Surgery looms

Someone warned me at my first Chemo session to be prepared for surprises, and I am reluctantly discovering that this seems to be the theme of the process, doesn't it? The only working plan that is worth having is an approximate starting point and approximate goal and approximate path based on what we know now, plus an amazingly flexible mind that is open to a number of different scenarios to accommodate what we know may change, with a willingness to keep on moving forward, to keep on generating new possibilities in the face of the surprises and never giving up. I understand that breast reconstruction is a process that takes a lot of modifications and a number of surgeries to get it right, but it must be easy to feel demoralised and almost ready to settle for less during that time, esp if your surgeon does not seem to have a clear goal of meeting your expectations.I have only a prosthesis to worry about at the moment, but that slides around because my scar is still a bit swollen, either overlapping my real breast or slumping down so it is not lined up, or sliding off into my armpit.I imagine trying to position it over the top of a breast would be even harder

I am sure that your hopes will be met and maybe even surpassed so long as you keep the surgeon on his toes and don't settle for less than you want just because it is all so frustrating and drawn out. Have you thought of having the other breast  reduced, or getting a second opinion on how they could be matched up? I wish you patience and courage, and a simple good solution before too long

Hi Jessica, as the title implies, not quite just yet !!! As the plastic surgeon said, Radiation.... the gift that keeps on giving !  Next up is some more lipofirming because the surgeon has had to use a much smaller implant. Before my mastectomy I was about an E then went down to about a DD with the first implant. Then due to the capsular contracture it was squeezed down to about a C, so I have been using an external prosthesis as well to even it up. Now I am probably closer to about a B on the implant side &  a DD on the other so it wasn't an ideal outcome. The breast surgeon had said he would have to use a smaller implant but he said even he was surprised at the contracture & how small the implant had to be. So now over the next little while he will do the lipofirming to try & even it up as much as he can.  I try not to dwell on it & just hope one day I can get up, get dressed without having to spend five minutes trying to get my bra sitting where it is not so uncomfortable with the external prosthesis trying to hold it down where it should be. Life goes on.......

Carmel

Hi Jessica, as the title implies, not quite just yet !!! As the plastic surgeon said, Radiation.... the gift that keeps on giving !  Next up is some more lipofirming because the surgeon has had to use a much smaller implant. Before my mastectomy I was about an E then went down to about a DD with the first implant. Then due to the capsular contracture it was squeezed down to about a C, so I have been using an external prosthesis as well to even it up. Now I am probably closer to about a B on the implant side &  a DD on the other so it wasn't an ideal outcome. The breast surgeon had said he would have to use a smaller implant but he said even he was surprised at the contracture & how small the implant had to be. So now over the next little while he will do the lipofirming to try & even it up as much as he can.  I try not to dwell on it & just hope one day I can get up, get dressed without having to spend five minutes trying to get my bra sitting where it is not so uncomfortable with the external prosthesis trying to hold it down where it should be. Life goes on.......

Carmel

Hi Jessica, as the title implies, not quite just yet !!! As the plastic surgeon said, Radiation.... the gift that keeps on giving !  Next up is some more lipofirming because the surgeon has had to use a much smaller implant. Before my mastectomy I was about an E then went down to about a DD with the first implant. Then due to the capsular contracture it was squeezed down to about a C, so I have been using an external prosthesis as well to even it up. Now I am probably closer to about a B on the implant side &  a DD on the other so it wasn't an ideal outcome. The breast surgeon had said he would have to use a smaller implant but he said even he was surprised at the contracture & how small the implant had to be. So now over the next little while he will do the lipofirming to try & even it up as much as he can.  I try not to dwell on it & just hope one day I can get up, get dressed without having to spend five minutes trying to get my bra sitting where it is not so uncomfortable with the external prosthesis trying to hold it down where it should be. Life goes on.......

Carmel

Hi Carmel, I guess you have had your surgery and are well on the road to recovery, I do hope it has all gone to plan and that you are now nearly at the end of the road, ready to step back from the breast cancer journey onto a place where you can now just get on with life as normal.  Best wishes