Hi Caz, its so much to get your head round isnt it.  I hope you are getting lots of rest and support. I had an implant at age 18 cos I had a wonky looking chest ( like it had potholes in it) I just recently got dx with invasive ductal carcinoma. It limited surgical options because they couldnt leave it in, so out it came. My anatomy includes dented ribs and missing muscles, so I couldnt face going back to the wonky body I sufferred as a teenager. It took until day of surgery to confirm I wanted immediate reconstruction, with an implant. My surgeon had no idea what he would find when he stepped inside. I am 13 days post op, in pain, but each day it is getting better, the exercises are sore, however they are essential. I cried and screamed when I first looked at myself as the fluid suction thing left me with ripples over my chest, theyare going down now the drain is out, and Im seeing thehospital for possible seroma draining (aspration) on wednesday and praying it wont need doing,. saw breast nurse this afternoon and she dressed some blisters which had come up and were leaking. hope this isnt too  much info but apparently its not unusual after reconstruction,. Hope you have great support off the breast nurses at your hospital, and wishing you  all the best. Top tip- get info, ask for diagrams, ask the breast nurses, and keep on til you feel informed but not overloaded. And rest, sleep and a heart shaped cusion is your new best friend. and I take my pain meds before travelling or doing exercises. its tough, but we can get through  it. gentle hugs, k 

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Hi WL, 

Thank you for your reply, I hope your recovery is going well. I hope you don’t mind if I ask you some questions. 

How is the scar on your stomach? Has it healed well? How high is it up your tummy? Is it noticeable? Does your tummy feel really tight now? Did they do any work on your other breast to match them up?

Apologies about all the questions, I’m just trying to get as much info as I can before I make my final decision. 

E

Hi, no problem with the questions, ask away.

So I am 8 weeks post op and 4 weeks post skin graft op. Tummy scar is from hip to hip. Hard to say how high up it is, it's above my hip bone. Yes it's noticeable but it's not long since the op.

i don't show my tummy off though so it doesn't bother me. My tummy is still numb, it's still a little tight around my tummy Button but my physio has given me some tummy exercises to start to stretch it. I'm not hunched over though, I was walking upright after a couple of weeks. 
No work on the other breast, but I don't have big boobs, C cup, and the new boob is a pretty good match to the old one.  I had lymph nodes removed as well so I don't have full range of movement yet but have exercises for that. 
 

hope that helps

wl

Hi again, I dont think I have a scar on my tummy - mine is directly under the breast, my implant was a silicone one cos they had to remove my old one and clear out all breast tissue, saving skin and nipple. I now have a dent in the chest showing again from my Poland syndrome/funnel chest birth defect, and today the nurse told me the reason the scar feels like my skin has formed a hump on the scar is because it has a "dog ear" which she says they would have warned me about in the consent form. I had never heard of it, but its something to do with how they manage the skin once the original breast tissue is removed, I cant see it, it bugs me, its uncomfortable, and Im dying to be able to bend a mirror round to see what state its in once the dressings are finished and wounds are healed. hope you are progressing ok

Hi again, I dont think I have a scar on my tummy - mine is directly under the breast, my implant was a silicone one cos they had to remove my old one and clear out all breast tissue, saving skin and nipple. I now have a dent in the chest showing again from my Poland syndrome/funnel chest birth defect, and today the nurse told me the reason the scar feels like my skin has formed a hump on the scar is because it has a "dog ear" which she says they would have warned me about in the consent form. I had never heard of it, but its something to do with how they manage the skin once the original breast tissue is removed, I cant see it, it bugs me, its uncomfortable, and Im dying to be able to bend a mirror round to see what state its in once the dressings are finished and wounds are healed. hope you are progressing ok