Fourth bc cancer dx

Hindsfeet

 I have a knot at the pit of my stomach. I just hope this cancer bullet hasn't moved beyond the breast. Today I learned that my biopsy is IDC high grade 3, como, solid n type. So now, I have to consider a mx, with construction. I have so many questions regarding mx and the reconstruction process. The reconstruction threads have scared me away from having a mx. Now, I have to face the dreaded surgery. 

I wish now that I would had it done and over after first dx of breast cancer. The thing with a lumpectomy only is you're always looking over your shoulder wondering if their is still a bullet left in your breast. I wish I had done the mx last spring when I was dx with mucinious breast cancer.

Eema

I am so sorry you got this diagnosis.  How scary!

If it helps, I just went  through the BMX/recon process in August.  It is a long road to hoe, but afterward your chances of recurrence are almost none!  We're here for you!

voraciousreader

Don't beat yourself up about your previous decisions.  I have all the confidence in world that you will come to the right decision on the best way for you to proceed.  I wish you well. 

Padiddle

So sorry that you have to face this.  When you see a breast surgeon, they can explain all the details and help you decide what is right for you.  You're probably familiar with what's next, information gathering time and then options.  Hang in there.  Thinking of you.  Jean

lago

Sorry about this. Remember most people post bad things about reconstruction. Many do fine. I'm just about finished with my implant recon. I had nipples, fat grafting and a revision done on the left this morning (7:30AM 3+ hours). I'm a little high from the anesthesia but doing fine otherwise. No important paper signing today. I'm really happy with my outcome so far.

Just get educated and get at least 2 opinions. This is a good site to read about all the procedures. This was not my PS though:  http://www.drmarga.com/procedures.html 

Hindsfeet

Thanks everyone. Largo, I looked at the link you posted. I' like what it said "burn no bridges".

I don't have a lot of fat for fat grafting, although if it's possible, I'm interested. I was dx with RSD in my right wrist and hand several years ago. The docs said at that time to avoid surgery at all cost. I'm high risk for any type of pain symdrone with a sympahtic nerve disorder. This is why I've taken the time to read this thread. I can handle a little discomfort and pain, but not mps (massectomy pain symdrome). Not sure I got that right. I can't imagine my breast or chest being on fire.

Before lumpectomy surgery, I had to take strong pain meds before and after to prevent a pain symdrone. Apparently from what I'm reading mx reconstruction pain last a few years, which definately put me at risk for mps. I refuse to live on pain meds as they make you feel doopy or out of it.

I'll be spending a lot of time before the surgeon appointment reading the reconstruction threads. I want to be informed before seeing the surgeon.

lago

Evebarry I know nothing about RSD. This is something I'm sure you will discuss with your doctors. I actually find I have a lot of numbness not pain in the breast area. Will they be taking lymph nodes? I have mild LE even though I'm thin. Not to bad but again given your situation you need to discuss this. I had 10 nodes on one side 4 on the other. The 4 nodes side is a stage 0 but yeah, I got in both arms.

Not all PS do fat grafting. It's not a must but does help with issues like rippling. Not all women get rippling from implants. It seems the gummy bears implants have less of an issue with rippling but they are not FDA approved in the US yet. There are some PS that are in a trial right now so you might look into that if you decide to go with implants.

I am fat challenged too. First time my PS looked for fat on my tummy and love handles. I did say I had more on my thighs. Well he didn't find enough fat the first time at my exchange. This time I directed him to my thighs. I have a feeling he was much more successful. Because I am thin I t he other procedures using your own body tissue/fat  would not be an option for me. I didn't look into the thigh/butt option but I don't feel I would have enough tissue there either. Also I didn't want such an invasive procedure with more scars.

Given your problem I would ask how often the implants need to be replaced. The manufacturers only guarantee 10 years but from what I read many women keep them much longer. If they aren't broke then no need to fix. I know one woman who has had her's for 20 years.

Eema

evebarry, thank you so much for sharing that you have RSD.  I also have RSD.  I'll be honest, I'm still on pain meds and my surgery was Aug 2.  Exercise as soon as you can, it helps soooo much!  I also found a lot of relief from Arnica gel and pellets (Whole Foods or similar has it). 

See, you're not alone on this journey.  We will lift you up when you can't walk on your own.

barbe1958

evebarry, you do NOT have to get reconstruction!! I have Fibromyalgia and could not afford to add yet more pain to my body. For that reason, I did not get recon and have been happily flat for the past 3 years. I felt that the risk of extra surgeries and the possibility of permanent pain did not warrant new breasts. I haven't regretted my decision for a second. Of course, I'm 53 now, and I don't know how old you are, but breasts just aren't an important part of my life at my age so the transition was easy. A quick and painless recovery and I was done. Back to work full-time at 2 1/2 weeks when my last drain was taken out. You DO have options that aren't what your doctors assume. I can still get recon if I decide, but as I am pain-free in my chest, I don't want to push my luck.

barbe1958

Oh dear eve, I see you posted in another thread about getting reconstruction, so my above post would seem so inappropriate! I am so sorry that you are worried now about reconstruction!! It never seems to end, does it....?

