Double Mas. with Recon! Help!

SherryStrong,

We are all different in how we feel about losing our breasts. I was 56 when diagnosed.

I, personally, was happy to see them go as I always hated being over endowed with the attendant neck, shoulder and back problems. The mastectomies were not extremely painful.  As a matter of fact, they caused me less pain than when I recovered from my excisional biospy and had the weight of the breast pulling on the incision.

Exercising to regain mobility and strength is crucial to the recovery process after mastectomies.

I did not do immediated reconstruction.  I took my time in healing from the mastectomies (modified radical with SNB on the right (cancer side) and simple on the left).  Many of the complaints (pain, numbness, "iron bra" feeling) heard about immediate reconstruction are actually the results of the mastectomies and not the placement of the tissue expanders at the time of the mastectomy.

I decided to do reconstruction two years after my left side mastectomy (2 1/2 years right side).  I decided to go the tissue expander/silicone implant route. I had no problems with the two surgeries (TE placments and exchange) and the whole process - TE surgery, fills, exchange - was relatively painfree.  The most painful was the TE placements as it invoved manipulation the pec muscles.  I had the pain of "pulled" musles for several days after the surgery.

Fills gave me the feeling of tightness for less than 24 hours. No pain.  Exchange was a breeze.

I feel my good experience with the reconstruction was because I was completely healed from the mastectomies and had regained strenght and flexibility in my upper body.

I am 2 1/2 years out from my exchange and loved my "foobs" and feel that they are superior to the original equipment.  They don't cause me pain 28 out of 30 days a month, don't kill my shoulders and neck hauling them around, and I never have to wear a bra.

I realize my experience and comments are from one end of the experience spectrum, but I know there are others like me that exist.  Many have moved on from these boards and don't post anymore.

SherryStrong76 - a year ago I was dx'd with DCIS and IDC. I was offered a lumpectomy with rads, but thanks to my history, I decided on a BMX (bilateral mastectomy) with immediate reconstruction.

In December I had my BMX with TEs (tissue expanders), and due to my stupidity in refusing to take the pain meds, I was way more uncomfortable than I needed to be. Once I had that under control, though, I was fine. I was filled to 620ccs in five visits. Then I made the decision to wait for exchange, so I could lose weight.

Two weeks ago, I had my exchange to permanent saline implants. Overall, I am very happy. My Original Girls were 38DDD, heavy, dense, droopy, fibrocystic, and hung to my waist. I am thrilled that I have these cute new ones, AND that because of my decision to go the BMX route, have reduced my risk of recurrence to a very tiny percentage.