Nipples, should I or shouldn't I?

jk1952
jk1952 Member Posts: 613
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I just read a post from seof about this topic, but I think it's sort of lost in the sea of posts, so I'll ask again. I'm scheduled (on December 29th) to have my bilateral post-DIEP 'tune up' which will consist of reducing the breast on the non-radiated side to the size of the breast on the radiated side. My doctor said that he could probably do the nipples at the same time. Before he said this, I had pretty much decided not to do the nipples, partly because he does a simple procedure in the office, and frankly, I'm a bit tired of office procedures. But, seeing he could do it at the same time as the reduction, I am reconsidering.

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

  • RE
    RE Member Posts: 4,591 Member
    #2
    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
  • mlmjt1
    mlmjt1 Member Posts: 537 Member
    #3
    Hi Joyce
    I had bilateral mastectomies in May and once I have the fills done and do the reconstruction I will do the nipples...figure if I go this far may as well do the whole thing, hey

    Take care
    Linda T
  • Marlene_K
    Marlene_K Member Posts: 508
    #4
    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??
  • jk1952
    jk1952 Member Posts: 613
    #5
    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

    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.

    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.

    Joyce
  • jk1952
    jk1952 Member Posts: 613
    #6
    Marlene_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

    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
  • jnl
    jnl Member Posts: 3,869 Member
    #7
    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,
    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
  • tommaseena
    tommaseena Member Posts: 1,769
    #8
    jnl 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
    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
  • tigger99
    tigger99 Member Posts: 44
    #9
    tommaseena 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
    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)
  • Ltalcott
    Ltalcott Member Posts: 119
    #10
    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
  • jk1952
    jk1952 Member Posts: 613
    #11
    Ltalcott 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

    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.

    Joyce
  • seof
    seof Member Posts: 819 Member
    #12
    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
  • meena1
    meena1 Member Posts: 1,003
    #13
    seof 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 it

    Go for it, I say do it

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