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BB Blog — mastectomy

My cancer has come back for a third time... Liz O'Riordan writes about her thoughts on Breast Cancer

Posted by Emilienne Rebel on

My cancer has come back for a third time... Liz O'Riordan writes about her thoughts on Breast Cancer

My cancer has come back for a third time – 8 things I wish I’d known at the start... Breast surgeon Dr Liz O'Riordan was diagnosed with cancer for the first time in 2015 aged 40. Eight years later, this is what she wishes she had known then See the full article by Liz O'Riordan from her book here:  Under the Knife: Life Lessons From The Operating Theatre, by Dr Liz O’Riordan (Unbound, £12.99) is out now "There’s one moment that stands out from my surgical training. I was a trainee at a conference and an eminent surgeon said to...

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The tip of the ice boob... thermal bra designed to help reconstructed breasts stay warm!

Posted by Emilienne Rebel on

The tip of the ice boob... thermal bra designed to help reconstructed breasts stay warm!

... this is so me, I have to permanently wear a bra just to keep warm and now I know why.  Having won an innovation award myself, i'm so pleased to share this simple innovative idea, the thermal bra! It’s an unfortunate truth—women who have had a mastectomy and then undergone reconstruction often deal with cold breasts. After reconstruction, a woman will have only a thin layer of skin and muscle between the implant and the outside environment, making it difficult for her body to maintain 98.6°F unless she’s in the tropics. Without a layer of fatty breast tissue, implants...

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7 Years Today I Had My Second Mastectomy with Double Breast Reconstruction...

Posted by Emilienne Rebel on

7 Years Today I Had My Second Mastectomy with Double Breast Reconstruction...

...I awoke to a super heated room following a 9 hour surgery feeling pretty battered but relieved to open my eyes. Confined to bed with leg pressure pumps on both legs; four drains (two front and back); a catheter; 'lying' on my back but feeling sticky and sore from the skin removal. The room heated to help the skin to heel without having too much pressure from dressings. 

That first night was okay I think drifting back and forth in consciousness with the morphine I had at my finger tip. By the next day I was feeling very sick... but with so much restriction it was very hard to be physically be sick.

I was told the morphine was making me feel sick so I immediately stopped using it and from day 1 was only using paracetamol to ease the pain and discomfort. I had minimal pain which surprised me and the surgery had gone well. 

I'd had a second risk-reducing mastectomy and then had part muscle removed from both sides of my back and carried around to the front to be used as a flap to hold implants. I was lucky my skin was good enough to have normal breast implants and not expanders. Even on the radiated side. Then skin removed from my back to use over my new breasts. 

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Nipple Tattoos to Complete My Breast Cancer Mastectomy Reconstruction

Posted by Emilienne Rebel on

Nipple Tattoos to Complete My Breast Cancer Mastectomy Reconstruction

*Firstly, I need to say that I have given great consideration as to wether I should share a photo, so if you are offended by this picture taken during the tattoo procedure I do apologise, however I think its important for other women to be able to see reconstruction... as its helped me. I will hopefully share more. Two Weeks ago I visited Vicky Martin to get Nipple Tattoos and end what has been a personal Breast Cancer Mastectomy body journey which has taken over a decade. I will need to go back for final touch ups, however I'm so happy...

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My Mastectomy Journey... Getting Nipple Tattoos!

Posted by Emilienne Rebel on

My Mastectomy Journey... Getting Nipple Tattoos!

On Saturday I will get Nipple Tattoos! These little cherries will literally mark the end of my very long journey of Breast Cancer, Double Breast Reconstruction. Having searched an researched a lot over the years and even contemplated a trip to the States, after a long wait I have found the perfect person to finish my nipples.  Having been surprised at every stage of the reconstruction process by how much better emotionally it made me feel (after the surgery had healed!). Restoring some of my femininity after many years with just one boob. Clothes fit me better and I have more shape. ...

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