Nipples, should I or shouldn't I?
![jk1952](https://us.v-cdn.net/6035652/uploads/pictures/npicture-101756.jpg)
What are the pros and cons? I know it's my decision, but this is a topic about which I know nada. Please help!
Joyce
Comments
-
Personal choice
Joyce I think its a personal choice, I had a lumpectomy on the left side in 97 and a mastectomy on the right side in 07. I did not have reconstruction until Feb of this year. I too need a bit of a tune up, some sanding :-) tightening and since I will be under anyway I have chosen to have the nipple put in place. I will be extremely honest with you and tell you that my poor husband does not know what to do with the breast that does not have a nipple LOL!!! I personally feel funny having a nipple that shows on one side and none on the other. I figure if I am going to have it done I might as well do it all. By the way my husband has left this all up to me as he has made it clear he loves me no irregardless of breasts or nipples so it truly is a personal choice. I have read here where some women choose to not have any put on if both breasts are being reconstructed because it is less to bother with. Good luck to you I wish you well.
RE0 -
The icing on the cake
I had a radical matectomy of my left breast without reconstruction. I will be looking into reconstruction when I'm done with radiation. I guess I'm a little confused about why someone wouldn't have the nipple done. After all that we've been through and go through, I would think this would be minor and just kinda like the icing on the cake... no??0 -
RE, I think that if I had only one reconstructed breast, it would be easier because I wouldn't want one with a nipple and one without. At least after the reduction, they will both be the same with or without nipples.RE said:Personal choice
Joyce I think its a personal choice, I had a lumpectomy on the left side in 97 and a mastectomy on the right side in 07. I did not have reconstruction until Feb of this year. I too need a bit of a tune up, some sanding :-) tightening and since I will be under anyway I have chosen to have the nipple put in place. I will be extremely honest with you and tell you that my poor husband does not know what to do with the breast that does not have a nipple LOL!!! I personally feel funny having a nipple that shows on one side and none on the other. I figure if I am going to have it done I might as well do it all. By the way my husband has left this all up to me as he has made it clear he loves me no irregardless of breasts or nipples so it truly is a personal choice. I have read here where some women choose to not have any put on if both breasts are being reconstructed because it is less to bother with. Good luck to you I wish you well.
RE
I know what you're saying about your husband not knowing what to do: I think that mine has the same 'issue' times two. He, too, has made it clear that he loves me no matter what I decide, even though I change my mind and confuse him about what I've decided each week.
Joyce0 -
I had read a thread whereMarlene_K said:The icing on the cake
I had a radical matectomy of my left breast without reconstruction. I will be looking into reconstruction when I'm done with radiation. I guess I'm a little confused about why someone wouldn't have the nipple done. After all that we've been through and go through, I would think this would be minor and just kinda like the icing on the cake... no??
I had read a thread where the nipple reconstruction made the nipple very obvious under clothes. Right now, the only bra that really fits well is not padded, and I don't want to go from a smooth outline to one where my nipples are very obvious. I sound so vain...I lived quite lopsided for nine years after a lumpectomy and radiation, and it never bothered me. Now that they aren't real, I want more perfection, since I know that there is a tendency for people to look more closely when someone knows that you've had a mastectomy.
Joyce0 -
There is a survivor on here,jk1952 said:I had read a thread where
I had read a thread where the nipple reconstruction made the nipple very obvious under clothes. Right now, the only bra that really fits well is not padded, and I don't want to go from a smooth outline to one where my nipples are very obvious. I sound so vain...I lived quite lopsided for nine years after a lumpectomy and radiation, and it never bothered me. Now that they aren't real, I want more perfection, since I know that there is a tendency for people to look more closely when someone knows that you've had a mastectomy.
Joyce
There is a survivor on here, I think her nic is Ohilly, and, she had it done and I think was very happy with it. You might try private messaging her and ask her about how it was for her.
Leeza0 -
What aboutjnl said:There is a survivor on here,
There is a survivor on here, I think her nic is Ohilly, and, she had it done and I think was very happy with it. You might try private messaging her and ask her about how it was for her.
Leeza
What about pink ribbons tattooed where nipples should be?
I'm just kidding.
