Another Day, Another Paper Gown

So today was plastic surgeon consult #2. This was the doctor that my primary doctor required me to see in order to process a referral with another doctor I am seeing at the end of the month. I actually really liked this guy. He’s an older man…in his early 70’s and he was very knowledgeable. We talked in his office for almost an hour before we even went into the exam room. He explained everything. All the risks. All the possible outcomes during surgery. Yadayadayada. The only problem I have with choosing him as my plastic surgeon is that he cannot work with the breast surgeon that I chose.  They work for different networks; different hospitals. If I decide to use this doctor, I have to meet with breast surgeons he works with and choose one of them to do the mastectomy. I am not ruling it out. It’s still on the table. But I really do love the breast surgeon I have already met with so this isn’t going to be an easy decision. I have one more plastic surgeon to meet with at the end of the month and then I can really narrow it all down. 

As far as nipples go, this doctor today agreed with me and my decision for removing them. He said leaving them in tact does leave some risk and it’s my body and ultimately my decision. The scars would probably be “lollipop” looking. A circle around where my nipple is now and then a line to the side of that where they would open me up. Scars don’t bother me. Especially scars that no one but myself and my husband would see. I am likely going to have very little feeling in my chest…. if any…after surgery anyway so I am still on board with saying bye bye to them.

One thing that was confirmed again today was that I am not a good candidate for DIEP flap surgery. This type of surgery creates new breasts with a person’s own body tissues…in this case they take fat from the stomach area. He looked at my stomach and said they could probably only create an A cup from my stomach fat. I am now and have always been a D. So I don’t feel comfortable going for that big of a change. I could have a combination of DIEP Flap and an implant to get a bigger size but I am not interested in that, either. It kind of defeats the purpose of having the DIEP Flap in my opinion.  

So alas, I am not really any closer to making a decision about it but I do feel a bit more informed today from that appointment. One thing I have to keep in mind is that anything can happen during surgery. We could have a plan in place for direct to implant and there could be skin or blood flow issues discovered during the operation that could prevent that from happening and might lead me to tissue expanders. Or smaller than planned implants. Or staying flat awhile. And that’s the risk I take. And that’s life, right?

Love and boobies,

Allison 

(  . ) (  . )