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Laurel · 02-17-2009, 08:34 PM

Westcoastgirl,

Welcome to our little band of merry pranksters! Sorry you got the BC invite, but we are glad to have you just the same!

Now, as for my reconstruction, I am very happy thus far with my new girls. I had IDS/DCIS in my left breast, no nodal involvement, 7mm invasive component, stage 1b which is what you are from the sound of things. I did 8 rounds of dose dense ACTH and then had bilat mastectomies with immediate reconstruction beginning with tissue expanders. The expanders are yucky, hard and just plain uncomfortable. I had them exchanged for silicone 2 weeks ago and I am delighted. They are soft and look like real ladies! After those awful expanders, anything would be an improvement!

In a few months I will have nipples made and then later I'll have the areola tattoed on.

May I suggest a site where recon issues are discussed at length? Try www.breastcancer.org. One of their disscussion boards is devoted to reconstruction threads. After you have been on the site a bit and have been participating you can look up a member called TimTam. You may PM her asking to enter her site called the Picture Forum. This is where members post their photos of their breast reconstruction. TimTam will check you out to make certain that you are not a perv by observing your posts on the boards before she emails an invitation to enter the Picture Forum. I am trying to muster the nerve to post my photos there. We'll see if I am brave enough. Trust me, my face won't be with the "girls!" I do feel that I was reassured by all the courageous women who were kind enough to share their reconstruction photos with me, so I should pass it on so to speak to the next woman who is wondering what she will look like after her breasts are gone.

I wish I could have retained my girls, however I believe in playing the cards you are dealt, so I am playing my hand. That hand has me learning to love my new girls, and guess what? I do! My husband likes them, too! Recon is a long process, but worth it.

Breastcancer.org also has a Her-2 contingent posting under their own group on the message boards so stop by there as well.

Take care of yourself. You are in such a scary time. Exhausting and frightening. These are such a great group of folks. You will be less afraid in the mist of all these fellow sojouners on this BC journey!

02-17-2009, 08:34 PM	#2
Laurel Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Hershey, PA. Live The Sweet Life! Posts: 2,005	Westcoastgirl, Welcome to our little band of merry pranksters! Sorry you got the BC invite, but we are glad to have you just the same! Now, as for my reconstruction, I am very happy thus far with my new girls. I had IDS/DCIS in my left breast, no nodal involvement, 7mm invasive component, stage 1b which is what you are from the sound of things. I did 8 rounds of dose dense ACTH and then had bilat mastectomies with immediate reconstruction beginning with tissue expanders. The expanders are yucky, hard and just plain uncomfortable. I had them exchanged for silicone 2 weeks ago and I am delighted. They are soft and look like real ladies! After those awful expanders, anything would be an improvement! In a few months I will have nipples made and then later I'll have the areola tattoed on. May I suggest a site where recon issues are discussed at length? Try www.breastcancer.org. One of their disscussion boards is devoted to reconstruction threads. After you have been on the site a bit and have been participating you can look up a member called TimTam. You may PM her asking to enter her site called the Picture Forum. This is where members post their photos of their breast reconstruction. TimTam will check you out to make certain that you are not a perv by observing your posts on the boards before she emails an invitation to enter the Picture Forum. I am trying to muster the nerve to post my photos there. We'll see if I am brave enough. Trust me, my face won't be with the "girls!" I do feel that I was reassured by all the courageous women who were kind enough to share their reconstruction photos with me, so I should pass it on so to speak to the next woman who is wondering what she will look like after her breasts are gone. I wish I could have retained my girls, however I believe in playing the cards you are dealt, so I am playing my hand. That hand has me learning to love my new girls, and guess what? I do! My husband likes them, too! Recon is a long process, but worth it. Breastcancer.org also has a Her-2 contingent posting under their own group on the message boards so stop by there as well. Take care of yourself. You are in such a scary time. Exhausting and frightening. These are such a great group of folks. You will be less afraid in the mist of all these fellow sojouners on this BC journey! __________________ Smile On! Laurel Dx'd w/multifocal DCIS/IDS 3/08 7mm invasive component Partial mast. 5/08 Stage 1b, ER 80%, PR 90%, HER-2 6.9 on FISH 0/5 nodes 4 AC, 4 TH finished 9/08 Herceptin every 3 weeks. Finished 7/09 Tamoxifen 10/08. Switched to Femara 8/09 Bilat SPM w/reconstruction 10/08 Clinical Trial w/Clondronate 12/08 Stopped Clondronate--too hard on my gizzard! Switched back to Tamoxifen due to tendon pain from Femara 15 Years NED I think I just might hang around awhile....