Access to the Picture Forum - READ 1st POST

nowheregirl

  

Hi there,

  

As some of you know, I am the founder/administrator of the Picture Forum where we share the information/advice/experience/pictures regarding our breast reconstruction surgery as well as the hair loss from chemo etc. It is a private online forum which I started several years ago when I was in the middle of treatment for my own BC and it is NOT part of BC.org in any way.

Obivously what we share on our forum is very personal and can be even intimate. In order to protect our privacy, our forum is password-protected and no one could even get the link without my approval. So anyone who wants to be part of us must ask me or Lilah who has been generously helping me as a forum moderator for access via PM (private message).

However it does NOT mean you will be automatically granted access just because you ask for it. Our members are entitled to know who is looking at them. They should not be seen by those who are not legit or not willing to show who they really are. Thus anyone who is very new here or has not posted much will least likely be approved. We do not have definite requirement like how many posts are needed before request because it depends what you have said in your posts. I screen every applicant and decide who should be allowed based on their posts.

Please do not call us exclusive. We do this solely because we are responsible for our member's privacy and we have to keep our forum alive for those who will follow our path. Our forum is not a photo gallery. If people were only interested in looking at the pictures and didn't post at all, our forum could die at any time. So even if your request is ignored, please do not take offense. It only means that you have been added to the waiting list. You will be given access eventually once we learn who you are from your posts.

Thank you for your understanding.

Nowheregirl (former Timtam) @ Picture Forum Administrator/Founder

nowheregirl

Hi there,

  

As some of you know, I am the founder/administrator of the Picture Forum where we share the information/advice/experience/pictures regarding our breast reconstruction surgery as well as the hair loss from chemo etc. It is a private online forum which I started several years ago when I was in the middle of treatment for my own BC and it is NOT part of BC.org in any way.

  

Obivously what we share on our forum is very personal and can be even intimate. In order to protect our privacy, our forum is password-protected and no one could even get the link without my approval. So anyone who wants to be part of us must ask me or Lilah who has been generously helping me as a forum moderator for access via PM (private message).

   

However it does NOT mean you will be automatically granted access just because you ask for it. Our members are entitled to know who is looking at them. They should not be seen by those who are not legit or not willing to show who they really are. Thus anyone who is very new here or has not posted much will least likely be approved. We do not have definite requirement like how many posts are needed before request because it depends what you have said in your posts. I screen every applicant and decide who should be allowed based on their posts.

   

Please do not call us exclusive. We do this solely because we are responsible for our member's privacy and we have to keep our forum alive for those who will follow our path. Our forum is not a photo gallery. If people were only interested in looking at the pictures and didn't post at all, our forum could die at any time. So even if your request is ignored, please do not take offense. It only means that you have been added to the waiting list. You will be given access eventually once we learn who you are from your posts.

   

Thank you for your understanding.

   

Nowheregirl (former Timtam) @ Picture Forum Administrator/Founder

   

p.s. Sorry for the above. I accidentally deleted my original post. Oops!!

Lilah

Good idea, posting this! 

Ladies you can also send requests for access to me.

Moderators

Thank you for posting the information, nowheregirl, and thanks for everything you do to support the members of this community! 

Here are links to send a Private Message to nowheregirl, or to Lilah.

• The Mods

christina0001

Thank you for being so careful to protect privacy, especially with such very intimate photos.

Artemis

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  

Estel

Know too, ladies, that the site will only continue to help others if you too, share your journey.



We put ourselves out there and found help and encouragement. It now helps others. By you doing the same, you too can help others.



Pass the baton.

bdavis

Thank you nowheregirl... I have suggested your site to many women who are just getting started on their journey or have concerns about outcomes. I too agree that people should share their journey, but I also recognize that it may take a while. For me, I wanted to check out results long before I decided on which procedure to have. But once I did have my surgery, I posted and have continued to chronicle my process.

GoWithTheFlow

bdavis, that's where I am right now.  The only pics I've ever had taken of my "breasts" was in set up for radiation.  I was curious as to other's results from radiation, and since I'm seeing pics that are a few years old (and protocols and procedures change constantly), I am considering doing pictures.

I also have not made a decision on reconstruction.  I've heard from so many people that they don't like them.  Makes me wonder if I'm better off flat.  Thought seeing some pictures would help me decide,  But since I'm starting rads on Monday, I haven't even looked at anything but radiation pics at this point.  

Don't need information overload right now.

bdavis

I understand the need to take it one step at a time, but while in radiation is a great time to research the construction.... you have the time to look at results, meet with doctors etc. The picture forum has pictures of implants,, flaps and flat. Some results are awful and some are beautiful. I think it helps to have a "relationship" with women on BCO who either hate their recon or love it, and then go look at their pictures. I think this will help you sort through the decisions.

GoWithTheFlow

thanks.  I figured I'd start to think about it once I've had a chance to figure out how i feel about being flat.  I did chemo first, and just had surgery 3 weeks ago.  Thank you for all your advice!

Smaarty

So I'd like to see what I might end up with. Had both removed 3 weeks ago and reconstruction should start in September. I'd really like to talk to someone who had any kind of breast surgery (I had a breast lift done in 2002) which has affected the results I might have. Right now being flat isn't bothering me, I get fitted with bras and prosthetics tomorrow. Don't know if I want to bother with it, but most of my clothes don't fit right.

Thanks

Daninayd

I would like to have an access to the pictures forum. I just had NSM mastectomy and I found out that my right nipple needs to be excised after the patology report found DCIS in it.

