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Hi there, Tiger here. I dont have personal experiences to all your questions, but I hope I can be of some help. I had a mastectomy Jan/00, no reconstruction, it was all kind of fast and furious and there was no time to schedule it in. They took 17 lymph nodes, tested positive, and later that week ,cat scan showed tumours in my liver as well. The sentinal node biopsy is supposed to be almost fool proof now. That is what most of the surgeons are doing, and there is less recovery time. As for the chemo, you should wait and find out what sort they are giving you, then we will be able to help better. There is usually one standard for breast cancer and everyone experiences it differently, so there is no sense in possibly scaring you away from it. Once you know more, let us know and we can better support you, stay in touch through your surgery recovery, we can help you sort out the emotions you will probably be overwhelmed with, but think of it this way, would you rather have one boob and be healthy, or have two and be in real trouble? Most people have good luck with lumpectomies, but if a mastectomy is recommended because of tumour number or size, well you are better off. Take care and stay in touch.
Hugs from Tiger xo PS, you can check out our personal web pages by clicking onto our name instead of reading the mail.

Hi there. Pam here. I had my initial BC 19+ years ago. I had a radical mastectomy & no positive nodes showed on pathology but here must have been something as I am now in recurrance. I chose not to have a reconstruction as by the time a few months had passed (DIEP FLAP etc wasn't around then)and the thought of another operation & a scar on my back as well wasn't too popular with me & hubby could't care less as long as I was around. Never regretted that decision but then I did not have a model figure to start with. It all depends on your own body image as to whether you go for re-construction or not. Good luck with your treatments & keep us posted. You'l get all the help & info you need here. Love & hugs. Pam

Hi, cher here.
I recieved definite cancer diagnosis on Nov. 17,had bilateral masectomies on
Dec.8, and was considered stage IV (or possibly only III-B) after. I am pretty
well healed from surgery now....they removed 17 nodes (10 on right and 7 on left)
my cancer was both lobular and ductile, some was fast growing and some
was obviously slowgrowing as the same little peanut shaped things showed on
a mammogram 14 years ago and were noted as benign, and never double checked
again.
I have had my first Adriamycin-Cytoxan chemo treatment 2 1/2 weeks ago,
with only a little tiredness as side-effect, but they gave me the top of the line
in anti-nausea stuff since my insurance pays for it.

I have lost some hair (probably as much as on most peoples heads, but since
mine started out so thick I still have another head full to lose) have lots of hads
scarves, a wig, and lots of attitude to to the bare head thing.

With the surgery the main thing is to start the exercises for flexibility as soon as
possible. I was exercising in my hospital bed about 5 hours after being returned
from recovery room. I did a few repititions at least 3 times a day until I got my strength
back and then really tackled them full scale.

An infection and port implant surgery set back my schedule of exercising a little
but I am almost as flexible now as before (except when I bump into my port
button like projection on my upper chest just below the collar bone.

Keep the best attitude you can possibly achieve. I refuse to allow any but great outcomes
so I am doing very well.

By the way, at 54 and short and chubby, I do not plan to have recon.
My flabby boobies were never all that great. I went from2 sunny-side up eggs, to
little droopers in a few months in my late 40's and have no desire to repeat
the performance in my 60's/ Flat is fine with my hubby too. he hates hospitals
and more hates to see me in them.

Just remember, write your fears and troubles. your successes too.

We will be here for you.

We'll pray, laugh, hug, do war dances, whatever it takes.

Battlin' for you and for me, cher

Welcome to the club no one

Welcome to the club no one really wants to join, but you will find a lot of support and well wishers here!

I was very young (33) when I was diagnosed and caught totally off guard.  I had Stage 3 A (large tumor and 4 nodes).  That was 26 years ago!   I am still fighting but here.  I had old-fashioned chemo (cytoxan, 5FU and methotrexate), not used much these days.  I had a mastectomy, radiation and 7 years of tamoxifen--all of which gave me an 18 year remission.

I did not have reconstruction with my initial mastectomy.  I waited about a year after radiation and then had the abdominal muscle pull-through done (they take a flap with a muscle from your abdomen and tunnel it with blood vessels attached and pull it up through your chest) .  They weren't doing the free flaps then where they cut the flap free and reattach it using microsurgery on your chest (they pull your sternum up and connect some blood vessels there with the cut vessels on the flap).  This is all a gross oversimplification, but you get the idea.

With my initial reconstruction, I was told that I was not a candidate for implants, because of my large tumor and small breasts.  Also tumor was right up against chest wall, so much tissue and skin was removed that there was nothing to put an implant under.  At the same time as my reconstruction, my plastic surgeon gave my non-cancerous breast an implant because he said he couldn't match breasts otherwise. 

Years later, after 2 sisters were diagnosed with breast cancer, my breast surgeon changed his mind and wanted me to remove my non-cancerous breast.  It did not have cancer and we did mastectomy and reconstruction at the same time (breast surgeon and plastic surgeon working together).  This time, I chose a free flap using a buttock.  the plastic surgeon did not take a muscle--just tissue, skin and a few big blood vessels.  The free flap was much easier to recover from than the pull through.

I chose a free flap reconstruction vs implant,  because the implant that had been placed in the non-cancerous breast was driving me crazy.  After 10 years, it had become hard and painful.  It caused anxiety because I was never sure if the pain was from the implant or possible cancer.  My plastic surgeon told me that implants often do become bothersome after ten years and may need to be replaced.  Being just in my early 40's then, I decided no more implants for me.  Others have had great results with them, but I figured I had a history of pain and hardening after 10 years, I wasn't doing it again.

Hope some of this helps you!  I am not sure what the plastic surgeons are doing these days.  Much depends on geography, it seems to me.  When my sister in San Diego had her reconstruction, she asked about the free flap procedure and was told by her ps that he, although admired and was aware of the work done by my ps, he had never been trained to do it.  She did implants and she has had no complaints.  Good luck!  Big hugs and prayers!!!!