thank you for giving me a choice

It's hard to explain, but somehow it felt therapeutic to me to NOT have reconstruction. It was like accepting what had happened to me and not trying to disguise it to myself or anyone else. It also felt like I was acting in accord with my essential personal values—that my physical appearance is, relatively speaking, unimportant. I know everyone has her own hierarchy of needs in this domain, and for me, the decision not to have reconstruction was helpful in recovering psychologically. Plus, I got to have my physical life back a bit sooner! (I'm Mia—the name of my wig—on breastfree.org, by the way.)

As you can see, I don't post often but I do visit this site often.  I had to add my comments as I too am happy with my decision to not have reconstruction.  I have always been small chested and the thought of having more surgery, discomfort, and something else "alien" in my body was just too much for me.  If I wear something very form fitting, I use the prosthesis and this is not very often.  With all the flowy tops, very 70-ish, that are now in style, I have found it easy to shop and look up to date.  It is liberating in a way.  I am also grateful to the breastfree website as I visited it numerous times when making my decision.  As mentioned above, this is such a personal decision and we each have to do what is right for us. 

I wore my prostheses, once.  They just got in the way.  These lumps with no feeling.  I opt for the 'natural' look now.  Very comfortable.  Clothes are not really a problem.  I find it interesting that the reason some recon is so that their clothes will fit better.  I just don't buy things that have 'boob shelves'.  I actually find that I have more options available now.

This thread is very interesting to me.  I'm only 2 weeks out from bilateral mx and have been planning to do delayed reconstruction.  I've been a B to C cup since college and always felt that my boobs were too big - they just didn't fit me.  After surgery I was given two soft foam protheses and have stuck them in my shirt a couple times, but I don't really like them.  I also don't feel self-concious or unlike myself without anything, and now I'm wondering if I really do want to have reconstruction at all.  I have plenty of time to decide as I was planning to push it off until next summer because I'm in the middle of my PhD program and summer is a much easier time to deal with surgery.  Anyway, all that rambling was meant to say that I appreciate reading threads such as this one and seeing that other women are happy with their decision to skip reconstruction.

I had bilateral mastectomy back in October and started wearing the breast forms a couple of months after the surgery.  At first it felt better to wear the forms since I had something that felt like a layer that wasn't attached properly from the surgery. Gradually whatever it was healed and I didn't feel the layer or whatever it was pulling away from my chest wall anymore. But now almost 7 months later the forms which feel ok in the morning when I put them on get very heavy against my chest by night fall.

I didn't choose reconstruction because I didn't want additional surgery. Occasionally now with the forms feeling so heavy I wonder if I should have done the reconstruction but still not feeling up to volunteering for surgery to get it done or risk its complications. 

Sure would make things easier if I could find a clothing line that had mastectomy clothes and not just the same old bras and cami's.  You'd think in this day and age someone could come up with a few mastectomy blouses and dresses that were designed for women without reconstruction. 

I had recon with implants, but after one implant failed I decided against further recon on that side and got a prosthesis. I wear it( or a swim/leisure form) almost all the time. I find it comfortable and think it looks and feels pretty natural.  I was a DD my whole adult life and am a C now, which suits me fine. I think this is the right choice for me for now. I thought about getting rid of the good implant too, but decided why take it out if it was fine? It would be hard to go without the prosthesis since obviously I would be lopsided. Clothes are still a problem sometimes, because I only have cleavage on one side, but I can't imagine myself going through another recon surgery for that reason alone.

I am also grateful for the choice.

My BMX was in March 08 @ that time i could not find ANY support or encouragement.

Eventually after alot of searching I found breast free and this msg board. I am suprised there is not more support or encouragement available for women who decide to go unreconstructed and without forms.

There were many factors involved in my decision not to reconstruct,

Most important to me was reserving my body's strength to fight cancer not spend that strength on recovering from more surgery.

I have never tried forms, I just felt they were not for me. That they would add insult to injury by covering my struggle to make it easier for OTHERS to deal with... and well, who cares about THEM?!

I am at peace with my flat self even if it is a challenge to some of the less open minded people around me. I am proud of my scars. They show my strength and courage.. and that i KICK ASS!

Now if i could only figure out a better way to dress the new me. 

i am so glad you are happy.  I would never consider reconstruction..  too many surgeries for me.