Mastectomy

gelovime
gelovime Member Posts: 15
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Hi everyone, my doctor just told me I am going to need a mastectomy, I went thru quemo thinking I was going to have a lumpectomy because I could save my breast, but he thinks it wont look nice after, so he suggested a mastectomy could be better with a chance of a better reconstruction, but I am scared!!!

Comments

  • webbwife50
    webbwife50 Member Posts: 394
    #2
    Hi I'm Alison
    Hi, I know the recommendation of mastetomy is frightening, but, I love my new breasts and I don't have to worry about them being a problem anymore. I'm having trouble comming up with the words I'd like to say to you. Try not to be afraid! This too shall pass and then you'll have the rest of your life.
    God Bless!
    Alison
  • webbwife50
    webbwife50 Member Posts: 394
    #3
    Hi I'm Alison
    Hi, I know the recommendation of mastetomy is frightening, I had bilateral mast. June 09 and my recon. in Dec. 09. and.... I now love my new breasts and I don't have to worry about them being a problem anymore. I'm having trouble comming up with the words I'd like to say to you. Try not to be afraid! This too shall pass and then you'll have the rest of your life.
    God Bless!
    Alison
  • Heatherbelle
    Heatherbelle Member Posts: 1,226 Member
    #4
    Hi, I just had a double
    Hi, I just had a double mastectomy less than a month ago. The surgery and recovery were NOT as bad as I had imagined them to be. I had cancer in my right breast and instead of lumpectomy I opted for a double mastectomy - it would give me the best cosmetic results -if I would have had just the lumpectomy I would have ended up having reconstructive surgery on both anyway. I had c-sections with both of my daughters, and that surgery was alot worse than the mastectomy. I had tissue expanders placed at the same time, and I even got my first fill then, so I was literally less than 2 weeks with a flat chest! It is a scary surgery, but it's not that bad. I stayed 2 nights in the hospital. Please feel free to ask any questions you have regarding the surgery, you can private message me if you'd feel more comfortable :)
    *hugs*
    Heather
  • GenieM27
    GenieM27 Member Posts: 30
    #5
    My choice was
    to have a bi-lateral mastectomy (both breasts) with immediate reconstruction. My surgeon told me I could have a lumpectomy but my breast would be severaly disformed. I opted for the bi-lateral because I did have benigh tumor in my other breast too. My surgery was 3 weeks ago. The drains were the most annoying thing, but after they are removed it's been pretty good. I stayed in the hospital 1 night. I go next week for my first fill. I'm glad I did it, but it was a big decision. I researched and talked to a several medical people for making my decision. My prayers are with you.

    God Bless,
    Genie
  • bakerette
    bakerette Member Posts: 74
    #6
    Hi, I just had a bilateral
    Hi, I just had a bilateral mastectomy on the 16th of July. I was scared and nervous but the ladies here really help. I went into the prep for surgery room and they gave me my gown and a bed, my husband and mother in law sat with me. Things went pretty quick after that. I got an I.V. inserted, the plastic surgeon came and drew lines all over my chest, then I got the shot to relax me, and I honestly don't remember anything after that. But, I have been told that I wanted to show everyone what my doctor had drawn on my chest. They all had a good laugh I guess,it's o.k. I don't remember. Then I was awake it was over, I dozed off an on for the next 24 hours. I went home at lunch time the 17th. I was a little stiff and sore but otherwise o.k. 3 days later I quit taking anything for pain, didn't need it. M-star had posted some exercises here and I started doing them. I have now total range of motion. I feel great! I had my first fill, was nervous, but no need to be. Totally painless. It's not as bad as it was 20 years ago. Things are much better. We are lucky to be living in this age of medical advances.
  • gelovime
    gelovime Member Posts: 15
    #7
    bakerette said:

    Hi, I just had a bilateral
    Hi, I just had a bilateral mastectomy on the 16th of July. I was scared and nervous but the ladies here really help. I went into the prep for surgery room and they gave me my gown and a bed, my husband and mother in law sat with me. Things went pretty quick after that. I got an I.V. inserted, the plastic surgeon came and drew lines all over my chest, then I got the shot to relax me, and I honestly don't remember anything after that. But, I have been told that I wanted to show everyone what my doctor had drawn on my chest. They all had a good laugh I guess,it's o.k. I don't remember. Then I was awake it was over, I dozed off an on for the next 24 hours. I went home at lunch time the 17th. I was a little stiff and sore but otherwise o.k. 3 days later I quit taking anything for pain, didn't need it. M-star had posted some exercises here and I started doing them. I have now total range of motion. I feel great! I had my first fill, was nervous, but no need to be. Totally painless. It's not as bad as it was 20 years ago. Things are much better. We are lucky to be living in this age of medical advances.

