Single mastectomy with reconstruction

Hi everyone, I’m 9 weeks post-single mastectomy with diep flap reconstruction and i’m really so happy with it and doing so well! I was really scared before of the surgery and the emotions of seeing the new version of me. It was very tough for the first couple of days but then i saw improvements almost every day which was so heartening. I would say just very gentle with yourselves, there is major fatigue, everyone is different if course but i needed daytime naps for at least 6 weeks. Do your physio religiously, it makes a massive difference to help stretch scars and regain full movement of arm and was lovely to see myself get stronger with it over time. I was probably walking the next day just to the bathroom but very difficult to move and then better next day but walking just to bathroom that was enough! It definitely took me at least a week before i was doing really short walks, the tightness of scars limits the length of walk, build up very slowly but physios will provide individual advice on all that. I drove at 6 weeks and was perfect, so happy to get thst back. Honestly every other day there is some little win, it really is a climb back up towards yourself but do it slowly, be kind to your bodies who have just undergone this big surgery and needs to rest and heal. I got cleared to swim in the sea at 8 weeks (slow maybe as had wound infection) and that was amazing. I’m free to run at week 12. I’d just say don’t rush anything, listen to surgeon’s recommendations for you, my abdominal scar got wide and raised in one section and i think maybe i walked too far too early, 5 miles at two weeks..because I’d recently ran a marathon my body was just dying to go but i probably pushed too much. It is major surgery, body isn’t strong for a while, just try to be patient and the time will pass by, cannot believe i’m week 9, feel amazing and strong, back at yoga on week 7 i think and feel like myself again, it’s worth the patient wait! I’m Just missing the weights, can’t do that yet.

They will advise ye on what is best for yourselves specifically, for me, my surgeon didnt want me to get my dressings wet so proper showering was a few weeks away..! They will warn you not to lift anything heavy for a while, kettle, pots etc. I found i was more mobile around the house after a few days, before that very restricted and hard to walk straight and tall for maybe a week due to scars for diep flap. But i could potter doing small bits and a week after surgery was doing a bit of light cooking and washiup etc. It does come back quite quickly, just be careful and patient and follow the guidance given. I feel for ye with the wait, i was the same, too much time to worry etc but I promise, it is definitely very hard for first few days especially and hard for a week or so at home but improvements do come from all directions almost every day, it sounds like a long time from surgery to recovery but it all passes by and then you arrive back to yourself, grateful and strong and proud of yourself!

Make a list of questions for the surgeons you can ask when you are in for surgery, it’s all quite individual to patient and surgeons

when drive/run/gym/swim/yoga/when start using cream for scars/what they recommend/ what type of bra to wear and for how long after surgery should it be day and night bra/when allowed wear underwired bra again..etc

for the single reconstruction, i never realised or asked that straight after surgery it sits a lot higher than other breast due to swelling etc so at the start there was a big height difference for me, they of course will do symmetry surgery later but even now at 9 weeks, they are much closer to same height compared to straight after surgery.

Hi, yes I am.  Although I meet with the plastic surgeon for the first time on Monday, I think he needs to see if its viable for me, then apparently a CT to check my stomach blood vessels?  I'm quite slim so I'm hoping he'll say its ok to go ahead?  

I'm glad to hear the physio starts soon after the op!

Thank you so much for sharing all this information and your own personal journey - it really is so helpful to hear. x

Agatha, thank you.,that's really helpful, I'll definitely get my questions noted down and plan to take it real easy, I would just struggle if I didn't have my independence...had this horrible thought of not being able to get out bed! 

Counting down the days now....look forward to being on the other side like yourself, the wait and worry has to be the worst part.

Thanks again xx

Keep busy doing lots of nice things! Best of luck to ye both!♥️

Yea my plastic surgeon initially said she couldn't do the DIEP and I would have to op for implant, however she then decided she would go for it, but told me to stop going to the gym and eat more  

I do have a little bit of stubborn fat from pregnancies in my lower abdomen, it's came in useful after all  

I had MRI of stomach, was only in for 20min, no issues.

Had pre-op, and psychologist (standard for mastectomy apparently) now I'm just counting down to the op xx