waiting for surgery

Hi Sonia, I too had to wait nearly four weeks for surgery. Surgery was one month exactly from the date of my mammogram. It's hard waiting. That's the worst time! You wait for the biopsy, you wait for results, you wait for the Oncologist, you wat for the surgeon, then you wait for surgery. The worst time of my life! Especially trying to work and keep a normal life when you are walking around with a cancer in you! The Doctors all said four weeks will make no difference at all to your outcome but it is hard to accept that I know. I sympathise! I would have had to wait even longer if I'd tried to tee up a reconstruction at the same time as my bi lateral mastectomy, so I just went with the surgery first, reconstruction later. Some people say its best to have reconstruction done at the same time, so you never experience the loss of your breast/s and you will feel more normal. I don't know. I hated the look of me after surgery, and still do greatly. But! I've learnt to adjust necklines and clothing to suit, got good bras (genie bra great) and prostheses that I've grown to love! I feel mostly normal. Now I'm planning reconstruction. I'm looking at my options and I will plan the timing to fit in with work. I'm on leave now and starting to feel really healthy again. This will help with my recovery as I'm thinking of the long, complicated DIEP flap surgery. So the advantage of waiting, is that you can build your health and explore options. You are lucky that you can have expanders. I can't because of previous radiation to the breast area with my first cancer. Sonia, let your gut instinct help you decide. How will you feel without reconstruction? Can you take time off work for it later or is better to get it all over with? Another reason to wait is if you want to go on a public waiting list and then the reconstruction is free. You just can't be sure that your surgeon does all the work though-students have to learn too! The advantage of having it done now, is one a aesthetic, one lot of surgery. That's a plus! All the best, whatever you decide. Diane

Hi Sonia, I too had to wait nearly four weeks for surgery. Surgery was one month exactly from the date of my mammogram. It's hard waiting. That's the worst time! You wait for the biopsy, you wait for results, you wait for the Oncologist, you wat for the surgeon, then you wait for surgery. The worst time of my life! Especially trying to work and keep a normal life when you are walking around with a cancer in you! The Doctors all said four weeks will make no difference at all to your outcome but it is hard to accept that I know. I sympathise! I would have had to wait even longer if I'd tried to tee up a reconstruction at the same time as my bi lateral mastectomy, so I just went with the surgery first, reconstruction later. Some people say its best to have reconstruction done at the same time, so you never experience the loss of your breast/s and you will feel more normal. I don't know. I hated the look of me after surgery, and still do greatly. But! I've learnt to adjust necklines and clothing to suit, got good bras (genie bra great) and prostheses that I've grown to love! I feel mostly normal. Now I'm planning reconstruction. I'm looking at my options and I will plan the timing to fit in with work. I'm on leave now and starting to feel really healthy again. This will help with my recovery as I'm thinking of the long, complicated DIEP flap surgery. So the advantage of waiting, is that you can build your health and explore options. You are lucky that you can have expanders. I can't because of previous radiation to the breast area with my first cancer. Sonia, let your gut instinct help you decide. How will you feel without reconstruction? Can you take time off work for it later or is better to get it all over with? Another reason to wait is if you want to go on a public waiting list and then the reconstruction is free. You just can't be sure that your surgeon does all the work though-students have to learn too! The advantage of having it done now, is one a aesthetic, one lot of surgery. That's a plus! All the best, whatever you decide. Diane

Hi Sonia, I too had to wait nearly four weeks for surgery. Surgery was one month exactly from the date of my mammogram. It's hard waiting. That's the worst time! You wait for the biopsy, you wait for results, you wait for the Oncologist, you wat for the surgeon, then you wait for surgery. The worst time of my life! Especially trying to work and keep a normal life when you are walking around with a cancer in you! The Doctors all said four weeks will make no difference at all to your outcome but it is hard to accept that I know. I sympathise! I would have had to wait even longer if I'd tried to tee up a reconstruction at the same time as my bi lateral mastectomy, so I just went with the surgery first, reconstruction later. Some people say its best to have reconstruction done at the same time, so you never experience the loss of your breast/s and you will feel more normal. I don't know. I hated the look of me after surgery, and still do greatly. But! I've learnt to adjust necklines and clothing to suit, got good bras (genie bra great) and prostheses that I've grown to love! I feel mostly normal. Now I'm planning reconstruction. I'm looking at my options and I will plan the timing to fit in with work. I'm on leave now and starting to feel really healthy again. This will help with my recovery as I'm thinking of the long, complicated DIEP flap surgery. So the advantage of waiting, is that you can build your health and explore options. You are lucky that you can have expanders. I can't because of previous radiation to the breast area with my first cancer. Sonia, let your gut instinct help you decide. How will you feel without reconstruction? Can you take time off work for it later or is better to get it all over with? Another reason to wait is if you want to go on a public waiting list and then the reconstruction is free. You just can't be sure that your surgeon does all the work though-students have to learn too! The advantage of having it done now, is one a aesthetic, one lot of surgery. That's a plus! All the best, whatever you decide. Diane