A week after my breast reconstruction surgery, when I saw my new nipples for the first time, I was shocked. They appeared too large, were oozing and ugly. The left one had been oozing yellowish-greenish fluid for a while.
I visited my surgeon’s nurse who told me that everything looked good and that my breasts would drop into their final position in a few months. She said that I could use panty liners to soak up the fluid, but I used non-stick bandages instead. She said the nipple grafting looked great and that I could e-mail her with her any questions or problems. I’m not scheduled to see the doctor until late April and that concerns me a bit.
A week later, I e-mailed the nurse to let her know that my right nipple appeared to have lost some of the stitching and was quite loose on one side. I asked to see the doctor, but was told that I needed to heal completely before that could happen. She said that at this point, the new nipple couldn’t be re-stitched. I was disappointed and went to some online forums to see what other women had experienced. Apparently, from what I read, this happens sometimes. Right now, almost a month after surgery, the right nipple has shrunk some and still seems somewhat detached. The left one has not shrunk as much; is turning black /scabbing, which I was told is normal. The tattoo portion on the right is fading some on the top. Apparently when nipples get reconstructed, the part that protrudes can shrink a lot and may have to be redone. And, from what I’ve read, the tattoo can fade and may need to be reapplied. I think most of these fixes can be done with local anesthesia at the doctor’s office.
So bottom line is that I’m not thrilled with the results so far. I think I’ll need some touching up. The scars are still pretty visible and I was hoping they would be less so. I’m sad if one of my grafted nipples is coming off, but who knows, maybe it’ll hold enough to be repaired.
When I do see the plastic surgeon, I’m going to ask a lot of questions. If this whole nipple thing turns out to be too much trouble, I might just get them removed and leave only the tattooed portion. I read online that some women have done this. They go without nipple reconstruction altogether so they can go braless. I read somewhere that a good tattoo artist can create the look of a nipple and areola that has a sense of depth. Maybe that’s what I’ll end up doing.
Having been through the trauma and emotional stress of breast cancer and then encountering issues/questions with your nipple reconstruction post surgery and on top of that having to turn to the internet for answers is unsettling. You’ve already been through so much. If it helps you or someone else who comes across your story searching for the same answers, http://www.drmele.com/breast.html may help. Remain strong and positive! You’re hope to others who are fighting breast cancer!
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