Three
years ago I had breast reconstruction on 9/11, so I always refer to my new
breasts as my mini twin towers.
I had breast cancer in 2005 and in the years since 2005 and 2010 I had
five breast lumps in my other breast, so finally decided to have that one
removed too and have breast reconstruction.
I
opted for implants and it was the best decision I made. Now I
feel ‘whole’ again and ‘normal’.
I
was happy to know I would look‘normal’ again because I al
ways looked normal to everyone else, but to me I was not normal. Wh
en I was undressing I never ever felt ‘normal’ as I had to
look at the area of my missing breast for 6 years. When I looked down I
just saw my tummy and not a breast.
After
surgery when I woke up the first thing I did was lifted the sheets and
shed a tear.
I
had a normal looking breasts although the right one looked a little
smaller than the left one. I had a radical mastectomy on the right in 2005
after being diagnosed with cancer and my chest wall muscle removed also.
The
surgeon came to see me after the operation and told me that he did put in
matching implants and later on I could have some fat transfer from my
tummy to fill in my smaller breast, so I would have matching breasts. This
I had done recently and now I have a perfect matching pair.
When
he took out the breast tissue on the left side, he left the outer skin in
tact and did a small breast lift. He moved my nipple area too and sin
ce I had a large areola area he reduced it in size and them grafted the
spare skin on to the right breast, so that I would have an areola area
otherwise I would have had just a mound there with no nipple area.
After
another few months, I had a nipple made from my own skin so now I look
great with matching breasts.
The
summer after my breast reconstruction I went and could buy a swimsuit off
the shelf for the first time in 6 years with a plunging neckline. Be
fore I had to wear a swimsuit up to my neck with a pocket in it for my
prosthesis.
That
summer I could not stop looking down admiring my new cleavage. I
felt like a teenager sticking out my new boobs for all to see.
Also
that summer was the first time in 6 years I could wear a cocktail dress
too.
Life
has changed for me after reconstruction and above all, I feel like a whole
woman again. I was always a confident person, but now I feel like I
can stick my chest out and achieve anything in life.
I
proudly wear my t shirt to many lectures that I give on breast awareness
and it reads “Yes by boobs are fake as my real ones tried to kill me”!!
Betty, a nurse in Malta