Forum Discussion
Elective preventative mastectomy advice?
Every single day since my wide-excision I have resented my oncologists choices to deny me a double mastectomy, and for my five year survivorship I plan to treat myself to correcting it. The surgery I had left me with permanent pain, and after becoming pregnant, which I wasn’t sure was possible, my other breast grew over a full cup size. There are no bra solutions. And I lost the baby just at the end of the first trimester. I’m left more uncomfortable on a daily basis than I’ve ever been in my life. I don’t have a love-hate relationship with my breasts, they are uncomfortable both to see and touch. This exposition is more for the purposes of illustrating that I don’t take this decision lightly and is not purely out of that life long survivor’s anxiety of recurrence, and I know that it won’t be covered by Medicare.
My question is, where do I go? I don’t want to come out of the surgery as a purely medical exercise, I’d like a somewhat smooth chest. Does anyone know a surgeon in Sydney who offers mastectomy and - I suppose ‘sculpting’? I don’t need or want new fake breasts or nipples, I just do not want to come out of the surgery only to recover with new alien lumps and folds to get used to.
Thank you in advance for any input and guidance!
17 Replies
- Hi @SoldierCrab,
There are a few ladies in my bc support group who were very happy with Dr Elder. I have just requested to join the above fb group that you mentioned-thanks for that. xx - Hello @InkPetal
long time no chat .... Miss Night Howler ;)
I had a double at my insistence and it was covered under medicare...
I had to see a psychiatrist and then they said YES totally agree with your reasons etc.
I saw Dr Elizabeth Elder at Westmead Breast Cancer Institute back in 2012.
I am saddened by your loss and want you to know you have a right to choose what is right for your body...
I am happy to chat inbox on messenger we are friends on facebook,
I am happy with my scar line like some others I am on the bigger size and have a bit of extra but overall I am very happy with my body since my double mastectomy.
there is also a Facebook group called https://www.facebook.com/groups/bcnoffaaduaustralia The group is for those who chose not to reconstruct or who want advice re removing other breast etc.
talk soon
Soldier crab
That’s amazing! I never even entertained the idea that Medicate might be so on the pulse it could actually cover something like that. I’d love to hear and see all your stories xmum2jj said:If you can find an understanding surgeon who agrees with your reasoning them I’m fairly certain you can claim it from Medicare.- Hello, and firstly I’m so sorry for the loss you had. Losing a baby at any stage of pregnancy is a trauma on its own. Someone tagged me as I help facilitate the choosing breast reconstruction group which you are welcome to join. Admittedly the posts are mainly reconstructions but I did just recently have a lady who chose to stay flat and put up a photo story you may like to look at. Her surgeon did a beautiful job. I have also had a prophylactic mastectomy of my healthy breast as I felt my risk was too high. If you can find an understanding surgeon who agrees with your reasoning them I’m fairly certain you can claim it from Medicare. Admittedly if you go private there will be some gap fees.I wish you all the best.Paula x
- Hello, very sorry about your loss 💜.I’m from Sydney, and I’d highly recommend Dr Eva Nagy. She’s in North Sydney, currently at the Mater. She’s fantastic, in all possible ways a surgeon can be. She was a Godsend to me.Good luck with it all 🍀
Honestly. And especially when people get it young? With family history? Excuse me - I’m almost guaranteed to get this again, aren’t I. Why in heck are you putting me through this yeet about 1/3 of your breat rubbish. Unbelievable.Zoffiel said:Interesting, isn't it?
In the past, the cohort who have actively fought for the right to have their tits lopped off are, or have been, considered extremists. Those who go to extraordinarily lengths to delay what may be the inevitable seem to have the full support of the medical community.
You do you. As you do.
BTW, I still wear the Night Howls tee.
Oh my gosh Night Howls!! That brings back memories …here I am with midnight approaching still wondering why I’m so tired all the time haha nowadays it’s just because there’s too much to do!- Exactly and precisely this. Seems like the kind of decision a patient should have.
AllyJay said:But noooo...ohhh you must have this treatment, but you can't have the other potential killer removed, - Interesting, isn't it?
In the past, the cohort who have actively fought for the right to have their tits lopped off have been, considered extremists. Those who go to extraordinarily lengths to delay what may be the inevitable seem to have the full support of the medical community.
You do you. As you do.
BTW, I still wear the Night Howls tee. - Firstly I would like to say that I'm so very sorry about the baby you lost. So sad and such a deep mourning for you. On the question of the reluctance of surgeons removing the second breast I can add that I too had to push for both. Even if one just argued the statistics to the 'professionals' they seem reluctant. All the media gumfff quotes that 1 in 7, (it was 1 in 8 five years ago when I was diagnosed) women will get breast cancer at some point in their lives. That's 14.28% of women. They parrot out that we would have no greater chance of cancer in the so called 'healthy' breast than any other woman.....Right...so that is a 14.28% chance of cancer cropping up in the other breast. Chemo and radiation don't give much better statistics for prevention of recurrence, and many are only quoted between 2% and around 6% extra cover from hormone suppression...for up to ten years, often with significant ongoing side effects, such as a previously luscious Garden of Eden being reduced to the Gobi Dessert and worse. But noooo...ohhh you must have this treatment, but you can't have the other potential killer removed, even if only for aesthetics, balance, peace of mind or more. I'd also have to think that if you factored in the question of "Well what in my genetics, or lifestyle may have made me one of those 1 in 7? Did genetics play a part? Or previous hormone replacement therapy, or the pill, or IVF? Was my weight a factor...built for comfort...not for speed? Was my alcohol consumption a contributing factor? My age?" Perhaps...and if so, then surely the other breast has been exposed to those same 'risk factors' and that figure of 14.28% may in fact be 1 in 6..that is 16.67%......
