newly diagnosed,questions about reconstruction

kae_md99

hi all,

i am newly diagnosed last week, both breasts have cancer, most likely i will be having bilateral mastectomy.anyways, i have started researching about reconstruction.. i understand that there will be many surgeries involved? can you tell me more about the steps/process? or maybe this has been explained/discussed in previous forums?thanks

kae

bcincolorado

Hi,

There is a whole section on reconstruction options in the main pages which will give you a LOT of information. There are forums for each type as well if you want to read and communicate with people who have done a specific kind of reconstruction. Go to that "jump to a forum" area and hit breast reconstruction and it will take to those. You will have another surgery no matter what option you chose if you are doing reconstruction normally. Definitely read through the big main pages too which will give you good feed back as well and I think there is an online webinar even from a conference if I remember right you can listen too.

Good luck!

Paula

LAstar

Here is the link: http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/surgery/reco...

It's good to get an idea of the side effects and possible complications of each reconstruction type. Also, spend some time in the "Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy" section. Some women are happy without reconstruction and their recoveries are easier. I had complications with my reconstruction which required an additional procedure. I am very happy with my results, but I certainly questioned my choice to reconstruct along the way. It's a very personal choice, and you will likely encounter many opinions along the way! Do your own research, and make the best choice for yourself. Best wishes in making these difficult decisions!

MinusTwo

I never questioned my decision to get implants. That was my first & last plan and I have been very happy with that decision. Only two surgeries. Bilateral mastectomy with tissue expanders inserted at the same time. Some months went by for the expanders to fill and do their work stretching tissue. Then my PS required a couple of months to stabilize after we stopped filling. Exchange from expanders to Allergan 410 anatomical implants 7 months later. No problems with the surgeries or with the implants.

besa

Consider getting a copy of the latest edition of Kathy Steligo's "Breast Reconstrunction Guidebook." The best I have seen on the topic.

It will present current reconstriction options as well as information on picking a skilled plastic surgeon. It is a very good start to gathering info.

http://www.breastrecon.com/index.html

or from amazon.com

http://www.breastcancer.org/community/gift-shop/bo...

Silverpullet

I had my mastectomy and total hysterectomy with nipple sparing on October 27th. All was precautionary. Extreme family history and turned out to be BRCA2 positive.

Expanders put in at that time filled to 200cc each. 2 weeks later had to have it drained out as they found I had cancer under 1 nipple. Had both nipples removed. After 3 weeks from then, I have had 100cc saline put into my expanders each week, for 6 weeks. finished expander procedure 2 weeks ago. went from a B cup to a D. (expanders are usually larger than actual finished implants) No wait time for me as I have implants put in on February 6th. I could not live without my breasts. I have no nipples, so hard to look at, but do not have to worry about the cold LOL, or really see through shirts. I should be a solid C after surgery. The hardest part was the uncomfortable burning pain in my sides after the initial surgery, from nerve issues, and then the feeling of crushed water bottle in my breasts during the expander process. (initially empty, but after they fill the pain gets better.) I honestly have boobs under my armpits at the moment from the expanders. I have tingling in my sterum area right now due to nerves getting better. The surgery for implants will be pretty easy, except for the 6 more weeks of 10lb weight limit. Oh and have to wear a bra all the time, as opposed to being "free" at night. Dont like that but will live with it. So total, only 2 complete surgeries would be necessary'

ThisIsMe4Now

I had a bilateral mastectomy and immediate reconstruction with expanders. So far so good as I'm two months out from the initial surgery. Had the TE filled to 100 cc after surgery and will have them filled before chemo for the next 6 months. After that, itll be replaced with the implants prior to radiation of the armpit. I was a small B before and am going for a small/full C. Might as well get an upgrade after all this trouble. I was unable to keep my nippes as its a ductal cancer but have researched 3D nipple tattoos that look amazingly real. Good luck on whatever you decide!

Lisey

Keep in mind a large percentage of women, including young women don't do reconstruction at all, but ask to be boy flat. I initially tried the TE/Implant thing and realized it was a horrible mistake. The pain was terrible from the TEs, my muscles were having spasms every 5 minutes like contractions to get them out. I felt I had betrayed my body for absolutely superficial reasons and I was never told about all the problems implants can bring. I am FLAT and FABULOUS now (a facebook group you should check out). I'm slender and look better than I did with huge boobs. I absolutely LOVE that I'm just me now, and don't have to deal with additional surgeries, complications, potential Lymphoma, capsular contracture, the list goes on and on.

