boob shrinkage :(
I'm big chested to begin with, had a large lumpectomy for DCiS (6cm x 4cm x 2cm) basically the size of a bar of soap. At first I didn't see any difference between the two. Went on to rads. Had the normal/typical side effects. Healed. About a month or so ago I felt like my irradiated breast felt smaller. Looked in the mirror, sure enough it's noticeably smaller. I'd say by a cup size, easy, maybe more. I can also tell in my bra that right side is looser.
Will this stop or will it shrink up more? Is this from radiation or lumpectomy? Can I get a breast reduction on the other side to match this one? I can tell in clothes there is a difference but I don't think other people can.
I don't know why this makes me so sad but it does.
Comments
-
This really scares me. I am suppose to have radiation on my DIEP boobs starting in April after my lumpectomy. Cancer Part II. I am terrified my boob that is already smaller will shrink.
Has your doctor mentioned fat graphing to fill it? I know NOLA did that quite a bit to even out after DIEP and wonder if they can do it for radiation shrinkage. Hoping people weigh in and give you ( me) some answers that encourage.
-
CAMommy - Your story sounds so familiar to me! I understand the sadness you feel and I want you to know that there is hope. I had a partial mastectomy with the main specimen measuring 10cm X 4cm X 2cm plus six additional margins were removed, for a total of ~ 90 cubic centimeters. I am a petite person with average sized breasts (34 small D), but my breast surgeon removed a huge chunk of tissue. I literally watched my breast shrink week after week and finally got fitted for a compensation form to wear in my bra. My radiated breast was a little more than a cup size smaller than the healthy breast. I also consulted with a couple of plastic surgeons. My surgeon suggested that I wait until a year after radiation before having anything done so that things could settle. I ended up having a small reduction and lift on my opposite breast and two rounds of fat grafting to fill out the cancer breast. My insurance covered all of the corrective work as reconstruction. I am extremely pleased with my results. My breasts now are somewhat smaller and higher than they were before and I still wear the same bra size, I just have the straps adjusted shorter now. Maybe you could consult a couple of plastic surgeons about the best way to regain symmetry. You have the right to undergo reconstruction if you so choose.
Categories
- All Categories
- 679 Advocacy and Fund-Raising
- 289 Advocacy
- 68 I've Donated to Breastcancer.org in honor of....
- Test
- 322 Walks, Runs and Fundraising Events for Breastcancer.org
- 5.6K Community Connections
- 282 Middle Age 40-60(ish) Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 53 Australians and New Zealanders Affected by Breast Cancer
- 208 Black Women or Men With Breast Cancer
- 684 Canadians Affected by Breast Cancer
- 1.5K Caring for Someone with Breast cancer
- 455 Caring for Someone with Stage IV or Mets
- 260 High Risk of Recurrence or Second Breast Cancer
- 22 International, Non-English Speakers With Breast Cancer
- 16 Latinas/Hispanics With Breast Cancer
- 189 LGBTQA+ With Breast Cancer
- 152 May Their Memory Live On
- 85 Member Matchup & Virtual Support Meetups
- 375 Members by Location
- 291 Older Than 60 Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 177 Singles With Breast Cancer
- 869 Young With Breast Cancer
- 50.4K Connecting With Others Who Have a Similar Diagnosis
- 204 Breast Cancer with Another Diagnosis or Comorbidity
- 4K DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)
- 79 DCIS plus HER2-positive Microinvasion
- 529 Genetic Testing
- 2.2K HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer
- 1.5K IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)
- 3.4K IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)
- 1.5K ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma)
- 999 Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis
- 652 LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma In Situ)
- 193 Less Common Types of Breast Cancer
- 252 Male Breast Cancer
- 86 Mixed Type Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned
- 189 Palliative Therapy/Hospice Care
- 488 Second or Third Breast Cancer
- 1.2K Stage I Breast Cancer
- 313 Stage II Breast Cancer
- 3.8K Stage III Breast Cancer
- 2.5K Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
- 13.1K Day-to-Day Matters
- 132 All things COVID-19 or coronavirus
- 87 BCO Free-Cycle: Give or Trade Items Related to Breast Cancer
- 5.9K Clinical Trials, Research News, Podcasts, and Study Results
- 86 Coping with Holidays, Special Days and Anniversaries
- 828 Employment, Insurance, and Other Financial Issues
- 101 Family and Family Planning Matters
- Family Issues for Those Who Have Breast Cancer
- 26 Furry friends
- 1.8K Humor and Games
- 1.6K Mental Health: Because Cancer Doesn't Just Affect Your Breasts
- 706 Recipe Swap for Healthy Living
- 704 Recommend Your Resources
- 171 Sex & Relationship Matters
- 9 The Political Corner
- 874 Working on Your Fitness
- 4.5K Moving On & Finding Inspiration After Breast Cancer
- 394 Bonded by Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Life After Breast Cancer
- 806 Prayers and Spiritual Support
- 285 Who or What Inspires You?
- 28.7K Not Diagnosed But Concerned
- 1K Benign Breast Conditions
- 2.3K High Risk for Breast Cancer
- 18K Not Diagnosed But Worried
- 7.4K Waiting for Test Results
- 603 Site News and Announcements
- 560 Comments, Suggestions, Feature Requests
- 39 Mod Announcements, Breastcancer.org News, Blog Entries, Podcasts
- 4 Survey, Interview and Participant Requests: Need your Help!
- 61.9K Tests, Treatments & Side Effects
- 586 Alternative Medicine
- 255 Bone Health and Bone Loss
- 11.4K Breast Reconstruction
- 7.9K Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 2.7K Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment
- 775 Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results
- 7.8K Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 50 Immunotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 7.4K Just Diagnosed
- 1.4K Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy
- 5.2K Lymphedema
- 3.6K Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment
- 591 Pain
- 3.9K Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 8.4K Surgery - Before, During, and After
- 109 Welcome to Breastcancer.org
- 98 Acknowledging and honoring our Community
- 11 Info & Resources for New Patients & Members From the Team