Hi, I’m so sorry you are going through this awful process and I’m sending you hugs! I had a single side mastectomy 4 months ago. I’m very happy being flat, and frankly until I just read your note, I hadn’t even thought about being without a nipple. I’m surprised your surgeon is suggesting to you what might worry you. Surgeons do sometimes project on to their patients their own personal fears and unconscious biases. These suggestions can come dressed up as medical advice. You are on the right path, seeking advice from this community. I hope you join the flat chat group, because many of us are happy to share photos of our results and you could have a chance to see actual outcomes and decide what suits you most. I am holding you in my heart and hoping you land in the right place for you!
Thank youFlatNina hugs right back at you x I have decided to do the bilateral mastectomy with implants and I can always get nipples later if I choose to do so or decide to go flat down the track instead of getting them replaced.
Jamie350 Hi Jamie, l've just joined & read your post from 8 months ago. May l ask how you went with all your surgery & if you did go ahead with implants, your recovery, any complications & if you are happy with outcome. I am facing the same, like you were back then l am struggling to make decisions & it's consuming me as treatment for DCIS in Situ seems so extreme.
Hi Bren I am very sorry to hear you’re going through this so firstly sending lots of love.
I did go ahead with the bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction with implants. The surgery went well but they found a 7mm invasive cancer that was very aggressive so I had to go on and have further treatment after the surgery (weekly chemo for 3 months which I finished in January, I am still having 3 weekly Trastuzumab injections and started hormone therapy).
The recovery after the surgery wasn’t as painful as expected, however managing the drains and showering was challenging and I struggled to heal which was frustrating.
For me I feel I made the right choice, I ended up getting my genetic testing back and I have the CHEK 2 mutation, which isn’t as bad as the BRCA but still increases my risk of breast cancer.
Even though I have had both breasts removed I still have anxiety about it coming back so I think I would have been even more fearful if I only had the right breast removed.
I am not going to lie I struggle with my new boobs and I won’t let my husband see me naked. They look fine in clothes but one side is bigger than the other but that is due to my chest cavity so I have to use an insert in my bra to make them look the same size. I am waiting for further surgery, they are going to replace the right implant with a bigger one to make them more similar. I will eventually get nipples but they can’t do that in the same surgery and being in the public system means long waits as it’s only cosmetic. I am hoping once this is all done I’ll feel more like me again and feel more confident.
it’s been a tough road that never seems to end but I am doing well, back at the gym and doing Muay Thai (just can’t do pushups) and at the end of the day I’m still here and making each day count.
I hope this was helpful and I wish you all the best xx
Jamie, thanks so much for your reply, that's a hell of a journey your going through. You would think once you've had bilateral mastectomy that would be the end of it. Gosh it must feel never ending. So sorry to hear they found a 7mm Invasive cancer during surgery, was this defined as a lump over & above the DCIS or the DCIS invaded into the breast tissue? My DCIS has been described as high grade with comedo type necrosis, was yours similar? I really don't want to lose my lefty & am considering implant at time of surgery but super scared of the whole process & complications of breast implants like capsular contracture, which sounds awful. I'm sorry to hear you are struggling with healing & your new boobs. Are you not healing adequately or is it just slow? Did you get to see, feel or choose implants before surgery? Do they look real now their in place. Do they feel heavy & unnatural. Did the mastectomy change your chest cavity & is why the implants aren't a good match? I'm only small like a B cup, but their a good size for me & l'm happy with my breasts & soooo don't want to go down this path not knowing how it will all end up. I'm having contrast MRI tomorrow which l am hoping provides more detail of what we are dealing with. Lots of questions here, sorry! I really hope things improve for you Jamie & your journey is fast tracked so you can move on. I wish you all the very very best 🫂