Hindsfeet

Barb, appreciate your thoughts. You would think at my age I wouldn't care, but I do. . I also feel as though my breast are a part of being "woman". Does that make sense, or am just being silly 

lago

evebarry I don't know what age  you are but I don't think there's an age where breast become unimportant if they are important to you. I know I considered no recon ( because the first PS I saw scared the shit out of me) but my old breasts were rather small. It wouldn't have been as big of an issue as someone who had larger breasts IMO. But age has nothing to do with it. OK maybe when I'm 90 I might not care.

barbe1958

I have found over the three years on this forum, that large breasted women tend to be happy flat. Women who had small/none or medium breasts seem more eager to get them back bigger and/or better. I was VERY happy with my breasts as I'd had a reduction and had lovely, perky breasts. But those breasts never felt like mine, so it wasn't a big deal losing them. My neck arthritis and my spine arthritis are SO much better without the chest weight. I do feel sorry for women who get stuck with larger breasts when they asked for what they had lost. Doesn't the PS take into consideration the aging process and holding up all that weight???

Hindsfeet

I can understand where you are coming from. I don't like the idea of something foreign in me either. I love that I can come home in the evening and take off my bra. I wonder if having implants would give me the feeling of wearing a bra 24/7? If I were to get implants, I do not want to be larger than a size B. I was a good size C before my lumpectomies. Right now, I'm about a B. I would like to stay the same. I thought if I was to get a complete fat grafting that it would feel like real breast, and act like real breast. I don't want anything really hard or weird.

I am amazed how we become so personal on such a public foreign

barbe1958

Eve, I didn't have an implant, as I had a reduction. It was all my own skin. No feeling to it though, but my nipple sensation came back after a year or two. Fat grafting is the only kind of recon I'd consider, too. I don't want TE's or an implant. How are they going to build the site for the grafting?

Hindsfeet

Barb, I don't know how I am going to build the site for the grafting. Someone on here said they can take fat even from thin people. A few days ago, I stopped taking my thyroid meds...at least until the surgery. It should put me back into hypothyroid, which might help me gain a little weight, except right now I have absolutely no appetite.

Lately, for whatever reason, I have this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I don't know why I feel so anxious. In my head, I think I'm ok, guess I'm not. I'm walking around on the verge of tears. I'm trying to stay focused on life, but finding that sometimes hard.

I had a school board of directors meeting today. They discussed my cancer and upcoming surgery. They insist I take off one week, and two if I need it. They will make sure my classes are covered. I am hoping that I will be like some of you who recovered quickly. I would like to surprise them by returning to normal after a few days. I suppose I have the superwoman complex...hard to be weak and let others help me. They discussed telling the students why I'm absent... as in previous b.c. surgeries, I asked them not to. Because I will be out for a little while they all decided to let everyone know that I'm out due to breast cancer surgery. Gulp. I said they could tell everyone that October is breast cancer month, and I'm supporting it by getting a mastecomy. I hope they don't look at me with pity or like I have a cancer death sentence. ...one more thing...the other reason I hate to tell people, who have never been dx with bc is that they don't understand bc. They want to say something, but you can tell they feel awkward. And you feel awkward too because you feel like you have to always explain yourself, and don't want this defining you.

Thanks Lago, Barb,  and ladies for your encouragment. Coming here to bco is not just getting answers, learning but it's therapy and mentally preparating for this surgery.

lago

 Evebarry before surgery was the worst time for me. Much worse than chemo. Once I had the surgery I never shed a tear again. I was so relieved to have the cancer out of me. Also I never had surgery before (besides teeth extraction and the biopsy). I was so scared about how much I was going to hurt. If I would ever feel good again etc.

All I can say is I feel great (OK a little sore since I did just have nipples, fat grafting and revision to lefty). Seriously I feel like me again even with my fake boobie prizes.  The fear of the unknow is the worst part of this journey. So far everything was much easier than I expected (except for shingles.)

barbe1958

evebarry, are you going to get tissue expanders to inflate the area before they transfer fat? Or, are you going to get the Brava machine? They have to create some sort of pocket for the fat to be grafted into. I believe they leave your pecs alone, so it's not as painful or stiff. It would give a more natural feel to your breast. It's just getting that pocket created that makes the difference in your time out. I, personally, can't justify a micro-surgeon spending 14 hours on me connecting veins back up again to give me new breasts. BUT, I could justify them taking fat off my inner thighs and just dumping it into a pocket on my chest. That's like rearranging furniture - not a full blown home reno.

