jean214 from BCANS, note Goldilocks Technique

jean214

Hello,

I would like to thank the tech support team of this site for a real-human recognition of my password difficulties and helping me get on to BreastCancer.org.

For 10 years I  posted at Breast Cancer Action Nova Scotia, a truly wonderful site that was so tightly knit we had meetings all over the world, including Canada, Chicago, Florida and elsewhere. It was a supportive, loving group that disappeared when BCANS decided it could no longer fund the site.

I lost the right breast to cancer in 1998, had tram flap reconstruction (teaching me what "10" on the pain scale means) and leaving me with a 30" hip-to-hip scar, permanent back pain and an abdominal hernia. I looked good in clothes, though. Then in March of this year a mammogram showed calcifications which clearly were diagnosed as cancer, although it was impossible to tell what kind without a biopsy. With two sisters and one niece dead of breast cancer, plus my personal history, I decided to have a mastectomy and found a Tampa, Florida surgeon, Dr. Charles Cox, who knew the Goldilocks technique and has been doing it for 5 years. It left me with two small breasts (he had to reduce the size of the reconstructed breast to attempt a match), not reconstruction, but simply pulling fat and muscle from under my arm into the place where the left breast used to be. I can wear standard padded bra, size 36B, and a standard tank bathing suit, no prosthesis, and look normal in clothing. Path showed nothing but DCIS, and I could have lived out my life and died of a heart attack in 20 years, as DCIS will never kill you, but the only way to accomplish that would have been never to have had another mammogram, because if I ever did, both the radiologist and my GP would have been yelling at me to have painful biopsies; finally the breast would have become so deformed from all the biopsies that I would have ended up having it cut off even though the biopsies showed only DCIS.

Anyway, I do want to say hello, especially to any old BCANS friends, and to spread the word about the Goldilocks technique. Google "Goldilocks mastectomy" to learn more about it.

best wishes,

jean214

 

Moderators

Welcome to BCO, jean214. We're glad you found us but are very sorry that they closed BCANS! Many people found that site very helpful. 

Sounds like you have been through quite a bit, and we appreciate you sharing your experience here. Also, we'll add the goldilocks mastectomy to our editorial list. 

Warm wishes, 

The Mods

IzzyF

Hi Jean! I'm very interested in this technique and asked a question about it in another thread. Do you know if the breast needs to be retouched from time to time or is it supposed to last forever?

So glad that you are happy with your results!

thanks

Izzy