No reconstruction

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  • brazos58
    brazos58 Member Posts: 261
    edited March 2011

    Hi Everyone

    During a mastectomy the chest muscle covering known as fascia is removed from the chest wall muscles, so that leaves sub cutaneous fat/ skin tissue rubbing against against your skin and muscles...i have only experienced my scars adhering for several months post op and that was relieved by working with Lymphedema Physical Therapists... who were versed in scar release.( I am a surgical RN and I would tend to question that statement as far as skin sticking.)

    I have no experience with my chest skin sticking to the pectoralis muscle. I have never heard of that other than in relation to scar issues.

    Chest tightness/ chest wall hypersensitivity and some numbness is common after BLM and involves a regime of post op exercises and stretching the chest wall muscles. I am 8 months out and still do exercises and can't let that slide. I have yet to return to my pre op level of hauling butt and have a hard time with that.

    Its also a good idea to ask your BS about post op Lymphedema Therapy/ Physical Therapy by LANA Certified Therapists to help deal with education in that realm and learning how to protect yourself from Lymphedema, and regaining strength and returning to your activities of daily living.

    This has just been my personal experience, and I was not prepared. As a Nurse, I knew too much and yet I did not know Enough. And each and every one of US has a different experience.

    Best to Everyone

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  • msphil
    msphil Member Posts: 1,536
    edited March 2011

    hello sweetie, I went for reconstruction after L mast,but my body rejected after a couple fill ups, so I have use a prothesis and am doing fine, the implant hardened and was very painful, just as the mast if not worse. I should have gonfor prothesis initially but I was in the process of making wedding plans and wanted(I thought)to have two breast for my new husband but he said from the beginning he didn,t need the breast he loved me. We are married 17 yrs in May and I have been cancer free for 17yrs(Praise GOD).  IDC, L mast, 0/3nodes, stage 2, chemo,rads,tamoxifen 5 yrs.  God Bless You and Us ALL.  msphil

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  • BoobsinaBox
    BoobsinaBox Member Posts: 550
    edited March 2011

    Thanks, Jamair!  I appreciate your experience, knowledge, and advice.

    Dawn 

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  • River_Rat
    River_Rat Member Posts: 1,724
    edited March 2011

    I'm 4 1/2 years out and I still have to do stretching exercises to stay comfortable.  I notice that I have to do more stretching when I don't wear foobs for several days in a row.  Either that's all in my head or the weight of the foobs helps keep the scars stretched. 

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  • River_Rat
    River_Rat Member Posts: 1,724
    edited March 2011

    Now that I think about it I go flat more days than I wear the foobs so it would make sense that it would seem like I have to exercise more when I go without - just because that's already a higher percentage of the time. 

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  • sespebadger
    sespebadger Member Posts: 249
    edited March 2011

    Hi mom2one,

    I had BMX no recon July 2010 at age 49. I just want to say that it was a difficult decision and I have continued to think about it since then. Some people just "know" what seems right and others of us will always wonder if we did the right thing. My stage and grade made a difference for me. I was concerned about radiation over expanders, even though the rad. onc. said he had done it with no problems. I'm sure going through heavy duty chemo made me less willing to endure more surgeries and pain to get new breasts. I had had a lumpectomy that didn't get clear margins and then a port installation surgery (and then needed another surgery to remove the port and then the BMX), so I had had it with surgeries. I wanted to get well as quickly as possible. My husband didn't do so well with me going through all the treatment, so I needed to get better faster for him (we do what we have to do) as well as for myself.

    I have found that the microbead forms are comfortable and getting dressed just takes a little more time. Going flat is very comfortable and gives me more incentive for keeping in shape. I look fine in clothes and both my husband and my daughter (16) are used to seeing my new flat chest. It still feels weird to me not to have breasts, but not weird enough to go through more surgery. I am another one who is waiting to see if I can live without breasts. BTW, I have an enjoyable sex life again. I just wear a pretty cami to cover my still-visible scars. If there were a simpler way to achieve new breasts, I would get them, but so far all the methods seem like way too much time, trouble, possible risk, etc.

    Good luck to you!     

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  • flowerfloosey
    flowerfloosey Member Posts: 54
    edited March 2011

    Thank you for your honest and straightforward post. I am undiagnosed but feel sure by what they have found so far that this will be BC.  I am a DD and my husband has always been a "boob" man. I feel bad for him but he just wants me to do what I need to do to be healthy and alive!! My grandchildren call them my "pillows" and they are comforting to them..they lay their head on them all the time and talk about them. That is what makes me so sad! Their mom has fried eggs after nursing three babies and she was not big to start with.

    I know it will be a big adjustment but I was already talking about prophylactic mx before my mammo showed this. Reduction was a thought but now the radiologist has dx me with "extremely dense breasts" and a 3cm leison which will be biopsied next thurs.

     So, after reading this thread..am more confused. My mom had bilatera mx 20 years ago and has worn her prothesis ever since and not looked back.

    Thank you all for telling your personal stories..it helps so much!

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  • sue50
    sue50 Member Posts: 61
    edited March 2011

    Regarding chest muscles/skin "sticking", my experience with implants was that the muscles that were moved around (to hold the implants) felt really strange during certain motions involving pulling, such as raking leaves, swimming, etc. Not really painful, just kind of unpleasant. 

    I never felt like my skin was stuck to anything. 

    After having both implants removed (they were in for 6 years, until we found tumors hiding under them), the muscles healed or went back to their original places (?) and feel completely normal again. My only tightness is my armpit which I was told would always need stretching to keep it loose due to my radiation treatments. 

    Hope this helps!  --Sue 

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