Hindsfeet

  Love the way you put it Barb ... just rearranging furniture. I really don't know what they will suggest. I thought that they would just empty out whats in your breast and leave the outward shell of your breast...and the breast I now have would be filled with my fat that I'm working on If I don't have enough fat then put in a small tissue expander into the breast, not under my muscle. And little by little add more fat. When I am at the size I would like to be take out the TE. Again, I don't want to be that big...just a size B. I am not sure what a Brava machine is.

I maybe getting confused in the varying types of reconstruction. So much information all at once. I feel like I've been studying cancer prevention for a few years, and now I'm in the advance classes and I'm getting ready for a final.

lago

evebarry you need to check out this place. This is fat  transfer with the brava system.:
http://www.miamibreastcenter.com/augmentation/natural-fat-transfer.html 

barbe1958

Iago, I wonder how they do it with flat non-skin sparing mastectomy?

lago

Barbe  it sounds to me like they can do it  with non-sparing too. I didn't look too deeply into this. Sort of out of my budget to travel to get boobies.

Hindsfeet

Is fat grafting covered by Blue Cross? I tried to log onto the Maimi site...couldn't. They maybe the best, but there is no way I could afford to go there for the surgery. Katie from another thread here gave me a few names of doctors who do it, who are located in my general area. I'm going to call them in the morning. I meet with the surgeon tomorrow afternoon.

lago

Evebarry BC & BS is basically a different company in every state. It also depends on your plan. I have read in some instances that some insurances pay for the fat transfer but do not pay for the actual brava apparatus (bra).

The best way to find out is call the doctor and get the actual codes for the procedures and equipment. The call your insurance company with that information.

Hindsfeet

I2007, 2008 dx dcis highgrade, Jan 2011, mucinious stage 1, Sept 2011, IDC high grade
Diagnosis: 10/4/2011, IDC, Grade 3, ER+/PR+

Mina1

Evaberry

 I am having that horrible feeling when i think about having a masectomy. Like a part of me will die and that I will never be whole or find love. Giving up my breasts is very difficult. I am single and have no boyfriend and am scared about how I will feel and look.

The fatgrafting procedure is smething i would do and have looked into it but the procedure will  not be covered with my insurance. If you can have fatgrafting you will get something as close to real breasts as possible.

Ladies

I almost want to take the chance to wait for my next breast cancer in hopes this procedure will be more widely avaliable for reconstruction in the future. I know it sounds crazy but with my recurrence they have found clear margins and I had a partial masectomy awaiting masectomy with reconstruction.

Mina

Snobird

In my humble opinion, the DIEPFLAP or other similar Flap procedures will give you the most natural looking and feeling breasts. If you can have the nipple sparing mastectomy procedure then you will look the same as you did before only your breasts maybe firmer and younger looking if you currently have saggy older breasts. The thread DIEP 2011 has many women on there posting real time pre and post op experiences. I am a DIEPFLAP graduate getting ready for Stage 2 recon. It has made a huge difference in my quality of life.

Hindsfeet

Mina...so glad to know there is someone out there that struggles with losing their breast and how you want something natural on your chest. I'm doing the TE and implant because that's all that available for now...perhaps in the future the fatgrafting?

Snobird...I'm not a canidate for DIEFLAP or other flap procedures. I am too thin to do anything other than an implant. Maybe I'll gain and in the future have fat grafting.

Mina1

Snowbird

Are you happy with the procedure? Does it make you feel whole and does your partner get turned on by what he sees and feelswhen he touches and plays with the DIEP boobs? Sorry to be so graphic. PM me to answer if it is to personal. I know the feel is more natural but one looses feeling being touched so you can not be sensual because you are numb on your tummy and your chest or please advise? I have looked at the DIEP site and it is mostly about the surgery but not results. and how it affects ones intimacy etc. If you know an exact area to go to with in the thread please let me know? Thanks

Evaberry

I think you have a good plan with TE and then in the future have fatgrafting done. Glad you understand how I feel. Everybody tells me you have to do masectomy to save yourself but without a good reconstructive option it is hard.  Fatgrafting will definitely be more widely used in the future.

Mina

lago

Just an FYI my husband seems to really like my new boobie prizes with nipples. Must I admit I do miss my real nipples but not all of my breast area is numb. Most of it but not all… and the rest of my body isn't numb!

Mina1

lago

That is great news. You give me hope about the breast not being numb. Glad your husband is enjoying your new boobies  and nipples. Thanks for sharing.

Mina