~NIPPLE RECONSTRUCTION UPDATE~

RE
RE Member Posts: 4,591 Member
edited March 2011 in Breast Cancer #1
I decided to note what has happened so far, if anyone has had this done please let me know how it went for you.

I choose to have a skin graft done above the pubic hair line to create the areola that surrounds the newly created nipple (which is created by snipping created breast skin and sewing it so it puckers). The circular graft of skin had a hole cut in it and placed over the new nipple then sewn into place.

Week 1 - I had a cotton ball type thing sewn over it entirely and could not see a thing.

Week 2 - stitches out (ouch) now on to daily rebandaging and gentle cleaning. It looked like the right color and seemed to be doing well.

Week 3 - a scare...it began to have whitish gooey skin (sorry if too graphic) developing around the edges and it was shedding...call to doctor he saw me on the same day. It turns out that whitish stuff is pre-skin and part of the normal process and the shedding is quite normal and will happen a few times...WHEW!

Week 4 - I am quite tired of wearing a bra 24-7 to protect the newly secured pocket and the newly created nipple. HOWEVER>...I can see areas where the graft has taken and where it is now officially part of my breast...how exciting even though it is only small areas.

I am taking pictures of it weekly so I can see the changes and I am putting them in our safe so that should my sister or daughter have to do this I will have something for them to look at. I am quite reserved that way so for me to take photo's is a big deal.

So that is my journey so far, it looks good and actually looks quite real (with the exception of the scars which doc says will fade with time) so although it has taken 4 surgeries from mastectomy to now to get here (along with many filling the expander moments) it has been worth the hassle and pain. I say this as I think back to my mom who had radical double mastectomy in the 70's and could not have reconstruction due to how radical it was, I recall how difficult mentally it was for her and how painful it was to watch. If I can be rebuilt to some semblance of what I was I think it is a good thing for me and worth the sometimes rough road to get there. I wish each of you the best!

RE

Comments

  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #2
    wow
    amazing what they can do..
  • jo jo
    jo jo Member Posts: 1,175
    #3
    Thats awesome RE...im so
    Thats awesome RE...im so glad its going good for you. This is my next phase...nipple reconstruction and how im going to do it or just do the tattooing cuz i dont want the skin graphs...i have enough scars on this old body. I have been taking pics of every step...not that anyone is going to see them but just a reminder of how far i have come.
  • RE
    RE Member Posts: 4,591 Member
    #4
    jo jo said:

    Thats awesome RE...im so
    Thats awesome RE...im so glad its going good for you. This is my next phase...nipple reconstruction and how im going to do it or just do the tattooing cuz i dont want the skin graphs...i have enough scars on this old body. I have been taking pics of every step...not that anyone is going to see them but just a reminder of how far i have come.

    :-)
    Hi JoJo, I hear ya regarding the scars. My surgeon wanted to take the skin from a location that had a scar already, so we took it from the hysterectomy scar area which meant no new scar so that was great. The other scar is the one that was there from the mastectomy and the placement of the implant. The graph areola does have tiny scars surrounding it where it was stitched onto the new breast, per my surgeon those will disappear with time so we shall see. My sister had the tattoos doe without nipple bump, so basically a 3D tattoo of a nipple and the areola area and it looked pretty realistic. I wish you all the best as you decide and go forward with the final step.

    Hugs,

    RE

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