Breast reconstruction before radiation

Hello,

This is my first blog. I was diagnosed in May this year with triple negative breast cancer. I previously had a scan a year an a half prior where they found a cyst, told me that it was nothing and to come back in 2 years, that it will grow but come back and they will drain it. So silly me saw this thing grow and grow and thought it was nothing until one day I looked in the mirror and saw my breast looking rather deformed and larger than the other. A mammogram,ultrasound and fine needle biopsy. I was told the next day that have a tri lobular tumor 12 by 9 centimeters i my left breast. After more tests they found swollen lymph glands and although tested negative to cancer in the nodes that they are still treating it as stage 3b. I have just completed 6 months of chemo which included 4 rounds of fec and only 3 rounds of docetaxol as my body couldnt cope with the last round. I am now facing my mastectomy which will be in 3 weeks time. My chemo went really well and the tumor had shrunk dramatically. But oncologist told me that I didnt need radiation therapy. So when the surgeon told me that I needed it i was pretty upset. I was also told by the plastic surgeon that they dont recommend the expander placed and would rather perform a flap procedure which takes muscles, skin and fat from my back. I have been horrified by this and have asked the surgeon to perform the expanders during the mastectomy as I psycologically cant deal with going without a breast for at least a year - plus other personal reasons. Has anyone had this procedure done with radiation and has it turned out ok? I always have been one to take any recommendation the surgeon gives me but i feel that this is the right option for me and willing to take the risk. Does anyone know whether it would reduce the radiation treatment? i dont know much about all of this as it has been discussed with me with very little time to think about it. Any advise would be grateful, thankyou