Anyone Else Afraid To Look At Your Scars Post Lumpectomy?

Hopeful82014

My lumpectomy incision ended up being across the top of my breast, which I wasn't expecting. I HAVE to remove the dressing today and am afraid of what I'll see, afraid I will completely lose it.

I realize it's not the same as mastectomy scars but I AM dreading it.

Did anyone else feel this way?

Any advice?

(I can't not look at it - our mirrors are too big to avoid seeing it.)

Thanks for any support.

moni731

Hopeful82014- So sorry that you were not informed about what the incision placement. And yes, the incision will look 'bad' at this point, but know in time it will be better. The redness will fade and not be so prominent. After 4 years, mine is not that noticeable, but of course I know it is there. Hang in there, it gets better.

Moni

Hopeful82014

Thanks, Moni. That's a long time to be staring at that reminder every day...

We did discuss it some but she said it would depend on what looked like the best option when we actually got into surgery, sine the tumor was not palpable and had shrunk a lot. However, since it was at the 3o'clock position and close to the chest wall, I thought the incision would be lower and on the outer part of my breast and therefor not as visually prominent.

hummingbirdlover

Try to remember today is the worst of it and the most shocking time. It will fade and soon, it will be a thin small pink line. It's hard looking the first time but just know that it won't look like it does today, for long

Hopeful82014

Thanks so much, Kim.

labelle

Depending upon your expectations, you may even be pleasantly surprised when you do look. I dreaded seeing mine but when the bandages came off it wasn't as bad as I'd feared-not sure what I was expecting but something worse I guess. It wasn't and still isn't pretty, but my lumpectomy incision/scar was never as bad as I'd thought it would be.

debiann

While everyone heals differently, its just a little over a year since my lumpectomy and I can barely see the scar. I went on to later have a bmx with diep recon and even those scars are not as bad as I expected. I used Mederma scar cream. Good luck and heal fast!

Hopeful82014

Thanks, Debiann and labelle. I will definitely look into the Mederma.

snorkeler

I had never had any kind of surgery before my lumpectomy, and I was afraid of taking off the dressings. When I did, I felt a little faint because my nipple looked black. I immediately called my surgeon's office, and the nurse explained that it was from the blue dye used to locate the sentinel nodes and therefore totally normal. The tumor was under the areola, so the nipple took up the dye as well. She must have told the surgeon my concerns, because later that morning the surgeon called me, which I appreciated even though I was already feeling better about it. Now the scar is so faint I have to point it out to the tech whenever I get a mammogram on that side, so she'll know where to put the little sticker to mark it.

Tresjoli2

my BS did some t ype of plastic surgery technique on my where she rearranged the tissue underneath with dissolvable stiches, so my breast actually is shaped totally normal. No divet. Nothing. But I have a scar that starts at 12oclock and goes to 5oclock, which I never expected. So I guess it's never how we envisioned it right