I look for other flat chested women. A rant.

Wren44

Rowan, DH had 5 bypasses at age 49. When we walked on the beach, women just gave him a glance. Men, on the other hand, blanched and looked frightened. I guess they thought if it could happen to him it could happen to them.

Linda, I have the lopsided issue also. I'm at an age where the real one just hangs down. I'm afraid it will just make me look fat to have extra girth around my rib cage. I sure would like to lose the bra though. I'm considering having another mx to go flat.

kathindc

Rowan and MT1, I love your attitude.  I feel the same way but DH almost has a coronary when I talk that way or talk about getting a tattoo across my chest.  Must say, he is against tats in general.  When our twin daughters got tats for their 18th birthday, his jaw twitched for a week.

LindaKR

I'm thinking the same thing Wren a little concerned though about loss of feeling, pain, etc... Not worried about the flat part at all though.  See my BS next month and plan on having a long talk with him about prophylactic MX, Don't like the idea of surgery again either. 

mumito

I would worry about chest tattoo might bring on LE.So far I have been able to avoid it.

Lily55

I would worry chest tattoo was painful.............needles so close to the bone etc.....

LindaKR

mumito - I agree, my LE therapist says no tattoos in that quadrant, I had a punch biopsy close to my scar by my sternum, within 2 hours my hand and fingers swelled, I hadn't had swelling in my fingers before.  I know that tattoo needles aren't that big or deep, but .....  I'd at least run it past your LE therapist first.

Nel138281

I am thinking about a tatto as well.  I have a small one on my shoulder, so I know what it feels like.  I do think about the feeling piece and wonder what it would feel like with little or no sensation there.  But very intrigued and have begun to look at options.  No LE and really wouldlike to avoid at all costs.  Have to talk to my onc.  I know what my radiologist would say - he had NO sense of humor.  Bad match for me!!  There are lots of women who have gotten tattos so it may just be a difference in doc philosophy!

HMMM decisions decisions!

Be well,

Nel

MT1

Nel,

I would like one too but I will wimp out on hetting it on my chest because I do not want to awaken the LE beast. I found an interesting tattoo shop that I will check out next week. I would like to go see what it is about and if I like any of the artists and artwork.

kathindc

Never had the desire for tats until the scars even though my kids have some very nice ones.  After all, it does go back to ancient times.  I know it is best to wait several years after surgery to get it done.  I am very fair skinned so my scars take a loooooong time to fade.  We shall see.  

Rowan47

I also occassionally think about covering my scars with some type of tattoo, but also don't want to risk developing LE. So, I am thinking that I may try using those temporary transfer ones that children use!! Same effect, but easy to wash off and no needles! Just a thought....

Ariom

I too, would love to have a beautiful tattoo on my chest. I had a small vine of flowers done on my hip as a 40th Birthday present to myself.

I even have the artwork picked out, but I have fear of LE too, so will not be doing it any time soon. I was planning it for my 60th in a couple of months.

I have an airbrush makeup set, so may just buy their tattoo colours and some stencils to try, or may even try a henna tattoo which would last longer.

Rowan, I have some transfer ones from my days as a makeup artist. I used to do wedding makeup, and often a bride would want a tattoo to surprise the groom. I doubt they'll still be good, but I will give it a try. LOL

indenial

How about henna tattoos?? A little longer-lasting than kids' temporary tattoos... I think I may do henna at some point, just for fun. I'm not so into "real" tattoos but maybe if I like the henna I'll consider it. LE risk does scare me though.

(P.S. Only use real henna not that black stuff that you see at fairs!)

LindaKR

I think sometimes those with tattos have had prophylactic MX, so surgery only, no lymph dissection, no chemo, no radiation, etc...  So they would have a really, really low risk of LE.  But if you've had chemo, radiation, etc....  your risk would be much highter of developing LE.  Maybe ok on your prophylactic side, but there is a woman on these forums that developed LE on her good side too.  And since I have LE, makes me really cautious.

