At my post-op visit to the breast care unit I was reassured that my implant was stable, even though I felt like one of those crinkly cat toys and was pretty swollen, but no seroma to be drained. I was also told that the mastectomy revealed an area of invasive breast cancer which was successfully removed with good margins and all my lymph nodes were clear. I’m basically cancer free. I can’t believe I haven’t got to have more surgery.
The next steps are preventative radiotherapy, for the left side where I still have breast tissue, and hormone blocking treatment. The doctors assumed I was post menopausal because I haven’t really had periods (except for one triggered by the oral steroids I had for asthma recently) but that’s because I have a Mirena coil which stopped my periods. That needs to be removed as it got stuck in my womb after so many years, which will hopefully be soon. In the meantime they’ve tested me for the ovulation hormones LH and FSH to see if I’m in menopause yet. And if not, as I suspect, they’ll put me on meds to mimic menopause until the real thing happens.
There’s probably a fair bit to go in reconstructing my breasts - once the swelling is down from Dolly Parton to old sofa cushion they’ll inject saline into the implant, via the port under my arm, and inflate the implant. My scar is neat and about 15cm long across where my nipple used to be and seems to be healing exceptionally well. Plastics are pleased I’ve got really good symmetry, and even though I’ve got to have a bit of fiddling about to complete the process I feel I chose the right option for me. Even now, dressed you can’t tell anything is amiss.
As for my lumpectomy side, that is still evolving but has a bit of a crater under the nipple. Plastics have suggested some fat transfer at some point, to pump it up, but for now everything needs to heal.
