Come join others currently navigating treatment in our weekly Zoom Meetup! Register here: Tuesdays, 1pm ET.
Take our poll: Caregivers, what do you find most difficult about caregiving?
Weigh in: What are the best and worst gifts for people with breast cancer?

Nipple reconstruction

1…4748505253…71

Comments

  • lahela
    lahela Member Posts: 145
    edited January 2014

    Marsha, thanks so much for the info but especially for the pics! I really worry about this seeing as it will be summer, but your pics make me think I can get away with it. *big hugs*

  • Layla2525
    Layla2525 Member Posts: 465
    edited January 2014

    Wow, ladies, I wonder if my PS knows about all this complicated stuff and surgical nipple cones etc. All she had me do was get the little square gauze pads and cut a hole in them. The fake nip would be surrounded what then became a kind of donut hole so the nip didn't get squashed. Now she says I can wear any bra I want since they healed. The easy to find underwires are not comfy since she put the new implants in with a cosmetic incision in what used to be the fold or under the breast.  Think I will stick with my comfy sports bras unless I have a special occasion.  I got some that are regular straps and some are the X across the back type which are great for summer and the halter type tops. Hope you all love your new nips as much as I like mine. Cant wait for the tattoos! Then everythg will extra cute as soon as the railroad track scars fade.

  • MereMere
    MereMere Member Posts: 74
    edited January 2014

    marsha1970 what type of nip recon did you have?

  • m1970
    m1970 Member Posts: 261
    edited January 2014

    I think it's the CV flap.  Looks like a little cylinder attached to my breast and there is no graft.  There is no areola, I will be getting a tattoo.

  • MereMere
    MereMere Member Posts: 74
    edited January 2014

    All this recon is so amazing!! I am really excited to start my journey and remove the "beast"

  • Jennt28
    Jennt28 Member Posts: 1,095
    edited January 2014

    4 days out and my breasts are starting to itch and the left one has zinging pains every now and then. I have no idea what's going on under the bandages and they don't come off until Thursday next week! I am on antibiotics so hopefully no infection problems.

    PS put big squares of foam with little squares of gauze in the centre - so obvious under clothes! Too lazy to cut circles I guess. And I'm not supposed to wear a bra until I go back next week. Am going back to work on monday so that's three days I hVe to tey and disguise these things. Am going to be wearing three slightly looser patterned shirts.

    Jenn

  • lala1
    lala1 Member Posts: 974
    edited February 2014

    Layla2525---My PS sounds like yours! He slapped a stack of gauze pads over the nip, taped them down and sent me home. No shower, no changing of gauze, just sponge baths, until followup 6 days later. Then he took gauze off, said "looks great", slapped more gauze on and said go home, shower and change gauze padding every day after you shower for 3 weeks and wear a soft bra. Then another followup and he said if you want to cover it, fine. If not, that's fine too. So basically one month of care. He also said to wear whatever bra I want at that point. I took it upon myself to use the makeup pads with holes cut in them and over 2 months out, I'm still padding it. It has shrunk about 30% and gotten very soft. When I wear my Bali bra (sports bra type with no underwire) you can't see it so I'm thrilled with it as long as it stays like this! I'm afraid to quit padding it and have it shrink to nothing! My PS scoffs at my worries and said most shrinkage is 1st month, with a little bit more over month 2 and 3, then you have what you'll always have. I'm overly cautious and a worrier so I think I'll pad through month 3!!!

  • Jeannie57
    Jeannie57 Member Posts: 1,314
    edited February 2014

    lala1, thanks for the info! I get my nipples on Friday and I know I'll be sent home with gauze.

  • Dulcigirl
    Dulcigirl Member Posts: 864
    edited February 2014

    Two days!! Nervous!!

    Could someone tell me what restrictions you were given after nipples as far as exercising goes? 

  • lala1
    lala1 Member Posts: 974
    edited February 2014

    Dulcigirl--My PS said no gym whatsoever before my first followup at 6 days. Then he said I could go but to stick with the bicycle or elliptical so I wouldn't bounce too much. I could also walk the treadmill if I didn't go too fast. He also didn't want me to get real sweaty for a few more days. Then after 2 weeks, he lifted all retrictions

  • Jeannie57
    Jeannie57 Member Posts: 1,314
    edited February 2014

    4 sleeps until nipples!

  • Jennt28
    Jennt28 Member Posts: 1,095
    edited February 2014

    lala1 - had my nipple recon a week ago and get the dressings and padding off in two days. It's been very hot and muggy here this week (summer here) so bad luck if the PS didn't want me to get sweaty ;-)

    Jenn

  • Dulcigirl
    Dulcigirl Member Posts: 864
    edited February 2014

    Got my nipples this morning despite driving during a horrible snowstorm. "Neither snow, nor sleet, nor dark of night..." Lol. 

    My PS used a star flap technique. It took about an hour to do both. I now have tagaderm over the incision site and several  layers of gauze with holes stacked up around them. An occlusal bandage was placed over that. I'm allowed to shower tomorrow with my back to the faucet. No exercise til after my recheck next week when they will redress it. If it gets wet before then I have to go in and replace the bandages. 

    Now I'm just nervous cuz I cannot see them for a week and I really wish the gauze was stacked a bit higher!!!! 

