Thinking of being flat

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raysnbucs
raysnbucs Member Posts: 74
edited June 2014 in Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy

The more I think about it, the less I want to deal with other surgeries after I have my BMx. I mean, does it really matter, a set of C cups is not hat defines who I am, it's my personality. Besides, I had already talked about just being an A if I did go though with it. But then that is about all I have in fat to work with anyways is an A. I know there are other women out there who desided to go flat, I want to hear from you on why you made that choice. For me, I suppose it's all about wanting to be as close as I can to how God made me. 

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  • katiekabooom
    katiekabooom Member Posts: 48
    edited May 2013

    i have also decided against reconstruction.  i simply do not want anything in that area that might interfer with my ability to know exactly what is going on in that area.  I also do not want to spend the rest of my life working around cycles of managing implants.  And then, there's the wonderful idea of spending the rest of my life not needing a bra :-))

    (i am a 36DD now, and will hopefully be entirely flat once done on the 28th)

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  • Outfield
    Outfield Member Posts: 1,109
    edited May 2013

    raysnbucs,

    We answer this question a lot on the "rant" thread because you are sure not the first person to ask it!  I hope I remember them all, but these were my reasons for not reconstructing after my bilateral mastectomy:

    1) No more surgery than medically necessary

    2) No cannibalization of other parts of my body to create a breast.  I'm a multi-sport athlete, and my muscles are important to me.

    3) No foreign objects - the idea of implants creeps me out

    4) As Katiekaboo mentioned, nothing in the way of examining my chest wall.  

    5) Reconstructed breasts in any form couldn't give me back nipple sensation, which I do miss a lot

    Breasts never defined me.  I am happy about being flat.  It's nice to have no need for a bra, and I have found ways of dressing that I think look good while neither purposefully hiding or calling attention to my flatness.  I realize that my decision was mine alone, for some women reconstruction is very important to them.  

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  • indenial
    indenial Member Posts: 504
    edited May 2013

    I never even considered reconstruction, it was never an option in my mind. Outfield's list covers most of my reasons. I think my biggest one is just not being comfortable having anything fake/foreign/man-made as part of my body -- not just having implants (which totally freaks me out, to be perfectly honest!) but also just having my body artificially... sculpted? Can't think of quite the right word. I guess like you said, just being closest to how God made me. Another big reason is not wanting to have any extra surgeries -- extra risks, extra time away from my family, more pain, more complications, etc. 

    My breasts were never particularly important to me appearance-wise... I had nice breasts, they looked great in some clothes, but other times I was frustrated with not being able to wear certain clothes because they didn't look right with my relatively large-ish chest. Plus they got in the way, and I hated wearing a bra. For me the real value of my breasts was being able to breastfeed. If I couldn't have breasts that would allow me to nurse my children, feel sensation, etc. then I just didn't see the point of having fake ones. They would be purely for others' benefit, just to look at. That's not me, and I was not willing to go through the extra surgeries just to look good for someone else. I am who I am, take me as I am. 

    And there is a very very personal reason too that I'm not sure I've ever shared and I'm a bit reluctant to, I've never heard anyone else have this reason... I was sexually abused and my breasts were one target of that abuse. It was very emotionally freeing to know that without breasts, no one could hurt me that way ever again. I don't know if this is a "good" reason or a "crazy" one but I had enough other reasons not to reconstruct that I don't spend much time trying to figure it out. 

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  • coraleliz
    coraleliz Member Posts: 1,523
    edited May 2013

    Outfield's post sums up my reasons pretty well. I'd have to add, never, ever, having to have another mamogram or biopsy again! I'm 2+ years out & have returned to my athletic ways. I comfortable both physically & with my appearance. I have no regrets about not reconstructing.

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