Hello, I had a double Mastectomy in September of 2020. I chose the reconstruction route because I feel more comfortable having breasts. Clothes just do not look good when you don’t have breasts. Tops always look baggy because there is nothing to fill out the chest part of a garment. I was originally going to have the implants. The plastic surgeon put the expanders in right after the mastectomy. They use the expanders as place keepers in case you need radiation. Radiation messes up any reconstruction. You generally need to keep the expanders in until you have finished radiation and have healed completely from radiation and surgery. About 4 to 6 months. I unfortunately I got an infection in my left breast and had to have the expanders taken out. I then had to wait another 4 to 6 months to get the expanders put back in. During that time that “flat” time I had the prosthetic breasts. I did not like them. I live in Arizona where it is quit hot during the summer, so the prostheses were hot and sweaty. During this waiting period I learned that there is about a 30% chance of getting an infection with any implant and an even higher chance of another infection if you have already had an infection. Plus the infection causes tissue damage which negatively affects the implants. Plus every year you have implant there is a cumulative chance of something going wrong with the implants. Implants do have shelf life of 20 years or so, Given that I was 63, I decided that I did not want to take a chance that I might have to have them taken out in my 80s. Anesthesia is much harder to recover from in your 80s. So I decided to go with the DIEP flap route, They basically take your belly fat/tissue and make them into breasts. (Silver lining : you are basically getting a tummy tuck.) This surgery knocks the stuffing out of you. It is about 10 to12 hours long. They have to tie the blood vessels in the flap to the blood vessels in your chest. They have you stay in the hospital about 3 - 5 days. The nice thing about this surgery is that you have your own tissue. Once it takes that is it. You don’t have to worry about future problems like you do with the implant. The one negative thing about the DIEP surgery is that the recovery period is little longer and it messes with your core strength, I had my DIEP flap surgery in November 2021. I had a great Surgon so my breasts look really great. I feel very good about my appearance. Cloths look so much better than when I was flat. I am doing some PT to get my core strength back. I am very happy with the DIEP option I took. Personally, I did not like the flat option. I feel very good about my body now.
@ssalget here is the link to the measuring instructions for oval 8 https://site.ithacasports.com/prodimages/ProductImages/3PP/oval8_sizing_guide.pdf
or you can search "Oval 8 Measurement"
It's funny you mention Kinesiology tape. I just on Monday was introduced to Kinesiology tape from my chiropractor that applied it to my back that was having muscle spasms. Hope your thumb gets better. God Bless
Hi @chickie, I moved your message about reconstruction and revisions to this existing discussion called:
- Mastectomy and breast reconstruction pros and cons?
Here is your post https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/728492/
Whole breast cut off. fat and deip flap taken from belly put into a BLOB that reached all the way to my back.
Really uncomfortable.
Still not in shape of a cone. its an annoying ugly BLOB. Looks strange under shirts, bathing suits etc.
Had reconstruction and revisions after mastectomy. My fat was used to make a new breast. I'm still facing another revision.
Had Anestrozole for a short time - go 3 trigger fingers and my hair thinned.
Hi @chickie, I moved your message about reconstruction and revisions to this existing discussion called:
- Mastectomy and breast reconstruction pros and cons?
Here is your post https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/728492/
I got a trigger thumb from the Anastrozole. I bought an item called Oval 8. It cured my trigger thumb fairly quickly. I bought on Amazon but Look up Oval 8 on internet and their website will cover it all. Hope things keep improving. Hugs
I developed carpal tunnel in both hands and trigger thumbs after taking letrozole for only 4 months. My oncologist suggested a break, so I have been off it since early May. I used a system called the Carpal Solution to help with the Carpal tunnel. It is much better, but not completely resolved. My hands still go numb, but the thumbs have not improved. I'm going to try some kinesiology tape and I'm taking one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in water once a day and 50mg of Vitamin B6 (P-5-P) twice a day to see if it will resolve. All suggestions I found on the internet. I'm also doing lots of exercises and PT. It's very painful and keeps me from doing all the things I love to do.
