Next Step -- Reconstruction

I met today with my plastic surgeon to discuss the next phase of my journey -- reconstruction. I first met with him last August when I decided to move forward with the double mastectomy. This has provided an even platform on which he can create his masterpiece.

Today he checked the chest area, looking at where I had radiation and the abscess following the mastectomy and pronounced they are well healed and ready for surgery. He took a pre-surgery photo today for my file. We discussed the process, known as latissimus dorsi flap. This is where the surgeon removes muscle from the back just below the shoulder blade and repositions is in the breast area by bringing it forward through a channel under the arm. The surgery will take six to seven hours and hospital recovery will be two or three days. Post-surgery recover can take two to four weeks, depending on the individual.

An implant is also inserted into the breast (under the new muscle). This is what will give the new breasts their size and shape. Getting the actual size exact could take some tweaking but this process is done under a local anesthetic. I'm looking forward to having new breasts. Shopping for clothing has been tedious and it's hard to find clothes which fit and don't hang in that area.

One of the concerns I have is related to the problem the last anaesthesiologist had finding usable veins in my arms. My surgeon doesn't think it will be an issue again and instructed me to drink lots of water the night before. Worse case scenario, he says they'll use a neck vein for the surgery.

Of course, now that summer is upon us, it looks like I won't be scheduled for surgery until August, but more likely September. I won't know for a couple of months yet as the surgeons only get a three-month schedule of OR time and the next schedule won't be out until the end of June. Meanwhile, it looks like I'll be heading back to work. I have a tentative back-to-work date for Tuesday and I'll go back on half time to for the first week, gradually building up hours to full-time.