can't decide

Hello, really sorry to hear that you are facing having a mastectomy, this happened to me following breast conserving surgery proving not to be sufficient.

I opted for reconstruction with an implant rather than body tissue. I know that it will need to be replaced at some point, I'm 54, but wanted to Keep other options open if the implant route failed. It can be a bit confusing, pros & cons for each but for me, I felt sn implant was the most straightforward in the first instance.

I hope everything goes well for you, best wishes x

I am a BRACA 2 carrier and opted for monitoring before more drastic surgery.  However I was diagnosed with TNBC in March.  I wanted to use my own flesh but didn't have enough to make 2 breasts.  I have had immediate breast construction with implants. I am pleased with the result.  I can only suggest you keep talking to the medical team and work out what is best for you. I knew that I did not want to go flat.  My sister also with breast cancer did.

There is no right and wrong.

I hope everything goes well with you as well.

Hello. I had various breast cancer ops ending in a mastectomy and reconstruction. I have expander implants as they were lighter for my skin given the trauma it had already gone through. They are a little strange but healed well and look fine to anyone else. I’m hoping they will be swapped for normal implants soon. After all of the ops, I just wanted the “easier” option to be honest. Having a second bite of the cherry available (diep flap etc) was, and I guess is, also important to me. I’m 49 so lots of time to need something else in the event of it all going pear shaped! 

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. It is so sweet of you. I am so sorry to hear that both of you also had to go through this challenging situation. My emotion and thoughts are swinging like a pendulum at the moment. It is lovely to be able to connect with someone like you to have a chat. It helps me to digest the current situation. With warmth, 

Hello, I had a double mastectomy and immediate PAP flap reconstruction 3 months ago. The tissue was taken from the back of my thighs and I’m really pleased with the result. Recovery was hard for the first week post op but I tried to keep as active as possible and that helped with my recovery.

I hope your body has been healed well without any complications, Twickers.. Do you mind if I could ask how long it took for you to go back to normal life/work after the reconstruction? 

Thanks ayu, i have healed very well

I started going for longer walks about 2weeks after the op. I was driving again about 4-5 weeks post-op,  started doing light exercise in the gym and went back to work about 8 weeks after the op. 

PS I think recovery after implant reconstruction is faster. a diep or pap flap will take longer to heal as there’s more surgery to recover from. 

Thank you so much for sharing your healing process with me. I'll think about it a little bit longer. It is a hard decision to make...