    Thank you all for your support
    Thank you for sharing your experience with me, I feel better now....I have a question? any experience with radiation after inmediate reconstruction? is it true is not recomended to have inmediate reconstruction if you are going to have radiation???
  • lou26573
    lou26573 Member Posts: 9
    #8
    gelovime said:

    Thank you all for your support
    Thank you for sharing your experience with me, I feel better now....I have a question? any experience with radiation after inmediate reconstruction? is it true is not recomended to have inmediate reconstruction if you are going to have radiation???

    The best answer would be to
    The best answer would be to ask your plastic surgeon, but usually with a mastectomy you do not need radiation. The radiated skin is more difficult for implants but a flap reconstruction is possible.
  • SamuraiMom
    SamuraiMom Member Posts: 295
    #9
    xxoo
    Hi Gelovime,

    I had a double mast 9-9-09 and I'm doing great.(had DCIS in the right and opted to take both out for two reasons: 1. reconstruction wise I wanted them to look good and look like a pair 2. my surgeon told me I had a 50% chance of having bc again so I wanted to get it over with all at once.) Obviously, this is just my opinion but I'm really glad I did it.

    It's definitely scary but doable.

    If you'd like a start to almost finish chronicle you can go to my website: www.mymastectomyonline.com. It has photos and stories.

    I'm recovering from nipple reconstruction right now which has been interesting but not terrible.

    Good luck sweet girl!

    xxoo,
    SamuraiMom
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #10
    SamuraiMom said:

    xxoo
    Hi Gelovime,

    I had a double mast 9-9-09 and I'm doing great.(had DCIS in the right and opted to take both out for two reasons: 1. reconstruction wise I wanted them to look good and look like a pair 2. my surgeon told me I had a 50% chance of having bc again so I wanted to get it over with all at once.) Obviously, this is just my opinion but I'm really glad I did it.

    It's definitely scary but doable.

    If you'd like a start to almost finish chronicle you can go to my website: www.mymastectomyonline.com. It has photos and stories.

    I'm recovering from nipple reconstruction right now which has been interesting but not terrible.

    Good luck sweet girl!

    xxoo,
    SamuraiMom

    I had radiation after
    I had radiation after mastectomy. they can do radiation with expanders in, some rads oncs dont like to. My doc did not, and I was ambivalent about the reconstruction, as I had BC 17 years ago and no reconstruction. (too long of a story. long story short no reconstruction)PS dont like to do expanders after radiation they prefer other types of reconstruction. the skin is not the same and doesnt have the same blood supply after radiation as it does before. so the result is not as good. So reconstruction after radiation is a more involved surgery. I may still have reconstruction .I just dont want the 10 hour surgery. it depends on the day. If I could have done it from the beginning, I would have, just dont know If I want a 10 hour surgery now.
  • Heatherbelle
    Heatherbelle Member Posts: 1,226 Member
    #11
    gelovime said:

    Thank you all for your support
    Thank you for sharing your experience with me, I feel better now....I have a question? any experience with radiation after inmediate reconstruction? is it true is not recomended to have inmediate reconstruction if you are going to have radiation???

