Advice regarding mastectomies & reconstruction

BUSSOM BUDDY said:

Hi Rebecca
I don't know what
Hi Rebecca
I don't know what state you live in but I would find a really good plastic surgeon, there are a lot of ways they can do the reconstruction. In my case they did a Tram Flap, which worked until I decided to put an implant in. And 8 sugerys later I had to have it removed because my skin got so thin from all the radiation it wouldn't hold the stiches. So it's your choice but always ask questions.
Ann

Hi Rebecca
I am so sorry about your mother and that you are having to go through this experience yourself. It sounds like you are doing the right thing by learning everything you need to know before making any decisions.

I think the type of reconstructive surgery will vary with regard to age, body type, node removal, whether or not you need radiation and/or chemotherapy etc... For me the only option was a bilaterial mastectomy with tissue expanders. Now that I am completely done with the process, I am really happy with the results!

I also think that recovery time will vary considerably depending on what sort of reconstructive surgery you eventually get.

I can tell you that within about one day after my bilaterial mastectomy, I was walking around. I stayed in the hospital 2 nights. It was about a week before I was doing chores and lightly using my arms again. Within about a month I could comfortably lie flat and walk long distances again. I had 2 drains in for 2 weeks and my expanders didn't start getting filled until about 7 weeks post surgery (most people start much earlier, but my muscles were too tight). I felt very little pain and for the most part just felt tired. My expanders were filled by about 3 months after my surgery and since I had chemo (but no radiation), I had my exchange surgery (where they remove the expanders and put in your permanent implants) about 6 months after my mastectomies. Recovery from that surgery was easy. Practically no pain and I just felt a little tired for a couple of days afterward.

I want to wish you the best of luck with your appointment and with whatever road you choose. Take care.

Clementine

Hi
First of all, I'm so
Hi
First of all, I'm so sorry for everything that you & your family are going through! What a night mare! Good luck with any decision you make! The plastic surgeon & your reg surgeon will work together on the best plan for you. Some times like someone else said, it depends on many factors which reconstruction is right for you.
I had a skin conserving mastectomy so that I could have an immediate silicone implant. my surgeon thought this was the best option for me. my mastectomy was not really a big deal. I didn't experience alot of pain & everything healed well. I also was happy to see "something" there as opposed to waking up with no breast.
Hugs & prayers!
Renee

surgery
Rebecca,
My daughter is in a similar situation. We have 3 generations with BC. I did not test positive for either BRCA gene, however, she is still at a considerable risk for BC because most of us were diagnosed before 50.

She has been researching plastic surgeons. There is a big difference in the quality of their work. Just remember this is part of your body and will be with you for several decades. No time to bargain shop!

Since you do not have cancer, the surgery will be a little simpler. No lymph node removal will make it a little easier to tolerate. Follow the post op instructions and you should be good to go.

Until you decide you should request a screening breast MRI. Mammogram may not be as effective because of your age. Your breasts are probably still very dense. With your family history it should be easy for your doctor to justify to the insurance.

One other thing you will want to look at is your ovaries. I don't know if you have had kids, but you may want to consider having them out at some time. Ovarian cancer is also a risk with the BRCA genes and it is much harder to catch early.

Good luck,
Cindy

aysemari said:

Hi Rebecca
Sorry about your loss. It must have been very hard for you to see your mom go through
all that.

Make sure that your are fully informed about your options. And coming here will give you
a wealth of information. I know my ladies, they really care and are brim full of good advice.
Decide on the type of mastectomy, nipple sparing or not. Decide on what type of implants,
silicone or something else. Decide on the shape and size, make them your own. And above
all find a surgeon and a plastic surgeon you truly feel comfortable with and trust, it makes
all the difference. My incisions were across my breast but I saw incision that were right
underneath the breast, so they were not visible. Discuss all these option with your surgeon
and be an active part of your treatment plan.

As for the mastectomy itself, I think the painful part is the immediate reconstruction, when
they put in the expanders in and you are still raw, every move hurts. My advice take time to
heal. And take it really easy, prepare yourself. Give yourself at least 2-3 weeks, get all the
books you always wanted to read, all the movies you never got to see, call those friends
you haven't spoken to in so long. Just know it will take time and give yourself that time.

Bet of luck to you!!!

hugs,
Ayse

Hi Rebecca,
First of all I am so sorry you lost your mom, but in the same sense I am excited for you that you joined our family. You have come to a great place for information and experience. I can only tell you my story so you have a perspective of what I went through. Of course your surgeon and plastic surgeon will be the guys to go to for most of your own personal choices.

I had a skin sparring bilateral mastectomy followed up with immediate reconstruction on Feb. 28th, 2011. The day of my surgery my breast surgeon removed my breasts and lots of extra breast skin tissue. When he was done removing my left breast my plastic surgeon stepped in to that side of the table and started working on the reconstruction part of he surgery. He placed a tissue expander behind my chest wall and stitched up the site. When my Breast Surgeon was finished with the right side he slid over and finished up that side. I woke up 5 hours later with a drain on each side of my body coming out of my torso about six inches below each armpit. I think these darn drains were the worst part of the whole surgery. You are sent home with instruction on how to empty and measure each drain, I had them in for three weeks because the fluid level has to be below a certain number before they will remove them. It's comparable to siphoning gasoline from a car.. they extract all the fluid buildup in the operation cavity.

The day my drains came out my plastic surgeon started my expansion process. I would have to go once a week for the next seven weeks and have so many units of fluid injected into the tissue expanders. This is done with a topical numbing shot and then a needle is inserted into the expander port and the plunger on the syringe is pushed releasing the saline into the expander. You really don't feel this because you chest is still so numb from surgery. It takes months if not years for some or all of that feeling to come back and in some cases it won't. I had to go for seven treatments because I wanted big guns... I am about a "c" cup currently. You have to gradually expand these, it's much like a pregnant womans belly. It's gotta be gradual or there would be all kinds of pain from stretching muscles and skin.

Right now I am currently going through radiation and I will have to wait a few months at least to do my exchange surgery. This is where I will have my expanders removed and my implants put in and any other nip tuck performed. I still have extra skin that need to be filled or removed. It truly is quite amazing...

Well that's my story as of this moment. I hope I was able to shed a little bit of light on how implant surgery will take place. There are great websites on the internet you can google to gain a wealth of information from. As the girls here say, you are your own best advocate and the more knowledge you attain the better off you will be.

If you let us, we will be here for you every step of the way.

Keep us posted on how you are doing..
Hugs,
Lorrie