Not-so-flat results?!

Chirps

One of "us" has run into problems with her "no recon" surgery being needlessly unlike what she asked for. She has found others with the same problem, or similar problems. For more info please see "Not Putting on a Shirt" on facebook (EDITED to add this link to FB page) ... also "Not Putting on a Shirt" on YouTube (EDITED to add this link to YouTube page). Thankfully I didn't have that kind of problem but I thought I'd share... it's an important issue to many and it helps to be connected!

glennie19

Thanks for this info.

ksusan

https://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-fitness/a22984...

These Cancer Patients Wanted to Get Rid of Their Breasts for Good. Their Doctors Had Other Ideas.

Breast cancer survivors increasingly want to opt out of reconstruction after their mastectomies, but they report a horrifying culture in which their desire to go flat is challenged or outright ignored.

by CATHERINE GUTHRIE

SEP 6, 2018

sherrmue

Hi, Chirps,

Hope it’s ok to post this here about my experience with a surgeon who did not want me to be “breastless” and “disfigured”.

August, 2010: I was found to have extensive ILC in both breasts. I told the local cancer surgeon to do what he needed to to get as much cancer as possible. I had breast implants at the time. I wanted to get rid of the cancer, I didn’t care about breasts or any other body part that wasn’t essential to keep. I woke from surgery with my implants still in place. Modified radical left and simple mast on the right. On the left side with a 10cm tumor with positive margins all around he had moved my nipple to the center of the implant in an attempt to save my “appearance”. The right side 8cm tumor with positive margins all around was simple and minimal tissue was removed, that he explained “should be fine”.

On the day my bandages were to be removed about 10 days after surgery. I got in my car to drive to the appointment. I was curious to see my insisions so I peeked under the bandage. To my horror I saw blue, black rotting flesh along my incision line. At the surgeons office the nurse removed the bandages and all along the incision lines was dead, dying and necrosed flesh. The nipple that had been moved was was black and shriveled. I’ve never had panic attack before, but that day I came very close. The surgeon was called in and he immediately blamed ME! I underwent wound care for several weeks until my appointment for a second opinion at a well respected cancer institute 100 miles from my home. My wounds would not heal.

After seeing the surgeon at the institute I decided to let him treat me. He stated that I needed a much more extensive surgery and he would remove the implants and get rid of all the necrosed tissue. I told the home town surgeon I would no longer be in his care as I had decided to be seen at the institute. He stated “we will be here for wound care after doctor ——does surgery. He was insulted and skeptical that any other surgeon could do a better job than he. He called my institute surgeon angrily telling him “What are you doing? You are going to disfigure her”.

My institute surgeon performed the second surgery two months after the first. Two modified radicals with third level node removal. He also removed as much skin as possible and shaved it down thinly to remove as much cancer as possible. A plastic surgeon was present to do the closure. I had very little skin remaining on my chest. She detached and pulled my chest muscles down and attached them to abdominal muscle with mesh. She detached my stomach skin and pulled it up to meet the remaining skin on my chest. She was able to close, barely (by the way, I got a tummy tuck out of the deal!). I was not to raise my arms above my shoulders for 6 weeks so as to not tear the incisions open.

My incisions from stem to stern, healed perfectly. I had no necrosis, wound healing problems, nothing...

Point is: if this surgeon had not been so fixated on my appearance and focused only on removing cancer I could have avoided one surgery and accompanying pain, complications, wound care and office visits, time and money lost from absence from my employment as an RN.

My wounds were never going to heal from the first surgery. The tissue the surgeon spared to maintain my “appearance” was completely invaded by ILC. It is the only episode in my 8 years of treatment that I felt angry about and still do if I think about it, which isn’t very often. I prefer to stay in the present and feel pretty happy and positive.

Listen to what your surgeon says to you. I feel that at least initially it is good to bring another person along to hear what a surgeon has to say and their attitudes. Your friend or family may detect something we do not. After all, it is a very shocking, worrying and stressful time. And while feeling these things we must try to listen to the flood of new information we never imagined we would need to know. None of us that have been through this type of experience would want one more woman to have to experience it.

Thanks, guess I just vented.....

Aussie-Cat

Sherrmue, I'm sorry your first surgeon was so incompetent and arrogant! Surgeons should listen to their patients and obviously not leave any cancer behind for the sake of appearance!! I'm glad you got to vent here.