1) Go to Flat and Fabulous and research staying flat as an option - and realize that you can try flat and if you don't love it, you can always get surgery later.

2) Recognize that many women suffer extreme pain from the implants, they lose their muscle strength and many get the 'iron bra' feeling.

3) Implants require additional surgeries, and you have to replace them every 7-10 years.

4) Google ALCL and research that. One of our F&F sisters just was diagnosed with ALCL 7 years after getting her implants.

5) Realize the implants will be cold in winter / swimming and most women will complain about it. - If that is something you care about - you should consider flat or diep / natural body structures.

6) Realize no matter what you choose you will not feel these mounds on your chest. They are numb (or painful depending) lumps and many women say they feel like plastic bowls on your chest.

I can go on and on.. there are about 10 more things I can say about implants. The bottom line is, go talk to women who chose not to reconstruct, go on the other forums and realize that your Plastic surgeon doesn't mention any of what I just said. I was totally clueless when I agreed to IMplants. Thank goodness I figured it out soon and got them the hell out of my body.

PNWBCHgirl

I did reconstruction. Both breasts but at separate time a little over a year apart. I ll spare you the whole story as to why a year apart but it is in my profile if you would like to read it.

I have my right side with a flap procedure which went very well and no complications. My right side has an implant. I live my new breasts and they look great. I feel great and I am cancer free. I was a 38 DD before all this started and I am now a 36DD after. I know some say how did band size go down. Well I lost some weight during all my surgeries too . Yes tissue expander can be heavy and the expansion can feel like a lot of pressure on your chest, some even have complications but a lot do not. Plastic Surgeons are usually willing to go slow and work with you. I only took Tylenol and I did have muscle relaxants to take at night the first couple nights after each expansion.

Bottom line is you have to do what is right for you and what will make you feel good. No right or wrong answer here.

If I had to do it over again I would definitely do it.

MinusTwo

Lisey: I support your decision to go flat & fabulous. I wouldn't try to convince you otherwise. But it's not for me. And we are all individuals.

I'd guess the majority of us do have reconstruction. And we are mostly very happy with the results. I have to say that out of the points you listed, I have NONE of those problems. They aren't cold, they're great in the swimming pool, ALCL is extremely rare, they don't have to be replaced unless there is a problem - which there usually isn't, I have no pain, the 'iron-bra' was only during the expanding stage - and yes the expanders may feel like the plastic bowls that they are - but this is not the implants.

So I'll support your choice as long as you agree mine is just as valid.

Lisey

Minus, 44% of women choose no reconstruction - we just never speak up and newbies don't know being flat is a totally amazing option. That's almost half... yet it's not really given as an option and people don't understand what it is. And if you then look at the 56% who did reconstruct - many of those were implant users whose implants failed and they moved over to DIEP or other body tissue reconstruction, or go flat afterward getting them out, like I did. I'm in the 56% statistic (since I initially thought everyone reconstructs and it's normal) yet I'm flat and happy... The DIEP/FLAP people have concerns about implants - just like I listed as well or chose to avoid them. So perhaps 28% of women have implants, and 27% have DIEP/FLAP, etc. And then, some tissue users failed too.. and they moved to no reconstruction as well, so Honestly, the Majority of women end up flat since 44% decided to be flat and another percentage end up being flat due to failure of recon (which isn't accounted for in the study).

See for Going Flat: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/01/well/live/going-flat-after-breast-cancer.html?_r=0

See for cold issues: https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/44/topics...

And another on them being cold: https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/44/topics/851914?page=1#post_4885033

heres a post on the muscle issues with Recon: https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/44/topics...

Here's another good list of all the things associated with implants... EVERYONE needs to at least understand all the risks... and when you meet women experiencing some of these - it's a game changer.

Complications Of Breast Surgery And Silicone And Saline Breast Implants include:

• infection (bacteria and mold which can be released from the implant into the body)
• surgical risks
• anesthesia risks
• chronic breast pain,
• breast or nipple numbness
• capsular contracture
• scar tissue
• hardened and misshapen breasts
• breakage and leakage
• necrosis (skin death)
• need for additional surgery to deal with problems
• dissatisfaction with how the breast looks
• disfigurement
• arthritis and joint pain
• fatigue
• memory loss
• cognitive impairment: poor concentration
• metal poisoning due to platinum exposure (in silicone implants)
• silicone migration into lymph nodes and other organs
• debilitating autoimmne disease such as fibromyalgia,dermatomyositis, polymyositis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, mixed connective-tissue disease, pulmonary fibrosis, eosinophilic fasciitis, and polymyalgia.
• And last but not least, death

