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Bilateral Mastectomy without Reconstruction Recovery Timeline

Breast Cancer | Last Active: May 27, 2023 | Replies (78)
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@bajalinda

Hello - I am newly diagnosed with DCIS and I am very happy to find this group.
Can you please provide more details about these statements: " I can be very comfortable and look very normal with the cosmetic help that is available...but I decided to keep this decision private."
Question: How can one look normal - or keep private - the flat status of one's chest after a mastectomy? I am clueless.

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Replies to "Hello - I am newly diagnosed with DCIS and I am very happy to find this..."
windyshores | @windyshores | Nov 9, 2022

I don't have any "cosmetic help" and I believe I look "normal." I don't wear any prosthesis either. It's all about clothing choices.

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drummergirl | @drummergirl | Nov 9, 2022

Looking normal: I was referring to wearing a prosthesis under clothing. Insurance covered bras and the prosthesis and there are boutiques that specialize in fitting you. I felt “safer” with a double mastectomy and that was worth going without my own breasts.
Privacy: I shared a lot with my friends, but elected to keep it private when they asked me what type of surgery I had. Even if I were changing in a locker room, with the right bra and prosthesis, nobody would look at me and know. There are even bathing suits made for mastectomies. Everyone has to assess their own situation with their male partner. I am 73 and may have reconstructed at a younger age, but my husband and I felt safer with this option and my TNBC diagnosis.

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