I got a trigger thumb from the Anastrozole. I bought an item called Oval 8. It cured my trigger thumb fairly quickly. I bought on Amazon but Look up Oval 8 on internet and their website will cover it all. Hope things keep improving. Hugs
I had two mastectomies and "went flat," no prostheses. The only clothing challenge has been bathing suit! I had mixed ductal and lobular and my non-cancer breast felt funny. Turned out there was some atypical ductal hyperplasia and several cysts.
I developed carpal tunnel in both hands and trigger thumbs after taking letrozole for only 4 months. My oncologist suggested a break, so I have been off it since early May. I used a system called the Carpal Solution to help with the Carpal tunnel. It is much better, but not completely resolved. My hands still go numb, but the thumbs have not improved. I'm going to try some kinesiology tape and I'm taking one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in water once a day and 50mg of Vitamin B6 (P-5-P) twice a day to see if it will resolve. All suggestions I found on the internet. I'm also doing lots of exercises and PT. It's very painful and keeps me from doing all the things I love to do.
Hi @colleenyoung :). Yes, I would make the same decision again. Along with breast cancer in the one breast, I had a benign tumor in the other. The non-cancerous tumor had been there for over 10 years, but interestingly enough, I had recently received a letter from Mayo (before my breast cancer diagnosis) to invite me to a breast cancer study because my type of benign tumor sometimes turns malignant for women. So, no, the decision to go double mastectomy was not difficult for me. My doctors spoke with me several times about a lumpectomy, almost to a point that I felt that's what they recommended. The team did not verbalize this to me, though. Of course, a lumpectomy is much simpler, recovery is easier, reconstruction easier, and percentages of cancer reoccurrence is similar when you compare results of a mastectomy to a lumpectomy. I understood what the team was telling me. . . but they were not going to be the person going to bed every night wondering if another duct was hiding another small tumor. And with dense breasts anyway, it is very difficult (or nearly impossible) to tell the difference between dense tissue and a new breast lump.
So, I asked myself, "Do I really want to live that way??" I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be able to ignore the fact that I'd always be wondering if there was another tumor lurking beneath in those ducts. As it was, my doctors had trouble feeling the tumor in the first place (even when they knew where it was bc of the tests). I had TNBC. I wanted to remove all of the doubt I could for myself. And I wanted a life after it was all over. I didn't want to have to keep checking and worrying if I was missing anything. Because . . . I had missed the first one. Thankfully, the mammogram did not.
The type of reconstruction decision was not difficult for me, either. My body reacts to a fair amount of medications, chemicals, bee stings, etc. I'm one of those people. So, to use anything but my own flesh to reconstruct seemed like my only option. I knew the recovery would not be easy, and I knew I would have scarring, numbness, changes in my body. But I forged ahead.
I've just completed my final revision surgery (almost 2 weeks post-op) . . it's been 2 1/2 years since my cancer diagnosis, and 1 3/4 year since my double mastectomy. I feel relieved this surgery is over. It wasn't difficult, but it was the last piece I needed to "drop". I've been carrying this cancer basket, so-to-speak, and it's been heavy. I think I will always carry the basket itself, because once you've picked up a cancer basket, it becomes part of your accessories for life. But my basket isn't as full anymore. I rather imagine it as a beautiful wicker basket, one that swings on my arm. It's much lighter to carry now. And I'm glad I've "dropped" out some of those last pieces that were still heavier for me to hold. Now, I imagine myself putting in some freshly-cut daisies instead. 🙂
Yes, I would make the same choice again. It is difficult to choose to remove a part of yourself that identifies you as a woman. Of course it is. But my plastic surgeon and her team gave me such a gift. . . the scarring is fading. . . my new breasts are soft and move like normal flesh (because they are). There is some numbness, but there is no pain. :). My new nipples are healing nicely, and within six months, I will reach for the very last piece of this intricate and sometimes very complicated puzzle. . . . I will get my 3D tattoos. :).
