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http://flattops.webs.com/Carol Says . . .When I had my first mastectomy 23 years ago, reconstruction was not nearly as popular as it is today. Basically, I got a prosthesis and got used to it. I had another mastectomy 13 years later, and really did not consider reconstruction.After the first, I had a cancer recurrence on my incision. Maybe that helped make up my mind. I really don't know. But I guess I'm one who likes to "leave well enough alone!" Wearing the prostheses has just become a part of me. Sheri Says . . .I looked at pictures on the Internet of women who had post-mastectomy reconstruction and those who had no reconstruction. I read the Internet discussion boards on which women discussed their recovery from reconstruction and the results, as well as their follow-up surgeries. Something inside me told me that reconstruction was not for me for various reasons.I did not want to take the risk of possible bad reconstruction results or side effects, as I read some women had. Some reconstructions required several surgeries or follow-up surgeries in the future, which I did not want. Frankly, I thought that women without breasts looked as good as, or sometimes better than the women with post-mastectomy reconstructed breasts. Some women with implants said they were uncomfortable. As it turned out, it was really good that I did not have reconstruction, because I have lymphedema, which most likely would have been much worse if I had the more extensive surgery required for reconstruction. I know I made the right decision for me. Melissa Says . . .When in my twenties, I was informed I would need bilateral mastectomies.Imagine my surprise when everyone's immediate response to my news was, "You'll be having reconstruction." It didn't seem to be a question; it was just something everyone expects (especially of a young person). Most people who ask, however, don't realize the costs (emotional, physical, and financial) and operations involved in reconstruction, nor the fact that reconstruction does not necessarily result in a permanent "cure-all." Nor the fact that not all women feel comfortable with the thought or the options currently available. I initially hoped just a little bit of fat could be injected into the areas--and have since learned that seems to be what many people think reconstruction involves. But the more I read about reconstruction, the more I knew that it wasn't the right answer for me. I could provide a long list of whys, including not wanting more surgery with more potential for problems, not wanting surgery every 10 years or so, not wanting something unnatural (and still in "studies") in my body, not wanting to sacrifice tissue from another area, being someone who does not recover from surgery well, and just wanting to be "me." Ultimately I did find that when I told the "whys," people understood my decision. A Bible passage (with some paraphrasing) I find inspiring comes from 1 Peter 3:3-5 (NIV): "Your beauty . . . should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful." If you haven't already made a decision, be sure to research and come up with something you are comfortable with--whether you choose a type of reconstruction, or choose to be a "flattop." |