Mastectomy 30/07

[itchyhand]

Wondered if I could find anyone else having a mastectomy this week?

I have invasive breast cancer affecting the whole right breast. Reconstruction with an implant at the same time.

I'm 41, DD is 7, DH will be here to look after me.

Or if you’ve had one previously - any recovery tips, things to buy, ideas about recovery time etc

Thank you @Puravida23. The scan was clear! Such relief. Now just to get through the treatments in one piece!
Beginning chemo in 2-3 weeks. I can go into preparation mode now.

Great news the scan was clear @Stumbleine Enjoy the next few weeks

Thanks @Puravida23you too!

Hiya, I had mastectomy reconstruction in 2024. It's a long road. Still recovering. The most noticeable change for me was abdominally as the tightness post surgery was maddening. I made myself sleep lying flat very soon after surgery as I knew being unconscious stretching would be easier than awake. It really worked for me. I used a U shaped pregnancy pillow in the very beginning to prop myself up with my arms on either side of it. Taught myself to sleep upright like that until I started sleeping flat to stretch my abdomen. I still feel shorter than I was as reaching up over my head height (changing shower curtain for instance) is harder than it was and I feel as though I can't reach like I used to be able to. I'd watch out for using your thumb texting if it's the same side as the mastectomy as that caused me a lot of deep chest pain although I had to have MS TRAM flap reconstruction (muscle transplant) not just DIEP flap so that might have made the deep chest invasiveness worse. I found the psychological effects hard to deal with. Especially not having a nipple. I couldn't wait for the nhs free tipple tattooing so I had tattoos done at a regular tattoo place and the ones covering my scar lines were the most psychologically beneficial as I can now look at myself naked and not immediately think "cancer" which is what would jar me if I ever caught sight of myself naked before I had them done. Over 2 years later I look 'normal' with clothes on (I had larger natural breasts than they could harvest stomach tissue for so I had to live with a natural significantly larger breast and a much smaller reconstruction for a year before they'd reduce my other natural breast to match....). I still get chest pain now in my reconstruction and sometimes intense itching of the hip to hip abdominal scar (nerve regeneration). The initial severe numbness of my abdomen after surgery made me feel like I was going to have a panic attack it was so weird touching my abdomen and not feeling my own touch. It lessened and I was able to bear it though. I HATED the vacuum sealed dressing I had on leaving hospital after 6 days (they won't let you go home before then). It sucks your middle in so tight it curves your spine painfully when trying to walk (was shuffling like an old lady). Seeing myself covered in stitches over much of the front of my body after surgery and after having dressings removed at hospital was scary. I thought - I guess this is me now. But it does get better the scars do improve and tattooing really helped me. Still planning a tattoo over my hip to hip scar to hide it. I also had to have a new navel made as mine was cut away and now forms part of my reconstruction which is weird as it has an old novel piercing on it. But I'm still here and I now look even both sides so I am ok with it. It's a horrible experience and my heart goes out to anyone who has to have it done. Huge love to you all xxxx