Day 3
Yesterday was my appointment with the surgeon. Wow, scary.
The nurse told me when I first went in that my operation would probably entail a lumpectomy to remove the lump. However when the Dr examin...
Forum Discussion
Expanders - the saline bags they fill a little at a time are common after mastectomy to stretch the skin out to make room for reconstruction.
I had immediate silicone implants put in and I love them - they look natural, feel weird to start with because they are under the chest muscel but this is best as it stops the old - pimple on a pumpkin look of implants -these look natural and feel good too :o)
I had a single mastectomy at the time of surgery but had already arranged with my surgeon at that time that he would take my other breast off once I was over treatment as a preventative mastectomy doing the same surgery with implant - of course this time it can be a full nipple and skin sparing surgery as they dosn't need to remove some of the skin like they did in the first one becasue the cancer was puckering the skin, therfore could have been close to the skin so we cut that skin out. He has agreed to that and in September when I see him again (after I finish chemo - I am not having radiation) I am going on the public waiting list to have this done (having amammogram and ultrasound of the remaining breasdt first for check up and planning purposes). AS I wont need the sentinel node biopsy side of it I will have no risk (or very little) risk of lymphodema in that arm so that arm should still be ol for Ivs and blood tests etc.
Good Luck and talk to your surgeons, don't let them push aside your questions like about the nipple, at least your plastic surgeon gave you the reason, and when you hear that your cancer is too close of has infiltrated your niplle, you go - OK don't want it now anyway - but if they just laugh and ignore the question you think - well why can't I have it done, it is my body...