Topic: bad reconstruction results

Marian I think we had the same SOB. I had stage 4 right breast but did bi-lateral. Im glad I did because It showed changes to the breast which they said would be cancerous in a matter of time.My expirience left me with 2 totally different breasts. Thw surgeon who did the original mastectomy did a great job by only giving me a 2.5" incision, the plastics reconstruction placed the expanders in that space, I had to have the left expander removed prior to surgery do to mistakes he made, so I had to wear my husbands sock rolled up for 5 months while I went through chemo. Finally in Dec. I thought finally this is it. Ill look even, get some self esteam back. I am 52 years old married to the same man for 35 years and I could not bear to let him see me so uneven ( he said dont worry its ok ) but not to me. I felt deformed, (never mind the chemo, baldness etc.) but the 1 breast thing did a number on my head. Any way its dec. and Iam all happy that finally Im almost over this.When surgery was done and I saw what I had I went to see him. He said, it looks beautifull.

Well let me tell you about beautifull.... My left breat( which did not have cancer) he gave me a 6" incission (dont kn ow why yet) also its like a football shape and goes way under my armpit. Also it has a point where the nipple would be and when I move my arm It folds in half. My right breast has the original 2.5 " incison but he has it starting under my clevicle. It looks like some one punched it in the center because its flat, it is the size of a large orange the incision is puckered and now at the bottom of my breast. To the sob this is beautifull. Listen to the solution...Left breast ( swear he said this to me in fromt of my husband) roll up your husband sock and place it in your bra under the arm pit to force the breast over and up to match my right starting at the clavicle ( Like a ninny I tried this when I got home...all it did was raise my boob and make and indentation) my right he says he will cut the capsule causing the breast to drop. and as for the puckered scar he will cut it zig zag so it stretches like an accordian. What do you think of the?

No I am in California. I went to a ps today. I have 2 other appointments next week. Bottom line he explained what could be done but that there is no way he can say it can be fixed. Wont give me false hope, all he said was that he would remove the saline and replace them with silicone(which he says feel better and look more natural) and that when he is done at least they look somewhat better. But wont give me false hope. My skin and my muscles are stretched all wrong. He said that he has to sew the skin that forms the division(cleavage) to my sternum because in the center both implant meet as one. How do I get an attorney? Will that help me? Not really only in as much as to pay for the fixing if the insurance wont pay for it. Why do they (PS) touch you if they don't know what they are doing? Isn't it bad enough that we have cancer? That we loose our own breasts? That we have to come to terms with so many different things in a short amount of time that we are overwhelmed with what life has thrown at us, and then a monkey wrench is thrown at you when a ps totally screws up a mental picture of how you thought you would look  and  turns it into one of despair, deformation and self-disgust. I cant wear any open shirts any more. Forget going into my pool. I f I don't wear a bra I'm so lopsided that it pulls and I look totally unbalanced. I'm sorry Im  rattling on but I'm so angry!!!

The worst part is I cant tell anyone, I'm embarrassed,ashamed and already see everyones eyes going to my  "breasts" when they talk to me. I wish I could figure out how to find a good female attorney who would at least sympathize with me. But then thats  never going to happen. I'm really down, I may have to consider removing them altogether. (I cant even picture that in my head )

Well if you really feel strongly about your outcome and are willing to put out more energy there is the California state board, now it takes a long time and I understand that you can do it without identifying yourself but you can help another person - I went to the ps directly we had it out and he actually agreed with me in the end.  He apologized and said he would make a real point of LISTENING to the patient from now on.  Now whether I was just appeased or not doesn't matter, I made an impact and he will change the way he does business.  He can't use me as a "problem" patient because even though I had several reasons to sue him I didn't.  If he had not changed his attitude with me I would have gone to an attorney - he may have sensed that but all in all I am hoping he DOES change his approach to the cancer patient  - to any patient!

Good luck, and I know what you mean and I have felt what you are feeling (you too hi5).. we just have to find a way to live our lives and if necessary have another surgery, but when the trust is lost it is a long road back...

Best to all!

Pam, OMG...that man SHOULD NOT be working with breast cancer patients!  I'm afraid I would have had to hurt him.  I hope all goes well for you in NOLA!  Best wishes

Hi Marta,

You can read about my recon/decon experience entitled "Failing the Torture-by-Reconstruction Test".  My foobs actually looked ok, they were just giving me muscle pain 100% of the time.  Now flat, I'm not entering the Ms. Oregon pageant, but I'm also not dealing with implants that are trying to move under my arms.

