Skin sensation after BMX and TEs?

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CarolinaAmy
CarolinaAmy Member Posts: 281
edited October 2015 in Breast Reconstruction

Hi ladies,

I'm just beginning my research into my surgical options once I get through chemo. Lumpectomy is a viable option for me, but for some reason (and this surprises me), I'm really putting a lot of thought into BMX. I have triple-negative that was caught on my baseline mammogram, and while I know there's no sure thing, even a few percentage points seems something worth reaching for.

My husband is much less enthusiastic, as he just sees a significantly longer recovery time when I have the option for something less invasive. I, on the other hand, think it's not that much of a difference once you factor in the 5x/week radiation treatments I'd have to have with a lumpectomy.

At any rate, one of the questions I had for the sisters farther down this road was what kind of sensation is left in the skin after a BMX? I imagine it's quite different whether you choose autologous options like DIEP or whether you use TEs/implants, but I wonder what kind of sensation is left externally with any of these options. I also wondered what they 'feel' like during routine daily activities. As much research as I'm doing, I can't seem to really find answers to these questions.

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences about this, and best wishes to all.

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  • ABeautifulSunset
    ABeautifulSunset Member Posts: 990
    edited September 2015

    I can only tell you from my own experience.. Bilateral mx with reconstructive silicone implants. Numb skin...not even just desensitized, but actually numb. Felt so weird I wouldn't let my husband touch them. Also,, they were hard and cold to the touch. I hated that. My skin felt like a dead person. So I had the implants removed and did autologous fat transfer. They are small and kind of ridgy bumpy, not real pretty, but they are soft and warm so I'll take it. It took four surgical procedures that were rough. I wouldnt completely recommend it. Also I removed both breasts as a precation, but my surgeon said I really didnt need to. It was only for piece of mind. I wish I hadn't taken. What I wouldnt give for a real breast today. If your doctor and surgeon are recommending a lumpectomy, I would do that in a heartbeat. That's just my story. Maybe you'll get some more successful BMX ones.

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  • LRFTexan
    LRFTexan Member Posts: 68
    edited September 2015

    Everyone is so different. I had a double mastectomy with tissue expanders and I have feeing in at least 80% of my breasts. It is truly your body and maybe more important how good your surgeons are. I'm not ashamed to say I had the very best. I took pain pills for 48 hours and was 90% back to normal in less than a week. I never second guessed my decision. I only want to fight cancer once

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  • owlwatcher
    owlwatcher Member Posts: 130
    edited September 2015

    I had bilat mx had reconstruction and I am totally numb. my students would bump into me and I couldn't feel it.but I have never second guessed my decision it is was just the right thing for me. each woman is different.

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited September 2015

    I had a lumpectomy and was a little worried about how my treated breast would look. It has a bit of a dent in it, but otherwise it looks pretty normal. It is not noticeably smaller than my healthy breast.

    I had a lumpectomy because I didn't want to do reconstruction. Many women breeze through reconstruction, but many do not and require multiple surgeries. I have twins with autism who need a lot of hands-on parenting. I can't afford to be recovering from multiple surgeries at this point in my life.

    I also wanted to preserve sensation in my breast.

    Finally, BMX is no guarantee that you're done with breast cancer. The outcomes with respect to BMX and lumpectomy + radiation are the same.

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  • ABeautifulSunset
    ABeautifulSunset Member Posts: 990
    edited September 2015

    My surgeons were excellent. Best Los Angeles has to offer... Seriously, I'm not just saying that. It's just that bodies react differently and there is no guarantee how you will heal. LRFTexan, you are very lucky To have healed so nicely.

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  • farmerlucy
    farmerlucy Member Posts: 3,985
    edited September 2015

    I had a BMX 3+ years ago with TEs and then implants. I have a patch of numbness about 2 x 3 inches along the scar. It doesn't bother me at all. The implants under the pecs did bug me for quite a bit but now they just feel like me. I don't remember the old way. I do have the nipple feeling when I get a chill which I think is kind of cool. I have 3-D nipple tattoos from Vinnie. They are the best part of the whole thing.

