Breast Cancer Now Forum

Cate what operation did you have? I had bilateral mx with DIEP recon. Mine are a bit wide and flat too! (Will all change in Summer after revision surgery!) Marks and Spencer in Camberley just seem to have got a huge new range of post surgery (non wired) bras in. (They did not have these whenI went in 2 mths ago!) The older lady there was amazing with the post mx lady that I overheard her fitting in the cubicle next to me... I grabbed her when they finished. She was so sweet and knowledgable. I bought 2 lovely soft bras that miraculously don't dig into the chubby bit of flesh that is still sensitive under my arms. I'd advise calling them before setting off to ask when the expert is there just in case... ... View more

Blossom.. ref support pants the lady at M&S advised getting 2 sizes bigger than you are normally... great advice! Was like getting into a wetsuit when I tried their pre-op!! I EVENTUALLY went back to M&S and bought the bigger version (they go up to my bra line, nice firm panel all the way up the front. Bit tight around my ribs cos I have a large ribcage, but definitely made me feel 'safe' and protected. (The tight rib thing meant I could not wear them all day and not at night thought) Spent a fortune on 'cheap' support wear... in retrospect it would have been a better investment to splurge on Maicom post surgery garments day 1. Their bra is the ONLY one that I feel supports me properly and does not hurt! (I had a reduction too, but they are still E cup and need a bit of support so they don't turn into burger bun shape!) M&S do a great twin pack of wire free bras that are really nice in the cup, soft, seam free and supportive (£24.99 for 2!), but kinda hurt under my arms where the tail of my flaps is still settling down (bit bulgy where bra fits under arms) I eventually also bought their smaller corset but I must have a short torso as the bones dig in under boobs and into tops of thighs when sat down... disappointing because when standing it gave me a lovely feeling of support. I have since been told the 'sexy' one that has shoulder straps and shorts (like spanx) is the best one for abdominal surgery. Bit late for me to get one now 😞 Wish I'd invested wiser. Misread your post... did not realise only 10 days post surgery! Very early days. Hope you have help at home, don't lift a finger. (You will be tempted! I was up the loft ladder helping neighbour get my decorations out 2 weeks post op! Somehow managed not to hurt myself, but have to wonder if some of the issuesI have now are because I did not rest up properly. Was easy to start with, but I did get frustrated in week 3 post op. You will be tempted... don't give in 😉 ... View more

Ladies in John Lewis, Reading were AMAZING (were a bit older, more experienced). I think it is a bit hit and miss. I actually volunteered to show my DIEP boobs to a young bra fitter who had not seem any before - think it is important they are used to them and do not 'react' to them (have heard of some recoiling in horror!)   I have spent a flipping fortune trying to find a bra that fits and is comfortable  post surgery. Wish I'd had the hospital bra lady come fit me whilst I was still in hospital after surgery. Or made a special trip up there to have her fit me (they were expensive but would have been cheaper overall than the money I have wasted trying out loads)   To be honest the M&S non-wired bra (bought online as a pair, one nude, one black lacy looking) are actually the nicest and most supportinve (without squishing my poor DIEP boobs into burger bun shape like the sports bras did!! I think Sport bras are OK for LD flap and maybe smaller DIEP ladies, but my D/E cups were almost ruined by sports bras squishing them!) ... View more

