These are the original, pre-lumpectomy boobs. Looking at them you'd never guess they'd fit a 32D, would you? I certainly didn't until I saw it for myself. Once you get everything in the bra cup, sure enough they fit! Wonders never cease.
This is pre-lumpectomy. My left side is now a cup size smaller than the right due to the lumpectomy. It's not something that's noticeable, and truth be told, my left side was always smaller. My big fear before the lumpectomy was that I'd have a big hole, but it filled in as the doctor said it would. (I got a look from the plastic surgeon because of the sunburn I had gotten the week before.)
Nothing like mammary antennae to cheer the spirits...plus I made five bucks. (Hubby didn't know that I have a long history of wearing odd, and perhaps embarassing, head gear. Mom said I should have made the bet for 20.)
Click the pic to get the full view.
The Day After...the plastic surgeon came in to check out his handiwork. I was so nervous about seeing the new parts!! I thought I'd be mangled looking.
I'm one that likes to see things. That's why I included this photo. You can see the port closest in the picture. The doctor is holding the other. The tubing drains fluids off the surgery site and ends in a round device that can be measured and emptied.
I was told I'd have to go home with them and that they'd be removed the next Tuesday. (This was on a Friday.) I was quite surprised when they told me they'd be able to remove the drains before I went home. Good news.
For this, he said it was going to smart a little bit, and then he just yanked them out. It wasn't that bad really.
I had a nipple and skin sparing mastectomy. At this time, they aren't as common as some other kinds of mastectomies. Different mastectomies produce different scar patterns. Mine are on the side as you see and then over the top of the nipple. When looking at a book I brought in, I found it interesting that the plastic surgeon could tell the type of mastectomy based on the scar.
The location and type of cancer I had allowed for this newer surgery.
The upside is that you don't necessarily have to re-expand the skin with expanders, and you don't have to reconstruct the nipple - which means less surgery/procedures. The down side is that leaving the nipple and skin increases the chances of the cancer returning by about 1%. I'll have breast exams twice a year just to check the nipple area.
(There are cases where expanders are necessary with skin and nipple sparing mastectomies. This has to do with condition of the skin flaps. It was possible that I would have had expanders. I wanted to go bigger, rounder, and it was posible that the skin and pocket to allow this wouldn't have been there...regardless of whether or not I wanted fuller boobs. It depends on how the surgery goes and if they go under the skin or under the muscle...lots of factors. Sometimes the body heals better or easier if it doesn't have the pressure of the full implant. So, they put in the expanders, allow the body to heal and then finish rebuilding.)
New tataz, still taped. This is about one and a half weeks post surgery. (The plastic surgeon left the tapes on saying that the longer you leave them on, the finer the scars.)
They got my implants "under the skin" instead of under the muscle. Under the skin leads to a slightly better result as the muscle has a tendency to flatten the implant. However, going under the skin means that there's a better chance for droop...Six of one, half dozen of the other as my granny might say. I'll wear a bra when working out!
I'm getting used to the newer boobs. This is the much-cut left boob. The "seam" as I call it looks like it's coming along nicely. I have a tendency toward the kind of scars that bubble up. Fingers crossed.
I was changing clothes so I decided to get a shot. Normally, they are strapped down like nobody's business...truly on a tight leash...I suppose they'll stay that way for a while yet.
