Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Reconstruction thoughts.

First - I don't miss my breasts. I'm not thrilled with the scars, mostly because right now they aren't scars but healing wounds, but I don't miss the breasts themselves. I'm considering not bothering with prosthetics, but I think what will most likely happen is that I'll buy a pair and wear them for special occasions, like dressing up. (This is less because I want to make any kind of political statement about breasts as accessories and more because I am extremely low-maintenance when it comes to my appearance.)

But second - it occurs to me that the only reconstruction options that were discussed with me were for female breasts. I wonder what my options would have been had I asked simply for a flat chest. Would there have been any additional options? Do men with breast cancer have any reconstruction done following surgery? I'm not sure that I would have wanted anything different than what I have now, or that I would have been a candidate for anything else, but it's interesting to think about how breast reconstruction options may or may not be limited due to assumptions about gender.

6 comments:

Renegade Evolution said...

hey, scars are cool! (slaps the person with scars high five)...

I know a guy who had breast cancer surgery and got no reconstructive stuff done, because scars are manly and cool and stuff.

Or so he said. Who knows with men sometimes!

Sydney said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Green said...

My brother's getting married soon. My future sister in law has a father. Her father had breast cancer. I did not hear anything about him being offered new boobs.

Daisy Deadhead said...

Quite honestly, if it was me? I might never get breast reconstruction, if it was symmetrical--both breasts. I like the look of flat chests (on women, i.e. the young Twiggy, Mia Farrow, etc) and always have. I find it as "striking" as very large breasts and very attractive.

My mother never got the surgery, either.

Anonymous said...

Hey there. Just wanted to remind you that there are people in B-lo who are often thinking of you and always sending you their bestest, most positive healing energies.

Hang in there...and keep blogging!

Peace and love,
s- & d.

Anonymous said...

Hi, if you haven't already read it, I recommend Cancer Journals by Audre Lorde. It made me cry my eyes out when I was diagnosed but made me feel better after the mastectomy. Sending you lots of positive thoughts.

Breast reconstruction has some risks that need to be considered--but I found nobody in the medical field ever mentioned them.