I'm rethinking my decision against having breast reconstruction surgery. Six years ago, I went through three surgeries to remove a large octopus-like tumor, which left one breast half the size of the other. Five years ago, I had a consult with the plastic surgeon.
I hated what she wanted to do to me. Too high. Too "young". Too fake-looking. I told her "I'm in my 50s, nobody wants to see them anyway". I opted out of having symetrical breasts. Since then I've been tangling daily with a bra insert. That's getting old. That hunk of artificial booby gets hot, makes me sweat, and I'm starting to really hate how long it takes to get the damn thing in straight.
Besides that, I've realized that my asymmetry is causing me to be less active than I was pre-cancer. I rather like the idea of throwing on a swimsuit or a sports bra, and just going out and doing things, without constantly having to shift and rearrange my "girls".
Are there any breast cancer survivors here who had reconstruction, and if so, are you happy with your results? What was your recovery like, in terms of time off work?
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I had a similar problem, and opted not to have any further reconstruction since the first attempt was a disaster and I couldn't face the prospect of those damn drains again. I also purchased those prosthetic silicon breast inserts also, but they were so heavy and uncomfortable and gave me such a terrible backache that I couldn't wear them. The ones I had literally weighed one pound each. My solution was a simple one. I went to Walmart when they were closing out bathing suits and found a bunch of bikini tops that had soft, formed foam breast inserts that were removable ....they weren't sewn into the suit, just inserted between two layers of fabric . I bought a couple of bikini tops, removed the inserts and threw the tops away. i put the inserts in my bra and I actually look normal. Whether or not I actually am is debatable ☺ But at least I'm relatively comfortable.
TheoryNumber3
Level 8
Aug 20, 2019
2
I got a knitted knocker from Hawaii but it doesn't stay put.
@confidentrealm A knitted knocker? LOL! That's funny.
I'm not quite ready for reconstruction but I'm going to do it. I agree with trying to look normal when your boob's don't match. I can't wait to get back to being me. I'm on y third chemo. Fifteen more to go, then radiation. Then a four month hiatus before reconstruction. I have heard its painful but worth it.
confidentrealm
Level 7
Aug 19, 2019
1
What type of reconstruction will you be doing?
@TheoryNumber3 it won't be silicone. The material will come from my tummy.
@confidentrealm I did basically the same surgery you're doing, except they took tissue from my latissimus dorsi muscles in my back to rebuild my breasts. You're doing the abdominal flap surgery. Same principle, just using the muscle from a different location. My girlfriend had that done and she's fine.
@Ms_McSteven I won't do implants. There's a greater chance of the cancer returning.
I hope you get some good feedback here. We have some wonderfully supportive members.
sassygirl3869
Level 9
Aug 18, 2019
2
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