There's so much coming at us with a breast cancer diagnosis . . . and we have to make decisions in what seems very little time. Doing your medical research is part of it - but talking to women who've been there is a large part, too. We can't turn back the clock once we've made these decisions that forever alter our lives. Listening to stories from other women can be so very helpful, but in the end, we still have to weigh the choice(s) ourselves. Time, prayer, and support from those whom I trusted were the pillars that gave me the strength and assurance to make the decisions I needed to make. And then I trusted God to give me the courage to follow through with those decisions.
I hope this helps someone out there who is caught in the fray of the breast cancer fabric. You do the best you can. And you keep getting up, until one day, you find yourself standing again. 🙂
Sniff, thank you for that beautiful story, and the amazing analogy of a basket brought tears.
I just know your story will help many women make decisions or live with the choices that were made.
@rhongirl, you're so right to raise the emotional aspect of reconstruction. It can be so emotional, and you're so spent from treatment and getting through.
I'm so glad that the outcome 16 months later is a positive one and you're happy with the results. With the benefit of hindsight, would you make the same choice again?
Hi @colleenyoung :). Yes, I would make the same decision again. Along with breast cancer in the one breast, I had a benign tumor in the other. The non-cancerous tumor had been there for over 10 years, but interestingly enough, I had recently received a letter from Mayo (before my breast cancer diagnosis) to invite me to a breast cancer study because my type of benign tumor sometimes turns malignant for women. So, no, the decision to go double mastectomy was not difficult for me. My doctors spoke with me several times about a lumpectomy, almost to a point that I felt that's what they recommended. The team did not verbalize this to me, though. Of course, a lumpectomy is much simpler, recovery is easier, reconstruction easier, and percentages of cancer reoccurrence is similar when you compare results of a mastectomy to a lumpectomy. I understood what the team was telling me. . . but they were not going to be the person going to bed every night wondering if another duct was hiding another small tumor. And with dense breasts anyway, it is very difficult (or nearly impossible) to tell the difference between dense tissue and a new breast lump.
So, I asked myself, "Do I really want to live that way??" I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be able to ignore the fact that I'd always be wondering if there was another tumor lurking beneath in those ducts. As it was, my doctors had trouble feeling the tumor in the first place (even when they knew where it was bc of the tests). I had TNBC. I wanted to remove all of the doubt I could for myself. And I wanted a life after it was all over. I didn't want to have to keep checking and worrying if I was missing anything. Because . . . I had missed the first one. Thankfully, the mammogram did not.
The type of reconstruction decision was not difficult for me, either. My body reacts to a fair amount of medications, chemicals, bee stings, etc. I'm one of those people. So, to use anything but my own flesh to reconstruct seemed like my only option. I knew the recovery would not be easy, and I knew I would have scarring, numbness, changes in my body. But I forged ahead.
I've just completed my final revision surgery (almost 2 weeks post-op) . . it's been 2 1/2 years since my cancer diagnosis, and 1 3/4 year since my double mastectomy. I feel relieved this surgery is over. It wasn't difficult, but it was the last piece I needed to "drop". I've been carrying this cancer basket, so-to-speak, and it's been heavy. I think I will always carry the basket itself, because once you've picked up a cancer basket, it becomes part of your accessories for life. But my basket isn't as full anymore. I rather imagine it as a beautiful wicker basket, one that swings on my arm. It's much lighter to carry now. And I'm glad I've "dropped" out some of those last pieces that were still heavier for me to hold. Now, I imagine myself putting in some freshly-cut daisies instead. 🙂
Yes, I would make the same choice again. It is difficult to choose to remove a part of yourself that identifies you as a woman. Of course it is. But my plastic surgeon and her team gave me such a gift. . . the scarring is fading. . . my new breasts are soft and move like normal flesh (because they are). There is some numbness, but there is no pain. :). My new nipples are healing nicely, and within six months, I will reach for the very last piece of this intricate and sometimes very complicated puzzle. . . . I will get my 3D tattoos. :).
There's so much coming at us with a breast cancer diagnosis . . . and we have to make decisions in what seems very little time. Doing your medical research is part of it - but talking to women who've been there is a large part, too. We can't turn back the clock once we've made these decisions that forever alter our lives. Listening to stories from other women can be so very helpful, but in the end, we still have to weigh the choice(s) ourselves. Time, prayer, and support from those whom I trusted were the pillars that gave me the strength and assurance to make the decisions I needed to make. And then I trusted God to give me the courage to follow through with those decisions.
