A Breast Reconstruction Story

My wife was diagnosed July 2006 with a high grade ductal carcinoma of
the right breast. After considering the options and ruling out
radiation followed by chemo or a lumpectomy, opted for a total
mastectomy of the right breast with immediate reconstruction using the
SIEA FLAP procedure.
This involves taking flesh, fat and blood vessels from the stomach and
replacing them into the remaining exteior breast tissue.This procedure
was done in August following her July diagnosis.
In November she had a nipple reconstruction. Here we are in January
2007 and her breast looks and feels exactly like her removed breast.
The scaring is barely noticible and will look even less noticible in
time. This was a truly amazing procedure and is far superior in the
view of many to having silicone or other implants that it time could
become troublesome. The procedure was done by Dr. Robert Allen who
pioneered the procedure in the U.S. and has taught it in the states and
abroad. She has become a poster girl for this procedure and has shared
her story with a number of recently diagnosed women. I was fortunate to
beat Prostate Cancer 12 years ago and now my wife having beat Breast
Cancer. We are indeed, both fortunate.

Congrats on you and your wife's current health status.
However, don't assume that BC is beat until it's been five
years. Even after five years it can come back.

--
John Richards


"Lon" <alonzotanner@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:1169090922.791447.278150@q2g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
> My wife was diagnosed July 2006 with a high grade ductal carcinoma of
> the right breast. After considering the options and ruling out
> radiation followed by chemo or a lumpectomy, opted for a total
> mastectomy of the right breast with immediate reconstruction using the
> SIEA FLAP procedure.
> This involves taking flesh, fat and blood vessels from the stomach and
> replacing them into the remaining exteior breast tissue.This procedure
> was done in August following her July diagnosis.
> In November she had a nipple reconstruction. Here we are in January
> 2007 and her breast looks and feels exactly like her removed breast.
> The scaring is barely noticible and will look even less noticible in
> time. This was a truly amazing procedure and is far superior in the
> view of many to having silicone or other implants that it time could
> become troublesome. The procedure was done by Dr. Robert Allen who
> pioneered the procedure in the U.S. and has taught it in the states and
> abroad. She has become a poster girl for this procedure and has shared
> her story with a number of recently diagnosed women. I was fortunate to
> beat Prostate Cancer 12 years ago and now my wife having beat Breast
> Cancer. We are indeed, both fortunate.
>

Hi Lon,

Welcome to the group. Congratulations to you and your wife. I'm really
happy to hear about your wife's reconstruction going so well. I have been
looking into Dr. Allen as well for my reconstruction. How long was your
wife's hospitalization after the surgery?

Continued health to you both.

Tammy

"Lon" <alonzotanner@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1169090922.791447.278150@q2g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
> My wife was diagnosed July 2006 with a high grade ductal carcinoma of
> the right breast. After considering the options and ruling out
> radiation followed by chemo or a lumpectomy, opted for a total
> mastectomy of the right breast with immediate reconstruction using the
> SIEA FLAP procedure.
> This involves taking flesh, fat and blood vessels from the stomach and
> replacing them into the remaining exteior breast tissue.This procedure
> was done in August following her July diagnosis.
> In November she had a nipple reconstruction. Here we are in January
> 2007 and her breast looks and feels exactly like her removed breast.
> The scaring is barely noticible and will look even less noticible in
> time. This was a truly amazing procedure and is far superior in the
> view of many to having silicone or other implants that it time could
> become troublesome. The procedure was done by Dr. Robert Allen who
> pioneered the procedure in the U.S. and has taught it in the states and
> abroad. She has become a poster girl for this procedure and has shared
> her story with a number of recently diagnosed women. I was fortunate to
> beat Prostate Cancer 12 years ago and now my wife having beat Breast
> Cancer. We are indeed, both fortunate.
>

She was in hospital for 4 days Tammy and the nipple replacemnt was one
day.

