The Flat Look Vs Prosthesis (with Pics)

For bathing suits: buy what you like (I like tankini tops) and then CUT OUT the foam and shaped inserts and all the elastic binding. The top will fit smooth and lie flat on your chest without stupid bumps and bulges. I stayed in a 5-star resort for my DD's wedding and strutted around the pool like I had the best pair out there!

OK, so I guess I never let anyone know about my appt.

For now, they stay. I have alot of scar tissue according to my LE PTO.We were working on it for an hr today and have ALOT more to do, but NO<<<NO GAIN.

Here's the funny<<< standing still, they are almost in the same place BUT if I lift my arms, the right one goes up 2 inches. PS said, it might be in the pocket wrong. OK, so now what???

Right now, girls are staying put, well as long as I don't raise my arms to high... LOL

I didn't go to big anyways (1350 each side removed, replaced with 210 each). I need to work on my scar tissue before I do anything else including fix ups (shouldn't have any of them!!! right??)

I see my BS in about 6 wks, I'll see what she says then. I need to ask her about my newly developed nipple and not just have it passed off as an "oh well" by my PS. He said "If I could get all my rad patients in the same room, it would be the same answer (story)". We aren't ALL the same, BUT we all worry the same!!!

*nor*

You look great without the prothesis. I am just diagnosed. I am doing chemo first and do not want reconstruction. I like the flat look. If you look good, embrace the freedom!

Pam

OMG LindaLou!!!! I have been looking at this site for over 3 1/2 YEARS and this is the first time I noticed you are wearing a compression sleeve!!! You carry that with grace!

Black is sexy!! I hear they come in all types of prints and colours. I've dodged that bullet as I "only" have truncal LE.

I am going to have both my implants removed after having them two full years due to chronic infection in the right breast (my non cancer breast) am and concerned about how I will look.  I have severe ld in my left arm and appreciate that anything restrictive around my trunk makes it worse. I haven't ever had to consider Prosthesis but may want to.  I'm all for confort.......Thanks, Pat

I just found this thread and appreciate your photos and information so much, LindaLou53. I've been 'flat' for about a month now and am comfortable with that.

 Can anyone help me figure out this minor wardrobe issue? Now that my breasts are gone, I can see that my tummy is not that flat. (Not flat at all, lol) When I wear my old t-shirts, they are too big on top, so they hang loosely. Without my breasts, I look basically like a square -- very masculine. If I wear a more fitted shirt that is more snug against my upper chest, that looks a little more feminine because I have a waist -- but then it's snug on my tummy, and I don't like the stretched-over-the-jelly-belly look (on me) very much.

 What kind of shirt can I get (or what shape of t-shirt) that will be somewhat shaped in terms of giving me a waist, but neither really wide and roomy and square (with the lack of breasts) or too tight on the tummy? Are there any cuts that are more -- pyramid shaped? lol.

Also, if you have reasonably presentable shoulders and arms, a sleeveless top with a circular yoke looks nice and has the pyramid shape you mention. 

Patweaver12, I developed truncal lymphedema after I had implant reconstruction in 2008. I also developed capsular contracture in my right implant, and the pectoral muscle was torn as well. My left implant had begun to develop capsular contracture as well. I was experiencing severe pain and tried different kinds of PT and myofascial release. However, I couldn't get relief from the pain and decided to deconstruct and have my implants removed in April 2011. I didn't know at the time my pectoral muscle was torn, so no type of therapy would have been the answer. My surgeon removed the capsules and the implants and tacked the muscle back to the chest wall. My right pectoral was permanently damaged, but the surgeon did her best to mend and tack it back to chest wall.




Because of my truncal LE, the surgeon didn't want to extend the incisions further to the sides of my chest since it would create more scarring that would block the path I had been using to do manual lymphatic drainage. Instead, she did two inch incisions closer to the sternum, but this didn't allow her to take as much loose skin - I had wanted to be as neat and tidy as possible. She suggested that taking too much skin could be a negative since over the following six months the skin and muscle would shrink and retract. Boy, was she right! I still have a little bit of loose skin, but when I raise my arms above my head or shoulder height, it disappears. I have complete range of motion and no skin or muscle adhesions.




The one thing my surgeon prepared me for, was that my ribs were going to be concave from the expanders and implants. They indeed are, but I think it looks better than immediately after surgery. My surgeon said to allow six months to see how I would look, but I noticed changes occurring even at the one-year mark. I think I have finally settled into my new look. Now I just want to work on toning and gently exercising areas that I couldn't due to the pain. I not only have truncal LE, but it is now in my right arm somewhat, so any exercise I do will require a very slow progression to prevent exacerbating. The upside of deconstructing is that it has been easier to find compression tops for my chest, and when I do MLD I have a better sense of what I am doing since I don't feel as numb as before. By the way, because of my LE, I also wanted certain precautions taken during surgery so it didn't make my condition worse. If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me.




I consider my deconstruction and implant removal a success. It was an emotional as well as physical process. My primary goal was relief from pain and to feel comfortable in my own body again. From diagnosis to total recovery (well, except for dealing with new LE in arm) it has been a long five years! I never regret deconstructing, and I have never worn forms or padding since my surgery, and I don't think I ever will. I have been able to find clothing that (I think) looks great and makes me feel confident. Might take a little more creativity than someone who is completely smooth and flat, but I have noticed that we all seem to have similar strategies for the kinds of tops that flatter a flat chest.

Sandyflats, for the summer I'm finding that peasant tops work out really well.  I bought some at Kohl's earlier in the season that even came with little cotton knit camis that went underneath.  If you have a Kohl's nearby you might find some of those on clearance.  

I think long sleeve peasant shirts would be good during the cooler weather so I'm going to keep an eye out for those.

Patweaver, I have some LE issues (mild, thankfully) that are made way worse if I wear a bra or any other kind of tight band. I live in Greece where going flat would be a huge deal. So I have sewn the front end of a MX bra into some close-fitting tanks. I wear light-weight fluff foobs in them and it works fine for me for the tme being anyway.

Annie, I work(ed) in front of the public selling, too, and if they were looking at my breasts, then I wasn't doing a very good job!! I went flat from day one and kept almost all my professional clothes the same. I doubt anyone noticed. It's not like I flash cleavage to get the sale (like some sales ladies I know!! - young things...sigh). If you carry yourself as you did before, there is no reason for anyone to realize. I was a 42D and went dead flat and people that worked with me later (not during the surgery time) didn't realize what I had been through.

{{{{{{{{{{{{ Debbie }}}}}}}}}}}}}