HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - reconstruction- deconstruction

suzan w · 01-21-2006, 07:12 PM

I had a bilateral mast. June 2005 with no reconstruction. One of my best friends was dx'd with breast cancer in 1994 ( she died in 2002) and had a bilateral with recon. She had nothing but trouble with the reconstruction, infections, multiple surgeries, constant pain, AND...she later admitted, in retrospect, she believed that it led to recurrence going undiagnosed. Now, I know that lots of women (seems to me like the majority!) go for reconstruction, and I have seen first hand that many dr.s seem to pressure us to "conserve the breast" and "maintain our figures". Well...bull@#*# to that!!! It is an individual decision that we all must make. It makes me so angry when I see women making decisions based on what they think 'society' expects us to look like. It is a pet peeve of mine (can you tell??!!). Good luck on your decision...ask LOTS of questions...do research...but the bottom line is you will have to live with your decision and it will be YOUR decision. Best to you!!

01-21-2006, 07:12 PM	#8
suzan w Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Naples FL Posts: 1,744	no recon for me I had a bilateral mast. June 2005 with no reconstruction. One of my best friends was dx'd with breast cancer in 1994 ( she died in 2002) and had a bilateral with recon. She had nothing but trouble with the reconstruction, infections, multiple surgeries, constant pain, AND...she later admitted, in retrospect, she believed that it led to recurrence going undiagnosed. Now, I know that lots of women (seems to me like the majority!) go for reconstruction, and I have seen first hand that many dr.s seem to pressure us to "conserve the breast" and "maintain our figures". Well...bull@#*# to that!!! It is an individual decision that we all must make. It makes me so angry when I see women making decisions based on what they think 'society' expects us to look like. It is a pet peeve of mine (can you tell??!!). Good luck on your decision...ask LOTS of questions...do research...but the bottom line is you will have to live with your decision and it will be YOUR decision. Best to you!!