Lon

On Jan 19, 5:44 am, "R. Fizek" <fizkow...@verizon.net> wrote:
> Hi Lon,
>
> Welcome to the group. Congratulations to you and your wife. I'm really
> happy to hear about your wife's reconstruction going so well. I have been
> looking into Dr. Allen as well for my reconstruction. How long was your
> wife's hospitalization after the surgery?
>
> Continued health to you both.
>
> Tammy
>
> "Lon" <alonzotan...@yahoo.com> wrote in messagenews:1169090922.791447.278150@q2g2000cwa.go oglegroups.com...
>
> > My wife was diagnosed July 2006 with a high grade ductal carcinoma of
> > the right breast. After considering the options and ruling out
> > radiation followed by chemo or a lumpectomy, opted for a total
> > mastectomy of the right breast with immediate reconstruction using the
> > SIEA FLAP procedure.
> > This involves taking flesh, fat and blood vessels from the stomach and
> > replacing them into the remaining exteior breast tissue.This procedure
> > was done in August following her July diagnosis.
> > In November she had a nipple reconstruction. Here we are in January
> > 2007 and her breast looks and feels exactly like her removed breast.
> > The scaring is barely noticible and will look even less noticible in
> > time. This was a truly amazing procedure and is far superior in the
> > view of many to having silicone or other implants that it time could
> > become troublesome. The procedure was done by Dr. Robert Allen who
> > pioneered the procedure in the U.S. and has taught it in the states and
> > abroad. She has become a poster girl for this procedure and has shared
> > her story with a number of recently diagnosed women. I was fortunate to
> > beat Prostate Cancer 12 years ago and now my wife having beat Breast
> > Cancer. We are indeed, both fortunate.

Hi Lon,

What center did she have the reconstruction in - I think they have 3 now.
Also, did she spend any time in the ICU?

Thanks for answering my questions - I was looking for someone who had gone
to Dr. Allen.

Tammy

"Lon" <alonzotanner@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1169145437.296498.207700@a75g2000cwd.googlegr oups.com...
> She was in hospital for 4 days Tammy and the nipple replacemnt was one
> day.
>
> Lon
>
> On Jan 19, 5:44 am, "R. Fizek" <fizkow...@verizon.net> wrote:
>> Hi Lon,
>>
>> Welcome to the group. Congratulations to you and your wife. I'm really
>> happy to hear about your wife's reconstruction going so well. I have
>> been
>> looking into Dr. Allen as well for my reconstruction. How long was your
>> wife's hospitalization after the surgery?
>>
>> Continued health to you both.
>>
>> Tammy
>>
>> "Lon" <alonzotan...@yahoo.com> wrote in
>> messagenews:1169090922.791447.278150@q2g2000cwa.go oglegroups.com...
>>
>> > My wife was diagnosed July 2006 with a high grade ductal carcinoma of
>> > the right breast. After considering the options and ruling out
>> > radiation followed by chemo or a lumpectomy, opted for a total
>> > mastectomy of the right breast with immediate reconstruction using the
>> > SIEA FLAP procedure.
>> > This involves taking flesh, fat and blood vessels from the stomach and
>> > replacing them into the remaining exteior breast tissue.This procedure
>> > was done in August following her July diagnosis.
>> > In November she had a nipple reconstruction. Here we are in January
>> > 2007 and her breast looks and feels exactly like her removed breast.
>> > The scaring is barely noticible and will look even less noticible in
>> > time. This was a truly amazing procedure and is far superior in the
>> > view of many to having silicone or other implants that it time could
>> > become troublesome. The procedure was done by Dr. Robert Allen who
>> > pioneered the procedure in the U.S. and has taught it in the states and
>> > abroad. She has become a poster girl for this procedure and has shared
>> > her story with a number of recently diagnosed women. I was fortunate to
>> > beat Prostate Cancer 12 years ago and now my wife having beat Breast
>> > Cancer. We are indeed, both fortunate.
>

My wife went to the Mt. Pleasant, So. Carolina center and spent no time
in ICU.
We live in California and despite there being several docs in
California that do the procedure, opted to go to So. Carolina to have
Allen do the procedure.
We are presently in New Zealand until May.

Lon

On Jan 19, 7:39 am, "R. Fizek" <fizkow...@verizon.net> wrote:
> Hi Lon,
>
> What center did she have the reconstruction in - I think they have 3 now.
> Also, did she spend any time in the ICU?
>
> Thanks for answering my questions - I was looking for someone who had gone
> to Dr. Allen.
>
> Tammy
>
> "Lon" <alonzotan...@yahoo.com> wrote in messagenews:1169145437.296498.207700@a75g2000cwd.g ooglegroups.com...
>
> > She was in hospital for 4 days Tammy and the nipple replacemnt was one
> > day.
>
> > Lon
>
> > On Jan 19, 5:44 am, "R. Fizek" <fizkow...@verizon.net> wrote:
> >> Hi Lon,
>
> >> Welcome to the group. Congratulations to you and your wife. I'm really
> >> happy to hear about your wife's reconstruction going so well. I have
> >> been
> >> looking into Dr. Allen as well for my reconstruction. How long was your
> >> wife's hospitalization after the surgery?
>
> >> Continued health to you both.
>
> >> Tammy
>
> >> "Lon" <alonzotan...@yahoo.com> wrote in
> >> messagenews:1169090922.791447.278150@q2g2000cwa.go oglegroups.com...
>
> >> > My wife was diagnosed July 2006 with a high grade ductal carcinoma of
> >> > the right breast. After considering the options and ruling out
> >> > radiation followed by chemo or a lumpectomy, opted for a total
> >> > mastectomy of the right breast with immediate reconstruction using the
> >> > SIEA FLAP procedure.
> >> > This involves taking flesh, fat and blood vessels from the stomach and
> >> > replacing them into the remaining exteior breast tissue.This procedure
> >> > was done in August following her July diagnosis.
> >> > In November she had a nipple reconstruction. Here we are in January
> >> > 2007 and her breast looks and feels exactly like her removed breast.
> >> > The scaring is barely noticible and will look even less noticible in
> >> > time. This was a truly amazing procedure and is far superior in the
> >> > view of many to having silicone or other implants that it time could
> >> > become troublesome. The procedure was done by Dr. Robert Allen who
> >> > pioneered the procedure in the U.S. and has taught it in the states and
> >> > abroad. She has become a poster girl for this procedure and has shared
> >> > her story with a number of recently diagnosed women. I was fortunate to
> >> > beat Prostate Cancer 12 years ago and now my wife having beat Breast
> >> > Cancer. We are indeed, both fortunate.

