I suffered increasing severe pain about two months after the operation - a burning, searing pain in the right side of my abdomen, especially when rising from a sitting position. I couldn't walk for a few seconds, until it eased off. The breast nurse had no suggestions - nor did the physiotherapist. Eventually I decided to go to my GP, but on the day I made the appointment I cured it myself by accidentally slamming my abdominal scar into the corner of the kitchen bench, just at the point where the pain occurred. The immediate hurt was breathtaking, but afterwards all other pain disappeared! I still went to my GP, who immediately diagnosed a trapped nerve, and we agreed that my home remedy, while effective, wasn't to be recommended.

My breasts are more balanced - drooping equally!

I had a followup visit to the plastic surgeon three months after surgery. It was fairly perfunctory, but I was able to ask him about another persistent pain - an ache in my sternum and upper (reconstructed) breast. He couldn't think of any reason, but did mention that he had removed about 5-6cm from one rib in order to get at the blood vessel he was joining to. Now, this ache has been with with me right from the start. When I was in hospital the area was swollen, warm, and touchy. When I asked the resident if part of my rib had been removed she dismissed the suggestion totally - laughed at me for making it. It would really help if the medical staff were told these things, so that they could give correct answers to the patients. I was concerned about the pain and wanted to know what might cause it - it helps to be able to attribute it to a cause instead of just worrying that something was infected, or twisted, or whatever..... My sister, who is a nurse, tells me that bone pain can last up to two years from when the damage occurred, so I can expect the ache to be with me for some time yet. It isn't bad, but it is there every day, worse at the end of the day.

The plastic surgeon offered me a nipple reconstruction, but i'm very undecided about it - if you look at the picture you can see that I still have a dimple on the scar, and no amount of massage is smoothing it out. I've deferred the decision until later in the year.

The trapped nerve pain has return just recently, this time causing me to have trouble sleeping, as it kicked in when I lay down flat, and prevented me from turning in my sleep - I woke every time and had to ease myself over with knees bent. I just put up with it for a few days, then it slowly went away by itself. If it returns I'll think about getting the injection my GP suggested. I also have abdominal pain when I cough or sneeze - I'm more likely to grab my belly when I sneeze than cover my face! I put this down to more nerves sending input to the brain - bits that were previously numb are now complaining when they are put under pressure.

On a lighter side, my breast no longer has a hairy line down it - I've been having electrolysis and I'm happy to say that the belly hairs are succumbing!

Earlier this month the ABC's "Health Report" has a report on ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), the sort of breast cancer I had. Studies suggest that statistically there is no advantage in having surgery - that the mortality rate is no different if you just wait to see if the cancer becomes invasive, then have surgery only if it does. Not all cases of DCIS lead to invasive breast cancer, so people like me may be having surgery unneccessarily. Well, I acknowledge that, but even if I had heard the report before my surgery I don't belive I would have acted differently. I found the three-month gap between diagnosis and surgery very difficult; even though I understood the nature of DCIS I just wanted those cells out of me! I don't think I could live easily just monitoring the cells, waiting to see if anything happened. I also think that the prospect of radiotherapy, chemotherapy and removal of lymphatic tissue which are standard for mastectomies for invasive cancer are a huge arguement against the wait-and-watch idea. I'm still very glad I acted on my diagnosis and went ahead with the operation.