Breast Reconstruction – Reclaiming Yourself
Cancer is a devastating disease. For many women over the age of forty this terrible disease has not only threatened their lives but left them disfigured in an effort to save their lives. It's already stressful enough to have been through the battle but then there are the looks, the comments, and the embarrassing questions.
Let's not forget the recent media frenzy over tighter security at the airports and what happened to one such cancer survivor because her prosthetic didn't "feel" real, how humiliating for her. Breast reconstruction surgery is a way to avoid the stares, questions, and possible harassment and get back what was lost.
During a mastectomy they take everything, the fat, the tissue, the skin. In the end when all the swelling has gone down and you are on the road to recovery what your left with is flat on one side normal on the other, if you only had a single mastectomy. You are just happy to live at this point but it can be uncomfortable. By having breast reconstruction you can look like your old self and enjoy celebrating the fact that you are still alive, and hopefully cancer free.
When a breast reconstruction is performed your physician will use what is remaining of the existing tissue, possibly borrowing some from areas of your back or abdomen, and implants to remake the teat.
He will also try to remake the areola and nipple area to allow the recreated portion look more normal and realistic. There are a couple of different ways to complete this part of the recreation and your doctor can help you choose. Should you decide to use a tram flap, where you borrow tissue and muscle from either the abdomen or back, you will be looking at a shorter recreation time but a more difficult recovery.
If you decide on a tissue expansion, which the insertion of an expander under the skin, you will have a longer reconstruction time but an easier recovery. Your doctor can help you decide.What you should consider before having breast reconstruction is, is this the road you want to take.
You shouldn't have this procedure if you are feeling pressured into by a spouse or other family members. You've already been through a battle, if you are comfortable with the way you look then your lack of chest is none of their business. Go on enjoying your life like you planned.Breast reconstruction can give you back something you've never thought possible though. It can give you back your womanhood. It can give you back what cancer took away.
Let's not forget the recent media frenzy over tighter security at the airports and what happened to one such cancer survivor because her prosthetic didn't "feel" real, how humiliating for her. Breast reconstruction surgery is a way to avoid the stares, questions, and possible harassment and get back what was lost.
During a mastectomy they take everything, the fat, the tissue, the skin. In the end when all the swelling has gone down and you are on the road to recovery what your left with is flat on one side normal on the other, if you only had a single mastectomy. You are just happy to live at this point but it can be uncomfortable. By having breast reconstruction you can look like your old self and enjoy celebrating the fact that you are still alive, and hopefully cancer free.
When a breast reconstruction is performed your physician will use what is remaining of the existing tissue, possibly borrowing some from areas of your back or abdomen, and implants to remake the teat.
He will also try to remake the areola and nipple area to allow the recreated portion look more normal and realistic. There are a couple of different ways to complete this part of the recreation and your doctor can help you choose. Should you decide to use a tram flap, where you borrow tissue and muscle from either the abdomen or back, you will be looking at a shorter recreation time but a more difficult recovery.
If you decide on a tissue expansion, which the insertion of an expander under the skin, you will have a longer reconstruction time but an easier recovery. Your doctor can help you decide.What you should consider before having breast reconstruction is, is this the road you want to take.
You shouldn't have this procedure if you are feeling pressured into by a spouse or other family members. You've already been through a battle, if you are comfortable with the way you look then your lack of chest is none of their business. Go on enjoying your life like you planned.Breast reconstruction can give you back something you've never thought possible though. It can give you back your womanhood. It can give you back what cancer took away.
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