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  • ABeautifulSunset
    ABeautifulSunset Member Posts: 990
    edited September 2015

    I should add that I did have radiation, which does affect healing on a cellular level and I believe does make a difference in the final aesthetic outcome.

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  • CarolinaAmy
    CarolinaAmy Member Posts: 281
    edited September 2015

    Thank you all so much for your candor and sharing your experiences. I suppose this is one of the things that concerns me most. I realize the whole nipple sensation will be gone, but I'd hate to have 'dead zones' on my body where I feel NOTHING, not even against my skin. And based on what I'm reading, there's no way to tell which way you may go. Grrr.

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  • Elizabethaw
    Elizabethaw Member Posts: 199
    edited September 2015

    I hate to say it, but, yep, there's no way to know what will happen. It's *very* frustrating that you have to make a decision on the basis of not enough information. I had DCIS (left) and LCIS (right), both discovered on my very first mammogram too. Making the decision was tough. There are several threads here about deciding between lumpectomy vs mastectomy.

    I will say that I have pretty good skin sensation post-BMX. I don't have any completely dead patches. There are areas where the skin feels slightly numb, but not completely. Both nipples react to cold and touch, and my left feels pain from hard shower sprays. (TMI, right?) I'm 1.5 years out from BMX, so things may still be changing.

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  • grammakathy
    grammakathy Member Posts: 407
    edited September 2015

    I had a double mastectomy and TEs. On my left cancer side, I feel nothing across the middle, but still feel touch around the edges (MX and SNB were done on that side). My right prophylactic side was done by my PS and no lymph nodes were taken since no cancer was expected (or found by the pathologist). I feel touch around the entire right side breast. I don't have nipples on either side and replaced them with 3D tattooing. I can't say enough about what a difference that last step made in how I feel about my body.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited September 2015

    I would also like to add that the numbness was really weird at first. Actually the armpit numbness bothered me more from the sentinal node removal! But like farmerlucy, at 5 years, it feels "normal" now and I have a hard time remembering anything different. Lumpectomy on left was an option for me. Right side was prophylactic. Absolutely zero regrets. I could not mentally handle being checked every 6 months and going through that stress. I also wanted to , and was able to avoid radiation ( not a guarantee with mastectomy..but more likely).

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  • Trvler
    Trvler Member Posts: 3,159
    edited September 2015

    I can only answer some of your questions but I will. I had a BMX with DIEP recon 4 weeks ago. I had breast implants in 1985. I had numbness for a pretty long time after the implants but had 100% of my sensation back before my BMX. When I was diagnosed, I had 30 year old implants. Everyone but one doctor told me they were likely if not definitely leaking (due to age) although that didn't show on any imaging. Because I had more imaging done of the same breast which showed more areas of cancer, I had more biopsies and one node biopsied. All positive. That made the decision for me. If I had a 1 cm tumor, no implants and lx and rads were an option, I would have done it. I can't comment with respect to triple -. I have numbness but it doesn't bother me. I had skin sparing. If you do decide to have DIEP, please do your research. The doctor you choose is the single most important decision in your outcome, IMO.

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  • Golden01
    Golden01 Member Posts: 916
    edited October 2015

    LOL - I had a BMX with reconstruction four years ago and have essentially no feeling. Sometimes my blouse or top will slip down and my pretty new bras will show. I don't feel anything so never notice unless I happen to look down. I have confided with a couple of women who I work with so they can give me a signal if I'm showing off in a meeting!

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  • CarolinaAmy
    CarolinaAmy Member Posts: 281
    edited October 2015

    Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences. It's so hard making a decision with no way to guess the outcome, but hearing the candid thoughts from women farther along than I am is a great help. Thank you so much.

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  • ABeautifulSunset
    ABeautifulSunset Member Posts: 990
    edited October 2015

    good luck, CarolinaAmy

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