[snolan]

I had the lat flap. I had to have my expander taken out due to infection but had origonally planned on keeping it in during radiation. I too am very physically active I do cross fit and mountian bike. It has affected my strength but not to the point where I can't do my activities. Pull ups are the only thing I can no longer do without assistance, but at 43 years old so what. I do recommend physical therapy if you do the lat flap to help reduce the effects of scaring and to make sure you are strengthening your rotator cuff muscles and mid back muscles before you go back to the gym. The scar is not bad you can't tell the muscle is gone but I can feel my ribs more, I don't have a lot of body fat in that area. I have had to have another surgery to open the pocket that the implant is in due to how the skin scared from radiation, so radiation did effect how the skin expands. I can see the difference between sides how the skin healed differently from the radiation, its not as smooth, when I lift my arm there is a ridge at the edge of the implant. The lat flap surgery is a little harder to recover from I felt then the mastectomy due to having 2 incision sites, and of course the drains are a drag. Overall I am very pleased with the results, I still get tight in my left shoulder, its been 1 year since my surgery but I just keep working at that.
Suzanne