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nalini-chilkov/breast-implant-surgery-_b_816077.html

muska

Lisey, you made your point that is that you chose to go flat and that many women do the same. Fine. But why scare everybody who is considering reconstruction by absolutely false claims of cognitive impairment, memory loss, metal poisoning and an array of autoimmune diseases not to mention death? Ridiculous...

anotherNYCGirl

Hi Kae,

It's a process, no matter which route you choose for reconstruction, but after all the said and done, I am glad that I had it done. I had a few set backs, mostly due to radiation many years before, but I doubt that I would have been happy seeing myself without breasts at all.

Here though, is something that you should consider. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/29/well/live/after...

Good luck with your decision, - and above all, - find the best and most experienced plastic surgeon that you can!

DeeRatz

Here is the list of complications Lisey lists. I will respond to each of these complications...

Complications Of Breast Surgery And Silicone And Saline Breast Implants include:

• infection (bacteria and mold which can be released from the implant into the body)- this can happen with or without recon
• surgical risks-agreed, both with our without recon
• anesthesia risks-agreed
• chronic breast pain-it may or may not happen. I DO NOT have chronic breast pain. I hardly notice my implants.
• breast or nipple numbness-you will have this regardless if you have recon or not.
• capsular contracture-may happen, may not
• scar tissue-you will have this regardless of recon or not
• hardened and misshapen breasts-this may happen with or without recon
• breakage and leakage-with cohesive gel you will not have either of these. Pretty hard to break and due to the nature of them they can't leak
• necrosis (skin death)-can happen with or without recon
• need for additional surgery to deal with problems- can happen with or without recon
• dissatisfaction with how the breast looks-this is  personal, some recon is amazing and some are not. Flat can look awful too.
• disfigurement-well we have had our breasts removed so we ALL are disfigured
• arthritis and joint pain-????? Chemo and Tamoxifen and Al's cause this too. I wouldn't blame it on implants
• fatigue-I would blame this on chemo and rads, not due to implants.
• memory loss-???? once again, chemo, Tamoxifen and Al's
• cognitive impairment: poor concentration-????from implants, once again, chemo, Tamoxifen and Al's
• metal poisoning due to platinum exposure (in silicone implants)-never heard of this one but have not researched it
• silicone migration into lymph nodes and other organs-with cohesive gel the silicone is not going anywhere
• debilitating autoimmne disease such as fibromyalgia,dermatomyositis, polymyositis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, mixed connective-tissue disease, pulmonary fibrosis, eosinophilic fasciitis, and polymyalgia.-as far as these go, we are all at risk. Who knows what our bodies are going to do after all the chemo, rads and meds. To blame these on implants is unfair.
• And last but not least, death-Yeah well.....well most of us have had a BC diagnosis. Guess what? We are all going to die.

I also do not find my implants cold. I don't walk around with my chest sticking out of my jacket when it is cold out. When the weather is cold you dress appropriately. I happen to live in an area where we have very cold temps. At one point we were at -45 this winter. My foobs were fine.

ALCL is a possibility but is quite rare. This is mostly found in people with textured implants. So my PS recommended going with smooth implants.

It is not fair to scare the poor women who are already scared to death. They are facing many huge decisions. Put yourselves in their shoes. We have all been there so we know how they feel.

Sending gentle hugs to the women who are having to make these decisions right now.

Jezikah

I had a BMX with immediate implant reconstruction and could not be more happy with how they turned out. I had the lymph node surgery first - they removed and tested the sentinel nodes. They were clear, so I was a perfect candidate for immediate reconstruction since I knew I wouldn't be doing rads. I had one major surgery, it went great, I recovered quickly with no complications and I'm very pleased with the outcome. Tomorrow is 4 months post-op and I forget I have foobs sometimes. I do still have feeling in my right (prophylactic) nipple. The left nipple has no feeling because they went right up to the underside of the nipple and tested it to make sure there was no cancer and I could keep the nipple. Overall, I think it's about the best outcome I could have hoped for.

MinusTwo

Thanks Muska and DeeRatz - my point exactly. We all have to make a difficult individual choice when we're confronted with this darn disease and we don't need to hear even more frightening things from our sisters here at BCO. My best wishes to people who either choose to go flat or choose to explore reconstruction. It's an individual preference and both are GREAT.

