Hey Erin & Karen,
All surgeries are painful unfortunantly , mine was a bit more due to the wound breakdown .
We just battle on , the breakdown really did my head i still am pretty traumatized over it ...
I'm in Melbourne too , I suggest you see a few reco plastic surgeons before you decide . Due to me being slim it was either reconstruct using the muscle off the back and tissue expanders or tissue expanders ... I really didn't want another scar on my back .... But now considering the scar this breakdown has caused I wish I had...