Breasteses
Posted by sarahafterdiagnosis on October 25, 2005
Today on “The View,” the topic of the whole show was Breasts.
Quote:
Today the Ladies welcomed Lauren Hutton back to The View! Lauren, one of the most successful and celebrated models of all time, made an appearance to tell us why she decided to bare her breasts in BIG magazine for the first time and at age 61!Next, Marie Czenko Kuechel, editor-at-large for New Beauty magazine, showed us the best ways to prevent or fix sagging breasts. For details, pick up a copy of this month’s issue of New Beauty magazine.
* Surgical/Non-Surgical Alternatives:
Breast Lift (surgical)
Breast ThreadLift (non-surgical)Then breast cancer survivors Jo Beth Ravitz and Susan Carvalho joined this morning’s program with plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. David Antell to tell us how they were able to feel whole again thanks to the very latest procedures in breast reconstruction.
* Procedures discussed on today’s show: Tissue Expander/Breast Implants
* Nipple Reconstruction (tattoo or with grafted skin tissue)
* Latissimus Dorsi Flap
* Transverse Rectus Abdominis Muscle Flap (TRAM Flap)
Anyhow, the last segment was the most interesting to me. They showed photos of one of the survivors’ reconstructed breasts before reconstruction (with expanders) and then again after reconstruction. Her expanders-ized boobs look like mine, except her scarring is way worse. It was exciting to see other peoples’ reconstruction. Also it reminded me that I’m not going to come away from reconstruction with perfect, gorgeous new breasts, but that they’ll be more than passable in clothing, and that’s a good deal.*
The other really interesting thing that came up on the show was that Elisabeth is seriously considering having a prophylactic mastectomy at some point. Her mother, aunt, and both grandmothers all had breast cancer and she’s like “I just know I’m going to get it, too.” I have half a mind to email her about genetic testing, as well as to say that my half-prophylactic mastectomy (Righty had no cancer, but got voted off the island anyhow) was, to me, well worth it.
*See, the plastic surgeon told us, way back when we first did our consult, that the biggest problem reconstruction patients have with their end results is that they’re expecting to be able to, essentially, pick their new breasts out of a catalog. Which is sorta what we did…walking in there thinking “I can ask for Carmen Electra breasts!” (stop laughing, ’cause she has gorgeous breasts and you know it!). But, he reminded us, this is not like an augmentation. We’re just trying to fill up a bra and make me feel normal and not self-conscious about myself.
Still, woulda been nice to have Carmen Electra breasts.
