Hi everyone I'm back, would give anything to be someplace else though.

Hello,

I don't have answers to your questions, just wanted to welcome you back though I, too, wish you were you just stopping by to say hi.

I think people have gone on to have mastectomies after prior lumpectomy and radiation. Sometimes, though, reconstruction is problematic after radiation. This is just stuff I've learned from reading lots of posts, and I'm sure your doctors will advise you well.

Keep us posted.

Big hug to you,

Victoria

2Floridiansisters said:

Puffin do you mind me asking

Puffin do you mind me asking how old is your friend, part of me thinks I should not even consider reconstruction since I'm 56, am I too old to bother> I am lost as to what to do. Thanks again.

I just came back on CSN today.  I'm sorry to hear that you are now dealing with IDC.  I had double mastectomy at 61 with no reconstruction. My tumor was so large I had to have mastectomy on one breast (ILC) and I had LCIS in the other hence the double mastectomy.  My family history was a factor too.  Whether to have reconstruction is a personal choice.  I don't know about the radiation.  Wishing you answers and listen to what your surgeon recommends.

I just  wanted to say that i have cancer in the right breast and i was going to get radiation also but decided against it even thoguh my surgeon was pushing for it. at first i was just going to get a mastectomy on one breast and then after not being able to get the sides cleaned up i went with another surgeon who said he could do that.  so i decided for a mastectomy on both breasts. this is a recent decision as i was  diagnosed wtih cancer in july of 2015. i dont know if i will get reconstruction or not. i am also in my fifties and live alone and dont think it will be necessary as from what i understand you cant feel much after they get done with the reconstruction.. and it is strictly for me anyway not anyone else.. im sorry but i dont know that much about radiation except it was going to take a long time and hurt. so i opted out. i also have had already a lumptectomy and then the surgeon wanted to go back in and get what was a new diagnoses DCIS. so i said no to that also. one thing i know for sure is not to take anyone elses advise for your decision in my case..... i had like four different people telling me all different things to do.... good luck and i know you will make the right decision for yourself.

So sorry to hear that your cancer is back. If I were you, I would get a mastectomy and be done with it. I got one on one side and now I don't have to get mammograms at all there. It's nice to know it can't come back. If I get anything on the "good" side, I would get another mastectomy and not bother with lumpectomy. I have a question, were you on any kind of drug like tamoxifen during these last 5 years? Good luck to you going forward, I'm confident they caught this early... hugs, Anna

Puffin2014 said:

mastectomy after radiation

I have a friend who had lumpectomy/chemo/radiation for breast cancer 20 years ago. This past year her mammogram showed cancer again and she had a bilateral mastectomy and is having reconstruction surgery. It's been a slower recovery on her previous radiated side (went through an infection) but has been able to continue with the reconstructive process. She wants the 2 breasts to be even, so they're using the radiated breast as a guide when doing the fillings. When they've reached the limit of what that skin can handle, she'll stop.

Your friend was NED for 20 years?  Could you please ask her if she was Negative or HER2 Positive?

Thanks, Glo

I had Stage II 20 years ago and opted for a mastectomy with flap reconstruction. I found a tumor in the other breast last October and was Stage IV with bone mets. I'm now NED after Taxotere, Herceptin, letrozole and zometa. This time around, I opted for a mastectomy with no reconstruction. I figured they'd have a hard time matching the "flap" on the other side, and I just didn't want to go through all that surgery. I also had chest wall radiation this time and radiation to the sacrum. I'm feeling great and plan on going another 20 years!

Gayle

Jean 0609 said:

Sorry you are back my friend.

Sending hugs and loves my dear sweet Pink sister.  Good to hear from you, but sorry you had to come back here.

 

xoxo,

jean

 

 

the beast again...  Gentle hugs -

Vicki Sam

LouisaP said:

I'm having a RT mastectomy

I'm having a RT mastectomy next month. Ive just met with 2 plastic surgeons. Ive already had chemo but will be having radiation, maybe. They want me to but i'm not sure. Both surgeons recommended putting in expanders then a few months after radiation implants. So they can do it as long as your skins not bad. If the skin is too bad they can do the flap surgery. I cannot handle being flat. I am very large DDD so I;ll have a reduction on good side at same time as mastectomy & expanders. Then when implant put in he'll touch up good side as needed. For me this is the best. I'm 59 and not near the end of my sex life.

i was diagnosed in 1994 then had a local recurrence in 1995. i had a mastectmy because of DCIS that was making it impossible to get clear margins around the original tmor. Back then they did not test for her 2. and progesterone. onely estrogen pos or neg. My first one was estrogen neg. the one I had in 2009 was was estogen pos. progesterone pos and her 2 neg. I did not have reconstruction completed the first time because of the recurrence which required radiation. I always felt very lopsided so having the other other one actually felt better to be "even" if I could have had a sucessful reconsruction I would have done it but limited it to the simpler implants. didnt want to have a long recovery or complications. But when I entertained the idea I kind of wanted to have boobs again. the one thing though is that they dont have feeling . Anyway its is fine but i do miss my boobs except they tried to kill me.