[snolan]

I had skin sparing mastectomy but since I had to take expanders out it didn't matter. My PS suggested taking it out before radiation, (they didn't know I was going to need it prior to my surgery long story) but the radiologiest said to leave them in and just over expand them. There's a lot of discussion on that between PS. The recovery I felt was a little harder than the mastectomy since I had a muscle taken from my back it affects how my shoulder was functioning, but went to physical therapy. I had my surgery in Dec and am still stretching scar tissue and working on getting my rotator cuff strengthen as it now has to help support my shoulder more. I had a drain in my back for 2 weeks and had to have another put in for my breast swelling for 5 weeks. It fell out on its own and the swelling went away. Some people have more trouble with seromas (I did with both surgeries). I liked watching the youtube videos on the surgeries some may not. But it gave me a good idea as to what I would be dealing with after surgery for recovery. I couldn't get the stomach flat not enough fat (I disagree) but I didn't like the invassivness of the surgery and being athletic didn't want to go without a stomach muscle and couldn't afford to travel to a place that would only do the skin transplant. Anyway, just be prepaired to have to take it easy for a while and let your body heal. I love my new girls and would go through it again to have them.
Suzanne