The Postpone Nothing Team are not doctors and we are not giving medical advice in this blog post. Each patient must advocate for themselves and make their own decisions along with their family and doctors. We are only sharing information. Please do your own research on any procedure talked about below.
We all know October is breast cancer awareness month. At some point in our lifetimes it would be wonderful to be able to say there was a cure for this disease. However, the cure isn’t here yet.
Each October is the reminder to NOT Postpone your check ups. Early detection is key.
Dr. Jamie Grumley, Director of the Comprehensive Breast Program, Margie Peterson Breast Center at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica CA is a surgical breast oncologist who specializes in novel treatments such as oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery and intraoperative radiation therapy. These are relatively new and effective techniques. Studies show the success rate is very high. Click on the links above to learn more about them.
Full Mastectomy: One Woman’s Journey
Choosing to have a double mastectomy may be the best treatment to prolong your life.
Here are some things one women shared from her experience.
1. After the operation you cannot use your arms- plan to get help.
2. You will need to go to the beauty shop to wash your hair, or have someone help.
3. Reconstruction is a much longer process than a boob job.
4. It could take a few months and more than one procedure.
5. Temporarily your arm pits will look and feel different.
6. Your implants may not warm up quickly like a piece of your body. Unexpected sensation.
7. Think about how you want your nipples to look. Explore your options.
8. Your new breasts may look really different than you imagined. Often the final look is smaller than expected. Understand 200 cc’s in the expander stage = a cup size in the final implants.
9. Sleeping can be hard to find the right position. Pillows and special bras can help.
10. People are curious and will sneak a look.