Monday, December 12, 2011

Another popular question...

Another popular question lately has been: So how big are they going to be when you're done with surgery?

I must warn you, that I've found that some women I've met going through similar surgeries like this are very offended by this question.  I am not one of them. I see their point though. They feel that people are trivializing their surgery equating it more to breast augmentation rather than because of real cancer risks.  However, it's an honest question, something that I spent a good deal of time talking to my surgeons about. 

Unfortunately, I do not have a solid answer.  I am lucky in that my surgeon believes he will be able to do my reconstruction with one step, rather than through the use of expanders.  I also am able to keep and use my own skin, unlike women who have had radical mastectomies due to cancer.  He will have to use the skin that I have remaining and will choose an implant size to fill up this space.  Unlike typical breast augmentation, I'm having my entire breast rebuilt. So whatever cc size would be used to create a typical cup size will not be accurate comparison for what I will need.  He even said that depending upon how my chest cavity looks during surgery, I may need different amounts on each side as our rib cages typically aren't completely symmetrical. 

So long story for a short answer:  I will not know what size, but I will know that they will be healthy! 

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