Hi everyone!

My MO asked today if my surgeon placed a pin on the tumor when he did the biopsy. I have no idea if he did or not. Is this a standard procedure? Anyway, the MO said since the tumor has shrunk, without a pin it will be difficult to find during surgery. It is no longer felt by touch, but I assume perhaps it will still show on ultrasound. I haven't had any follow-up scans yet. Does anyone have any similar experiences? I don't know what to think.

My surgeons and radiologists have always placed a marker after both core and excision biopsy, for benign and malignant findings. Are you sure they did place one? I'm sorry

Hi LIz!

Welcome! You may want to check out our forum on Breast Reconstruction for answers to some of your questions regarding DIEP. Lots of good info there, and members who can offer some insight: https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/44.

Best of luck on your upcoming surgery!

The Mods

I'm going to be finishing my final chemo on 2/21, and looking at BMX with DIEP reconstruction sometime in late March. That is, if I can "persuade" my plastic surgeon to perform the DIEP surgery.

For some reason, even though I'm a great candidate for the procedure, she is doing everything in her power to disuade me from it, and trying to get me to go with implants. She doesn't seem to understand how much I despise the thought of implants. The only reason I can think of is that she looks at my triple negative status, and (wrongly) thinks I'm a dead woman walking. She seemed shocked when I told her I wanted my port removed before surgery. She seemed to think (again wrongly) that I'm destined to have a reoccurrence. Even if I was, it's not her call to make as to which surgery I "get" to choose. As long as I'm medically qualified I am the one who chooses which surgery I want for my body.

I'd switch surgeons, but she's one of only two plastic surgeons at my major cancer center who perform the procedure and will accept my very good private insurance. Urghhh. Not what I need to be dealing with right now.

As far as having the surgery goes, I was always more afraid of the chemo. I figure if I can do twenty weeks of vile chemo I can do twelve hours of surgery, five days in the hospital, and four plus weeks of recovery. I just want it done, so I can try to get on with my life.

Sorry for the long rant. I just needed to get it off my chest.

Good luck to everyone having their surgery next month. It's one more step on the road to recovery from this horrible disease.

Trish

We're a lot a like!! I'm also doing the DIEP Flap too. Mines scheduled for March 8. I finished my last round of chemo on 1/19/16. I came back to work this week and I'll go back out March 7 for surgery prep. Not sure why your surgeon would try to get you to do something you don't want to do but you're right it's your body and your decisions! Peace is right I'd rather have a one and done vs going back again and again for expanders. I want it all over with as fast as I can!

Plantchild and all, thank you for being here. I am scheduled for a March 10 lumpectomy & sentinel node ectomy. Really appreciate everyone's input. This is a new land for me.

Hi, I will be having surgery too March 20th. When I was first diagnosed in 2013 I had a mastectomy with immediate reconstruction tissue expander then implant and nipple reconstruction. Everything went well. Had a pain ball inserted in mastectomy to administer pain medication. Did AC+T chemo. Got through it all just fine. Fast forward to Sept 2016 cancer is back in the chest wall. Just finished radiation today. Finish chemo on Monday. My case is not typical in fact it is really rare. My tumor is wrapped around the brachial plexus nerve that controls your arm and shoulder. The only way to remove my tumor is to remove parts of ribs #2-5 and amputate my arm at shoulder. I will have a petscan March 14 and mri March 16 if cancer is still contained and hasn't spread my surgery will be March 20th. Needless to say I'm scared to death but staying positive that the surgery eradicates the disease.

I wish you all good luck in the decisions you choose for reconstruction and a fast recovery.

BellasMomToo, I am having my unilateral mastectomy on 3/27 without reconstruction, too. I am also in Ca. This is my second fight with BC. The radiologists say cancer but 3 biopsies show nothing, so I say "get rid off it!, don't need it! How are you coping

Hello, all.

I will be joining you all for a March surgery on 3/17 for re-insertion of TE on the right side subsequent to removal due to infection. My original NSBMX was done in April, 2016 and through a series of Lemony Snickett Unfortunate Events, the right TE was removed at the end of May, 2016 due to a fairly rare infection (and I do mean RARE, so please don't let my situation freak you out.) I will also be having a salpingo-oophorectomy to remove my ovaries and fallopian tubes due to a positive genetic marker for an increase risk of ovarian cancer.

By my 3/17 surgery it will be over 11 months since my original surgery date so hopefully I'll be able to breeze through this re-insertion and then eventual implant replacement and have this all behind me.

DiV, I'm so sorry to hear of your rare occurrence. Is there any chance that the petscan on 3/16 will show that the surgery does not need to be so extensive?? Please know you'll be in my thoughts.

Hi Peace-

It sounds like you have a lot of decisions coming up. I had a bmx in December, with spacer put in place while I do radiation. I'm not sure about the DIEP flap, that wasn't something my plastic surgeon talked about. He said we would only look at that possibility if my skin doesn't do well during radiation. So far so good. I am thinking about the nippple reconstruction also. I was talking to my husband and I think we've decided that the tattoo is the best option. It's one less time to go under for a surgery. Plus you will not have any sensation in the reconstructed nipple, so I think it would be a weird skin tag kind of. IDK just my opinion. The 3D tattoos look pretty outstanding!

I am having bmx 2/28. I am going to the hospital to me fitted for a mastectomy camisole. They said insurance will pay for two. It will have pockets for the drains. My hospital has a shop in the cancer wing that sells them. You may try asking at hospital or your surgeon. You can also by online. I have also purchased some inexpensive bras that have front closures.

I am having the DIEP as well. Good luck.

Hi ladies,

I'm getting my LMX and bi-recon March 10th. So happy to finally have a date. It was supposed to be in January, but got pushed out due to complications from my hysterectomy. I already had an RMX back in July, and finished chemo November 4th. Sorry you have to be in the BC club but glad I have you ladies for support and to learn from. I was a pro with the chemo (researched it like crazy) but I still have so much to learn about this upcoming surgery.

Diagnosed 8/29/16 with IDC, Triple Negative. Did 4 rounds of AC and 12 weeks Taxol..completed my last chemo 2/6/17...will have surgery on Mar 2nd...lumpectomy and lymph node removal. Little anxious about surgery but more worried about pathology results, just gotta stay positive and pray for good news.

Chickensandgoats ...When I.had my biopsy, they did place a marker inside my breast. I will.have surgery Mar 2nd and was told that I will go to radiology first, they will locate marker and attach a wire to it...this will help in guiding the surgeon.

Thanks so much for creating this post. I'm having a mastectomy on March 1st and go back and forth from feeling okay to overwhelmed with emotion. This is my first post and also looking for support. I found out about the diagnosis about a month ago and have not had other treatment. Just gearing up for getting all loose ends tied up before being out of work, etc. I have three kids and getting them all situated to be overnight elsewhere the night before the surgery. Finally settled that last night and feel a bit of weight lifted.