I think it is because this is so alien to me and I have no frame of reference for how I am feeling... I just want to know what 'normal' is, but from what I can work out there is no 'normal' 😉   We all recover differently, and my Facebook support ladies are having different challenges to me. I was upright and mobile immediately, and once I shifted my chest infection/cough the pain was not that bad. I was STUNNED that the pain was manageable with just paracetomol and Naproxen (like Ibuprofen) both in hospital and at home. Was put on Gabapentin for a while for nerve pain in Jan (for that broken glass/sandpaper feeling under my arm from nerves re-knitting after surgery) but it made me tired and weepy so I came off it. Been off all pain relief in early Feb.   Trying hard not to complain because I know I should just be grateful not to have cancer. I think it is the lack of post op support wrap that is making me more tetchy. Plus that post treatment feeling I think we all have ('chemo done, op done, now off you go'... bouncer chucks you out the club into the side alley)   I called the Cromwell Breast Cancer Nurse this am and she was lovely (still wish I had one locally - literally 5 mins from Frimley Park Hospital where I live but they are not approved by my health insurance! I had to drive 30/40 mins to Basingstoke for all chemo and ongoing Herceptin)   Lovely BCN is getting me in to see physio at Cromwell and making appt to see Breast Surgeon who will investigate and advise on the lumpy boob. (He is adorable.. Mr Al Mufti - very caring. I developed pneumonia after surgery (OW!). Coughing was murder on abdomen (I worry I may have done some damage). The linctus they gave me did not really help so he jumped in a lift, went 15 floors down to the chemist, bought me some Chlorasceptic and jumped back in the lift to give it to me... bless. Can't fault him.   My PS however does not have quite such a warm bedside manner. Super professional but a tad aloof. (Feels like he has done his bit now stop bothering him) I think I need to wait maybe 6 mths/12 months to fairly judge this whole process though, as I am still pretty early doors with full recovery.   Right now I do wonder about whether DIEP was worth it but I think longer term I will have no doubt.   I still remember that feeling waking up from my double mastectomy to look down and see 2 perfect mounds (definitely perkier than before, the old girls were like water balloons!) Psychologically I think it is a marvellous operation (more for my 12 year old so mummy looked the same - I know it sounds odd but he is super sensitive and would have really struggled if I did not opt for recon)   I need to just get through this recovery period. I know I'll get there. I think I was just a little naieve reading about '12 week recovery periods' when actually full recovery is much longer. (Mind you, if I had known all the negative stuff I probably would not have gone for it.... there is such a thing as knowing too much I suspect... you'd never make any decision if you really knew what all these operations felt like 😉   I'm a tough old bird, I'll get there.   Oh, Blossom, big tip from me.... do your exercises religiously and do NOT massage scar tissue til 100% healed (I massaged too early and the bio oil made my scabs fall off too soon and contributed to wound failure! Also do NOT be tempted to pick your scabs. (I'm a terror for this!) Let dressing nurses advise!   Wish I had invested in proper post surgical corset day one... my PS said 'meh, I am not convinced it makes a difference' but that is nonsense, since been told by an abdominal PS that he was shocked I was not told to wear one constantly for first 4 weeks at least. Suspect this contributed to my bulgy belly now!   (I had the drain rubbing pain too - OMG!! Ambulance into A&E on morphine! (lovely:)               ... View more

(Sorry about typos... numb thumbs on iphone!!) ... View more

I do have to admit I was not desperate for visitors the week of the op whilst in hospital... the 3 people I did 'allow' to see me were 3 very old friends, one of whom flew over from San Fransisco to see me so that was actually really special and lifted my spirits. (He made me laugh too, which was much needed:) One of the others lived in London and had not seen me since chemo and was SO upset when she saw me and me post surgery that she just burst into tears and could not stop! I ended up comforting her... There was zero handover from Charing Cross hospital back into local NHS care... no Fistrict Nurses booked to come change my dressings at home so I had to get my neighbour (who is a DN) to do it for me at home on my bed (I have 2 cats and a dog that I tried to nanfrom the bed but I do wonder if their dirty paws may have contributed to the infection?) I would not advocate private over NHS for breast cancer treatment. I had access to better drugs and had my own room, but there has been no continuity of support and now no local post operative support. Love my breast surgeon (he is based at Cromwell hospital), but my PS kinda makes me feel like an irritant. (Was fabulous at the beginning, but now he has done his bit it's like he can't be bothered with the post op minutiae ... I would not mind if he could at least refer me to some subordinate or physio or something) Bit confusing at times as to whom I should speak to. I'm calling GP today to ask for physio referral for cording and massage ... View more

Ps The breast where the wound failed so badly was the one he did the SIEA flap transfer to... wonder if lesser blood supply contributed to poor healing? (The SIEA donor site in tummy healed well) I could not believe they did not cover the breast wounds... I just had gauze flaps taped on loosely.. what about you? ... View more

