DCIS in both breasts

Hi SuziQ-

Sorry to hear that you have joined this club. I had a BMX about a year ago, it is doable, but the flap recovery time is definitely pretty tough.  I chose a local surgeon who was probably less experienced than he should have been (although he was supposedly the best at my National Cancer Institute Hospital) and had a lot of problems that I have had to have 4 subsequent surgeries to fix up.

I know this is a sensitive topic on the boards, but did your PS give you options beyond pedicled TRAM flap (where both 6-pack or rectus muscles are taken from the abdomen), such as free TRAM (where they just take a cuff of muscle from the abdomen) or DIEP (like a TRAM except no muscle is taken). The reason I bring it up is that I had a free TRAM where only a small amount of muscle was taken from the rectus "6 pack" muscle, but since then I definitely have some weakness in the abdomen and also had problems with a big poochy belly that I had to get fixed at another revision. I have heard that problems with hernias, etc are much more common with the pedicled and free TRAMs b/c they take some of our core muscles out.

It might be worth finding out a little more about why your doc is recommending pedicled TRAM (where the entire rectus muscle is taken from both sides) over another procedure that would be muscle sparing. There are definitely reasons why docs will recommend the muscle-taking procedures, and there are definitely women who are happy with those procedures, but there are many women who have had muscle sparing procedures with great results. Since you have a little time until your surgery, it may be worth checking out some of the threads in the breast reconstruction forum and just finding out a bit more info from your doctor about why that particular recommendation was made for you.

This is a tough, scary time, but you will make it through. I am a year out from diagnosis and on Friday will be my 1 year post BMX, and it does get better with time I have found.  (((hugs))) 

I was diagnosed in both breasts, one in 09/07, the second in 11/07.  I had to undergo several lumpectomies on each side to get clear margins and even with ADH at the margins my doctors left the mastectomy vs. radiation question up to me.  After several stress filled months I ultimately decided on 6 weeks of radiation on both breasts + Tamoxifen.  I finished radiation in May 2008 and everything has been fine during follow-up tests. 

I had 3 maternal aunts with BC but when I took the BRCA test I was negative.  I feel comfortable with my decision which is exactly what each of us ultimately needs to be.

Hope your procedure goes well.

SuzieQok - glad to hear that recovery is going well for you after BMX. Your update gives me encouragement!