Reconstruction: to Rebuild, or Not?

My doctors asked me if I wanted to consider reconstruction.

For me, the answer was no. I feel strongly about this. Reconstruction is an elective surgery—and a long, complicated one. There are some risks, as with any major surgery, and the recovery time is longer than for a mastectomy. I didn't want to go through that again any time soon.

The other big issue for me is that you don’t end up with a real, functioning breast. If I lost a hand, I would want a functioning artificial hand. Hell, I'd take a hook. But the best you can get with breast reconstruction is what the books call "a breast shape."

It's not a functioning breast—no milk, no sexual sensation. Just a glob of fat from somewhere else on your body with a tattooed nipple. For me, the answer is, why bother? My breast prosthesis gives me “a breast shape” without the surgery and the scars.

My doctors would have wanted to wait a year after the mastectomy to do a reconstruction anyway—that gives you time to heal from surgery and time to recover from chemo. Also, because most women either gain or lose weight in that first year, they say, it's better to wait until your weight is stable because a reconstructed breast will not change size with weight gain or loss as the other breast will.

"Fine," I said. "I don't think I want to do it, but we can talk about it again in a year."

Of course, I had a recurrence before the year was up, so that helped to put paid to the idea of ever doing breast reconstruction, and I’m not sorry. But that’s just me.

I would never criticize a woman who chooses reconstruction for making that choice. This is about as personal as it gets—and every woman deserves to make her own decision without negative comments from spouse, family, or friends.

@ Jeanne Sather 2007.

Comments

[Neil Wilson]

Very interesting-gutsy attitude-I'm a bit old though-too bad.

I'd ditch that hat--makes you look mannish-something more feminine or none.

Both my wife and I had cancer-unfortunealy I'm the only survivor-but at least it was no financial burden.

[jeanne]

Thanks, Neil, but I love the hat (which is a guy's hat, actually). I think it goes with the attitude.

Jeanne