We are fortunate to have quite a few SURVIVORS Of CANCER on CarePlace. So anyone who is actively dealing with treatment today will have moral support. I found a lump in my left breast in 1999. I was doing the ladies required “shower check” when I felt a bump that wasn,t there before. The first thing I did was make arrangements through my doctor for a biopsy at a surgeons office. There was quite a long wait while the specimen went through evaluation . The anxiety at this point was real. Once I found that it was a ductal tumor that had spread through the duct wall . I wasted no time making arrangements for a mastectomy. Women are sometimes offered a lumpectomy also which just excises the problem area. But I chose a full mastectomy of the left breast with reconstruction… A surgeon on both sides of me. Reduction of the right breast and reconstruction of the left breast at the same time of surgery. I was relieved to have the surgery. I also had 3 ductal glands removed from my armpit as a precaution… The operation was a relatively comfortable proceedure since the breasts don,t have a zillion nerve ends to cause discomfort. This is my 8TH YEAR OF SURVIVAL…YEAH… I,m always faithful about going for my yearly mammograms. Please ladies… Go as scheduled and don,t put it off. They are LIFE SAVERS. I thank God every morning when my eyes open and I,m blessed with a new day. . One funny footnote: I never did go back for a nipple replacement on the left side. I figured at my age I was sexy enough and didn,t need the cherry on the cake. So I continue happily through life with one headlight…LOL .Grandma enjoys her individuality.
what an inspiration you are to us all ,keep it up .im just into 18 months post op and do feel down sometimes but reading your story cheered me up .i have a masectomy too and 3 lymph glands removed but no construction ,i have been offered it now but for me i dont want to go through surgery again yet and i feel ,for myself i want to leave that area well alone but that is just me ,all the best to you
I was diagnosis on 21 Dec 07 and had a masectomy on my right breast on 19 Jan 07. I was given the option of having reconstruction at the same time using the fat from my stomach along with a reucdion of the left breast, I thought that was a little too much at one time after being told I would be in surgery for about 9 hours. I didn’t know if it had spread yet, I just wanted to get the poison out of me and see if I could handle that much, now as time is growing near I don’t know what to expect, since I didn’t experience one drop of pain and very little discomfort with the masectomy. I haven’t found anyone to talk to who has been through it, so I appreciate hearing about your experience.
hi nell
sorry to hear you are going through a tough time just now .do you mean your reconstuction ,i had no discomfort with my masectomy either but it gets a bit tight sometimes i dont know where you are but it may help you to join a nearby support group they are brilliant for face to face support they are all in the same positionas yourself.
it gets better as you go along its always scary when you go for a check up its perfectally normal to be scared i am ,i had my right breast removed to with 3 lymph glands infected im just trying to get on with my life day to dayafter all you cant run away from it so we just have to live with it all the best to you and keep your chin up life goes on from jenny
My daughter had her right breast removed last Thursday along with all of the lymph nodes. Eight of them were positive. They took a flap of skin from her back to later be used as the skin of the new breast. She hasn’t had much pain at all other than the incision on her back which really bothers her. It’s a fairly large incision, too, and of course, the doctor had to sew up the remaining wound, and it gets pretty tight. My daughter said she was so glad that she had it taken from her back rather than her stomach, because she is able to move around a lot better. Only your doctor knows what is right for you, but I thought I would share my daughter’s experience with you. She will be starting chemo real soon. Will you you do chemo or radiation, Nell?
Grandma, you give me hope that my daughter will come out of this just fine. Thanks.
Debbie
patsy and debbiedoodle I will keep all of you and your families in my prayers, I know that only God can heal!
Thank God my lymp node that was removed was clear and I don’t have to go through chemo as expected, I have to take a medication called tamoxifen for 5 years, I am waiting for a consultation with a plastic surgeon to have reconstruction, they are going to remove some of the fat from my stomach to rebuild me a breast, and also reduce the other breast, I heard that I will have a long painful recovery, is their anyone who has been through this surgery.I am from a very small town and we don’t have support groups, I really appreciate you all responding to me, their really isn’t anyone for me to talk to about this, I spent 20 years in the military and have made a lot of friends along the way that I could call on for anything but none can seen to help me with this. Thank you all so so much.
