To ask if anyone has gone through this?

[WhereTheFuckIsMyFuckingCoat]

Not sure, this might be a long shot but I thought I'd ask. I'm mid 30's. Having undergone two mastectomies, 16mths of chemo, 25 sessions of radiation, and several other surgeries, I have finally got my date through for my bilateral tram flap reconstruction next month and I'm totally bricking it! Excited, but terrified at the same time. It involves cutting me from hip bone to hip bone, and using a combination of spare stomach skin, fat and implants to give me new breasts (no nipples yet, they cost $1k each ?).

It's a 10hr operation, and it'll be the longest, by far I've ever been under.

It's a six- eight week recovery, where I'm not allowed to lift anything heavier than a kettle or drive. We have four dcs, and no family on this continent, so we know it's going to present a challenge, to say the least.

I suppose I'm just asking if anyone has gone through similar, and if they have, what to expect? Is this a selfish thing to do? Please tell me I will wake up!?

My sister in New Zealand had this, but not with 4 dcs in tow! But she did fine, had a very neat scar and was delighted with the results.

Not selfish at all! One of my best friends was found to have the BRCA1 (is that right?) gene along with her sister a couple of years ago. She'd previously had breast cancer and lost her mum to a related cancer too.

Last summer she had her breasts removed and had a series of appointments to gradually inflate the saline bags they put in to stretch the skin. She had to have this due to the previous lumpectomy scarring. After a few months she had a further operation to swap the saline bags for implants.

Last week she had a full hysterectomy and hopefully that should be the last surgery she has. She's a very brave lady to go through all of this to try to ensure that she's around to see her children grow up. Her sister has also had the same surgeries so they've been supporting each other.

Are you part of any support group? My friend found her group invaluable and now she goes along to help the women who were in her position at the start of this process.

I'm not being the thread police, but there is an amazingly supportive & helpful topic in general health about cancer & all the stuff that goes with it.

I am sure someone there will be able to answer you.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/2428777--Tamoxigang-53-Roll-up-roll-up-Anyone-with-any-cancer-or-test-waiting-welcome?pg=4

I hope all goes well for you.

Really good to hear purple - I'm like a patchwork doll as it is, so neat scars would be a positive.

I haven't found any support groups - I don't mix well with other people.

And thank you for the link, but I'm not ready to be part of a long term thread.

Oh and magimedi, not all my questions were relative to cancer so I don't need ushered off to the cancer thread, thanks.

I was in no way trying to usher you off anywhere.

I have no way of knowing if this is your first post on MN or your hundredth.

This is a huge site & not the easiset to navigate & just thought you might not be aware of that thread & might find it helpful. It is your choice where you go & you are free to do so.

But there is no need to be so rude to me.

Bit harsh Op!

I'm sorry magimedi.

Thank you so much for that, OP. Really appreciated it.

Hope you can get the info you want & that things go well for you.