SIEA Flap update

Today I saw Dr. W. my plastic surgeon. Yes, it has been 4 months since my reconstruction surgery. Hard to believe. She looked at my breast and tummy and we discussed what needed to be done next. Although the reconstructed breast looks great, there are some remaining lumpy areas that need to be smoothed out which will require another short (1 hour outpatient) surgery. We expected this from the beginning but had to wait for the settling to make sure. Because my breast area had been radiated, there was additional uncertainty as to how the whole reconstruction would settle. The answer to that was very well. My breast is more soft and supple than expected with the exception of a little area on top which seems to have absorbed most of the thickening and stiffness usually caused by radiation.

All of this is good news (though it may not sound like it) and the corrections to be made are pretty minor. Dr. W. is very busy so it looks like surgery will not be until February unless there is a cancellation and I can slide into that spot.

After that, it is just an office visit to form the nipple and tattoo the areaola (yes, another tattoo - my fifth related to the cancer). Then I will be complete. Hooray. Sometime next year - around my 2nd anniversary of survival.