Surprise

I went to see my consultant on Tuesday,and he said my next step was reconstruction,so imagine my surprise when a letter arrived yesterday for a pre-op assessment for 16/04/16.that was mighty quick,so on my way to having pinky and perky.

[Lainey66]

Good luck Parker 1438. Fair play to you. I have opted for a flat life. Think I can feel some heavy artistry coming on in the future though 😜. 

[Hidden in reply to Lainey66]

Your very brave,hope it looks as good as I've seen on Facebook, good luck.

[Lainey66 in reply to Hidden]

Me too. At the moment with this scarring I may as well just have two yellow circles with black dots for eyes...  Yep two big smiley faces 😂😂😂

[Sandy108]

Great news, enjoy Pinky & Perky ( mine are currently named Perky & Droopy lol).!

Xx

[Hidden in reply to Sandy108]

That is sooooo funny

[Kizzy66 in reply to Sandy108]

Mine too. Have an appointment coming up in may to discuss "droopy' and a nipple for 'perky'.

Are you having anything like this?

[Sandy108 in reply to Kizzy66]

I'm lucky that they didn't have to remove my nipple, we will hopefully be discussing lifting the other nipple, and as my Perky is bigger than droopy will be size matching them... to me this is my silver lining, having a new pair of boobs 😃

I've just started FEC chemotherapy, so I know it won't happen until this has finished, & I'm also considering and going to discuss having a mastectomy on the other to reduce risk of returning, but I'm still undecided on this course of action

Xxx

[Kizzy66 in reply to Sandy108]

I hope you're coping ok with the effects of the chemo. X x

[Sandy108 in reply to Kizzy66]

It's been ok so far, thank you xx

[Rattyp in reply to Sandy108]

I was diagnosed last year with grade and stage 3, I had lumpectomy followed by mastectomy, chemo, radiotherapy, herceptin and tamoxifen. I have requested that the other one is removed as I couldn't go through this again. I know ladies who have only had the one off and regret this. I am also being tested for BRCA1 & 2 so might have to loose the ovaries and tubes too. Good luck with ur decision xx

[Sandy108 in reply to Rattyp]

Thank you xx

[Rattyp in reply to Sandy108]

My pleasure hun xx

[Kizzy66]

I had a reconstruction and am very pleased with results x good luck x

[Hedgesaw]

My DIEP reconstruction scheduled for 6 Apr 16 has just been postponed, due to the doctor's strike. May not get another appointment this month but I am tol that I am "top of the waiting list". I do support the doctor's strikes but could have done without this upheaval and further disappointment. This operation has now been "cancelled" three times. I was due for immediate DIEP reconstruction on 22 Apr 15 when my tumour and breast were removed. This was cancelled because there were no high care beds available for me post surgery so I quickly decided to just have the tumour removed. Pathology results three weeks after the operation revealed that my tumour had been a Grade 3 and aggressive so it was the correct decision to have it removed instead of waiting for 2 or 3 weeks to have the full operation done (which had been offered as a solution on the day of the planned operation). By way of apology and consolation my plastic surgeon then booked the reconstruction for just four short weeks after my initial surgery. However, this operation was cancelled because it was "strongly recommended" that I have chemotherapy. Furthermore, I was diagnosed to be HER2 positive and hormone positive. I was waive ring about having the treatment because all I wanted then was my breast reconstruction. However, the oncologist explained survival percentages to me and he put it very bluntly to me, as follows:- "Quite frankly, if you don't have the treatment you are at 95% risk of the cancer returning and if you get a secondary cancer you will not survive". This information focused the brain somewhat. I am now still having Herceptin but have been waiting for my reconstruction since January 16 (had to let the chemotherapy dissipate). Trouble is we have so many new cancers diagnosed in our Breast Unit each week that my "cosmetic" reconstruction keeps on being delayed. I was provisionally advised that I would be listed for surgery in March 16 and this then got put back to 6 Apr 16 because of emergency cases. I do not begrudge anyone having cancer treatment and obviously tumour removal always takes precedence over my surgery but the psychological effects of me not getting this operation do take their toll. I am most keen now to get to August when my Herceptin treatment ends and hopefully have had a breast reconstruction by then so that I can finally put this cancer business behind me. I am so pleased that your hospital appears to have greater resources than mine to ensure you get your surgery quickly. Good Luck with it all. X

[Kizzy66 in reply to Hedgesaw]

I have read this and don't understand why your operation to reconstruct your breast has been so terribly messed around.

