Masectomy or reconstruction?

Healing is so much slower if you smoke and it is much better if you can give up.  I smoked heavily for 45 years and managed to give up 3 years ago..  The way I did it was to avoid buying them when I went to a shop and then, if you haven't got them, you can't smoke them.. Chewed lots of gum.

Hi Sue

Welcome and sorry to hear that you have been diagnosed with Breast Cancer and that you need a mastectomy.

Wishing you the best of luck with your operation when you have it.

Best wishes

Daisy53

I'm 51 having my mastectomy Thursday. I love the idea of DIEP flap but as a single mum canf afford 5 days in hospital followed by a long recovery.  So I am seeing my plastic surgeon in December to discuss reconstruction when I can be more organised with the kids  . So what in saying is you dont have to have the reconstruction at the same time. Have the cancer cut out, quit smoking then think about reconstruction... x 

You don't necessarily have to have DIEP - you could ask your Surgeon if mastectomy and implant a possibility. DIEP is a big procedure.

Thanks all! I'm 1 day 19 hours and 8 minutes smoke free at the moment! 

I'm too afraid of operations to want more than one, so it's either the chop or the whole procedure. Thanks for all your advice. I can't quite remember why, but my surgeons did not think an implant would be the best option for me. 

Wishing everyone the best xxxx

Well done on the quitting smoking. Will be interesting to see how you get on with your operation. Really difficult to make the right decision I found, but I am sure you will be fine. Wish you all the best with everything. I was afraid of operations too, but the actual operation was not as bad as my wild imagination had made it out to be. All will be fine. I had DCIS in one breast and invasive ductal carcinoma in the other breast. Cancers now all gone.

I'm so pleased for you! Thank you for your calming words