Estel

Read the header above.



You will need to post more so we can get to know you and then you must private message Lilah or nowheregirl to gain access.

Lilah

Well, technically, read the first post by Nowheregirl... she deleted the original header and replaced it with the first post, but it tells the story.

PinkChic07

I want to thank you from bottom of my heart for the picture forum.  I participate with my photos and my posts.  This forum has been a life saver for me at times.  I sincerely thank you for your hard work & keeping this forum very private.  THANK YOU!

Smaarty

I would be happy to share photos. I took pictures of what my chest is now, not pretty by any means. With the prior scars from a breast lift and now skin sparing surgery, I'm looking very frankensteinish. I know that this is not how they'll look when I'm done, either with the implants or if it fails, it will be repaired as best as they can. I started wearing the new "girls" on Monday. Is it normal to have back tweaks from wearing them. My breasts have only been gone 3 weeks, it seems strange that putting them back would cause back aches.

Anne9d

Just met with my plastic surgeon today. I would like to look at some pictures. How do I do that? We decided to do a BMX with implants and lat flaps if I need them for volume. I have a sister who died of breast cancer in her early 50's and I am 45. So I am choosing to be aggressive with this. I have been glued to this site since my diagnosis. It is alot of information to process!

TinaT

Anne9d - Welcome!  Please read post #1 on this thread for info on access to "the picture forum".

MondaysChild

Mod, could you please move post #1 into the empty header post space?  Members might not recognize the first post as the instructional post.  Also, as we move beyond page 1, the post will not show on subsequent pages if an ordimary post among others.  If in the header, the post wll show on all pages for us.

Thanks

babs6287

Hi

I really could use some help.  I had a umx and now am planning a pmx on my right side together with recon.  Spoke to a few Drs who either told me to do TE's and then implants or lattissimus dorsi (because of all the radiation I had).  Can't do DIEP due to the abdominoplasty I had 14 years ago.  I'm thin so I don't really have many options.  Would like to see others results before I make a final decision.

Thanks

Beesie

babs6287, please read the first post in this thread from nowheregirl, in which she explains what you need to do to gain access to the picture site.

Sarahcanada

hi dear,

i made mastectomy 2 years ago and now i am thinking of breast reconstruction,bu i am afraid for the  shape,can you show me some reconstructed breasts so that i can make a better decision.

waiting,

Sarah

nowheregirl

PLEASE! Read the first post of mine. Ever since I started this thread, I've received countless messages asking for access from those who have very few posts or even none. As much as I am willing to help, I am growing disappointed that not many people pay attention to what I ask in my post as well as in the message I send them with the instructions when giving access. I would really appreciate if people know how time-consuming it can be for me to explain things that have already been explained.

Thank you for your understanding.

Moderators

Nowheregirl,

We've added a note to the title of this thread - "READ 1st POST". However, some newbies may not get that the first post of this thread is actually the opening post of this particular thread, since you'd deleted the true original post; they may think the first post is just a response to your opening post and skip right over it, as happens in many other threads, especially when there are multiple pages. One way to fix this would be to copy and paste your first post, and start a new thread.

Let us know if you need help doing this, or have any questions!

--The Mods

nowheregirl

  

Actually I thought about it. But my concern is if I started a new thread with my original post in the right place and then removed this entire thread, all the responses would be removed as well. Some of them are very important opinions and I would hate them to be deleted. Isn't it possible for you to just edit this thread and move my origianl post to the right place? 

  

Besides, I hate to come across as harsh but if those newbies who already sent me a request (not those only posted here) really hadn't read my original post, then how could they have known who to send a request to? They did read my post but only paid attention to what they needed, right? If they were like that from the start, then how could I expect them to carefully read the message I send them with the instructions, let alone understand why we ask them to actually participate??? I don't want new people to just come and use my forum members as some kind of a photo album.

Anonymous

nowheregirl, thank you for all you do!

Estel

Nowheregirl - Yes, thank you.



It may well be worth starting a new thread because once there is more than one page I think people are really going to get confused. I don't mind posting again what I've posted here and we can encourage the others to do the same. At that point we can just keep steering them, "please read the header to this thread" ...



Thank you for all you do. Sorry this has been such a headache for you.

Alldone

Babs6287. I am new to this post today. I am finished my treatments and surgeries as of about 11wks ago with areola and nipple recon using labia tissue. For my recon of mastectomy/rads side, I was set to have the surgery u are considering but timing is everything. Instead, I was able to have fat transfer (twice 3 months apart), to restimulate stem cell growth and repair the damaged tissue. This allowed me to have an expander and implant. About the 5th one my experienced surgeon had performed as new. Do some research and see if anyone near u does this. I went to Toronto. Is also had right prophylactic Mastectomy with immediate reconstruction with implant and Alloderm. I will ask permission to access picture site so I can post some pics to help others with options becoming available. Good luck to u.

Alldone

SarahCanada. If u r near Toronto, check with Dr Semple. He was amazing. My gf also had a very good experience with double prophylactic mastectomies with immediate recon with Dr Toni Zhong in Toronto who is also doing cutting edge techniques.

Jtrosesav

Hi nowhere girl,

Just read your post and I'd be interested in joining. I have 2 masses in my left breast and will be having a mastectomy and sentinel biopsy next month. Met with plastic surgeon yesterday who recommended silicone implant and skin from my back for areola. Would be interested in viewing forum to prepare myself for what my breast will look like. Thank you,

Jtrosesav