Tues. 21st Apr. 2009 'Pre boob job Consultation'

I've been looking forward to this appointment in a funny sort of way, probably because I needed to know exactly what Mr MJ intends to do and how it will affect me. I'm not sure Graham felt the same, he's been quite stressed by it all. Certainly as the day draws closer I'm feeling a little anxious at the thought of major surgery, but also in the knowledge that my body will never look the same. Yes, I know he will do a marvellous job, he's one of the best at reconstruction, but even he made it clear that it's unlikely he'll achieve a perfect match.

One good thing is that my op has moved to 28th (just a day later) because he wanted to do the mastectomy/reconstruction himself as opposed to supervising a new consultant. So he drew some pictures of the surgery and from what he was saying it sounds as though the cancer cells are very close to the areola/nipple area which will be surgically removed first and sent off for further histology, they may also look at other nearby nodes.

Regarding the actual breast surgery, MJ explained that he may decide to insert a small implant if he feels their isn't enough tissue to create a good shape. Also, I can go back at a later date for surgery on the right breast to even things up if necessary!

The surgery will last about two and a half hours and I'll be in hospital for five or six days, providing there are no problems. Apparently the wound on my back (where they take the muscle for the reconstruction) is prone to collecting fluid even after discharge and may need draining should it get uncomfortable. So there we have it, the grim details of my next 'hurdle'.