Your recovery WILL NOT be long a painful my dear. Do some more reading. My doctors gave me some books with lots of info and pictures. Perhaps if you contact the cancer society and/ or ask your cancer doctor and your plastic surgeon, they can get these publications for you. I don’t have them here with me at work today, but I will send you the info on Monday or over the weekend.
They told me that if I wern’t having the tissue take from my stimach muscle for the reconstruction, would probably be back to work in two weeks. i amgiving my self 2 weeks of no working, and the thrid week I will start to work form home.
A nurse i work with on the weeken tod me that she as a percaution against breast cancer, had her large breast reduced. she had her nipples/ areola frozen, aad had them put back on as well. She told me that she had no pain and did not have to takt ANY pain killers at all. Not even tylenol. i had read about this. According to whatI read, It is normal to have little or no pain wiht breeast surguries. i am told that he removal of thte stomach muscle for the breast contruction will be the part that will cause some pain. I am positive about all of it and encourage you to be as well. READ! READ! READ! Knowledge is power.
Keep in tough and WE WILL get through this!
Suzie;
Did you or are you having your other breast lifted/augmented/balanced? Will you have the nipple reconstruction and areola tattooing soon? In three months or so?
I know that you are glad it’s over. I know I will be. I’ve never had major surgery, so I’m a little scared, but I’ve had two children, so I guess I can get through it.
Thanks for the encouragement.
Patsy12
Hi Nell and Patsy,
My name is Suzie and Debidoodle is my mom. About three weeks ago I had a mastectomy with a Lattsima Dorsi reconstruction. That is where they take a muscle from your back and move it to your breast. Then they put in an expander with a port. They gradual fill the breast with saline to stretch out the skin until you are the size you want to be, and then they take that out and put in the implants. I don’t have much pain in my breast. It is of course mostly numb. I can feel the implant underneath, like on the chest wall. It can at times scare me, because it is a foreign object in my body. My back is really tight, but that has gradually gotten better pretty quickly. My muscle in my back ache and burn like I have overworked them or something. And every once in a while, they will spasm, and it tickles. I know that sounds weird. Mostly, my problem is the tightness, and that has caused some loss of motion in my arm. I believe that will get better with time. They also say that I will have some loss of strength in my back, but I haven’t noticed that yet. Keep in mind, it is major surgery. It will take some time not get over it. But I do believe it is well worth the effort. My breast looks perfect, except for the incisions, and lack of nipple yet. My husband says I am only winking at him. I nice to have something there. And I know once I get though all I have to get though, I can look in the mirror and not always see just BREAST CANCER. I never did talk to anyone who had reconstruction prior to my surgery, so if you have any questions I would love to help.
Patsy,
I haven't gotten that far yet. I will be having an augementation after I get through with my chemo and radiation. In the meantime, I have the expander in one breast, which they will fill every few weeks until I am the size I want. So, of course, I am going to be very lopsided for a while. I am not to proud to stuff the other side. I will be getting the implants. But that is a piece of cake compared to the reconstruction. I do hear that the isn't much pain involved, because you are numb. I am going to do the nipples too. They look so real. You have to wait 3 months after your "upgrade" so the swelling goes down. And then another month to do the tattooing. It is amazing what modern medicine can do. They will probably be prettier than the real thing. And always perky, at any age.
I am having the tram flap ( stomach muscle moved up to form a breast). I was told that the nipple reconstruction will be done three months down the road. i was wondering when the tattooing will be done.
I am trying got get back to the gym to excersie. ITs’ been over a year since i got out of doing my routine, Both my knees are bad so it is hard for me to ride the bike, use the treadmill, or the eliptical machine, but I will go several times a day and do a little bit. We have a gym here at work. I just have to get up and go…
Pray for me…
patsy12
Hi Patsy,
I will most definitely pray for you. I love to go to the gym too. My husband is a personal trainer if you need any advice. I haven't been in sometime as well. I am just trying to teach myself how to lift my arm above my head again. I am still tight from all the surgery. Just keep that in mind. And you will also have a few drains when you get home. They should only be in about 5 to 10 days, but they can be quit uncomfortable. Oh, and about your knees, if you can, swimming or water areobics can be the best therapy for that. Absolutely no impact. It is hard to be motivated to workout when it hurts.
Suzie