Double Mastectomy After Implants with Reconstruction

OMG!! You look amazing!! Thank you so much for posting this! I have implants under the muscle now. I was diagnosed with IDC this past week and meet with my surgeon to discuss my options.. I'm scared to death of a Mastectomy but you have given me hope that i also can look normal and beautiful again!!

Best wishes to you with your surgery and treatment. I'm sorry you are dealing with this. I opted for the double mx so I wouldn't have to worry about it again. And also they match! Let me know if you have any questions.

You are feeling the same way I did. I opted for the double after meeting with the oncologist. There was so much uncertainty based on the looks of my mammogramand my family history, so it was easier to go for it and not have to worry again.
I had DCIS so after my surgery when the lymph nodes tested negative I was told I didn't need radiation or chemo. And since I am already menopausal I don't take any oral hormone suppressants.
I was out of work for almost 4 months. Thank God fo Aflac! The recovery was rough but not as bad as I expected. Ask your surgeon about a long acting pain injection they administer into your chest during the DMX procedure. It was amazing, I only needed the high dose Tylenol and never took any of the narcotic pain meds. (They make me sick!)
You will do great! Confidence in your team and good support at home is key. Rest as much as possible when you get home too. I got a hematoma nearmy sternum and it was painful! But it went away eventually. When will you have surgery?

Thanks for your reply. I just got AFLAC too at the first of the year so i'm hoping that will be easy to acces!! I got disability.. not the cancer coverage.. Im a dental hygienist so im assuming that i'll be out for a bit. When i had my breast lift/augmentation several years ago i only took 2 weeks off and that was major! Hoping i wont be out for 4 months! Thats a long time!! I have IDC stage 1/2 with no lymph node involvement.. found that out after my MRI yesterday.. So i'm hoping that i'll be able to do the same route as you and can forgo chemo or radiation... that is my biggest fear.. I meat with my surgeon again on Tuesday. No surgery date has been scheduled.. he has wanted to get the results from these last two tests.. my MRI and my genetic testing.. only one person in my family and extended family has had BC so i'm thinking i'll test negative or that too.. i'm pre menapausal.. no hormone therapy.. sounds like you faired very well and got some beautiful boobies at the end of all of this!!

So i have my consult with my PS on Monday.. and my DMX surgery is scheduled for August 19th.. What size implants did you end up getting? They look great.. Hoping for a similar outcome!!

Ur story sounds like mine reduction and saline implants 1996 above muscle. 2007 silicone under muscle with alladerm. Stage 3a 2018. Opted for double nipple sparing. Radiation ruined an expander so we replaced it. Scheduled this week for exchange over muscle and fat grafting. Original mastectomy was april 2019. These expanders are harder than bricks. Can't wait for this surgery. Did you need several fat transfers???

I'm sorry to hear you are going through this too. I know what you mean about the expanders, they were pretty uncomfortable. I only had the fat transfer once, during the same surgery as the permanent implants. Fat was taken from my inner and outer thighs. Honestly, that was the most uncomfortable part of the recovery from the implant exchange. I don't think I would do that again! But I am very happy with the results. I am planning to post an after picture soon because everything has healed and settled nicely now that it's been almost a year from the final surgery. My surgeon is amazing! Best wishes on your upcoming surgery. I hope you are cancer free now too!❤

Awesome post thankyou , I went through similar and am two months out from my permanent implant placement !! Thank you for posting you’re story ! One thing I can say is my left expander slipped down , I guess gym effect, so ps had me wear underwire support and good sports bra this time , so far so good !!

So glad my post helped and super glad you are past the hard part. Being cancer free seems to put a different perspective on everything. Best wishes!!

Thank u for sharing. Going through the same thing now. I was diagnosed w bilateral breast cancer, lumps in both breasts. At first I thought I wld just have a lumpectomy but w the lumps being in different areas of each breast but also different sizes of lumps in each. SO I opted for the bilateral mastectomy. My implants were removed and expanders inserted. I chose this route bc I am still not sure if I will have to do chemo or radiation until I get back the pathology report hopefully in the next 5-10 days. I will start to get the expanders filled in the next 2 wks and hopefully by mid dec I will have the size I am looking for w the expanders. Will not replace the expanders until first week in Feb. a long journey ahead which I am sure u are well aware of. Ur post gave me the opportunity to see what I am facing. Again thank u for sharing.