Why are plastic surgeons involved in mastectomy? Surely mastectomy is carried out by breast surgeon.

So I would ask this question as it's plastics you need now not general breast surgery. These surgeons are now free to deal with all the new cases which are coming through their doors.

My breast was removed by a breast clinic surgeon and my reconstruction done by my plastic team.

I am not suggesting that you are being fobbed off but I really would question their practice. I am upset for you as psychologically they are putting you through a roller coaster of emotion and that is not fair.

Sorry if I sound like I'm ranting but you deserve much more decency than is being offered to you x

[Rattyp in reply to Kizzy66]

My breast surgeon does two of the reconstruction surgeries and plastics do the other two, whether that has had an effect on your surgery x

[Hedgesaw in reply to Kizzy66]

When my first surgery was planned, it required careful co-ordination and I had two Teams standing by to do my surgery. Quite correctly, the Breast Surgery Team removed the tumour and did my mastectomy. Then the Plastics Team took over. Had the high care bed been available for me they would have gone on with the planned DIEP reconstruction. In the end my plastic surgeon did a "temporary" reconstruction using a gel implant. I have been given the option of keeping the gel implant and it is a very neat job which balances my other breast quite well. However, to me it will always be second best as it was not my first choice and the preferred option to suit my circumstances. If the DIEP flap surgery then fails I will have no option, other than to return to theatre and have a new gel implant inserted. My plastic surgeon is wonderful because he has a procedure to "make" new nipples and rebalance everything during future (day) surgery. It will be worth the wait but as the two Surgical Teams continue to work in tandem for new cancer patients, whom require the surgical plan that I was scheduled to have from day one, I slip further behind because I have lost my urgent "cancer awaiting treatment (CAT) flag". My plastic surgeon has worked for my NHS Trust for six years now and he has never known them use all of their high care beds for emergency cases so he has never had to cancel one of his operations before, or since, so I feel I have just been very unlucky. On the day of my initial surgery, I even offered to pay for a private bed but there really were none available, without moving hospitals and the  two surgical Teams involved were not at liberty to just swap hospitals, at very short notice. Believe me when I tell you that I tried very hard to examine all available options to get my planned surgery that day. As it was, both Teams waited from 0700 until well after midday before starting my operation just in case an existing occupant of a high care bed became well enough to be moved to an ordinary ward. Thanks for your thoughts and well wishes but please do not get upset on my behalf.  Even when I get a revised date I will still be worrying that a high bed will be unavailable again. My roller coaster ride is set to continue and I am just not allowed to get off the ride, yet. X

[Nixh in reply to Hedgesaw]

Hi Hedge, am also waiting for a diep recon. Had a left hand skin sparing mastectomy in August 15, chemo then radio am waiting for appt with plastic surgeon. Am in the high risk category as mum and two aunts died of bc so the MDT are happy for me to have a bilateral mx and recon as a precautionary measure. Just trying to sort insurance company out as they don't see it that way and say it's cosmetic 😡  

The longer I wait the more nervous I get and keep thinking shall I just opt for implants but then I think, if I'm going to have surgery I may as well go the whole hog and get the gold standard one done 

What a nightmare being mucked around like that though, hope you manage to get a date soon. 

Nix X

[Kizzy66 in reply to Hedgesaw]

Fair enough. As long as you aren't being fobbed off. X x

[brianna29 in reply to Kizzy66]

I also had a breast surgeon to do my mastectomy and the plastic surgeon to do my reconstruction.   

[Rattyp in reply to Hedgesaw]

I look at reconstruction as the end of this horrible journey. Hope u get urs soon, I have to wait until jan next year xx

[Hidden]

I was very lucky that my surgeon offered reconstruction at same time as bi lateral mastectomy. I choose to go smaller as I was always top heavy.its a great job but I lost nipples not that I minded anyway.my hubby a tattooist but I haven't been brave enough to let him tattoo over my scars but that's definitely for the future

[Nixh in reply to Hidden]

Would love a tattoo over my scar Ciara, have seen some fab ones on Pinterest and Facebook. If I was having implants instead of a diep I'd have one deffo x 😊