decisions

My heart goes out to you. I remember being totally overwhelmed when I was first diagnosed. This is a great place for asking questions and getting answers (and meeting some great people too), but getting cancer is a high price to pay to join the "club". When I was first looking for information on reconstruction, I wanted to look at the various kinds of reconstruction options to see what they would look like. The Susan Love website has just such pictures along with the survivors stories of how they made their choices. I liked the idea of a DIEP flap (little muscle damage, real tissue that could change if I gained or lost weight) or a mastectomy. After seeing and feeling what a prosthesis was like, I chose the mastectomy. I like to swim in pools mainly but I have met one woman who went back for reconstruction after a mastectomy because she swam in the ocean daily. After losing her prosthesis one too many times, she decided it was time for implants! Personally, I haven't ever had that problem. There are some nighties and dresses I just can't wear (too low-cut and I don't have cleavage)), but most folks have no idea my right breast isn't there.

While the prosthesis isn't a problem for me, I had to have the mastectomy. I had multiple site of invasive cancer and I'm built small. Lumpectomy plus radiation is equal or better at stopping cancer in its tracks when it presents as a lump. So don't take off a breast for the wrong reasons. I consulted a major breast center just to make sure I had to do it.(I did.) In the end, I stayed at that center because they could do a sentinel node dissection which my general surgeon back home was just learning how to do. That saved my arm from the probability of getting lymphedema (arm swelling from excess lymph fluid). No everyone who has a full dissection gets it, but I'm the clumsiest person in the world and if anyone would get it, I'm sure I would. Lympedema won't kill you, but it can ruin your life if it gets bad, so it is important to check that out too. Even with the sentinel node operation, I still try to take precautions: wearing gloves to pull weeds, treating all scratches and bites immediately to prevent infections, trying to avoid injuries and overstressing that arm. I am an active person and go to the gym Monday through Friday, but I take care not too lift too much. But I digress. You asked about the surgery. When I had a lumpectomy(what they did to see if I had cancer since my biopsy was iffy), the recovery time was like two days and I was back to my regular routine. When I had the mastectomy, I went back to work within two weeks. My arm was stiff though for about a month. I couldn't lift the laundry basket or a heavy bag of groceries for about 6 weeks. Pulling weeds the first month was definately out. The exercises the breast center gave me to do helped a lot. I did not need any exercises to recover from the lumpectomy. Good luck with all your decisions!

So sorry that you're facing this. The number of decisions you have to make can really make your head swim. I was diagnosed 7 months ago at age 46 after a year battling recurrent abscesses in my breast, with two surgeries and a burst artery thrown in for good measure. The cancer was found "coincidentally" (if you believe in coincidence) while trying to diagnose another spot. Turned out I had infections throughout the breast, so I had no option but mastectomy. The surgery itself was not as big of a deal physically as I expected; the incision results in a wide numb area, so no pain there. I did suffer with some significant nerve pain at the edges of the numb area for 3-4 weeks, but I toughed it out. Back to work after just over a week. No lifting anything heavier than a pen for 6 weeks.

Opted for reconstruction with implants a couple of months later. That surgery was a breeze. The fills were also painless. I know some have discomfort or even pain during the fills, but the secret seems to be to add a small amount at a time and not to rush the process. I'm scheduled next week for an implant exchange as well as a lift and small augmentation on the other side for symmetry. I'm actually looking forward to the surgery. This will be the last big surgery, which is cause for celebration in my book. (The only things that will remain will be simple office procedures in several months.)

The process of expansion can leave you temporarily lopsided. I chose to view it as no different than if I'd had chemo and lost my hair. It's just part of cancer treatment. In truth, other people didn't notice as much as I thought they would.

Best of luck as you make your decisions.