Sociologist

Hi Cleomoon,

I'm no expert about this but from what I understand is that breasts have their own estrogen supply and some breast cancers are feed by estrogen. When we're young, our breast tissue is usually very dense and as we age and go through menopause, the tissue becomes fatty.  Some studies have linked fat in general (being normal weight with fatty breasts or just being overweight) to increased incidences in breast cancer. Also, some women going through menopause may take hormone replacement which could increase their chances of developing breast cancer. We are also exposed to estrogen-like chemicals in the environment (such as some cosmetics, foods, plastics, etc) which some suggest could lead to an increase in breast cancer. In the end, cancer is cancer and it doesn't matter how one "gets" it....it just sucks! Hope I've answered some of your question. I'm sure someone who knows more than I will come along shortly!

Margaret

Clove gum was my favorite.

Jolly ranchers for a penny (and bubble gum too!).

Lifesavers and Wrigley's were a nickle a pack.

McDonalds when they opened in our area: 15 cent burger and 10 cents each for fries and coke!

Actually being ble to go to Rexall's and get a coke at the counter.

25 cents a gallon for gas!!!

Margaret

Hey Maura,

You just have to do what feels right to you. I only had cancer in one breast and that's the only one I had done. For me, I don't think I could have handled dealing with everything at once. If I went with my gut from the beginning, I wouldn't be arguing with my ps to remove this implant! I love your comment to the hairdresser! Some people should just shut up when they don't know the right thing to say. Time is on your side for making your decision. I'm sure others that are more familiar than I will be along shortly. Best of luck!

Margaret

Rockwell you are toooo funny! I just used the Palmer's cocoa butter in the solid form (the lotion didn't work for me). Helped a lot during expansion. I'll never look at cool whip the same again! Whatever works we gotta do it...

Margaret

Hi Ladies,

Got back from the ps a couple of hours ago and he wants me to see a pain management doc before he'll remove the implant. I spent the last couple of hours crying and being REALLY PISSED!!!!! He believes the pain isn't with the implant but the tendon holding the implant and pain management may help. I am allergic to codeine, darvon, vicodin, percodan, and oxycontin...the only one I can take without hugging the toilet is meperedine which most don't like to prescribe.

Lisa-e and Nagam, I totally agree with you in that an informed decision should require that ALL alternatives should be presented in an unbiased manner. They briefly mentioned not doing anything but talked more about what they could do to make me "whole". I am whole with or without a foob! His nurse spent a half hour on the phone with me a few minutes ago and said because I had such a good outcome he may be reluctant to undo his work (same thing you said Barbara). She's great and is making the required appt with the pain doc for me. Hopefully it'll be a short visit and he'll tell me he can't do anything for me and I can get this beast out of my chest!

Thanks for letting me rant. Now where did I put that bottle of vodka and my scalpel...

Margaret

Hi Ladies,

Just want to add my 2 cents...I was reconstructed in December and HATE THIS FOOB! I have a ps appt tomorrow afternoon to see about being deconstructed. I have a silicone implant and the boobs do look wonderful but feel awful. The mast side is always sore and feels almost as uncomfortable as the expander. I saw the ps 6 months after the exchange and told him I wanted it out then and he said "No, it's too soon". I thought I had a say in this!!! I'm to the point that I should have a few strong Bloody Mary's and hop on the kitchen table and take this thing out myself! If he doesn't agree to remove it in December after my semester is over, I will find another surgeon to do it.

Barbara, I love the breastfree.org site! I wish I'd see it BEFORE the recon so I wouldn't be in the pickle I'm in now! I think it provides a very needed service for people so they can truly weight all their options for recon or not. I'd originally decided against recon but others I knew that'd had breast cancer and recon kept telling me how much I'd regret not doing it, etc. I should have trusted myself more on that for sure. No worries though...everything in life is a learning experience and with that, I learned to trust my own judgement. Thanks for devoting so much time and energy to that site (and this one too!).

Thanks for listening. Yall have a good night.

Margaret

Hi Lisa,

I has the mast in July of last yr w/180cc's in the expander at surgery. I had to wait until late August for my fills to start and was finished with them in the end of October (went every 2 weeks and got about 120cc's each time for a total of 760cc's at the end). My ps wanted to do the exchange at Thanksgiving but I had to wait until school was out in mid December. Every doc is different in how the do this stuff. Best of luck!

Margaret

What a cool kid! I wish my college students could write as well. Thanks for sharing!

Margaret

Happy Anniversary Sharon!!!! We've all come a very long way this past year! It's fun going back and reading some of the old post  we wrote going through the expansion process. I've had the implant for 10 months Saturday and some dropping and no fluffing for me. I still have almost as much pain with the implant as I did with the expander so I'll probably be deconstructed in December. Happy to see you around the board and that things are going well for you. Take care.

Margaret

I've had a silicone implant since Dec 2007 and it's barely softer than the expander. I was under the impression it'd get much softer but that hasn't happened my case. Hopefully yours will get softer soon!

Margaret