Breast Reduction on Real Boob following masectomy

Hi Happy,

I was waiting about a year before I had mine done (in beaumont). It took me a bit of time to decide that I wanted a reduction on the 'good' side so when I eventually came around to the idea the list was long!

I am still waiting on the nipple recon, it is over a year now. I got a call in early Dec asking if I might be available before Xmas and I said yes but no call They gave me the option of getting it done in the hermitage but I declined as logistics would be a nightmare, have a 5 and nearly 7 year old! and live not far from Beaumont.

Only thing I might suggest you do is give admissions a call to see where you are on list and offer to get it done at short notice (if of course you can drop work, family etc).

The reduction op was fairly straightforward (compared to all the other ops) Went in morning of op and home the next day. Took it easy for 10 days (got it done just before Xmas 2012).

You will get there....

Lindylu

Hi Lindylu

Thank your so much for your reply. I will be meeting with my Consultant in May so I don't know whether to wait and see what he says, but I might give admissions a call and offer the short notice thing. It is so good to hear from someone that has being there; and yes after other procedures I don't mind this one at all. I hope you are called soon for your nipple recon and I know it must be very hard trying to care for children along with healing; I don't have children but I work fulltime and some nights but I would drop everything to get it done.

Many Thanks again and keep me posted with your nipple recon; would love to know how you get on.

Hi Everyone
I am still awaiting my breast reduction on my right boob (as I had mastectomy on my left in 2010); I am to have the procedure done in the Mater Public Hospital in Dublin. I am on a waiting list since June 2013, I contacted admissions and the waiting list department to enquire where I am on the list but they told me to contact my surgeon's secretary but when I met with my Doctor in July 2014 for my annual checkup he couldn't tell me where I would be on the list either. Did this happen to anyone else? Can anyone tell me how long you were waiting for your op in the Mater? I would be so grateful

Hi happy,

It seems an awful long time to have to wait. I am dud to see my own consultant early December in Beaumont to discuss recon. I don't think I could hang on that long for recon, the fact that I can have my boobs back is keeping me going through my treatment. Anyone know if there is a long list for Beaumont too.
Hope you get a call soon.
Georgie

Hi Georgie

I know, I am just looking forward to having matching boobs at this stage; and also to get everything finished and move on in every aspect with my life. I hope you are not waiting as long; hopefully someone will have the answers for both of us. I will keep you posted.

Hi ladies
I had my treatment in Vincents but have decided to go to Beaumont for Diep reconstruction, for lots of different reasons that I won't go into here. I finished rt in July and saw plastic surgeon at start of sept. He reckons 6 month waiting list. It is possible to get a short notice appt but I need to wait min 6 months from rt so he felt there was no point putting my name on that list. I will need a reduction also but he said there is no real waiting list for that, it will be dependant on how I am after the first surgery and how well/quickly I recover. Happy, I would push a little on the follow up surgery. Like you I want to get all of this over with so I can draw a line under the whole thing so I have pushed my doctors quite hard to get me referals/on lists etc. it's hard to think Mater would have way longer lists than Beaumont? Best of luck with it x

Thanks Mamato3;
You have motivated me and I will ring them and send a letter at this stage, I have received 2 letters during the year from the hospital to say I am on the waiting list and am I still interested in surgery, I send them back straight away indicating I was and that I would go at short notice, even though I am working, I would drop everything and go. The letter stated that waiting lists are long and they send these letters to make sure everyone turns up to surgery. I will keep everyone posted. Thanks

Hi,
Thanks for the replies. There I was thinking I could walk into consultant next month and have recon done ASAP, I was of the mindset if i was given an appointment for the next week, I was so in there..lmao.... Not even finished my rads yet, is it really six months recovery? From rads. I have a slight redness to skin but no pain whatsoever. Like everyone ekes I want to put the past year behind me and move on, looks like sumner being the earliest now. Oh well, small set back, still gave a lot to be thankful for.

Stay safe
Georgie.

Lol Georgie, I was the same, I would actually have had recon surgery the day after finishing rads if they had let me. I have spoken with a few doctors about this and 6 month wait is now the minimum (I think it used to be 3) after rads because apparently there can still be tissue changes for a number of months after finishing. I had a fair bit of skin discolouration but it's going away nicely. One piece of advice I received was to keep up with the moisturising and I notice how dry my skin feels now if I miss a day moisturising. So I'll keep it up for a while yet. Hope you're not finding the rads too tiring, best of luck with it x

Mamato3, you sound very similar to me. I finished Rads in July & met DIEP surgeon in Beaumount in Sept. I was told to wait 6 months too so
I'm on the list for surgery in Jan/Feb. I really hope I'm not waiting any longer than that!

Hi,
Will hold off on doing the beach babe bit so until August.
Everyone on this post seems to be in and around, give or take a few months, same treatment times. Does anyone know if they have gone through menopause with their chemo. Am waiting to do a blood rest in a few weeks, I'm hoping I have. Don't relish the thought of becoming menopausal after all this.
Thanks
George.

Re the question of menopause and chemo, you don't mention what age you are Georgie. My oncologist has told me I have about a 60% chance of coming out of menopause and things returning to "normal", but I think this depends a lot on what age you are and how close you would have been to a natural menopause pre the chemo. I am 42 by the way. She said it can take up to 2 years for things to revert to normal.

Hi mamato3,

I am 45 and 3/4. If there is any justice in this world I feel I should have gone through it. Can't wait for the bloods to be done.

Take care
Georgie

Hi ladies
Can't help on advising about the waiting list issue, but just want to let you know that menopause has now kicked in for me.

I was diagnosed in 2011, had the whole chemopause thing while on chemotherapy but things seemed to have kicked back in, albeit no regularly, about 6 months after I finished chemotherapy. I have the Mirena coil in, which was replaced last year so was putting irregular periods down to that, and the hot flushes were being put down to continued after effects of treatment, and of course the lovely summer!! However, things just didn't feel right so went to GP and asked him if he could check to see if I was going mad or just menopausal. Lo and behold, I'm in the early stages of menopause at the ripe old age of 41. However, I can't speak for everyone else, I'm delighted that I seem to have very little problems with menopause. I suppose I'm comparing them to the side-effects of chemotherapy! I'm praying that this is the way I'll stay until I'm post-menopausal.... is this too much to ask?!

Hi Ladies

Haven't been on this forum in ages (Shame on me) just had a quick squizz at the thread.

I had Mascetomy April 2013 and a tissue expander the same operation - lol thought I would wake up with a boob how naive I was. Anyhow just saw through the thread about radiated boobs which mine were. I was adamant that I would take the risk and go ahead with reconstruction as didnt want to wait so long. Now in the end it took ages but just to let you know that the choice is yours to have reconstruction even with radiation. Last week I got my nipple so am nearly at the other side.

Just to let you know its a long old track but by God women its so so so so so worth it. I was in bed the other night and had a tank top on and looked down and saw two - the feeling was amazing. My nipple turned out okay have to go back next week but all looks okay. then few months tatoo

I am babbling but just wanted to say no matter how long it takes.... there is light at the end of the tunnel

xxxx