Interesting article.  Several years ago when my sister was a Hospice Volunteer,  most of the doctors and the nurses at the facility where she was were not in favor of breast re-construction.  They thought it caused more problems that it solved.

Most women my age did breast feed their children.  I would be interested in knowing how our age group compares to those who didn’t breast feed during the mid 70’s and early 80’s.   Some of our mothers went wild on the new formula options and most of them did not breast feed their babies (us).   The horror stories were 1)  they smoked a pack or two of cigarettes a day while pregnant   2)  drank their cocktails every night while pregnant.   Scary stuff.

I have always promoted breast-feeding to every new mom I know. In fact I include the book "The Womanly Art of Breast-feeding" written by the LeLeche League (now in its 7th edition!) in any shower gift I give to a woman who I know plans to breast-feed her baby, because it is the best source available. I highly recommend it.

My mother had breast cancer but never had reconstruction because the option was not offered to her. Her doctor told her that she was an older widow so there was no need for her to have it done. She was never consulted about options. It should have been strictly her decision not that of her doctor to decide if this would giver her life more quality. It certainly would have given her more confidence in buying and wearing clothes because the prosthetic was never quite right. Eight years later she was diagnosed with the lung cancer that ultimately took her life.

I had a double mastectomy in 2005 and decided not to have reconstuctive surgery.     As I learned about the proceedure and it’s problems as well as it’s aftermath, I did’t even entertain this as an option.  My surgeon, internist, and oncologist all felt it was a very wise  decision.  After hearing the war stories and seeing the results both physical and psychological in a breast recovery group, I was even more convinced that this is a risky, painful, and costly proceedure was a no no.        But i also realize that many women want to be perceived as "normal" &/or attractive.     I knew what was involved and opted…"No."  But especially for younger women this is something they do for obvious reasons, and of course this is a highly personal decision.

As a result of lymph gland removal I suffer from lymphedema. This painful and dangerous condition must be addressed with massage and lymph drainage to reduce lymph fluid from blocking the lymph system, our gateway to our immune system.  I wear a compression arm sleeve, and have 2 sessions a week with my specialist PT.

If I had permitted reconstruction of implanted material over my mastectomies, my lymphedema therapy would not have been possible and  with other problems resulting from this additional surgery, I would currently be in a very negative position. Again, this is all personal as negative feelings about our bodies are foisted upon us by our culture,and what we expect of ourselves is often distorted towards appearance issues that cannot by themselves make us happy,

I had my 3 children in the 50s and we were discouraged from nursing our babies then. I only had one friend who nursed. We also smoked during our pregnancies - everybody did, as smoking was ok then. I can remember even smoking in the hospital after they were born…imagine! It was such a different world then, but we did take prenatal vitamins & got regular check-ups. We also got to stay in the hospital about 5 days after our baby was born. Funny, but in spite of it all my children were so healthy..never were sick, and I don’t know anybody my age, but one woman who had breast cancer.

My mother and my grandmother both lost one breast to breast cancer.  My mother got a reconstruction through her insurance, my grandmother could not due to insurance denial.  Mema still wears a sock on the other side of her bra and is very self-conscious about it.  My mom said "whoo-hoo! I get a boob job and a tummy tuck!" (They take skin from her stomach to reconstruct with). Lol.  I would go with the reconstruction, definitely.

I hope I am not posting this after all of the discussion has died down. I can remember when women were told that nursing a baby prevented you from worrying about getting breast cancer latter on. It may have actually been true back in the 50’s. It’s my thought/fear that the environment we live in now has shattered that hope. A friend of mine who is the mother of 9, now all full grown adults, stunned everyone she knew, most especially her husband, when she announced that she had breast cancer. She had to go through a full radical mastectomy and has been in remission now for close to ten years. There are no guarantees anymore. But that certainly should not encourage any new mom not to breast feed. You can’t do a better thing for your child and the bond lasts a lifetime. Of the seven we had only our oldest was not breast fed. Mom allowed herself to get talked out of it and felt too intimidated to try. I’ve always regretted it. All thank God are healthy and have been all of their lives.

I’ve never had BC, but I have watched as many specials on it as I can. What bothers me about the survivors of this terrible disease, is that I heard over and over and OVER again "I JUST DON’T FEEL LIKE A COMPLETE WOMAN WITHOUT BOTH BREASTS". How very sad for a woman to be so dependent on what literally amounts to an udder, that they feel like LESS than what they are because they are missing a breast. Very seldom did I hear these women saying they felt blessed to simply be alive, to be cancer free, to be able to watch as their kids grow up. I have had a breast redux (too much for even the hubby to handle) and I don’t regret it one day. There were people who looked puzzled when they saw the "after" chest, some were even aggravated that I would have almost everything removed, but my breasts do not define me and I don’t think ANY woman should feel pressured to "conform" to anyone elses standard when it comes to their breasts. I do want EVERY woman to look behind the scars to the heart that still beats, to the heart that still loves, to the soul that makes EVERY woman so amazing and COMPLETE!

It seems most people commenting on reconstruction are talking about implants.  I, too, would not opt for an implant.  I opted instead for a reconstructed breast which is 100% my own tissue so I never have to worry about leakage or toxicity of saline or silicone or whatever artificial substance fills the implant or replacement or removal of same.  I didn’t want to do any reconstruction at the time (was scared to do so) initially.  My breast surgeon urged me to just meet with the plastic surgeon.  He told me I was still a young woman (I was 47 at the time, bless his heart).  I only agreed to do this if it was done at the same time as my mastectomy.  I would never have agreed to a separate procedure because I have difficulty opting for surgery purely for cosmetic reasons.  

I had a procedure called a tram flap where one of the two vertical trans rectus abdominus muscles (there are two of them each of which runs down vertically on either side of center of your chest and abdomen and which you use, for example, when doing situps) is wrapped up and around mastectomy site to form a new "breast" mound.  Skin and fat are also taken from your lower abdomen to shape the reconstructed "breast". Nerves are not cut so I have full sensation in my reconstructed breast.  Once, I jokingly said to my surgeon — my belly is now on my chest and he said that was exactly right.  Having this done also gave me sort of a tummy tuck :)

I’m VERY happy I had this procedure.  I have full sensation in my "breast" and feel very normal and comfortable.  Enhancements are possible with additional procedures (e.g. creation of "nipple" and areola with tatooing, and perhaps reduction of remaining normal breast, etc.) but I’ve never felt the need for these enhancements.

So satisfaction with reconstruction may depend on what type you’ve had, e.g. implant vs. tram flap made from your own tissue.  I never have to worry about leakage of implant, or removal or periodical replacement of implant since what I have is 100% my own tissue.

I am two months post surgery for a double masectomy and I am undergoing reconstruction with expanders, then the implants in 3 weeks.  I am the classic case of "how did I get this"?  I breast fed two kids for over a year each, I’m slim, athletic, don’t eat any crappy food whatsoever and haven’t in at least 10 years, I drank only one or two drinks on the weekend and don’t take one prescription drug for anything.  The picture of health, or so I thought. 

I do want to say that for me, so far, this reconstruction process has been easy and not uncomfortable and a happy experience.  I have a fabulous plastic surgeon who’s staff is unbelievably kind and helpful.  I have heard  the  horror stories and decided this was the best thing for me and I don’t look back ever, I know I made the right decision.  If anyone needs a positive pep talk, please let me know.  Of course I know this isn’t over, but I’m confident that with my diet (100% raw food) and attitude, the rest will be a breeze as well.