I hope this helps someone out there who is caught in the fray of the breast cancer fabric. You do the best you can. And you keep getting up, until one day, you find yourself standing again. 🙂
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Hello, I had a double Mastectomy in September of 2020. I chose the reconstruction route because I feel more comfortable having breasts. Clothes just do not look good when you don’t have breasts. Tops always look baggy because there is nothing to fill out the chest part of a garment. I was originally going to have the implants. The plastic surgeon put the expanders in right after the mastectomy. They use the expanders as place keepers in case you need radiation. Radiation messes up any reconstruction. You generally need to keep the expanders in until you have finished radiation and have healed completely from radiation and surgery. About 4 to 6 months. I unfortunately I got an infection in my left breast and had to have the expanders taken out. I then had to wait another 4 to 6 months to get the expanders put back in. During that time that “flat” time I had the prosthetic breasts. I did not like them. I live in Arizona where it is quit hot during the summer, so the prostheses were hot and sweaty. During this waiting period I learned that there is about a 30% chance of getting an infection with any implant and an even higher chance of another infection if you have already had an infection. Plus the infection causes tissue damage which negatively affects the implants. Plus every year you have implant there is a cumulative chance of something going wrong with the implants. Implants do have shelf life of 20 years or so, Given that I was 63, I decided that I did not want to take a chance that I might have to have them taken out in my 80s. Anesthesia is much harder to recover from in your 80s. So I decided to go with the DIEP flap route, They basically take your belly fat/tissue and make them into breasts. (Silver lining : you are basically getting a tummy tuck.) This surgery knocks the stuffing out of you. It is about 10 to12 hours long. They have to tie the blood vessels in the flap to the blood vessels in your chest. They have you stay in the hospital about 3 - 5 days. The nice thing about this surgery is that you have your own tissue. Once it takes that is it. You don’t have to worry about future problems like you do with the implant. The one negative thing about the DIEP surgery is that the recovery period is little longer and it messes with your core strength, I had my DIEP flap surgery in November 2021. I had a great Surgon so my breasts look really great. I feel very good about my appearance. Cloths look so much better than when I was flat. I am doing some PT to get my core strength back. I am very happy with the DIEP option I took. Personally, I did not like the flat option. I feel very good about my body now.
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Like -
Helpful -
Hug
7 Reactions@ssalget here is the link to the measuring instructions for oval 8
https://site.ithacasports.com/prodimages/ProductImages/3PP/oval8_sizing_guide.pdf
or you can search "Oval 8 Measurement"
It's funny you mention Kinesiology tape. I just on Monday was introduced to Kinesiology tape from my chiropractor that applied it to my back that was having muscle spasms. Hope your thumb gets better. God Bless
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionWhole breast cut off. fat and deip flap taken from belly put into a BLOB that reached all the way to my back.
Really uncomfortable.
Still not in shape of a cone. its an annoying ugly BLOB. Looks strange under shirts, bathing suits etc.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsHi @chickie, I moved your message about reconstruction and revisions to this existing discussion called:
- Mastectomy and breast reconstruction pros and cons?
Here is your post https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/728492/
May I ask why you require multiple revisions?
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Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsThank you for your help. How did you determine the size for the thumb? I've been trying kinesiology tape.
I got a trigger thumb from the Anastrozole. I bought an item called Oval 8. It cured my trigger thumb fairly quickly. I bought on Amazon but Look up Oval 8 on internet and their website will cover it all. Hope things keep improving. Hugs
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionI had two mastectomies and "went flat," no prostheses. The only clothing challenge has been bathing suit! I had mixed ductal and lobular and my non-cancer breast felt funny. Turned out there was some atypical ductal hyperplasia and several cysts.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsI developed carpal tunnel in both hands and trigger thumbs after taking letrozole for only 4 months. My oncologist suggested a break, so I have been off it since early May. I used a system called the Carpal Solution to help with the Carpal tunnel. It is much better, but not completely resolved. My hands still go numb, but the thumbs have not improved. I'm going to try some kinesiology tape and I'm taking one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in water once a day and 50mg of Vitamin B6 (P-5-P) twice a day to see if it will resolve. All suggestions I found on the internet. I'm also doing lots of exercises and PT. It's very painful and keeps me from doing all the things I love to do.