PNWBCHgirl

Lisey I don't know who your Surgeons were but I have yet to know anyone who has had Breast cancer ( and I have known Many ) who wasn't told their options and/ or pushed toward reconstruction and not told it is ok to be flat. Bottom line is we all have choices to make and we all make them for our own personal reasons and some have to make choices because option number 1 did not work out or perhaps maybe even option number 2. Like me for example I chose a lumpectomy and radiation ( to cave my breast) Surgeon couldn't get clear margins, had a Mastectomy chose flap reconstruction so my new breast would still be me no implant. Well after my reduction and lift of the saved breast pathology came back with cancerous cells . I ended up losing my other breast and having reconstruction with implant so I have both notwhat I planned but it has worked out. No right or wrong answer here. No two people are going to experience any of this exactly the same or have the same complications. My neighbor was diagnosed with breast cancer this last summer and chose not to do reconstruction and when we were talking I discovered her reason for not was the same reason I had chosen reconstruction.

I found when researching the various flap surgeries you can find dozens of people complaining about procedures, doctors , not being satisfied , awful scars etc..... because people who like to complain will complain, the people who had successful surgeries are full of joy and happy with their outcome don't feel the need to complain or tell their story.

And DeeRatz thank you I was thinking of doing the same thin

gracie22

Lisey, I like your high-information posts, and have routed more that a couple of people to them for all of the great info on Mammaprints, Oncotypes and genetic testing for drug response. I am also glad to see you provide important info on the benefits of going flat. I asked about it shortly after being diagnosed and my (female, highly respected Johns Hopkins breast cancer surgeon) seemed genuinely flummoxed and indicated (initially at least) that she wouldn't even know how to do that--everyone reconstructs. Which is of course total bullshit. So I applaud your work in spreading the word on not reconstructing. That said, some people really prefer to have breasts, whether via implants or other surgeries. I had one step implants (by a plastic surgeon who worked with the BS) followed by a miserable infection in the non-cancer side. It totally sucked. According the infectious disease doc that treated me afterwards, the infection was so deep in the tissue that it was likely caused by a contaminated surgical instrument or other equipment used during the procedure.

Having an implant made the infection harder to shake, since the body won't heal with a foreign object at the site of infection. So I had to have the implant out and have not reconstructed that side. My whole reason for doing one step was to get the surgery over with, and the idea of starting anew is not appealing. However imperfect the implant side is (and it is plenty imperfect but looks fine in clothes), I like it a whole lot more than the prosthetic on the other side. I don't look good going flat; I am average weight but with big enough hips that i need a bust to balance me out, and make me look like me (or my conception of me, at least.) Prior to BMX, I was very large breasted, and though I had come to be annoyed with my large breasts, they had always served to visually counter my hips, so it took some adjustment to get used to a much smaller breast on one side, and a bit of a crater on the other. If I had not had the infection, I would have been fine with the implants. So I get why women go for implants or other procedures. I also get why women elect to go flat; if could rock it as well as you I would, but it just does not look good on me and would greatly limit me to "camouflage clothes", something I am not interested in. I have lost enough to this disease.

Lisey

All, one of the reasons I'm so vocal about this, especially to newbies is because when I was on here as a newbie, I didn't hear from ONE flat woman. They rarely seem to speak up - especially on reconstruction questions. They avoid those posts.

The problem is I was NOT told I had to massage the implant to avoid it turning hard.

I was not told many women have severe pain from the TEs.

I was not told nearly half (and I think more) of women - including younger women do not reconstruct at all.

I was never told about ALCL, and while rare, new studies show up to 10 Xs more women get it than previously thought.

I was not told implants could affect my muscles or my range of motion

I certainly was not told about them being cold - and I as someone also freezing would have really reconsidered had I known that.

and the list goes on.

I could argue about the list I posted and why poisoning can and does occur - etc.. .but she can delve in if she wants. I stand by my posts.

While my posts aren't popular - they are important because someone needs to be a voice of warning about these things.. and also a voice of another way - that of being flat. I wish I had heard from these women when I got the TEs in, I wish I knew the above beforehand. This is a reconstruction post - so other women who are flat won't even look at this post. but all the women who've reconstructed will and dislike my vocal warning.

I put the articles up so they can be read if she desires. I hope she does and understands all the pros and cons that simply aren't discussed.

muska

Lisey, next time please put links to serious research studies as opposed to years old newspaper recounts or blogs. Have you started a blog about going flat yet?

