No reconstruction- am I crazy?

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  • Erica3681
    Erica3681 Member Posts: 1,916
    edited September 2016

    Hi Leslie,

    I appreciate your supportive attitude toward your patients who choose not to have reconstruction. I just want to say, though, that while the scars from a mastectomy without reconstruction can be long, they are not always "large." My bilateral mastectomy (by a wonderful surgeon at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston) left me with one extremely thin scar on each breast and no dog ears. Now, ten years out from surgery, they are virtually invisible and have been for a long time.

    I do agree with you that it can be helpful to consult a plastic surgeon before deciding what to do. I did that and it reinforced my feeling that reconstruction wasn't right for me.

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  • Reina_de_los_changos
    Reina_de_los_changos Member Posts: 27
    edited November 2016

    Hi,

    I had a unilateral mastectomy on 9/9/16, and decided not to have reconstruction. I asked my doctor if it could still be done though if I changed my mind down the line. He said yes. I'm eight weeks out now, and still do not plan to have reconstruction. I have a Knotted Knocker and a foam prothesis that I wear inside my bra. My mom made pouches inside my bra to hold the prothesis that work really well. I do plan to get a gel breast form as well, but I want my body to heal a bit more. I'm also going though chemo right now, so usually I could care less about buying a new breast! ;) For me, I didn't want to deal with another surgery, plus have something foreign inside my body. It's awkward and an adjustment, but it works for me.

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