Tram flap ???

Thanks Sam. I did have a love Chrissy but very tiring. Let's hope that 2014 is our 'healing' year. :) Love Janey xxx

Unfortunately no feeling in either breasts now. There is sensation of touch around the outside and in the middle of my chest but if I scratch or feel my actual new breast area, I can't feel anything. I have heard some women do get some feeling back but I am not hopeful. I guess this is the price we have to pay and for me it's the only part of my old breasts that I mourn. The sensation I have lost. But as I said, I haven't regretted going down the path I chose. I will get used to it :) Janey xxx PS where abouts are you Samantha?

I finished my chemo 28th June but continued having my three weekly Herceptin right up to my surgery on 10th Sept. I was due to have Herceptin again two days after I got home from hospital but I postponed it to the following week when I was more able to go in to hospital again. The first month of recovery was hard and there was quite a bit of pain in my tummy and a burning sensation in the middle of my breasts. I certainly had my down times when it all seemed to be too much. But I was able to manage with regular 4 hourly paracetamol during the day without fail and an Endone to help me get comfortable at night. I didn't sleep well at all but I haven't slept well since I started treatment so that's not surprising. What helped me was to get up and do my exercises and walk for 10 minutes whenever I could manage it. At least half a dozen times during the day. Even if it was just up and down the hall way and our verandah. I kept drinking plenty of water to keep hydrated and I massaged my scar areas with bio oil and Shea butter twice a day. I was walking more upright before long and got back on to my treadmill for half an hour of gentle walking everyday. I'm now three months out and I'm really feeling good (apart from a rotten cold at the moment). I still have a sore tummy on my right side and it's quite hard there but getting better. My breasts are tender but not sore and no more burning sensation. The best thing is that I don't need to wear a bra anymore. Yay! I will need revision surgery to get rid of some lumps and bumps but I have to wait until mid to late next year. I developed a DVT in my right calf and some clots moved to my lungs causing Pulmonary Embolisms which was a bit scary. This means I have to have Clexane injections everyday to keep my blood thin and my Plastic Surgeon won't do the revision until this issue is sorted. Exercise is really important to keep in your daily routine and I was going well with some weight bearing exercises and walking on my treadmill but then I cracked two ribs in a fall so I having been able to exercise at all for the past three weeks. But that's okay, I'll get back to it soon. I'm looking forward to a nice Christmas and putting this year behind me. Wow I didn't realise I'd written so much and rattled on. You could have just looked at my posts and found this out. Sorry about that. Cheers Janey xxx

Welcome to this amazing network of women. It is so wonderful to come on here and find such love and support and also to know that you are not alone. I was diagnosed just before last Christmas and had a lumpectomy and 6 months of chemo. I was then due to have a mastectomy of my left breast and struggled for quite a long time whether or not to have my healthy right breast removed at the same time. I wavered between yes I'll definitely have a double because I couldn't stand the thought of going through the whole process again and no I'll go with what the expects have told me that my chances of getting BC in my right breast were only slightly higher than normal. After much sole searching and researching and talking with my husband and family, I decided that I would probably regret it if I didn't have them both removed and would waste the rest of my life worrying about getting it in my right one. I had the option of having my left breast done first and then deciding later if I wanted the other one gone but two things convinced me to go ahead immediately. Firstly my peace of mind and secondly I wanted my own tissue used to create new breasts not implants. I wanted warm natural feeling breasts and I believed the TRAM/DIEP procedure was the way to go. If I just had the left side done, then I couldn't use the same technique further down the track to do the right side. I'd have to have an implant and then the question of symmetry came into the equation. I knew I was in for a very large operation and long recovery time but I decided to get it all over and done with at once. There are no guarantees that I won't get cancer again in my life but I know that I have done everything possible to reduce this risk. I don't deny it's been hard but I don't regret my decision. I have two warm soft feeling breasts and I won't be thinking about BC all the time and for that I am extremely grateful. Samantha you may be interested in joining a group called Breast Reconstruction. It was started by a wonderful lady, Louise Turner who is still researching and helping those who are coming after her. You can find other ladies who have had delayed reconstructions and prophylactic mastectomies and read their blogs. Women have also posted photos to share of which I am one. The link to the group is http://www.bcna.org.au/group/61026 and you can request membership from there. It's a totally private group where only group members can see posts. Once you've have joined, you can go to the blog tab and see stories filtered by tags - 'prophilactic mastectomy' and 'delayed' which would be good posts for you to read. You can also read one of my posts called 'Do I, Don't I' and read all the wonderful replies I got to this question, here is that link http://www.bcna.org.au/user/12607/blog/60167. Samantha I'm sorry to be so long winded in my reply but I know that you are facing such a hard and difficult decision and my heart goes out to you. I know how hard it was for me. Lots of love to you Janey xxx