A Brand New Set of Girls and a Poll

This morning Beni and I went to meet my plastic surgeon, Dr. Sigalove. First impression - he is super cute! : ) I'm sure Beni would have given me a hard time about choosing him if it wasn't that he had been recommended to me by my oncologist and breast surgeon. The fact that he is adorable is just a perk. More importantly, he is a talented surgeon and head of his department at CDH, who will create, for me, a new set of "girls."

Here is how he described the process: After my last chemo on Dec. 29th, I will probably wait about 4 weeks until my blood counts are back to normal before having surgery done. Then, my breast surgeon, Dr. Fredrickson, will remove the tumor and breast tissue. I am fairly certain I will have a double mastectomy. An MRI and biopsies showed I have several benign fatty tumors in my left breast and I wouldn't want those to hide any new cancerous growths in the future, and since reconstruction is covered by insurance in my case, I am opting to have a brand new set of breasts. After Dr. F is done removing the breasts and the cancer, Dr. Sigalove will go in and insert inflatable "spacers". These will be filled weekly in his office until they are the desired size. They stretch the skin that will be left on my chest to make room for permanent implants that will be inserted much later, after radiation is complete. After surgery, I will have drainage tubes for two weeks. This grosses me out a little, but I'll get over it.

For this surgery I can expect a one to two night hospital stay. Then I will stay at home to recuperate for at least two weeks, maybe more. I will go to get the spacers filled weekly and once they are filled to the desired size, then I begin my radiation treatments. At this point I have been told they will be daily for 6 1/2 weeks. Dr. S said that he will not do the second reconstructive surgery until 3 to 6 months after radiation has ended because the skin in the radiated area will need time to heal and get back to normal. So we are looking at not being finished with the process until at least August.

If the radiated area looks good and has healed properly, then Dr. S will go in through the bottom of the breast, make an incision, remove the spacers and insert a permanent, and perky, implant. If the skin is not as desired, they will pull skin from my back, under and past my armpit, and create a new breast with that. He also talked to us about a procedure where fat from my belly (liposuction) could be used to make the breast more natural-looking. Hey, if the insurance would still cover it, I am all about getting rid of some belly fat!

Dr. S really seemed to know what he was talking about. I probably won't see him again until the surgery itself. I feel comfortable with him and know that he has already worked with my other two doctors and that they trust him.

The idea of losing my real breasts doesn't really bother me since they have served their purpose and I know that I will get new ones. What does make me nervous is the idea of surgery. Not the surgery itself, per se, but the recovery. What seems to be making me the most nervous is the idea of waking up after and having ugly scars on my chest and tubes sticking out and feeling out-of-it and sore. I know that will only be temporary, but it is what scares me most.

The other decision I have to make is whether or not I want reconstructed nipples. Here is my dilemma: I work hard to make sure no one can see my nipples. I find it embarrassing. I don't want the world to know when I am cold or otherwise aroused. I purposely buy bras that make sure my headlights are concealed. The idea of having my breast reconstructed without nipples is intriguing to me. I could wear a tank top or strapless dress in the summer without a bra and no one would be the wiser! I'd have perky new boobs (at least for a while), so why not take advantage? Since reconstructed breasts are pretty much numb anyway, what purpose does a fake nipple serve? I am very curious to hear your opinions. Feel free to post and give me the pros and cons, especially those who may have had reconstruction, but everyone's ideas are welcome.