    radiation
    Hi again! Usually with a mastectomy you do not need radiation, I believe. I can only speak for my experience -i had bilateral with immediate reconstruction and will not have any radiation treatments, just 6 chemo treatments. Had the first one last week, and going to my plastic surgeon in 2 days for my 3rd expander fill.
    Glad to hear you're feeling better, I know it's so scary in the beginning, throughout the whole time, really, but especially in the beginning, when everything is so new, and you have so many unanswered questions. I found this site to be my comfort zone expecially in the first weeks, because the more educated I became on my cancer and my treatment plan, the better I felt, the more confident I felt, and more secure and less anxious. I've literally checked out every breast cancer book from the 2 closets library branches to my house -but I find my comfort in learning as much as I can about this cancer B.S.
    *hugs*
    Heather
  • cahjah75
    cahjah75 Member Posts: 2,631
    #12
    I had bilateral mastectomy
    June 22. Lumpectomy was not an option because my lobular cancer was 6.1cm. I start chemo tomorrow and was told by my surgeon to postpone reconstruction until I find out if I will have rads too. I did meet with ps before surgery to go over my options and he said I could do it even years later. For me, I'm 61, not sure if I want to go through 2 more surgeries and months of recovery. Time will tell....
    Char
  • sal314
    sal314 Member Posts: 599 Member
    #13
    It sounds scary...
    but it really isn't all that bad. I originally had a lumpectomy back in '01. My surgeon ended up taking a lot more tissue than he thought he would have to to clear the margins. I basically ended up with half a breast! Because I was so tired of surgery and hospitals, I decided to wait awhile before "fixing" it. I finally go so tired at looking at the "mess" and had a mastectomy and Lat flap reconstruction with an implant in '06.

    I'm really happy with the results. If I could do over again, I would have had a mastectomy and reconstruction in the first place. You don't even miss your breast. You just wake up with a different version. A complete version:)

    Breast reconstruction has come such a long way! I know it sounds grewsome, but it's really not that bad. (at least my experience wasn't).

    It might help to ask your surgeon to show you some pictures of women who have had mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. Any good plastic surgeon should have pictures of his work available.

    Blessings,
    Sally
  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    #14
    mastectomy and radiation
    I had a mastectomy, radiation, chemo and years of tamoxifen. I had to delay reconstruction because of the radiation. I think I had the reconstructive surgery about a year later, but it's hard to remember as that was in 1987.
  • gelovime
    gelovime Member Posts: 15
    #15
    CypressCynthia said:

    mastectomy and radiation
    I had a mastectomy, radiation, chemo and years of tamoxifen. I had to delay reconstruction because of the radiation. I think I had the reconstructive surgery about a year later, but it's hard to remember as that was in 1987.

    Thank you all
    I"ll meet the radiologist on monday, I"ll let you know what he said and what type of reconstruction will be the best.
    Pray for me!
    Take care ok?
  • Menda
    Menda Member Posts: 128
    #16
    gelovime said:

    Thank you all
    I"ll meet the radiologist on monday, I"ll let you know what he said and what type of reconstruction will be the best.
    Pray for me!
    Take care ok?

    Double mastecomy
    I had an elective double mastecy with silicone plants on July 8th of this year. It was not as bad as imagined. I did not even spend the night. I had surgery on a thursday and on Saturday my best friend spent the day with me. At home of course. I went back to work after two weeks when my drains came out. The drains were the worst part. Just a huge inconvenience. Hang in there, plan on dressing creatively and don't worry about something you can not control.
  • slynch
    slynch Member Posts: 82
    #17
    Your Decision
    Good luck with your decision. Mastectomy -- yes scary but not too awfully bad. I kept telling myself and still do through the reconstruction process that I did the best thing to get rid of the "beast" that was threatening me. The drains are definately the worst but usually doesn't last too long. Hang in there -- you will be a stronger person when it is all over.
  • hoop77
    hoop77 Member Posts: 84
    #18
    Hello, I know it's scary. I
    Hello, I know it's scary. I had a bi-lateral May 4th and my tumor only turned out to be 5 mm in the right side! My MRI and every other test were inconclusive and my surgeon asked me what I wanted to do. I told him I just wanted to get rid of it all and he thought that was the best decision based on my type of cancer (invasive lobular, but only in one breast). I'm so glad I did the procedure though because I don't have to worry about it reappearing in the other side now! The mastectomy really isn't bad. I did reconstruction with tissue expanders and I'm scheduled for my exchange surgery Aug 26th. The expanders have been the worst part of the whole process honestly. Not unbearable, just extremely uncomfortable. I'm so looking forward to the end result, nice soft boobs, yea! Don't worry, it will really be ok. You can do it and you have found a wonderful site to help you through this. Best of luck to you! You will be fine and there is a ton of support out there for you.

    Wishing you well,
    Laura

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