Hi, Sameranah, you posted exactly what I asked my RO last week! I am on number 7 of 20 rads treatments and I am having a hard time with bras and clothes. I am a full cup size smaller on my right side. I was concerned because I had heard revision surgery is hard on radiated skin, but he said everything can be fixed. But, they suggest you wait a year. In the meantime I can go to a "salon" they have at the hospital and get some help with bras. Ughhh, just one more thing! Good luck and i will follow this topic to see if anyone has some good input for ys!

Hello! I was diagnosed in August, had a radical partial mastectomy on left, 12/17 lymph nodes were positive so went back for a second surgery and had all nodes removed from left side. Had a reduction on my right to even out breasts, I was a large D, now somewhere between small C and B. I have 6 months of chemo then 6 weeks of Rad. Scared of the radiation because right now I am very happy with my reduction. Nice to be perky after all the trauma. A good plastic surgeon will be able to correct the size and shape after radiation. Good luck with everything!

Hi, Sahmeranah - I had a partial mastectomy followed by radiation in 2009 and ended up with probably a cup and half size difference between the two breasts. After surgery, my breast did not look so different, but I began to notice shrinkage and other unpleasant changes during radiation. First of all, I visited a mastectomy fitter and got a compensation form to wear in my bras. Then I consulted two plastic surgeons who recommended two very different strategies for regaining symmetry. The plastic surgeon I chose recommended that I wait at least a year to allow the radiated breast to settle. After that year passed, he did a small reduction and lift on my healthy breast. That brought them closer to the same size, but still not quite symmetrical. (I didn't have enough breast volume to allow for much of a reduction.) At that time, the safety of fat grafting was uncertain, so we were reluctant to try that at first. During the year that followed, a large study found that fat grafting after a partial mastectomy or lumpectomy did not increase the risk of recurrence. So I had fat grafting done to help even out the size and smooth a noticeable divot in my treated breast. That was two years post-radiation and I am still very happy with the results. I wish you all the best in your journey!

I always thought I would do the fat grafting, I have so much to give. But the lymphedema on right side stopped that decision due to pain. The right breast was peeled from inside out, about 3/4 taken then surgeon wanted to put me under again and take more due to a close margin. I didn't. Should have had a recent CT or mammogram, not the two month old mammo. So I was screwed. There was also not a "release" for fluid build up in breast and I popped several stitches and had to go in almost daily to have fluid drained with syringe. By the time surgeon said, well... we could put in a drain he also said it was almost over so no sense in a drain now. I thought, no sense, no sense at all, thinking of him in particular. I didn't get feeling back in breast for 5 years. Upper arm for 2 years when it finally shrunk to normalcy. Now there are other issues that stop me from wearing a bra at all, liver lesions, myositis. So I use a scarf around my neck that hangs down over breasts and hides the lopsidedness and bouncing. Well, right one does not bounce. But I am 60. Younger days, it may have been very important to me to find a way to reconstruct.

Now Runor - I didn't know the reason my lumpectomy boob was looking away from me now was because it is still pissed. Now we know.

Sahmeranah:

I know I should have celebrated the one year anniversary. But just a "normal" day. Work/kid, etc. Idk. I wonder if my first anniversary from surgery (2/28) is more the date. That's when the cancer left. But seems everyone here measures by your diagnosis date.

I think I was just so sick of BC -- ugh. Maybe next year I'll feel like celebrating!

Here is my story, which goes quite a long way back so I’ll try to keep it in a Readers Digest version. Not sure if it will help anyone but hopefully it will.

Dx’d in 2005. Left Side- 7 cm. Stage 3, Grafe 3. Triple Negative Tumor. 2 positive lymph nodes out of 9. . All I wanted to do was focus on getting that bad boy out of me. Never thought about reconstruction. After several chemos, mastectomy, more chemo, then rads....my oncologist felt like I could stop. Then after genetic testing and BRCA 1+, we decided one year later to take the other breast. (Thank God because they found pre-cancer cells floating around). We tried doing recon on that breast at that time but I wanted bilateral DIEP and my surgeon decided I should have unilateral LAT flap. (The day of surgery!!!) Got an infection with my LAT and implant. Hated whole recon experience. So I never went back. Did not even think about reconstruction for over 10 years. I was fine living years with a prosthetic. No one ever knew. I was just SO HAPPY to be cancer free and not think about it. I turned 60 this year. Decided this is the time to do it. Cancer is behind me so i can just focus on recon. It’s a commitment. It will be a full year by the time it’s completely finished. But I will have a brand new body, one that I can can finally be proud of. And new bras!!!!! Not mastectomy bras!!! Exciting!!!!

I switched my PS from the initial double DIEP to Stage 2 and LOVE my new doc. I had NOTHING but burned, irradiated tissue on my left side and a saggy old implant on my right. Now I have two breasts with my own tissue, so they are perky but feel real. Not squishy or hard implants. Plus lots of liposuction for fat grafting - no more fat on my tummy or flanks and hopefully legs and thighs. When I’m all healed, i’ll probably have the best body I’ve ever had, even I’m my 20’s!

My advice if you can.....focus on healing your body from cancer. Go though rads before you try to reconstruct. Let your body and ESPECIALLY your mind, heal from all of that. Put your mind at ease when you go into reconstruction so you can focus on giving it your all. And do your research finding the best doctor. If you are not happy, switch. Travel if you must. My husband keeps saying, “isn’t it good enough??” (Which was not good at all after stage one-two different sizes and shapes and I did not care for my first doc’s approach). I said, “if l’m going to finally do this after 12 years, I’ll go all the way until I get it right!”. Remember.....We are tough just to get through cancer and all of this painful reconstruction. It IS scary. It IS painful. Anyone who says it’s not is very licky indeed! So anything else they throw at us is a walk in the park!!!

Good luck to you. You will get through this and it will all be a distant memory!! Sending much love and positive healing thoughts. ❤️❤️❤️