Bluebirdgirl

Lisey, Perhaps just saying "you have an option to be flat and happy" would be suffice. Seems a little overkill here to scare poor newbies to death when there is no need. Hell, women without breast cancer get implants every day so it's not something designed just for women with breast cancer and I'm sure they are all told the risks. I think that whole list of complications is going overboard. Just my opinion. I get my exchange surgery March 21 and I am counting down the days. Can't wait. Everyone is entitled to do what they feel is best for them

SummerAngel

I did my own research, including consultations with 3 plastic surgeons, before deciding what kind of reconstruction I should have. I knew I wanted recon, if I had been entertaining the option of going flat I would have researched that as well.

The problem with your posts, Lisey, is that you are posting issues that are either extremely rare or can happen no matter what type of treatment you have. There is no evidence that cognitive issues or autoimmune issues are caused by implants. I have an autoimmune disease and researched that subject prior to surgery. Also, I have a mild case of Raynaud's from my autoimmune disease which makes me VERY sensitive to cold. The implants don't bother me. Yes, sometimes when I'm getting dressed my arm will brush across one and it's chilly, but the implants don't make me chilly at all. Modern implants sometimes fail at 7-10 years, yes, but most last much longer, up to 20 years. Not to mention the fact that replacement is a simple operation. When I had my TEs replaced with implants that was more involved than a straight implant replacement and I was feeling great within a few days.

Adding a couple of links:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26550776 (Most recent review I could find.)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10717013 (From 2000)

muska

Has anyone had a dental implant recently? I had a gum graft two weeks ago, not even an implant. The periodontist had me sign a list of possible side effects that was more than two pages long. My jaw was numb from the local anesthetic shot before I finished reading the list I had to sign. I later told the guy that his list of possible side effects was twice as long as the one I had to sign before my BMX+reconstruction surgery. I guess there are people who wouldn't do dental implants because in some very rare cases this might lead to death.

kae_md99

thanks for your input ladies.. i am thinking about it and will let you know.. got my her2 status today and it is positive. i was hoping it to be negative. will meet with my oncologic surgeon this friday...

kae, no signature yet

Mominator

Thank you DeeRatz and others for your contributions.

It sounds like Lisey had a bad experience with her surgery, and wants to protect other women from similar fates. I applaud your concern for others. However, my main concern is the half-truths and misinformation.

First, let's note the "source" of the facts for Lisey's post:

1. It came from Huffington Post, not a medical journal.
2. The authors are not physicians (Diana Zuckerman, Ph.D., Elizabeth Nagelin-Anderson, M.A.
   and Elizabeth Santoro, R.N., M.P.H)
3. The list is anecdotal, not researched.
4. The article is filled with errors and exaggerations.
   

Second, let's take apart this one paragraph as an example of the errors: "Within the first three years, approximately three out of four reconstruction (breast cancer) patients and almost half of first-time augmentation patients experienced at least one local complication — such as pain, infection, hardening, or the need for additional surgery."

The article suggests that the implants themselves are the cause of these "complications," but any surgery will result in pain, period. It is not a "complication," it is part of the process. Similarly infection and the need for additional surgery happens with many surgeries, mastectomy included, with or without implants.

Third, let's consider some of Lisey's other concerns:

"The problem is I was NOT told I had to massage the implant to avoid it turning hard. "
I was not told to massage my implants, and they did NOT get hard. 

"I was not told many women have severe pain from the TEs." 
I was told that there is sometimes pain from the TEs. I did not experience severe pain. Also, pain usually occurs if the TE is expanded too quickly. Something we tell the newbies all the time at TE Primer thread https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/44/topics/819027 is to have smaller fills spaced out longer over time.  

"I was not told nearly half (and I think more) of women - including younger women do not reconstruct at all."
I'm not sure if "nearly half" of all women do not reconstruct. I would like to see that statistic from a medical journal

"I was never told about ALCL, and while rare, new studies show up to 10 Xs more women get it than previously thought."
Again, I would like to see that statistic from a medical journal

"I was not told implants could affect my muscles or my range of motion"
The range of motion may be from the incisions from the mastectomy itself. While the implants go under the muscles, I do not feel that it has affected my muscles nor my range of motion since recovery.

Also, I could go on and on.

Maybe the reason Lisey that you have not heard from women who went flat is because they are not on the reconstruction forum. Being flat obviously means they didn't reconstruct, so they didn't have a reason to visit there. They are over at https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/82 

Before my mastectomy, I went over to the flat forum. I looked at photos. I've even advised newbies to check out that forum, as well as http://breastfree.org .  After reviewing my options for reconstruction, or going flat, I made my decision.