    But in office placement looked good and size was what I expected initially. They actually looked much neater than I expected. Like little toothpaste tube caps. Loopy 

  • lala1
    lala1 Member Posts: 974
    edited February 2014

    Dulcigirl---Congrats on your nips!! How exciting! I'd be the same as you...Neither sleet nor snow....!!!  Jealous he's letting you shower! I took baths for a week and washed my hair in the kitchen sink! ThumbsDown And although he says no exercising, it doesn't mean you can't go for walks. And if you do stretching like me to keep the pec loose, I continued those as well, just very gently. Sure didn't want to get all that pain back just for a cute nipple!

  • Dulcigirl
    Dulcigirl Member Posts: 864
    edited February 2014

    i'm planning to continue walking up and down my basement stairs. That's my default exercise during this arctic winter we're exoeriencing. I'm just not supposed to get super sweaty or do anything that could cause rubbing that might make them bleed. Sick

    My PS has been awesome about showering. I was allowed to shower after BMX too...I waited a couple of days just because I was too shaky. I asked about that today...He said, "Oh sure! The poor woman faces cancer and gets her breasts removed....how is she going to feel? Then we don't let her shower???? How does THAT make her feel?!"  He's a keeper.

  • Jennt28
    Jennt28 Member Posts: 1,095
    edited February 2014

    After having the nipple recon (with skin graft areolas) last Tuesday, today I had the first follow-up at the PS appt where his nurse took off all thepadding and bandages. Now I have to use Betadine ointment on them each day covered with swab layers. Then next Monday I go back to get the stitches out feom around the grafts.

    Nipples look so NORMAL! It's pretty amazing what they can do...

    Jenn

  • Dulcigirl
    Dulcigirl Member Posts: 864
    edited February 2014

    Well, I'm calling the nurse when they open this morning. When I put my pj's on last night I saw that righty had bled. It was all confined inside the occlusal bandage, but the gauze stack is pretty red. I know they don't want them to be wet, so we'll see if this counts. Ugh. It's an hour drive each way in good weather. Hope everything is ok in there!!!

  • Stix
    Stix Member Posts: 610
    edited February 2014

    Did they mention that the majority of nipple reconstruction flatten ?  You could always do 3 d tattoos... If you don't want to reconstruct the nipples again. I went to Vinnie

  • lahela
    lahela Member Posts: 145
    edited February 2014

    I have another question about nipple grafts from the inner thigh. My PS wants to do it under local, tattooing then grafting, but I asked for a general because... ouch! She's not keen because I've had so many generals recently. Any insight on how much the grafting hurts? I've got an absurdly low pain threshold...

  • Moviemaniac
    Moviemaniac Member Posts: 242
    edited February 2014

    Lahela, I had grafts, but not from the thigh....PS took skin from the dog ears when he removed them.  I KNOW there are others who have had the grafts taken from the thighs.....

  • Dulcigirl
    Dulcigirl Member Posts: 864
    edited February 2014

    My new nips are fine so far. My fav nurse (who did my fills) was on today. SHE told me the bleeding thing is fairly common. Guess the nurse yesterday forgot to mention that! Anyway, she wrapped me back up (with higher stacks of gauze--yay!!), told me how to change them myself if needed, and sent me on my way. I stocked up on supplies on the way home. I go back in two weeks to have stitches clipped. (??????!!!)

    Meanwhile, it's a bit more uncomfortable than I was expecting. But I'm taking that as a positive that I have more feeling than I thought. 

  • friendships
    friendships Member Posts: 37
    edited February 2014

    Dulcigirl, I'm very happy to hear your nips are fine! (I was a bit concerned when I read about the bleeding.) The trip was worth it to make sure everything was OK and you got more peace of mind with the higher stacks of gauze! Thanks for the update and info of what possibly to expect when/if I get my nips!

  • Dulcigirl
    Dulcigirl Member Posts: 864
    edited February 2014

    Thanks, friendships!

    I'm feeling much happier having more gauze! So funny.

    Also, I peeked while she was cleaning/redressing. I'm sure they won't stay the color that they are, but it's too bad, because they are really close to the color of my originals (which I liked!).

    I hope to see Vinnie for the final touch some day. 

  • friendships
    friendships Member Posts: 37
    edited February 2014

    I think I would feel that way too...more protection! Vinnie's tats look amazing!

  • Jeannie57
    Jeannie57 Member Posts: 1,314
    edited February 2014

    I'm getting my nipples tomorrow! I am excited. 

  • Dulcigirl
    Dulcigirl Member Posts: 864
    edited February 2014

    Yay, Jeannie!!!

  • nihahi
    nihahi Member Posts: 1,068
    edited February 2014

    So excited for you jeannie!!!!!!!!!!

  • Jeannie57
    Jeannie57 Member Posts: 1,314
    edited February 2014

    Bye- bye, crop circles!

  • Jeannie57
    Jeannie57 Member Posts: 1,314
    edited February 2014

    My nipples are great. They look so real. I was awake for the whole thing so I took peeks to watch the progress. I wasn't anxious or unnerved at all and it didn't hurt at all. So happy!

  • Dulcigirl
    Dulcigirl Member Posts: 864
    edited February 2014

    yay, Jeannie!!

    So how are yours trussed up now?

Categories

Join Us on Zoom: Upcoming virtual meetups. Read more...
Give your account some personality! Add a profile photo.