Choosing Implant or Prosthesis

Hey, thanks for the link @primek I'm a newbie and couldn't figure out how to find the groups everyone keeps taking about. What a fantastic resource.

Thanks for your insights @Deanne and @Tennille I'm a one-boober because the need for radiotherapy made me unsuitable for immediate reconstruction. I've had chemo and just finished radiotherapy and at this stage I can't imagine volunteering for any more surgery. Losing the breast hasn't phased me too much (it was crappy and cancerfied - good riddance!) but I'm still not quite used to being one sided yet. Glad to hear it becomes so normal.

I had a mastectomy at 35 and reconstruction wasnt an option as I was pregnant. I have never had any interest in reconstruction to this day. I am a 14c and I am very comfortable going to the shops without my prosthetic if I dont want to wear it. Im not bothered if people stare but most of the time I havent noticed if they do or not. I do wear a prosthetic if I am going out and I am so used to it now as its just a part of my normal dress routine. It will take some time to find one you are comfortable with though and clothes shopping can be a bit of a pain but I wear bras with lace panelling so I can have more options.

Hi there @Lallaby I was diagnosed may 2016 with triple negative bc and I’m thinking you might be the same with your dose dense chemo as that’s what I had as well. 4 rounds of AC two weeks apart and 2 weeks of paclitaxol 2 weeks apart. I chose to have the left boob off with the 3cm tumor in it so I didn’t have to have chemo and rads and then took the other one off as a prophylaxis and no regrets from me either. I was only a 14b too At first I definately didn’t want a recon as I didn’t want more surgery but wish I had the immediate recon done now had I known the wait in qld was so long and I’ve been on the qld waiting list for nearly 2 years and haven’t seen a surgeon at the royal Brisbane yet but have seen dr green who does private public and intermediate  for an opinion and he is awesome so I’ll do intermediate with him once I get my holidays up at my new job and the money together for it (sigh)

He has said saline expanders one night in hospital, topped up every  2 weeks, then at the 10 to 12 week mark saline implants, again overnight surgery only for the changeover and he doesn’t think I’ll need a drain in at all so fingers crossed and after the expanders 1 to 2 weeks off work and after the change over only a few days so I’m really happy with that. 

I changed my mind as I hate the prosthetics they are so hot heavy and sweaty for me here in qld. I actually gave them away and just use the crocheted knockers now in my cheapy Kmart sports bras and my proper mastectomy bra Which is fine for now but I have some issues with some of the clothes I like and can’t wear as they don’t suit the bras I have and I was a matron of honor st my girlfriends wedding last year and I spent the whole day adjusting the bloody prosthetics and it was a pain in the arse. 

So so it’s a yes from me and like @Afraser and @Deanne says it’s a very personal thing and they are  quite happy with the prosthetics and I am looking forward to my new set of porn star titties(joking) but a little something up there would be nice too. So each to there own love. You’ll know what’s best for you. Margie xxx 

I had a double mastectomy with immediate implant recon. Cancer was in the left but I chose to have the right removed also due to family history and the fact that my breasts were very dense so my cancer was difficult to find. We knew it was likely that I would need radiotherapy so my surgeon didn’t want to do a flap (my own tissue recon) initially even though I would have been a good candidate if I didn’t need radiotherapy. My surgery was 1 year ago and I have some capsular contracture on the left due to the radiotherapy. It’s not too bad and under clothes you can’t tell. It feels a bit tight but not painfull. The plan is to have a double diep recon in a few years when I’m ready, and that will hopefully be my final surgery. Like you I had chemo before my surgery. Good luck and best wishes to you

Thank you all so much for your wonderful replies! Every time I think I have made a decision I find myself almost immediately wondering if it is the right one for me  :o

I initially thought that I would do reconstruction but my pathway was mastectomy - chemo - radiotherapy - hormone therapy. By the time I got through all that I had been living with one breast for long enough to feel that I was ok with just a prosthesis.

 I was a 14D at the beginning of the whole process but ended up a 12C in the remaining breast by the time I lost 9kg after treatment finished. Something else to consider as implants do not change with body weight changes.

I know I always have the option to do reconstruction but almost 5 years after my mastectomy I am content with things just the way they are. I swim a lot in summer and find that the swimming prosthesis is just fine with a good mastectomy swimsuit. I actually also use the swimming prosthesis in a sports bra most of the time. It suits my lifestyle and is very comfortable. I don’t know whether I will bother getting another ‘proper’ prosthesis as I so rarely use the one I have now.

Lots of options, it’s just a matter of working out the best one for you.
xxx

Totally agree @AFraser. We're all so private here. Throw in the air-brushing of almost every media image we see, it's no wonder people get self-esteem issues about their bodies.

I think the shared hot bath culture in Iceland and Japan leads to a much more realistic understanding of the human body - saggy bits, fat bits, old bits, missing bits, seen it all before!! 

Going further to what @afraser said - wouldn't it be a nice world if no-one batted an eyelid.  I still don't know if I'm going to go down the reconstruction path.  My body is being battered enough.