I'm sorry you didn't get enough information prior to your surgery. But, please let's not scare anyone with half-truths and misinformation. 

Maybe the reason Lisey that your vocal posts are so unpopular is because they are filled with misinformation and they scare people.  

In conclusion, Lisey, you had some bad experiences. You are disappointed. But that does not mean your experiences will happen to others, nor are your opinions scientific facts. You may be vocal if you wish, but be sure to back it with scientific facts.

Lisey

I'm tired of defending myself. My sources ARE scientific and just because I post a synopsis from Huffpost that basically states all the reasons does not mean my statements are half truths.

>>>> A 2014 study found that about 56% of women had reconstruction after mastectomy, which means that 44% didn't have reconstruction. See: http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/surgery/reconstruction/no-reconstruction (and this is just initially which one they favored.. not the final outcome. A group like me chose recon and then either it failed or we changed our minds. the number is higher than 44% in the end)

>>>> Previously the risk was estimated between one in three million to one in 50,000. The TGA now estimates the risk ranges between one in 10,000 and one in 1000. http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/breast-implant-cancer-much-more-common-than-previously-thought/news-story/6a70fb8d0c17bb1ebdf6242907d5f41b

I already posted links to where numerous athletic women were discussing how implants affected their muscles, so just because it's not happening to you doens't mean it's not happening..

I already posted links proving that implants are indeed cold - either a blessing or curse depending on if you like cold bags next to you.

Most implants ABSOLUTELY require masage... just because your doc failed to mention that to you doens't mean it's not something recommended.: http://www.livestrong.com/article/135473-breast-ma... : The purpose of massage after breast augmentation is to prevent the formation of excessive scar tissue, both in the incision and around the implant. Your body's natural response to the presence of a foreign body is to stimulate the growth of scar tissue. Your body wants to encapsulate any foreign bodies to prevent damaging microorganisms from entering further into the body. Your body experiences the incision as an injury, and sends fiber cells to the area of the incision to repair the damage. White blood cells are rushed to the area and they help to mop up the damage done by the incision.

And yes, leaking, poisoning, and death can happen. Here is a full list of all the potential side effects of implants (which neglects ALCL - cancer!!) .... all for superficial mounds that you'll never feel.

http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/ImplantsandProsthetics/BreastImplants/ucm064106.htm

I'm going to unfollow this thread because clearly my voice of warning is somehow a threat to you all who got implants. But I ask you all stop saying I'm speaking half truths. I'm not. everything I posted can and does occur. My stats are dead on.

SummerAngel

Maybe you've unfollowed this, Lisey, but I want to point out you absolutely are still posting some half-truths. Yes, some of your points are valid, but some are clearly not. I am not "threatened" by your post, and there's no need for insults.

(By the way, you weren't told to massage your implants because you never had them. You had tissue expanders only.)

Mominator

Amapola, yes, I saw that this morning about "very passionate about childhood sexual organ mutilation on boys and girls" and I wondered if maybe I was just imaging that? Also, I think the "cold bags next to you" part may be new. Or  maybe I was too shocked by the mutilation part that I stopped reading.

I don't mind differences of opinions, but I don't like misinformation.

TrmTab

well, to switch gears a little, wanted to share some good news ...

as some of you might remember, I had to postpone by Dec 28th exchange as my mother had a stroke and is now living with us and recovering. Molly I feel for you in the new insurance/doctor business because when I had to miss my Dec 28th EX, I am now a summer EX!

The good news is today I had my first "regularly scheduled" mammogram since this all started in Sept 2015...and I was given the all clear on my remaining R breast! When initially diagnosed, I had so many tests between Sept 2015 and Jan 2016, my MO wanted me to wait a year before another radiology test to that is why it is now...

While I posted this on another board, I started Arimidex ahead of the L-MX...and the pathology at MX was that the DCIS area had shrunk...given the clear mammogram makes up for a lot of the aches and pains of the Arimidex side effects!

Mominator

kae, I see you started filling in your diagnosis and treatment section. I hope your appointments are going well and you are getting the information you need to make treatment decisions.

I also see that SpecialK is helping you on another thread. She has been very active in the reconstruction threads as well. Let us know if you have more questions. We're here to help.

MinusTwo

Muska - We're not ignoring your jaw/tooth questions. There are several threads about Prolia that discuss the possibility of ONJ while on bone enhancing drugs if you have an extraction or implant. Since this is not related to reconstruction, you can read more info on those threads or you can PM me if you locate them.