That is really helpful advice Ann! Better thanI have been given to date!! I think part of my struggle is that I used my private health insurance for this treatment. I have found it a nightmare logistically. NHS has excellent support wrap around BC treatment. But soon as you go private you are in silos. I had chemo in Basingstoke but had to go up to Charing Cross for the DIEP surgery as no-one round here does it. That was a huge issue for visitors(I had 3 in 7 days! In a private room on a private ward with only a 80 year old Saudi woman with dementia to keep me company (getting woken ip by someone screaming 'Allahu Akbar' repeatedly is a little scary!) Was given no hand out to take home for post operative care. Had just arm exercise sheet (printed my this site!) In the end I printed the 24 page guide that Guy's and St Thomas produced for DIEP patients. Brilliant. And I went on youtube learn how to help get rid of cording... (Should have been referred to a physio for this, but again, fall between the gaps with private) I'll try your massage tips, really helpful. Better than I got from my PS!! (All I got in response to my detailed list of 5 areas of concern was this from his secretary: 'I have spoken to Mr.xxx. He is not concerned and it sounds like you are progressing. With regards to the pain in the breast he has suggested massage.' That is literally it... he has not actually examined my abdomen at all since Jan so has no clue if it is herniated or whatever! Just bothers me because it feels SO swollen and inflamed on one side. I was ambulanced into A&E 4 days after my release in Dec because of searing pain that side possibly caused by the drain rubbing my belly skin from the inside! That same area is where it still feels swollen. Plastic surgeon's attitude reminds me of my GP all over again (the one who told me I was imagining things when I said my boobs felt lumpy in Oct 2014!!) Wish there was someone local I could get a second opinion from on my abdomen. I'm not exactly running marathons, so why is it not healing?? ... View more

Hi ladies   Well this is an incredibly old thread so I suspect you may not still be on here... but I am 3 months post double MX with SIEA flap one side (lovely job that side, zero pain, nice and flat!) and DIEP flap on the other side - which is causing me nothing but trouble!   Like one of the ladies I also had my wound around one of my noobs fell apart. I caught an infection - psudomonas. Was just awful, the stitches dissolved too soon and the wound failed and if it weren't for fab breast surgeon interjecting and overiding the PS and DNs  and putting me on a great antibiotic (that it responded to within 2 days), I'd have had to have a skin graft to close it up. That was after 8 weeks of having to re-dress it and watch it fall apart more each time! It's now horribly scarred that side.   I also have the swollen/inflamed patch around and slightly to the right of my new umbilicle (I had a terrible chest infection when I came to after the op - pneumonia for 2 days - convinced all that coughing caused some kind of tear) Despite my disomfort, my plastic surgeon says (via email!) that he is not concerned and he'll see me in another 3 months! (how can he state that without seeing me and feeling my bulgy tum??) I see some of you appear to have the same issue and it did resolve itself?   I also have a large lump of tissue that runs under my left breast nipple very similar sounding to many of you... reassures me to hear it does eventually go (my surgeon suggests 'massage' but not how to actually go about it!) Can't wait for it to soften.   Would be fantastic to hear how you are all now doing. And in retrospect what you feel about the operation/procedure? (Double mx and DIEP recon was a bit of a big op, and I think I overestimated my super human powers of recovery!)   Did any of you have revision surgery after 6 mths to get the final result you wanted?/ Deal with scars/ improve breast shape etc?   I have huge lumps of fat under each armpit that is the 'tail' of the flaps - surgeon says he can 'liposculpt' that in another 3 months once all settled/ healed. He also says he can get rid of the excessive scarring around my right nipple from where the wound failed, and lift that boob back up (it drooped badly when the wound failed... sits an inch lower than left, and nipple massive and on lower bit of boob - looks awful right now!)   Sorry to go on, I really need a bit of encouragement righ now as I am 3 months post surgery and was expecting to feel better than this at this stage.   Left boob hurts, abdomen super tight and bulging one side, abdo scar feels like a thick rope pulling me in from the sides, sore as hell if I stretch (around new umbilicus).   This is harder than chemo was! Seriously. I flew through chemo, I'm a super positive person. My surgeon claims he has not seen a breast wound fail like mind did before (he's done over 340 of these ops!) - but reading the below thread I think it is indeed more common that he let on. Not 100% sure I'd have chosen this option if I knew then what I know now... please tell me it gets better? 😞         ... View more

