In July 2001, I was diagnosed with breast cancer – a recurrence of ductal carcinoma in situ, for which I had been treated with a lumpectomy and radiation treatments in 1999. This news was absolutely devastating!! I had been told all along that I had caught the cancer at a very early stage (“pre-cancer” in some books) and that the type of cancer was very slow growing and non-invasive even though I did have some micro invasions. It could have been forming in my body for 5 or more years, but didn’t show up on the mammograms until May 1999.
The recommended course of action was to have a mastectomy and reconstruction. I had no qualms about having a reconstruction – I knew I didn’t want to bother with a prosthesis – but the plastic surgeon who had performed the same procedure on my girlfriend was no longer in my insurance network. I was referred to Dr. Ghaderi by my breast surgeon. The initial consultation with Dr. Ghaderi assured me that he was indeed the physician to perform the reconstruction. He answered all my questions as well as those of my husband. The different types of reconstruction were presented to me along with the pros and cons of each type. Because of my radiated skin, the implant reconstruction (a.k.a. “the Toyota”) was eliminated from the choices and I decided on an attached flap TRAM.
The surgery went well with no complications. Dr. Ghaderi gave me a timeline handout of what to expect – what medications would be administered, when I should start walking the halls of the hospital, what emotional feelings I might experience, etc. I found this to be so reassuring – especially the morning when I was in a “weepy” mood. Sure enough, my timeline said that my emotions would come into play on that day.
The goal of the surgery was to have natural looking breasts when wearing a bra. To fully accomplish this, I was scheduled for a nipple surgery approximately six months later. Part of my upper thigh skin was used for the main portion, the areola, and Dr. Ghaderi used Alloderm, which is a synthetic skin, to make a natural nipple. Since insurance companies sometimes deny paying for the artificial material, Dr. Ghaderi personally called my insurance company to get approval. I truly feel that Dr. Ghaderi accomplished his goal – and more. When I see myself in a bra, I can sometimes pretend that the cancer never existed. His work was even complimented by a plastic surgeon in Canada who commented how nicely the breasts matched each other.
For anyone who has to go through the trauma of breast cancer, I would advise you to choose your doctors very carefully. I truly feel that my recovery, both physically and emotionally, was less of a nightmare because of the skill and care of Dr. Ghaderi.
