Breast Cancer Now Forum

Hi I had a lipofill on 15th June, the fat was taken from both thighs to plump up old breast to match the new.   When I was discharged from the hospital, I wasn't told anything about what I should or shouldn't be doing during my recuperation time.  The first few days there was lots of pain and bruising, but this has improved a lot now.    I thought I would look online today to get some information about the healing time of the liposuction and have slightly freaked myself out now!!  One sight I saw said that you should wear supports around the site for around a week after.  I wasn't told about this.  I had a DIEP reconstruction two years ago and was told to wear support pants for quite some time after, but it didn't occur to me that I should be wearing some support for this!!!  I'm now worried that my thights won't "set" properly.   I'd also like to know when I can start excersising again - although I am still sore, I would like to do some low impact stuff, just to make me feel better in myself.   Has anyone else had the same thing?  What advice were you given?   Thanks       ... View more

Hi I thought I would start a new thread, rather than replying to the last nipple reconstruction thread, as my story is slightly different and didn't want to butt into someone else's thread.   I had my DIEP surgery back in March 2014, then was left on the waiting list to have my nipple reconstruction and lipo fll into my healthy breast to make it the same size as my new one.   Basically, cutting a long story short, the surgeon offered me a larger breast - why would I say no!  However, he sold it to me on the basis that it would all be done at the same time, using my belly fat.  But four days after my DIEP, when I finally had the courage to look, I saw that nothing had been done to my old breast! So I was put on to the waiting list.   Let me tell you - my last two years have been limbo - I have done my best to get on with my life.  I took on a mundane job for a year, just to give me some breathing space and hopefully waiting for the completion of my surgery.  A year passed - I then found another job, more in line with my career aspirations - and here I am post nipple reconstruction and lipofill.   BUT - my lipofill doesn't seem to have taken - it's gone as floppy as it was before (haven't seen the new nipple yet as its still under dressing).  My thighs are in so much pain from the liposuction - bruised like mad (People pay for this???).  Has the waitng and pain all been for nothing???  I am so gutted - do I have to go through this all again.  I know that my breasts will never totally match again, but I don't want one A cup and one C cup!!!   Feeling very dispondent at the moment - and slightly ungrateful!!!  I know that I am lucky!! Which makes me feel really guilty for feeling the way I do.  I am just fed up of wearing bras with stiff cups - they give me such a horrible/fake shape.  I don't want to wear the chicken fillet that the hospital gave me - it weighs a ton and makes me sweat!!   : (   xx   ... View more

Hi   I started my current job on a 6 month fixed term contract, back on 24th October 2013.  On 13th November I was diagnosed with BC.   My initial contract was 6 months fixed term, then after the 6 months, they would decide whether to make me permanent.   However, during my time off for my mastectomy and reconstruction, the HR Manager visited me at home and brought round a hamper (very nice indeed), but then also informed me that I would be dropped to half pay (fair enough as I wasn't expecting anything anyway) and that my fixed term contract was being extended to end of July.   Upon my return, I had no difficulty in going to appointments or in seeing a counsellor, but I did find it all very difficult.  I only had 8 weeks off - 2 weeks prior to the appointment as I had a bit of a melt down, then 6 after the op.  I came back feeling as if I had to relearn the job (bearing in mind that I had only just stared when I was diagnosed - so was learning a completely new job whilst trying to cope with the news).  It was a very difficult time indeed, I was completely not myelf until at least 6-8 weeks after my return - I had completely lost my confidence.   Just after the end of July, my HR Manager met with me (I forgot to mention that I'm her HR Assistant) to inform me that due to restructuring of the company and her increasing work load, that she will be needing an HR Advisor - she put my current job description and the proposed one in front of me.  She said that I was welcome to apply for the new role, but it would be going externally also.   She then said that they would extend my current fixed term until end of October and give me one month's ex gratia payment, tax free for staying on should I not wish to apply for the new role.   I said to her that she quite clearly didn't think that I could do this new role and she answered that she wouldn't say I couldn't, just that she hadn't seen it, although wasn't specific in what it was that she hadn't seen.  Also apparently I'm too nice for the company!   I spoke to a friend the other day and she felt that I had been discriminated against, I argued against this at first, but the more I think about it, the more I realise that if I hadn't have got this diagnosis, the chances are that I would have been made permanent by now.   What do you think?  Have I been fairly treated in the eyes of the law??   Thanks   H x     ... View more