Sniff, thank you for that beautiful story, and the amazing analogy of a basket brought tears.
I just know your story will help many women make decisions or live with the choices that were made.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsHi @colleenyoung :). Yes, I would make the same decision again. Along with breast cancer in the one breast, I had a benign tumor in the other. The non-cancerous tumor had been there for over 10 years, but interestingly enough, I had recently received a letter from Mayo (before my breast cancer diagnosis) to invite me to a breast cancer study because my type of benign tumor sometimes turns malignant for women. So, no, the decision to go double mastectomy was not difficult for me. My doctors spoke with me several times about a lumpectomy, almost to a point that I felt that's what they recommended. The team did not verbalize this to me, though. Of course, a lumpectomy is much simpler, recovery is easier, reconstruction easier, and percentages of cancer reoccurrence is similar when you compare results of a mastectomy to a lumpectomy. I understood what the team was telling me. . . but they were not going to be the person going to bed every night wondering if another duct was hiding another small tumor. And with dense breasts anyway, it is very difficult (or nearly impossible) to tell the difference between dense tissue and a new breast lump.
So, I asked myself, "Do I really want to live that way??" I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be able to ignore the fact that I'd always be wondering if there was another tumor lurking beneath in those ducts. As it was, my doctors had trouble feeling the tumor in the first place (even when they knew where it was bc of the tests). I had TNBC. I wanted to remove all of the doubt I could for myself. And I wanted a life after it was all over. I didn't want to have to keep checking and worrying if I was missing anything. Because . . . I had missed the first one. Thankfully, the mammogram did not.
The type of reconstruction decision was not difficult for me, either. My body reacts to a fair amount of medications, chemicals, bee stings, etc. I'm one of those people. So, to use anything but my own flesh to reconstruct seemed like my only option. I knew the recovery would not be easy, and I knew I would have scarring, numbness, changes in my body. But I forged ahead.
I've just completed my final revision surgery (almost 2 weeks post-op) . . it's been 2 1/2 years since my cancer diagnosis, and 1 3/4 year since my double mastectomy. I feel relieved this surgery is over. It wasn't difficult, but it was the last piece I needed to "drop". I've been carrying this cancer basket, so-to-speak, and it's been heavy. I think I will always carry the basket itself, because once you've picked up a cancer basket, it becomes part of your accessories for life. But my basket isn't as full anymore. I rather imagine it as a beautiful wicker basket, one that swings on my arm. It's much lighter to carry now. And I'm glad I've "dropped" out some of those last pieces that were still heavier for me to hold. Now, I imagine myself putting in some freshly-cut daisies instead. 🙂
Yes, I would make the same choice again. It is difficult to choose to remove a part of yourself that identifies you as a woman. Of course it is. But my plastic surgeon and her team gave me such a gift. . . the scarring is fading. . . my new breasts are soft and move like normal flesh (because they are). There is some numbness, but there is no pain. :). My new nipples are healing nicely, and within six months, I will reach for the very last piece of this intricate and sometimes very complicated puzzle. . . . I will get my 3D tattoos. :).
There's so much coming at us with a breast cancer diagnosis . . . and we have to make decisions in what seems very little time. Doing your medical research is part of it - but talking to women who've been there is a large part, too. We can't turn back the clock once we've made these decisions that forever alter our lives. Listening to stories from other women can be so very helpful, but in the end, we still have to weigh the choice(s) ourselves. Time, prayer, and support from those whom I trusted were the pillars that gave me the strength and assurance to make the decisions I needed to make. And then I trusted God to give me the courage to follow through with those decisions.
I hope this helps someone out there who is caught in the fray of the breast cancer fabric. You do the best you can. And you keep getting up, until one day, you find yourself standing again. 🙂
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Like -
Helpful -
Hug
11 Reactions