I am a breast cancer survivor x2 twenty years apart. After the first mastectomy I elected to have my surgeon to leave a flap so I can have more time to think about an implant and more surgeries to follow. I wore a prosthesis for 16 years and though it was a bit heavy at that time, years passed and they got lighter. By means I am not saying they wear comfortable not a constant reminder of my cancer experience everyday when I took off my bra or showered. After my divorce I decided it was time to get the implant and they also reconstructed my good breast so in my mid 50’s I looked and felt pretty good. The doctor was talented and did a tattoo for me of my Ariola and nipple area. I was in heaven with both breast looking and feeling comfortable. He had enough flap so the implant fit perfectly and there was no need for an expander to stretch the skin before an implant could be inserted. A few years later I developed stage 3 breast cancer in the good redesigned breast. At that time I designed to go ahead and have then implant the expander at the same time as the mastectomy was being done. The theory.is that they expand the expander slowly every few weeks until they have enough skin to do the final implant. Unfortunately I had gotten mastitis in the breast cavity with the expander and was in the hospital fifth iv antibiotics for a few weeks trying to get the infection under control or I would lose the expander and any chance of having reconstruction. I guess I was lucky and I healed from the infection and about 7 months later I had the implant surgery. I can’t tell you enough about complications and so because there was no bottom ledge after the mastectomy my new implant failed and slipped down. After waiting months we did the surgery again using a mesh to hold the implant in place. Well the mesh stretch out and once again the breast dropped. I waited u til I found a different doctor in Palm Beach who had experience with this problem and reassured me it would not happen again. And so several years after several surgeries I took my last chance now in my early 60’s and had the implant done once again. What ever this doctor did worked! His name is Dr Lickstein. And although I did not get this breast tattooed I can now wear a normal bra and look in the mirror and see my warrior spirit. It takes strength, and it takes support so when you make this decision please hear my story and know that getting an implant can be complicated. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s easy because it is not physically nor emotionally easy to undergo surgeries. I also had 6 months of Chemotherapy while having the expander in. I pray every day that this cancer will not return. I am grateful one day at a time. Good luck sisters and brothers out there reading my story. I hope it helps someone. Tina

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