panic attacks. finally the surgeon stitched it closed this past week! the other leg had a small one but it is nearly healed. my right breast also opened close to my armpit. i had to pack that one too but it is on the mend--i guess.
the surgeon told me that this was a journey and it could take 18 months with multiple surgeries/revisions to get it right. looking back on that i can't imagine what the **bleep** made me think that was ok. i should have stayed flat. i was feeling better and stronger and i just should have been happy with that. i think i was seduced by the idea of getting a thigh lift and a set of new perky breasts; like that could ever be worth the hell i'm going through now. oh, and they both look like crap.
my two cents--just don't do it. stay flat or go flat it you have to have implants removed, don't destroy the rest of your body.
good luck with your decisions.
