It's done..

Kezzie62

I had my BMX on March 18. I got home the next day, I am amazed that I have so little pain. When I took my first look at my new chest I was upset to see what looked like a nose in the middle of my chest, I guess this was the area between my boobs. I was in a total panic thinking what am I going to look like with the big lump on the front? I was also a bit shocked at how con caved the whole area was, the indent starts just under my coller bone and goes all the way under each armpit. I am happy to report that everything is beginning to flatten out and I no longer look con caved, I do have some odd ridges that I could not think what they could be but it turn out they are the drains. So once they have been removed it will look even better.



I am still happy with my decision to not have reconstruction done, just glad my surgery is over..

Erica3681

Glad you're on the other side of surgery and great that very little pain. I had the same experience of having the area in between my two former breasts look raised. Most of that was swelling and went away fairly quickly. I've noticed that over time the area has become flatter and flatter.

Not only will you look better once your drains are removed but you will definitely be even more comfortable. Keep us posted on your progress.

Barbara 

barbe1958

You may find that the ridge you speak of, if it's where your underwire would sit, might stick around. It's called a "fat shelf"' and is where your breasts rested before. I was hoping mine would go down when my drains got removed, but not so...sigh. Mine seem hard, like ribs, but that was the explanation I got.

Good for you to be done! It just gets better from here. The next stage will be when the nerves start regenerating and you get zingers and zaps shooting through your chest. And then the ITCH!!!

Keep on keeping on! You're doing great.

sespebadger

Hi Kezzie62,

I'm glad everything went well for you. I had BMX no recon last July. I haven't regretted it. I like the peace of mind of being able to more easily spot any recurrence without breast tissue or other tissue or implants in the way. I have found that for my body type (I'm tall) sports bras with microbead breast forms work really well. Most sports bras have a soft and wide elastic around the bottom which keeps the forms from riding up too high. I got rid of my old underwire bras as they now hurt.And sometimes I just go flat. People really don't notice if you are otherwise nicely dressed. Good luck with your recovery. If you feel any warmth or see any swelling in either breast, get in to see the surgeon right away. I got an infection 8 days after surgery. Antibiotics cleared it up easily.

rianne2580

Hi, I just posted on the DCIS thread about "who is happy with their MX?" Mine is next Tues. and sometimes I'm excited and very positive it will be over. Other times I'm afraid I'll scream that my breast is gone. No recon for me either. But I am keeping my left breast which is an A cup.

The way you describe the conclave appearance now has me worried. I too love sports bras and they make me look totally flat anyways, but I like that look. I'll have to see what Mastec has for prosthesis and bras. How are the scars for everyone? I think I'm not going to look at myself for a long time.

Barbe 1958, does it really get better? I need to hear that over and over....

River_Rat

Kezzie62, I'm glad your surgery went well.  I had BMX almost 5 years ago and I remember the drains as being the worst part for me.  I think you'll feel more comfortable once yours are gone.

Rianne2580, it really does get better.  One thing that helped me adjust quickly, at least it seemed quick to me, was that I did look at my chest often.  It just seemed necessary to me.  We're all different and I'm not saying that you need to look at your scar, just that doing that seemed to help me.  And once again, it really does get better.

Kezzie62

I must say that I look and touch my chest as often as I can everyday.  I can look at it now and can see the improvements daily.  Yes it is still early days and yes it is stil a bit concaved but it has flattened out and I think once the drains come out and the skin is looser it will look even better.  I have made myself a promise that I am going to wait at least 12 months before I decide to have any sort of "tidy-up" done.

The drains are a bother today and they are hurting more than the wounds but I am hoping to get them removed on friday.  I get my final pathology tomorrow, so I will know what the next step of the journey is.

hugs

Kezzie

River_Rat

Kezzie62, I'm wishing you the best for your pathology report and hoping you get your drains out Friday.

Kezzie62

Just got the call from my BS with my final pathology.. IDC, 2cm, Stage IIa, Grade 2, 4/22 nodes, ER+ just PR-, HER2-. no vascular involvment.

She said the sentinal nodes had microinvasion that is why she went on to remove 18 more but all other were negative.  I have appointment with Onc for 03/31/11 but I may not need chemo as I am post menapausal and risk of mets is low... I am happy with the results and hope I dont have to have chemo..

River_Rat

Kezzie62, I'm glad that the additional nodes were negative.   Now I hope that you can relax and have a nice weekend and stay busy until you see your onc.

Erica3681

Hi Kezzie,

I'm glad that the other nodes were all negative, and great that there's no vascular involvement! You must feel very relieved. Now, here's hoping the drains come out tomorrow and you can have an enjoyable weekend.

Cat123

I had a left mx at the beginning of November 2010.  Almost no pain!  I did have the start of reconstruction with Alloderm and a tissue expander.  You can always opt for reconstruction at a later date if you wish to do that.  I have had 'fills' with no pain at all.  The drains are a pain but the time goes by fast and they are out before you know it.  Unfortunately, I had to have chemo but it hasn't been bad at all....I am lucky and have had minimal side effects.  With a mx....isn't it great to know that all that tissue is gone?  That is how I felt.  My original MRI showed a tumour of 3.5 so at first, a lumpectomy was recommended.  My second surgeon suggested a mx which I agreed to and thank god I did....the tumour turned out to be 6.5!  If I had had a lumpectomy, I would have had to have a mx anyway.  I was so glad I did it.  Having reconstruction is a very personal decision.  I went ahead with it although I still have to have the exchange.  It is nice to know you can always opt for it if you wish later down the line.  It just depends on how you feel.  But so far, the process has been painless.  Even if you don't have more surgery, ask your surgeon about scar management.  There are gel patches that help to minimize the scars so that you are just left with a fine white line.  That will make you forget about the surgery!

barbe1958

Without any special treatment my scars are fine lines, but I certainly can't forget about the surgery at least twice a day as I dress and then undress!

sespebadger

Yes, barbe1958, I am reminded too everday. In a way, it reminds me to appreciate each day of good health. For Riane2580 I say, YES it absolutely gets better and better. Give yourself time. I thought about it a lot in the months after my July 2010 BMX. But after treatment was finally done in November, life SLOWLY got better and better because I SLOWLY felt better and better. The breasts are gone, but I am enjoying life and health. I am feeling good that if it comes back I will be able to catch it earlier. I hope so anyway. I'm happy to know I could have reconstruction in the future. I would just like them to invent a method that doesn't require such long surgery! The good news is I look great in clothes and just different without them. My husband and 16-year-old daughter are totally used to it.  

Jaxmo

After 8 rounds of chemo, I had my BMX on 1/13/10, right drain removed in 2 weeks, the left one was 4 weeks (for whatever reason, my body just didn't want to let go!).  I had 28 rads & finished with my neo-adjuvent therapy on 4/19/10.  Because of the radiation, I couldn't have recon at the time of the mx, and not just any plastic surgeon will even touch me because of the radiated area.

I, too, still have the little "lump" in the middle of my chest with the concave on both sides.  I was fitted too early after my surgery for prostheses (C-cup) and they ended up being so heavy I went to a smaller size (B-cup).  Just recently, I purchased the Perma-Form bra from Jodee - it's a lot lighter but doesn't really look as natural as the silicone.  For one thing, the breasts are too far apart (I'm a small frame) but it will do.  The whole nerve regeneration thing is bothersome at times, but I am still very happy about the mx because I know the cancer is "off" me!  I go to a plastic surgeon today to see what my options are for recon, although my breast surgeon speculates they will do the lat-flap on both sides ...we'll see what he says.