Momine

I have needle phobia, severe needle phobia, so no tats for me. I had to take a xanax to get the three dots tattooed for the rads.

alexandria58

I like the idea of henna.  Think about wearing the same design on your skin forever.  I don't like wearing the same jewelry or the same clothes.  With henna, you can change with the season and your mood.

Nel138281

Love the idea of henna tattoos!   Can change it up every so often

Rowan47

Yes, yes, henna could be the answer. Thanks ladies x

CCFW

del

indenial

CCFW!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHA that totally cracked me up!!!!

CCFW

del

River_Rat

CCFW, I haven't heard about the Flat and Fabulous 5-K. Where's it going to be?

kathindc

CC, I don't do Facebook.  Can you give us more information about the 5K

CCFW

del

pip57

http://www.thedailybeast.com/witw/articles/2013/04/24/when-a-full-mastectomy-isn-t-a-terrible-event.html

bluepearl

While I don't mind being flat-chested, I don't like the little belly that pokes out now. A bunch of us who have had double mastectomies find this happens. Ok....I am dieting and have been a walker for a number of years.....five miles per day...starting the intermittent  fasting diet regime but that little round bulge......hmmmm....to me the only good part about considering reconstruction is getting rid of THAT. The other belly....the part just above your thighs....that has decresed alot....but did it just shift upwards? Am I trying to grow new boobs? Anybody got any ideas how to get rid of this besides surgery?

River_Rat

Pip, thanks for that link. Michelle Cottle's story sounds a lot like mine, except for the reconstruction part. My GYN walked into the room for my yearly once and said, "oh, it's my busy breast woman." Really, someone with a busy practice and I was the "busy breast woman."

crystalphm

Blue pearl, my belly bothers me too. I look down and see two big bottom rib bones and then **belly* and I don't think I will even lose it because even when i was a skinny gal, (20 pounds overweight now) I had a belly. Boobs really do take the attention away from the belly...

But yet i really dislike wearing foobs...sigh.

I did see a woman with no breasts, flat, this past weekend and I was very supportive with her, but I was crushed to realize all I saw was overweight (by 200 pounds) and no breasts and a huge huge belly. It was distressing to me and my own self image. Please understand, I was NOT distressed by seeing the woman, we had a great chat and I am 100% behind everyone is really very attractive in their own way, but it shook my own image of myself. Does this make sense?

Momine

In my case, I got rid of the belly too during cancer treatment. Mine was due to my internal organs being glued to my abdominal wall - adhesions from a bungled C-section 20 years ago. My lovely hyster surgeon patiently fixed all that. I do still have some extra skin from the pregnancy, and I am seriously considering getting it removed. It bothers me that much. But at least in clothes, I now feel ok.

Without the weird problem I had, it should be possible, with diet and exercise, to reduce a belly sifnificantly, I would think.

feelingfeline

Hi, as I am UMX I have a real "with" and "without" scenario. I have a puffy area on the MX side, just around and below the end of my rib cage,  it is definitely not my true abdomen. This is not present on the side of me that hasn't been treated. I asked my onco about this area at a recent appointment (Apr 15th) as I have no way of knowing is this normal vs for example is this a tumor...

He said it was very common post MX SE and may be partly a result of the surgery, the removal of the breast causing the rib cage to swing out a bit. He said also that radiation can cause thickening in the tissues at that place. Unfortunately diet and exercise probably won't help these SE's, but that is not to knock the beneficial effects that a healthy diet and exercise will have on a body as a whole.

BTW I liked my onco' response when he told me it was quite normal. I said that I wouldn't know what normal feels like there. He immediately apologised for using the word "normal" , actually I wasn't the least offended, just being factual. But I appreciated his sincerity and desire to be polite.

Momine

Feline, that is weird and, yes, obviously scrap my suggestion for that problem. Are you sure it is not LE? My ribcage definitely looks more prominent without the boobs to balance it out.