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12-11-2014, 03:55 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 188
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Reconstruction Re-do?
Hello,
I just had my exchange surgery this week and I am so suprised and disappointed. My "breasts" are lower baseline than I've ever had, and they are wide and flat. They expand out to cover a whole lot of territory, but they are like mesas -- not mountains there's not even a hilltop.
Surgery was Monday. I have a follow up Tuesday. Some people have suggested there is swelling to settle, but that won't make a hilltop appear on a breast, I would think the contrary. And I can only hope this is swelling along the baseline, as this seems halfway down my torso and looks quite matronly (especially broad and flat, very matronly).
I tried on an old bra and it's true, there isn't enough outward expansion to fill the cup, yet the baseline band is lower. And it does not seem you can "lift" matronly fake-boob implants. They seem to be where they are.
I'm so upset. Never was much of a boob girl, so my expectations were so low, but I had hopes of at least looking as good as my 49 year boobs, if not a little better.
Was anyone in my shoes??? Anyone?? I don't want to hurt my PS feelings, or incur a bunch of high prices in the new year, but I feel so much worse than even with the expanders in.
lizz
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12-12-2014, 07:39 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 645
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Re: Reconstruction Re-do?
Hi Lizz,
Don't worry about hurting your PS' feelings! You're the patient. You need to tell her how unhappy you are and they can do a re-do. I assume you had a conversation with her about what she was going to put there - size/shape/etc. There is very little swelling to settle if they are silicone - the shape is what the shape is.
Demand a re-do. Insurance will cover. I've had a couple of fat injections in one of my boobs because the implant kept on shifting. The PS is the one who keeps on pursuing - after all, it is her work that's on display!
Best
Janis
__________________
March, 2000: 48, Post menopausal (5 yrs HRT) Left breast, IDC 3mm/DCIS 1.6cm, ER+/PR-/Her2+++, mod differentiated, MIB low, lumpectomy, node neg via SNB, rads=33 Stage 1a
June, 2000: Tamox 4.5 years,Femara for 5 years (end in Jan. 2010)
Sept, 2012: 61, Via mamm, ultrasound, biopsy, right breast, 2.3cm tumor, ER+/PR-/Her2+++, poorly diff, KI67 60-70%
BRCA 1 and 2 negative
October, 2012: Bi Mast with tissue expanders, port placement
Final Path: IDC 2.8cm, DCIS, 1/4 sentinal nodes positive (@#$%). Stage IIB
Nov 29, 2012: Begin TCH/6x/every 3 wks, H for 1 year/every 3 weeks.
March 14, 2013: Finished chemo
April 9, 2013: Begin radiation 28x
May 22, 2013: Finished rads
June 1st, 2013: Started Aromasin for 5 yrs.
July 15, 2013: Switched to Letrozole (Femara). Probably for the rest of my life
October 16, 2013: Exchange surgery
October 31, 2013: Finished Herceptin
December 5, 2013: Port removed
Glad this year is over!
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12-12-2014, 08:26 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: El Paso ,Tx
Posts: 436
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Re: Reconstruction Re-do?
She can redue them you have to live with them the rest of your life so you want them to be done right. I know my PS guarentees his work so any revisions he does for no charge. Ask her if she has any guarentees like that. Never settle.
__________________
 dx: DCIS 6/8/10, HER 2+ 7/26/10; Stage I Age 41
Double mast w reconstruction
6 TCH w 1yr herceptin
Tamox.
25 radiation tx
Removal of expander on L due to infection. Tried to save it had 3 bouts of antibiotics and went to see plastic surgeon 2-3x wk to get drained. Saving it was my idea not his. But lost it anyway.
Reconstruction set for December 21st,2011
Finished chemo 12/2010
Finished Herceptin 8/26/11
Reconstruction 12/21/11
Expanders exchanged for silicon 3/19/12
Nipple reconstruction 5/18/12
Nipple tatooing- 7/9/12- All done yay!
11/22/12-Went back to get scar tissue stretched to even the outside of breast, didn't work due to it being radiated skin.
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12-12-2014, 08:55 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 188
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Re: Reconstruction Re-do?
Thanks ladies. this helps me mentally a great deal. My anxiety is that my insurance carrier/coverage changes 1/1/15 and over the weekend, I have to put that in motion. May I ask, to your knowledge, it has nothing to do with the original insurance provider? Is that right? I hope he can fix these without much ado. I'm ashamed for being disappointed, but with even my husband saying they are not so bad..."just looks like you are wearing a sports bra"...i'm thinking I just can't handle this. My whole fmaily has been with me through this and at Christmas, I'm sure I will be doing all I can to wear a baggy sweater, because I just don't want to deal iwth it. I'm not vain...really not...I just feel like this is freakish. Which also, flip side, makes me think my PS will certainly agree it's not turned out well. thank you, Lizz.
