My Breast Perspective

I went to my pre-op appointments with the physical therapists, the mastectomy surgery team and the plastic surgeon. It was an amazing experience to visit with each group and realize how incredible it is to have such a great medical team taking care of me.

Each of them walked me through how to prepare for surgery and what to expect during recovery.

The physical therapist explained what each week would look like post surgery. She also measured the strength and mobility of my arms. The stretching was really nice and a reminder of what my goals will be post surgery to get back to. I won’t actually meet with them again until three weeks after the surgery. They said for the first three weeks to walk, make sure I’m not hunching over and only use my arms from the elbows down, like a T-Rex.

The surgery team that is doing my mastectomy is the Colorado Breast Care Specialist group at Rose Medical Center. Each person on their team is kind and caring and has made the process so simple for me. They work with women who have been affected by breast cancer and also have a preventive health program for women with strong family histories. I would highly recommend this group if you’re in the Denver area or even if you’re traveling from afar – like the middle of Wyoming where I live. I’m hopeful there are other programs like this throughout the US. Dr. Griffith is the surgeon – she is thorough, honest and kind and gives great hugs to make you feel safe in her care. Dana is a PA who is part of the care team. She had a fun and kind way of walking me through the surgery process. A simplification of her explanation is that Dr. G removes all of the breast tissues, hence removing 99% of the areas a woman can get breast cancer. I will check in with them two weeks after surgery and then in six months.

Dr. Lo is my plastic surgeon and she is fantastic. She works in tandem with Dr. Griffith during the surgery. Their team approach to this procedure is remarkable. The goal is to not have multiple surgeries, so they work side-by-side during a four hour procedure. It is an outpatient operation…truly remarkable. Dr. Lo works to preserve the nipple and all the vessels and nerves she can, while also giving a reconstruction and lift. We discussed size goals and types of implants. She uses a variety of different implants, including the Motiva. I’m excited about the Motiva implant because of the new technology of silicone it has. However, because it is newly approved in the US, and not available quite yet at this hospital, I will have an implant swap later this year.

Something I didn’t know about the mastectomy with reconstruction is that since they remove all the breast tissues, there is no “cushioning” left, so often you can see the implant shape under the skin. A second procedure is typically necessary to add fat tissue back in and smooth everything out in an attempt to make it look more natural. Hoping that healing goes well and that I can squeeze it in during the deductible year.

Another part of my medical team that has been super supportive throughout this process is my local family medicine doctor, Dr. Strandberg. She and her team have helped with prior-auths and discussions about being healthy going into surgery. She’s been supportive throughout and I know I’ll be in good hands as I return home during recovery.

An important piece – but also a tangent – I’d like to share a few items that were suggested to me and that I researched online to help with the healing process.

• a wedge pillow for sleeping on your back

• a seatbelt pillow for car rides

• zip up sweatshirt with internal pockets to hold the drains

• button up shirts

• loose pants that are easy to pull up and down

• ph-balanced wipes for the weeks you can’t shower

I also found a cozy fabric band with pockets for drains that I think will be nice to use. I’ll have to let you know after I’ve had the procedure if it was helpful.

I know I said it earlier, but it’s worth repeating. Find yourself a team. Early detection and prevention is so helpful and important when you have a family history. There are amazing people out there who want to help you navigate your process and live a quality life. That’s my best perspective.