No News Is Bad News

[dayspring39]

So much to think about Mitch... I think your doctor is right... wait!

All I can offer is my prayers and I do pray for you each morning and when I think of it through out the day...

My chest has been a double now triple D forever... my 14 year old granddaughter is larger than I am... she will have problems for sure... the positive thing I think of is not being chafed and having to put special powder under them... baby powder started to irritate...

oops just thought of another... no more dreaded sagging to the floor! But geezzzee your boobs will be forever young as the rest of the body wrinkles up!

Take care you are loved by so many...
Kathleen

[BirdbyBird]

Kathleen, hopefully your grand daughter may be able to get a breast reduction. I worked with several women that had had one. Some when they were younger and a couple while in their 50's and started to have more and more back problems..... There are more options available for young women these days.....

[Sandersmr]

..
Yesterday, the surgeon said some women opt to have reconstruction at a later date (as late as several years, if I recall correctly.) Others opt to have the reconstruction at the same time as mastectomy surgery.

IF I go with reconstruction, I would choose at the same time. I would not want to look forward to a second surgery (and have to impose on my friends YET AGAIN...).

I'm trying to find pictures of women with NO reconstruction...

..

My sister had the TRAM reconstruction at the time of her double mastectomy (TRAM = trans-rectal abdominal muscle) where the use the muscles from the abdomen. She said she knew all those crunches all those years would come in handy - gave her perky boobs!

[sharon]

Just left surgeon's office. Boobies are coming off next Thursday. No reconstruction (for now...maybe never).

The 12th or the 19th??

[dayspring39]

Tina, Thanks for commenting... my daughter Jackie has talked about it but my advice to her was to wait until she is fully grown... in my mind it would not be good to do a reduction before that... but not my choice...
Kathleen

[rvgrammy1953]

Time to call for my mammogram right now.

AMEN, sister. Everyone!

Mammogram and a PAP....even at 60 yrs. I still have one every other year...haven't had a cervix since 1977....

[BarbaraRose]

Mitch, what changed your mind about the reconstruction? Are you gonna get a tattoo instead? Just curious...

[mitch5252]

..
Okay, I'll give writing it down a shot:

Recovery is much longer.

IF it's bad cancer and I need chemo/radiation, we don't want to add an infected boob to the mix with a run-down immune system. Then the implant would have to come out and we're back to square one.

Reconstruction at the time of mastectomy is about (give or take) a year-long process, what with having to stretch the skin and going in like once a month (a week? don't remember) to have it blown up more. Then that has to heal. Then the implant put in. Then the nipples put on. That sounded like a major UGH to me.

Doc said, based on what I have said to him, I might be better served "living without breasts" for a while, see how I like it - I might just like it a lot. I can have a prosthetic bra made and can wear it or not, as suits the occasion. Insurance has to pay for reconstruction, no matter how far into the future it is. It's a Federal law.

That's all I remember for now. It's been a LONG day. I was up at 3:00 this morning. Phyllie asked me what I was doing writing email at 3:00, and I replied that it's kinda hard to sleep with those little cancer bastards swimming around in your boob.

I feel a crying jag coming on. Feeling overwhelmed.

..

[judi]

Cry if you need to - get all that negative stuff out. You are on the path to recovery! The anticipation of this kind of surgery must be difficult, but remember all your friends here.

[BirdbyBird]

blubber away. When did we "grow up" and decide we shouldn't just grab a box of tissues and cry? I know that one of us on here will screw up on something tomorrow, you will catch us.... and we will be able to hear the laughter again.

[Bethers]

Omg, I'm going to open a bottle of wine so I can blubber with you. You know it won't take me much or long. And I don't want you blubbering alone.

Now tomorrow when I'm unable to move, you'll be able to laugh and laugh. And laughter is the best medicine.

As an always flat chested woman, boobies are totally overrated.

[Redwahine]

I'm holding my glass of wine and a box of Kleenex. Big boobies, little boobies, new boobies, no boobies. We all the have (or had) them. It is very up close and personal for you and for all of us. We drink with you, cry with you and laugh with you. But most of all we love you and support you through it all.

[VickieP]

I have plenty of blubber. Lost some, but still have enough to join in.

[Olive600]

I'm crying and sipping right along with you. I am just so sorry that you are going through this.

[sharon]

Aw hell, count me in on the blubbering and glass of wine.