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12-12-2014, 09:01 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 184
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Re: Reconstruction Re-do?
I am having a slight revision on one of my implants next Wednesday, due to shifting. The PS said insurance would cover it. We did do prior auth just to be sure. I would not hesitate to let them know you are disappointed with the outcomes.
Good Luck
__________________
[SIGPIC]Lisa
Routine mammogram 12/20/2013
Call back with repeat films on12/31/2013 Ultrasound with core needle biopsy same day
Dx 1/2/2014 IDC ER/PR+
1/10/14 HER2 +
2/14/14 BRCA results negative
2/17/2014 skin & nipple sparing BMX with reconstruction Tissue expanders placed
IDC Stage 2A left breast. 9mm tumor no other CA 1/4 nodes positive
ER + PR + Her2 +(by FISH)
Right breast no cancer, sclerosing adenosis
3/13/14 Round 1 AC minimal side effects
3/27/14 Round 2 AC
4/10/14 Round 3 a little more nausea
4/24/14 round 4 hurray! Done with phase 1!
5/8/14 THP ( taxol weekly x12, Herceptin & perjeta every 3 weeks x 4)
7/24/14 done with chemo
Continue of Herceptin every 3 wks x 1 yr
5/14 start Tamoxifen x 5 years
8/18/14 removal of TEs silicone implants placed
9/14/14 Cellulitis Right Breast, suspect infected implant. Managed with Oral antibiotics, avoided surgery to remove implant. Whew!
12/17/14 nip & tuck revision of Left breast
We gain strength, courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face. The danger lies in refusing to face the fear, not in daring to come to grips with it. We must do that which we think we cannot do. -Eleanor Roosevelt
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12-12-2014, 05:27 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: San Diego
Posts: 411
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Re: Reconstruction Re-do?
I cant speak to the insurance issue but I agree with my other HER2 sisters. I would get a redo. My PS told me that my final set would look good and they do. Sure I have scars but my breast are shaped real nice. I had radiation on one breast so that one breast doesn't look as good as the other. I didn't have unrealistic expectations and it doesn't sound like you did either. Your gonna have to live with the girls for a long time. Better to have a set you'll be happy with!
__________________
8/2013 Diagnosed IDC Left Breast ER-/PR-/HER2+ Stage 3C, DCIS ER+/PR+/HER2- Right Breast (54 yr)
8/2013 PET/CT scan shows mass in uterues and suprclavicular nodes
8/20/13 Begin 6 rounds TCH chemo, Perjeta added for rounds 4-6
9/2013 After 1st round of chemo, mass in neck and breast no longer able to feel
11/2013 Hysterectomy, mass from PET/CT scan not cancer (adenomylosis)
12/2013 Finished chemo
1/2014 Double mastectomy with chest expanders
1/2014 Pathology report from surgery and SNB show complete pathological response!
3/2014 Finish IMRT radiation
8/2014 Fat transfer to radiated breast
8/2014 Completed 1 yr of Herceptin
10/2014 exchange surgery expanders removed implants placed
6/2015 3D nipple and areola tattoos
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12-12-2014, 08:24 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 59
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Re: Reconstruction Re-do?
I agree with everyone, it is you who have to live with and in your body for the rest of your life, so it is very important you discuss your feeling with your PS. It is not vain, especially if it is affecting you self esteem. I only had a unilateral mastectomy, so I knew that my reconstructed boob would never match my real one (and it doesn't) but I knew this ahead of time. It has been over two years now and the new breast never changed much post surgery, Mild swelling and a bit of softening... but that about it.
__________________
9/11 - dx 3 mnths after giving birth to my 2nd child. (not a clogged milk duct) ER/PR- HER2+++
10/11 - Initially staged at 2b after unilateral mastectomy
11/11 - CT scan 4 weeks later found spots on bones and liver (crap!) Stage 4
12/11 - starting TCH
5/12 - STABLE. stoping TCH after 6 months and continuing Herceptin with Tykerb and Xgeva
8/12 - STABLE, but I'm calling it NED because all they see is bone scaring!
11/12 - STABLE
2/13 - STABLE
6/13 - STABLE
9/13 - STABLE
12/13 - STABLE
3/14 - STABLE
6/14 - STABLE
9/14 - STABLE
12/14 - STABLE
...Continue Herceptin and daily Tykerb and scans every 4 months
1/16 - STABLE
11/18 - Five level spinal fusion from collapsing vertebrae due to spinal Mets/radiation
12/19 - STABLE
Mom to Audrey (12 yrs) and Hudson (8)
Last edited by KaiM; 12-12-2014 at 08:24 PM..
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