Forum Discussion
Lumpectomy didn't work - now what?
After being diagnosed on my 50th birthday, I'm now staring down the mastectomy path given we didn't get clear margins on the lumpectomy. No chemo or radiation required. Of course I've got the sta...
Hi @cheezelbug
If you are thinking of reconstruction ask to join the Choosing Breast Reconstruction private group on here - it has a lot of very helpful photos and stories of ladies who have gone down that path.
I was recommended a mastectomy straight up due to the size of my tumour ( 5.5cm) .
I saw a plastic surgeon early on and he talked me through the options .
I didn’t want implants ( didn’t like the idea of a foreign body inside me and also he said I might have the have the implant replaced in 10 years) and liked the idea of using your own fat in the DIEP procedure even though it was a bigger operation and higher recovery , also more expensive ( I had my surgery in the private system).
I decided on a double mastectomy and reconstruction as you can only go the DIEP once and I didn’t want the anxiety of worrying about it coming back in the other breast ( especially as mine failed to show up on a mammogram only 12 months prior).
I was an E cup ( originally a D but had put on weight)
I went down to a C cup and love being able to buy many more clothes off the rack ( especially swimsuits) than before .
If you are thinking of reconstruction ask to join the Choosing Breast Reconstruction private group on here - it has a lot of very helpful photos and stories of ladies who have gone down that path.
I was recommended a mastectomy straight up due to the size of my tumour ( 5.5cm) .
I saw a plastic surgeon early on and he talked me through the options .
I didn’t want implants ( didn’t like the idea of a foreign body inside me and also he said I might have the have the implant replaced in 10 years) and liked the idea of using your own fat in the DIEP procedure even though it was a bigger operation and higher recovery , also more expensive ( I had my surgery in the private system).
I decided on a double mastectomy and reconstruction as you can only go the DIEP once and I didn’t want the anxiety of worrying about it coming back in the other breast ( especially as mine failed to show up on a mammogram only 12 months prior).
I was an E cup ( originally a D but had put on weight)
I went down to a C cup and love being able to buy many more clothes off the rack ( especially swimsuits) than before .