[Shirley]

Thank you for that post, 'lizbeth. I am just finishing up radiation (worst experience so far, BTW). My ps said 12 months for a flap surgery and something like 4-6 months if the skin can handle an implant. I prefer a DIEP flap if it's possible, although I'm getting awfully tired of the expander (it looks and feels wierd and I'm lopsided because the expander sits up higher. I guess I should just be glad that I'm alive and not fret over this). He said he would consider an implant, but another ps said "studies show that waiting 12 months for a DIEP is better than waiting 6-9 months, and we do not do implants on radiated skin".

Of course at this point, at the tail end of radiation, any sort of surgery involving the radiated site sounds preposterous. I can barely move that arm and am in constant pain. Aargh!

Shirley