Breast Cancer Support

I had a double mastectomy in June of 2008.  At the time I was not sure if I wanted reconstruction or not, so I decided to wait.  I am now considering it.  I am seeing a plastic surgeon next week.  I have done a lot of research on the subject and I am getting really nervous.  I would like to hear from you all that have gone through it, especially someone that has had reconstruction done later.  Am I in for a lot of discomfort?

Level of discomfort wasn't something on my list of considerations when deciding which reconstruction procedure was right for me.  Results are for ever.  Pain and discomfort are not only temporary, and they differ person to person.  I've read posts by some women that said their expander fills were painless, others had excruciating pain.  A few women breeze through flap procedures, others have a more difficult time.

The best advice I can give you is to research implant and flap procedures; look at the final results and decide what is right for you.

I'm 6 weeks post bilat mast with DIEP.  I am thrilled with my plastic surgeon's artistry; I don't need any revisions and can go ahead with nipples in Dec.  It has not been an easy recovery and I still have the 'iron bra & girdle' feeling that will probably last a few more months.  I've had a couple of small complications but I'm lucky, this was my 3rd BC and I had rads damage to both sides.  My risk for failure was high.  It will still be a few weeks before I go back to work.  My research showed 8-10 week recovery for DIEP and I'll probably be 10+ weeks.  If you consider DIEP you'll need help with almost everything for a couple of weeks at least.  My family has done everything for me and it's made my recovery a whole lot easier.

With DIEP (and other flap procedures) you have to sleep on your back as your abdomen is cut across from hip to hip.  Many women swear by their recliners, say they slept in them for 2 months.  I have a lovely recliner but I rented a hospital bed - I couldn't work the lever on my recliner so every time I was in it I was trapped and needed help out.  In the hosp bed I could do it on my own.

If you're considering DIEP (a 10-14 hour procedure)  make sure you have a surgeon with lots of experience, who also has a second experienced surgeon on the surgery team.  It is a very detailed microsurgery, the more experience with it, the better.  Also go into it armed with plenty of post op info.  I've found post op care differs from hosp to hosp.  The first 72 hours are critical to flap success or failure.  I was in a 'hot room' (over 24C) for the first 48 hours.  (Heat promotes blood flow.)  Flaps were monitored with doppler radar every hour for the first 48 then every 4 hours until discharge.  I was on a 'critical care' ward the entire stay.   I also had compression stockings under the 'pump' stockings that simulate walking/leg flexing.  The 'pain pump' was my best friend the first couple of days.  Since discharge I've only had to take extra strength tylenol.

DIEP for me was a difficult surgery and recovery but the results are well worth it.  I have beautiful, symmetrical, natural breasts.  The breast scars will be almost invisible once I'm done with nipple procedures (that will be painless).  I have that nice vertical 'line' down my abdomen and will decide later if I want to tattoo over the ab scar.  Right now I'm using paper tape on it to reduce the size.  My PS says there isn't enough evidence yet to prove the silicone tape is better than paper tape and of course I have a tape sensitivity so I'm playing it safe....lol

Good luck with your decision.

hi I waited a year after my masectomy, partly in case I had to do radiation (apparently it doesn't go well with implants), and partly because it just wasn't a priority for me.    I did go with implants, I really wanted to do a flap but my oncologist said that there was a high risk of muscle damage in the area where they take the tissue out, and that could interfere with my tae kwon do.    So I went with implants.   I am not going to lie, it was painful, they are putting them into your chest muscle, as you have no tissue left there.   They first put in expanders and you have to get them filled every week for about 6 weeks (you get to pick your size and where you want your new breasts!), then they let you heal for a few months, then they put the implants in.    The last surgery was pretty minor and not much pain.   

While we are talking surgeries, I have recently found out you have a right to your anesthia records, so if one previous surgery went well or bad for you, you can bring them before any new surgeries and say do this or don't do that.   

Lastly, it's not to say that they can't do radiation if you had a recurrence down the road, as they can, I am currently going through 6 weeks of radiation as my BC returned.   It just makes it more complicated.