"Lon" <alonzotanner@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1169090922.791447.278150@q2g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
> My wife was diagnosed July 2006 with a high grade ductal carcinoma of
> the right breast. After considering the options and ruling out
> radiation followed by chemo or a lumpectomy, opted for a total
> mastectomy of the right breast with immediate reconstruction using the
> SIEA FLAP procedure.

<snips>

> Here we are in January
> 2007 and her breast looks and feels exactly like her removed breast.

I assume you mean "feels from the outside", not "feels from the inside"?
That is, I haven't heard anyone report a reconstruction procedure that
provides normal sensation in the breast. Are you saying that this one can
provide such a thing?

Please don't take this as a confrontational question -- I'm truly curious,
as that would be a significant change vs. other procedures.

Is your wife not posting because you're the computer guy? Would she? It's
always nice to hear first-hand reports directly, especially in this sort of
group.

Thanks,

Ann T.
Remove 'dontsendspam' from address to reply by email

You are right on both counts----------I'm the computer guy and she
hardly has any exterior feeling to the breast or nipple. She can feel a
pinch. Good question and not confrontational at all.

Lon

On Jan 19, 3:19 am, "A.P. Thorsen" <annthorsendontsends...@yahoo.com>
wrote:
> "Lon" <alonzotan...@yahoo.com> wrote in messagenews:1169090922.791447.278150@q2g2000cwa.go oglegroups.com...
>
> > My wife was diagnosed July 2006 with a high grade ductal carcinoma of
> > the right breast. After considering the options and ruling out
> > radiation followed by chemo or a lumpectomy, opted for a total
> > mastectomy of the right breast with immediate reconstruction using the
> > SIEA FLAP procedure.<snips>
>
> > Here we are in January
> > 2007 and her breast looks and feels exactly like her removed breast.I assume you mean "feels from the outside", not "feels from the inside"?
> That is, I haven't heard anyone report a reconstruction procedure that
> provides normal sensation in the breast. Are you saying that this one can
> provide such a thing?
>
> Please don't take this as a confrontational question -- I'm truly curious,
> as that would be a significant change vs. other procedures.
>
> Is your wife not posting because you're the computer guy? Would she? It's
> always nice to hear first-hand reports directly, especially in this sort of
> group.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ann T.
> Remove 'dontsendspam' from address to reply by email

"A.P. Thorsen" <annthorsendontsendspam@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:eoonmd$j6d$2@news.msu.edu...
> "Lon" <alonzotanner@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:1169090922.791447.278150@q2g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
>> Here we are in January
>> 2007 and her breast looks and feels exactly like her removed breast.
>
> I assume you mean "feels from the outside", not "feels from the inside"?
> That is, I haven't heard anyone report a reconstruction procedure that
> provides normal sensation in the breast. Are you saying that this one can
> provide such a thing?

I would also be interested in the OP's reply.
My late wife's breast reconstruction was done with a saline implant,
and although it looked ok, there was a near total loss of sensation.

--
John Richards

Nice story....
I 'm in the process of reconstruction. I am getting my saline injections
in the implant expanding it. I also had a grade 3 tumor and positive
nodes. I felt lost without the breast and knew at age 51 ....I needed to
do what I had to do. I am so happy to hear your wife is making great
progress.
Pami

I couldn't have that procedure as I had lots of surgery in that area
prior....but I am so happy to see your wife is okay. I had to opt for
implants but the stretching is the painful part for me....I'm halfway
there....
Pami