Hi I have just posted today Longshaw 58 and have had the shoulder muscle reconstruction after right breast mastectomy Monday the 9th September 2019.  Sorry to hear about the chemo. I am waiting for my lymph node results and praying they are clear but had my op first - ductal carcinoma in situ.  I considered all the options and went to a support group about an hours drive from where I live to speak to someone who had had complete breast removal and no reconstruction at all and also spoke to a lady who had had the shoulder op because I was advised to meet people who had been through the same and was welcomed by some lovely ladies who had lived with cancer and recovery.  Everyones experience is different and you have to make the best choice for you.  I had a week of worry and reading up the positives and negatives and in the end they and I am not you it has to be your choice.  I spoke to face to face to a lovely lady who was early 30's when diagnosed and I was so unsure and had initially dismmised the shoulder op to start with but I also dreaded the implant. I felt more  reassured after I spoke to her and asked further questions of the breast care nurse.  It felt like a nightmare but you have to have the op regardless so what were my fears, for breast implants or tummy fat.   I was advised to be careful about people you dont know and not be swept awat by their over enthusiasm.  It has to be a balanced choice  I asked myself  a lot of searching questions and do did the surgeon such as valid reasons for not wanting implants.  Fear of a bigger op compared to implants.  The lady I spoje to had had the shoulder op as well as a tiny implant and then had filled the rest of it with the tummy fat.  Obviously the surgeon and breast care  nurses tell you about all angles good and bad and it scares you rigid  but you have to do what is ultimately right for you.  I didnt know that different surgeons at different hospitals specialise in diffevent ops and this can affect the timescale.  I wanted to have what was right for me but also it could have been a longer wait for some ops.  After a lot of soul searching I made my choice and stuck to it.   I didn't discuss it once I made my choice eg mother as emotional responses from  people can sway you.  My sons supported me whatever I decided.  I decided on the shoulder muscle as opposed to implants as i was scared that implants can cause a rare form of cancer their own in the future.  I also didn't want a foreign body but asked the right questions as I wasn't clear about the liposuction and where it came from.  I was initially fearful as they said it causes muscle weakness so I had I had initially rejected it.   After speaking to the lady I became more reassured and reconsidered it as an option.  They reconstruct the breast with the muscle which gives it shape and structure. MUST STRESS MY BREASTS ARE NOT LARGE THEY ARE SMALL TO AVERAGE SO CANT COMMENT ON LARGER BREASTS.  Ask your surgeon lots of questions. I had my op on Monday as I said and although it was and is painful as all ops are I was up Tuesday for a wash and tried to sit out and am progressing well at the moment.  They check your drains.  I do have sensation currently.  But again it is early stages.  Again everyone is different and sensation or loss of it for breast removal is the same for any type of breast reconstruction. For me currently i can feel something but is it muscle feeling, not sure but i am currently calm about it.  Pain wise so far  it hasnt been anywhere near as bad as my hip replacement and I had been really scared of the op this time and pain after but actually so far my pain is manageable.  Moving does help. I listen to the nursing staff to the letter. I'm  Age 58 and everything caved in at 50. Torn retina and after that macular hole in eye and hip replaced.  Had been fairly fit previously.    The initial effect of my has been good.  Size wise currently looks like a breast, cant call it a flap.  The centre needs filling in with liposuction tummy fat.  I am praying this will be straighrforward. The  surgeon stressed currently this is not the end result. Further work will need to be done to give a good result. The muscle supports the walls of my breast when I am laid down it doesnt look shocking or ugly and people have been surprised at how good it looks so far.  It seems to fall similar to my left one in this position.  Early days yet as there is bruising and swelling but so far surgeon is pleased and  thinks that due to its good size I won't need as many procedures which are smaller day ops.follow ie adding tummy fat through lipo.  I trust his judgment. My only panic after lipo is if I reject the fat or if there is infection but I am  trying to think positive and have heard  good stories.  I am trying to stay strong and take each day.    I cant imagine how you must feel after chemo.  I am so sorry you have needed it and that you are hopeful that it has worked. Will need to wait for swelling to go down and will see more when dressing is off.  Quite surprised as i thought it would just be flat after.   After the tummy lipo restructure, Down the line I will have nipple reconstruction.  My worries  for the muscle op initially were around possible shoulder weakness. I have been able to move my shoulder and arm and started physio and shoulder excercises yesterday.  It started to make progress almost immediately and got better each time.  I have been picking things up and am currently using mastectomy side to text you. I am right handed.  No pain at all.  Have done a  small amount of colouring, held a book, reading . Managed my pyjama bottoms. Managed my pyjama top. Drank from a cup.  Washed myself with a cloth.Will be able to type and lift things and a while into the future will be able to get back to swimming and gym, hold babies.  If you are into extreme sport such as swimming ski-ing and are serious about these apparently this is not for them. If you are into keep fit including weights or normal swimming it wont stop you doing these. To start with it will be raw from the surgery and will be sore but will get better every day. I can feel my shoulder muscle at the moment as quite tender but its obviously only been a day but i am able to get out of bed without support.  The lady I spoke to had not looked back and lived a full and active lifestyle raising two young girls and was able to lift and carry them.  When i look back at my hipreplacement you think you will never get better but you get back.to work etc.  The important thing for me is I am waiting for my ductal nodes results and will have a 7 to 14 days to see if they are clear.  I thought the op would never come but time slips by and I suppose you just get on with it.  Hope this helps.  Sorry I have written loads.  X Good luck and God Blessential

thank you so much for taking the time to respond. I’ve got invasive ductal carcinoma, the size of the tumour meant I had to have chemo first, the good news is it’s had a significant response to it and they are struggling to find it now, however I still need to have a mastectomy and radiotherapy. The chemo hasn’t been too bad but I’m glad I’m on the home straight. The two options I’ve been given is the muscle reconstruction like you have had and a Diep which is essentially taking fat from my tummy hooking it up to my blood supply and putting it in my boob. I’m not being offered an implant due to needing radiotherapy. 

I’ve got a couple of weeks to thinks about my options. 

Thanks again, I wish you a speedy recovery from your Op.

x

That's okay.  Hope everything goes well for you you look like you have been through a lot so far. Hope you can make the right decision for you.  It's not easy.   The doctor thinks I am recovering from the op well and hoping and praying for good lymph node results.  Keep strong.  Hope you have a lot of good friends to help you through this xx God Bless and I pray you will come through this.