Thanks Scarab.. it's definitely a marathon not a sprint! 🙂 Will wait and see what it all looks like in 6 mths I think. Can't bear the idea of any further procedures right now, but know I'll be more rational in 3-6 mths once I have forgotten how I feel right now 😉 ... View more

Thanks ladies. I am alternating between: 1. lovely comfy Royce popper front fastening bra (so comfy but not really supportive enough for my big boobs. Style 1010) 2. An expensive Macom post op bra: nice fit around the ribs, very supportive but a bit small on the cup (I am 40E.. Website says one size fits all but lied;) 3. Care-Fix zip front fastening 'sleep'/post op bra (much like the Royce... lovely and comfy but not good for supporting big boobs. Model 30 10 13 74 4. I spend majority of time now wearing M&S zip front sport bra (model 04119401) which was hard to get on post op but is easier now in week 3. Squishes them a bit but makes me feel safe. My right nipple and umbilicle wounds appear to be breaking down which is bad news. I am now having them dressed daily by the nurse at our GPs. They apoarently now need to heal from the inside out, so not a case of popping a couple of new stitches in to hold it together:( Looks a complete mess right now.. hopefully a week or so downtrack they'll have healed. Makes me want them supported really well right now so coughing or movement does not make it worse. Still getting really bad nerve pain under my left armall the way down. Hope that goes soon 😞 Boy this is not as easy as I thought!! ... View more

I have seen some examples of tattoo artists doing '3D' nipple tattoos! Look amazing and would avoid nipple recon procedure. I'm 2 weeks post op for bilateral mx and DIEP recon. Balking at the idea of any more 'surgery'. I am tempted to have 3D tatts instead! They look amazing. Anyone had this done in UK? Also seen some absolutely beautiful floral tattoos ladies have had done. It's good that I have time to consider options... suspect will take me a while to decide! Did you have nipple recon? How did that go? Hope the tattooing went well xx ... View more

Plan is for my boobs to go down to a D from an E, but I bought E cup sport bra as they are pretty snug anyway. Charlotte, are you finding the fit of yours OK? ... View more

Hey Weanie, I can't believe how well Charlotte and Georgia have done after their ops... it really helps calm the nerves! My op is same as Charlotte's.. I was all very calm thru chemo but this week have got really anxious. Good news is I threatened formal complaint and magically Simply Health agreed to pay the full costs for surgery! (Funny how when I asked her nicely to have a word with her manager about it she said there was no point.. but when I said I wanted to escalate and asked what formal complaint process was she asked me to wait til she had a word with her manager and magically the waters parted! Hmm. (Pays to threaten formal complaint these days... think exec bonuses must be based on customer sat/complaints!!) Bought my flannel nightshirts and zip front sport bras! Just figuring out if I can wear a corset instead of big support pants! (nearly put my back out trying to haul into a pair of M&S support pants yesterday!!! Can't imagine attempting that with mastectomy arms!!) I figure if I wear a corset I can get away with no pants under my nightie which will make going to the loo a whole lot easier! Need a word with my nurse to check ok. Seen other DIEP ladies wore corsets/wraps. Niki xx ... View more

I am investigating non dairy options 🙂 Lots of nondairy ice creams on the markets... And Jamie Oliver has a recipe online I am yet to try...inhreduents look ok 🙂 2 vanilla pods 1 teaspoon vanilla-bean paste 1 x 400g tin of light coconut milk 300ml unsweetened organic soya milk 165g agave syrup ... View more

PS: i did not cut out dairy during chemo... that is for life afterwards.. eat whatever you can... alkali food will help fend off nausea though. ... View more

I think she'll recommend I cut dairy out entirely from what others have said; but I think even reducing intake would help if you can't face going dairy free (I can cope with soy/almond milk. Not keen on zero cheese, but cutting back would be better than nothing) Same goes for red meat. I'm not an expert though. You shoukd ask your care team about seeing a nutritionist for advice on diet. ... View more