Reconstruction or Not after single mastectomy when Stage 4

eicats,

I had a single mastectomy in 2007 on the right side. I chose not to reconstruct, as I wanted to heal quickly and get back to being a Mom. Because I had radiation, any reconstruction would have been yet another procedure, and the healing would have been compromised by radiation thickened skin.

Haven't regretted it for a moment. I don't wear a prosthesis. I do avoid knit tops, as they cling. If someone notices and wants to talk about it, I take it as a chance to educate them about breast cancer.

It helps that I wasn't large breasted, so the lack of symmetry isn't as obvious as it would be for a more endowed woman. If I had to do it all over again, I'd would have had a double mastectomy with no reconstruction. I would love not to have to wear a bra ever again.

Just my small data point. The real answer is that you should do whatever your heart wants. Its your body. The only caveat is that at Stage 4, you might want to reduce surgical stress to your body whenever you can.

Best of luck.

I planned to do a DIEP recon and reduction after my single MX. I am DD large-breasted and was looking forward to having a smaller profile. Unfortunately, we discovered the metastasis, and that took precedence. I don't imagine I will ever be happy to set aside treatment to allow for reconstruction surgery even if I get to NEAD.

Luckily, my surgical incisions sprain open and we had to do emergency surgery to combat potential infection, which meant that I could have them remove the expander. It was quite uncomfortable and I would not be happy leaving it in indefinitely.

I have a silicone prosthesis and a polyfill stuffed knitted knocker. I wear one or the other depending on what I'm doing on a given day. I usually wear the silicone if I'm leaving the house, and use the knitted knocker at home or when exercising. I sew a lot and all my life have used my left chest as a pincushion area. I worry that I will poke the silicone and spring a leak! It turns out the knitted knocker makes a great pin cushion! Neither are as uncomfortable as I expected them to be. It did take some getting used to, but within a couple months I kind of had my system down.

Just my two sense, of course. My decisions are no doubt shaded by the fact that my doctors do not have a lot of hope that we will find long-acting treatments that are effective for my largely unresponsive cancer. I'm not interested in 2 months or more of recovery given the short timeline I may be on. I have other things to do!

I am going through the final stages of getting approved for a unilateral mastectomy on my left side now and I am not a candidate for reconstruction. I can not have tissue expanders since I have brain mets and require MRIs every 2 months (aka no metal). Plus I don't want to put my body through any more than I have to and I personally do not like the idea of a foreign substance, like a breast implant in me.

I know it will be very different, but I already have to wear a prosthetic on my left side because it shrank so drastically simply due to treatment, so I am already used to the concept. I am about an A-B on my left side and a D on my right. It is weird because they used to both be perfectly matching Ds.

I am also single and not looking to date, so I don't care what it looks like underneath. I am most concerned about making being totally flat on one side and a D on the other work in bathing suits. But when there is a will, there is a way....

It probably helps that I am totally not a swimmer. I now have an ironclad excuse for never putting on a bathing suit ever again! The silver lining.