Forum Discussion
"Its up to you!!! "
I am soooo tired of hearing "Its up to you!" I turn to the brains trust here to give me constructive advice about a problem that I have to ( or want to is nearer the truth) address. I have been th...
I had my mastectomy six years ago ( nothing prior - hoping nothing after too!). No reconstruction - never fancied it, didn't feel I wanted it (68 at time of surgery too - not over giving someone else a thrill, but definitely over breast feeding!). I haven't changed my mind, and I haven't decided to have a second mastectomy. I have discussed it with my oncologist (the second mastectomy that is - my surgeon will happily do a reconstruction any time I want, but hasn't taken the lack of interest personally).
Oncologist knows of nothing that would suggest a second mastectomy as a useful procedure. I have no (known) tricky gene, and no family history of cancer (breast or otherwise). I am more likely to get a new cancer somewhere else in my body. After 6 years my chances of a recurrence are shrinking (but not gone). I developed a persistent and very large seroma (not a given for a mastectomy of course but my body went into a bt of overdrive and, more important, may do it again for a second mastectomy). So I finally got my prosthesis almost a year after surgery. Took about a week of adjustment ( nothing painful just a slight ache) as of course I had been walking lopsided for 12 months ( large boobs). Beyond that, I have experienced no difficulty.
I am on my 2nd prosthesis (last about 2/3 years or so), it's silicone and while some women find them hot, I don't (I live in Melbourne). I had it fitted at home -the weight is right - 12 months with a soft pad can drive you slightly mad as it rises every time you bend and is to be avoided! I don't swim much but do, and just slip it in my swimsuit- worth getting a special swim prosthesis if you swim a lot. I wear the same sort of clothes I wore before - was never one for plunging necklines. My surgeon left me a tiny cleavage!
Do I worry about the other breast? Occasionally, pre scan anxiety although that got MUCH better after five years. I don't regret leaving my other breast there. I am fine with the way I look, don't strip off everything in public much but have done so ( Icelandic hot tub!) and guess what? No-one batted an eyelid.
I thought at first I would never get the hang of "just slipping" the prosthesis into the right place in my bra - it landed on the floor, looked like a Monty Python skit! But of course you do, quite fast. I occasionally worry I will head out without it one morning, as it's now not a conscious action but I haven't so far. I had to finally have surgery on the old site to fix the seroma (BIG infection) and that feels like enough surgery for me. Good luck whatever you do.
Oncologist knows of nothing that would suggest a second mastectomy as a useful procedure. I have no (known) tricky gene, and no family history of cancer (breast or otherwise). I am more likely to get a new cancer somewhere else in my body. After 6 years my chances of a recurrence are shrinking (but not gone). I developed a persistent and very large seroma (not a given for a mastectomy of course but my body went into a bt of overdrive and, more important, may do it again for a second mastectomy). So I finally got my prosthesis almost a year after surgery. Took about a week of adjustment ( nothing painful just a slight ache) as of course I had been walking lopsided for 12 months ( large boobs). Beyond that, I have experienced no difficulty.
I am on my 2nd prosthesis (last about 2/3 years or so), it's silicone and while some women find them hot, I don't (I live in Melbourne). I had it fitted at home -the weight is right - 12 months with a soft pad can drive you slightly mad as it rises every time you bend and is to be avoided! I don't swim much but do, and just slip it in my swimsuit- worth getting a special swim prosthesis if you swim a lot. I wear the same sort of clothes I wore before - was never one for plunging necklines. My surgeon left me a tiny cleavage!
Do I worry about the other breast? Occasionally, pre scan anxiety although that got MUCH better after five years. I don't regret leaving my other breast there. I am fine with the way I look, don't strip off everything in public much but have done so ( Icelandic hot tub!) and guess what? No-one batted an eyelid.
I thought at first I would never get the hang of "just slipping" the prosthesis into the right place in my bra - it landed on the floor, looked like a Monty Python skit! But of course you do, quite fast. I occasionally worry I will head out without it one morning, as it's now not a conscious action but I haven't so far. I had to finally have surgery on the old site to fix the seroma (BIG infection) and that feels like enough surgery for me. Good luck whatever you do.