Hi again Pam,

There is another PS in Portland who also needs a swift kick in the #@*%.  I won't mention his name, but he is one of the top PSs.  He told a patient who was crying and in pain from the expander process that "Bilaterals are whiners."

I had a major panic attack last Sunday about $$$.  My husband and I went to a stupid vacation seminar, where we could get 2 free airline tickets for listening to their sales bs.  Well, it ended up sounding like a good deal, but I was still skeptical.  But my husband convinced me when he said how all our money goes to medical bills, and we really need some happy times with the kids.

It's one of the extra bummers of cancer treatment, the feeling of being a financial anchor for your family.  My husband is a very wonderful guy, but he hit my weak spot.  So we put down $4500 for Suncoast Vacations.  It was supposed to give us 2 weeks a year of discount prices for condos around the world, and a guarantee for the lowest prices for airfare.

As soon as we got home I looked them up on "Rip-off Reports" and found they were a total scam group.  I quickly cancelled the charge to our credit card, cancelled our card, and sent a letter to them voiding the contract.

Buyer beware.  If something sounds too good, it probably isn't.

sally 

I too had a bilat with recon. My expanders were so lopisded with the bc sided way higher.  when ps did the exchange he lowered the pocket.  At first the implants looked so good and felt so soft.  After a couple months the bc side shifted downward, so after 4 months, I had a revision and ps fixed the pocket, sewed the implant to the sternun (I think) and once again they were even.  Now 7 months later, the bc side has shifted downward again.  ps nurse says I am the only radiated patient where implant did not go higher!!!  I a hve 300cc implants and to me they are too big.  The bc side looks so weird and I have two armpits!!!! I have an appt with ps in a couple weeks to talk about options.  I am thin, so I am not a candidate for most othre procedures.  I have considered deconstsructing or having the smallest implants possible put in.  In close I am okya but I cannnot wear anything fitted.  But its my naked body that I don't like. DH is very caring and he has seen me every step of the way - but I am not happy with how I look. BTW today is 2 years since bilat.  Karen

MD called tonight and said my scans were in and were okay.  I guess I can live with a fiscally irresponsible son now.  So I am less cranky.

However, when I read all these stories...man I wish I had the money to bring us all together  at resort to tell our stories and have some really strong tropical drinks, and bond in person. I hate it that so many have had my s--t happen to them, but there is some good in knowing I am not alone.

SLH-I can find you some very cheap all inclusives online.  That is my specialty. Since dx, we try to go 1/yr.

Calif-Sherry...I want to tell you not to feel shame re this, and yet I know how that feels.  I don't want to over dramatise but it must be something like being branded; totally not our fault yet shameful to see.  I never put it is those words before but I feel that way also.

Pam

It is controversial.  Many studies indicate that survival rate is no longer if you find a met in it's tiniest form than (by a scan of some type) when you find it secondary to symptoms.  I was chatting with a lady on this board and she was dx'd the same day I was (almost 3 yrs ago) and the same stage, etc.  Her MD ordered routine bone and C/T scan at two years out and she had mets to her vertabrae.  Very tiny.  And they are treating it with this cool new drug that she gets once a month and it seals off the mets and starves them.  That sounded smarter to me than waiting til you get symtoms (a vertabra imploding?) so I asked my MD for same scans.  Oh, forgot to say, she felt fine prior to met dx.  Anyway, mine were fine.  But I think I will ask for them every 2 yrs or so just in case.  If you go to the recurrance thread there is a lot of info there.

If you had no chemo, no rads, your disease must have been pretty small (I know, no disease is small to the woman  who has it), so you are probably okay.  I really, really recommend a book called "Cancer Made Me a Shallower Person"  It is hilarious but pretty insightful too. and the lady who wrote it had hardly any tumor, and by the end of the book had mets.  It is just a secretive, shitty disease that you never can predict.   Get the book, you will love it.  I got it from library.  If I have already recommended it to you...sorry....gool ole chemo brain.

Hi kelly... a fellow canuck... where do you live...I am in bc... sounds like we have similar problems....

pam... you are getting everything redone for $10,000 in no... wow I thought it was like $70,000  . what exactly are you getting done.

It has been one year past exchange and my foobs are still as hard as a rock... is this common. 

Hi Violet,

Where are you having your sgap done?

 JMJ

Any of you california girls from San Diego.  I have been told my San Diego PS is great but I am just a bit concerned with his bedside manor.  I do not have surgery till November because my PS won't do surgey till I am 6 months out from radiation, I start that tomorrow.  Anyone heard of that?  Thank you Kristi