It is a personal choice and I haven't decided if and when I am going to do the nipple and tattooing thing yet.
Margo0 -
Can you ask the plastictommaseena said:What about
What about pink ribbons tattooed where nipples should be?
I'm just kidding.
It is a personal choice and I haven't decided if and when I am going to do the nipple and tattooing thing yet.
Margo
Can you ask the plastic surgeon to make the nipple "not so aggressive" so that it's there but not obvious through clothing and un-padded bras?
Hey, I like the pink ribbon idea! (grin)0 -
I had nipples made and
I had nipples made and tatooing in August. After a couple of weeks of healing, the nipples still protuded lost more than I wanted.
But now, 5 months later, they are almost flat, so not visible in anything except maybe the thinnest of thin, with a thin bra too.
I am really pleased.
The tatooing, however, didn't take at all. I'll have it redone in January.
I do really think I'm going to look 'normal.' They feel normal, although I have no sensation in the skin on most of the breasts. (Bilateral mastectomey with immediate DIEP reconstruction in March of 2009)
Lisa0 -
Thank you everyone for yourLtalcott said:I had nipples made and
I had nipples made and tatooing in August. After a couple of weeks of healing, the nipples still protuded lost more than I wanted.
But now, 5 months later, they are almost flat, so not visible in anything except maybe the thinnest of thin, with a thin bra too.
I am really pleased.
The tatooing, however, didn't take at all. I'll have it redone in January.
I do really think I'm going to look 'normal.' They feel normal, although I have no sensation in the skin on most of the breasts. (Bilateral mastectomey with immediate DIEP reconstruction in March of 2009)
Lisa
Thank you everyone for your feedback, and Lisa I appreciate our sharing your first hand experience. Your surgery was about a month before mine. Since I waffled about having the reduction of the one breast, I ended up falling behind you with the follow-ups. I'm very happy with the results: most of the time I don't think about them being 'foreign' except when they are touched and there's no feeling. Also, no feeling where the tissue was taken from my abdomen.
Joyce0 -
Thank you
Thank you for posting this issue again. I have not yet looked through enough to find my post and look at the responses, but I appreciate the responses here. I will definitely forgo the pink ribbon tatoos, though I did get a good laugh from the idea. I am fortunate to have a very supportive husband as well who has said I should do what makes me feel comfortable. At this point I am thinking no nipples because I am tired of surgeries and because it is nice not to have to worry about what shows under clothes.
Thanks again for posting, seof0 -
Go for it, I say do itseof said:Thank you
Thank you for posting this issue again. I have not yet looked through enough to find my post and look at the responses, but I appreciate the responses here. I will definitely forgo the pink ribbon tatoos, though I did get a good laugh from the idea. I am fortunate to have a very supportive husband as well who has said I should do what makes me feel comfortable. At this point I am thinking no nipples because I am tired of surgeries and because it is nice not to have to worry about what shows under clothes.
Thanks again for posting, seof
Go for it, I say do it0
Discussion Boards
- All Discussion Boards
- 6 CSN Information
- 6 Welcome to CSN
- 121.6K Cancer specific
- 2.8K Anal Cancer
- 445 Bladder Cancer
- 307 Bone Cancers
- 1.6K Brain Cancer
- 28.5K Breast Cancer
- 395 Childhood Cancers
- 27.9K Colorectal Cancer
- 4.6K Esophageal Cancer
- 1.2K Gynecological Cancers (other than ovarian and uterine)
- 13K Head and Neck Cancer
- 6.3K Kidney Cancer
- 669 Leukemia
- 791 Liver Cancer
- 4.1K Lung Cancer
- 5.1K Lymphoma (Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin)
- 235 Multiple Myeloma
- 7.1K Ovarian Cancer
- 56 Pancreatic Cancer
- 486 Peritoneal Cancer
- 5.4K Prostate Cancer
- 1.2K Rare and Other Cancers
- 536 Sarcoma
- 725 Skin Cancer
- 649 Stomach Cancer
- 191 Testicular Cancer
- 1.5K Thyroid Cancer
- 5.8K Uterine/Endometrial Cancer
- 6.3K Lifestyle Discussion Boards