Flat Chest

Kudos for you and how please you are. I agree it is a personal thing and what one is most comfortable with. My husband does not care and we are extremely frank with each other. It was totally my choice as should to have reconstruction or not. It is great to be able to choose something with this cancer. You go girl.

hey Opal. We all have to do whats right for ourselves. Myself I had reconstruction b/c without them I felt that I would not be womanly to my husband. After my husband and I were married at the age of 22 I had an ovarian cyst and was told by the doctor was if we wanted children we need to start trying right away. Well at age 34 I had a complete hestorectomy and we never had children so the only thing I had left was my boobs and now they were being taken away. So I am glad I have what I have,

Jackie

We are different. And we can't plan it all. I had lumpectomy, opted for reconstruction to reshape and cut down the other side to match. Still plenty there. Then cancer came back and had to have mastectomy. I say I have a demolition surgeon and a constrution surgeon. They take turns.

chenheart said:

Boob-Job!
I actually wish that I had reconstruction done! Since the lumpectomy, and where the tumor was situated on my breast has left me very "dented" and no bras ever fit anymore. Bathing suits are a nightmare, as you might imagine. The only good thing is that with my tell-tale port dent/scar and my misshapen boob peering from the top of my bathing suit, it definitely deflects attention away from the cellulite on my thighs!!

Neither my GP, surgeon, oncologist, radiologist , or the insurance companies ever suggested reconstruction as an option, or even let me know it was covered. I would have had a reduction on the "unaffected" side and of course a re-shaping of the breast with the cancer. 5 years later, I doubt that my insurance would deem it necessary, even though I certainly do. I think I might just ask my oncologist at my next appointment....

BTW.....Big Time Congrats on being a 9 year survivor~ whooo hooooooo!!!

necessity
I suppose that reconstruction is just as necessary now as it would have been 5 years ago. In either case isn't the point of reconstruction so that you feel "normal". I am afraid that with all of the scar tissue there would be a fair amount of discomfort is having implants and wearing a bra again - not to mention the "joy" of going through the proceedures and traveling nearly 100 miles each way to the doctor.

Every now and then I strap on the prosthetics and wear them around the house just to see if I am ready to reconsider wearing them. I make it about a half an hour and I take them off because of the discomfort in areas of scar tissue. I have worn them on two occasions - my daughters weddings. It probably looks pretty strange to family to see me with boobs after not usually having them but it was the only way to fit into the dresses.

I guess now I am just looking for others who go through life boobless and to know how they deal with everyday things like clothes. I watched Oprah the other day when she did makeovers on women who no longer feel sexy. I guess it hit me that though I have a healthy relationship with my husband, I don't feel sexy. Even after 9 years that can make me cry.

zahalene said:

Hi Opal
I lost one breast in 1986 and the other in 1988. Chose not to have recon for various reasons. So for 2 years I was 'one-sided' and for 20 years I have been without.
I find having none much easier than having one. But even so, in all these years I have never found either prosthesis or a mastectomy bra that fits right and feels right. So...
When I go out I wear 'em and as soon as I get home I rip 'em off! Anyone who comes to my door unannounced has to take what they get.
I have recently been having some remodeling done. (On my house I mean...LOL). The first few days I was soooo careful to be 'fully dressed' around the men working on my house. About the third day I said, the heck with that...and went au-naturalle (not French, me, can you tell?)...well with a shirt on I mean. Nobody batted an eye lash. So why put myself through the hassle? Maybe someday I will show up even at church right in front of God and everybody without my 'falsies', who knows? Everything is a process isn't it?

Za, you crack me up!!!
I was worried for a moment, tho, that your 'au-natural' meant showing all....heehee...

I lost some of my self consciousness (I know, I have both of mine, but big scars everywhere from my cancer(s) fight) when I went to Europe and visited a clothing optional beach. Hummm, how can I put this nicely...well...the people who were clothed could have done without, while the ones that were naked should have had suits on...lol...one man solved the covering of his 'privates' by sooooo much skin....(sorry if I had offended anyone...but it was true).

My point (do I really HAVE one???) is that really we need to say "c'est la guerre" (losely, 'that's war'...teehee) and don't feel badly about any of our choices. They are right for us...I even ventured onto a beach sans top, and a string bottom (remember, I have a 12" up-and-down scar on my belly from my resection), wearing a big smile. No one even looked.

Hugs, Kathi

Joycelouise said:

Here, tucked away, I want to
Here, tucked away, I want to write something. There is no real point to it. It is something I used to say and it haunts me now. I think I will feel better if I write it down. I can't imagine anyone else has said this and now I feel like a fool.

I used to say, and laugh..."Breast cancer? I will worry about getting breast cancer after I get breasts!" I thought it was funny because I was flat chested. I said it so often I didn't go check my breasts. Guess I was wrong. And stupid.

There, I told someone. I don't know if I feel better...but I think I will eventually heal better for not keeping that inside for the rest of my life.

Thanks for listening,
love, Joyce

You are right, Joyce!
In order to get beyond some things, you have to face them....good for you that you shared!

We all have regrets, or things we would have done differently 'If only...'...but we can't dwell on them, just learn from them and go on...

BIG hugs to you,
Kathi

chenheart said:

Boob-Job!
I actually wish that I had reconstruction done! Since the lumpectomy, and where the tumor was situated on my breast has left me very "dented" and no bras ever fit anymore. Bathing suits are a nightmare, as you might imagine. The only good thing is that with my tell-tale port dent/scar and my misshapen boob peering from the top of my bathing suit, it definitely deflects attention away from the cellulite on my thighs!!

Neither my GP, surgeon, oncologist, radiologist , or the insurance companies ever suggested reconstruction as an option, or even let me know it was covered. I would have had a reduction on the "unaffected" side and of course a re-shaping of the breast with the cancer. 5 years later, I doubt that my insurance would deem it necessary, even though I certainly do. I think I might just ask my oncologist at my next appointment....

BTW.....Big Time Congrats on being a 9 year survivor~ whooo hooooooo!!!

I've thought the same
Chen, I hear you. I've been thinking a lot about it lately. My left breast was radiated, so when I got pregnant, it didn't grow, but the right one sure did. It is honestly one whole size bigger than the left. I can't tell you what a nightmare bra and bathing suit shopping is. Nothing fits. Forget tighter shirts that put emphasis on the "girls" -- I feel like a freak. It is very noticable. I put it on myself that if I lose weight than the right breast will shrink down, but I'm not so sure it will ever match the radiated breast. I too wonder if my insurance would cover a reduction. I may do some asking myself. While I really could do without anymore surgery in my life, I also think that life is too short to feel like a freak. Let me know what your onc says.

Love,
Kim