Kari's Story - Breast Cancer & Breast Reconstructive Surgery with Breast Implants

Visitor's Stories about Breast Reconstruction & Breast Cancer

Kari's Story about Breast Cancer

I was 30 years old in March of 1998 when I was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer. I had been to my gynecologist for my yearly exam, and he found a lump in my left breast. I wasn't too concerned because I thought that I was too young to have breast cancer. And besides, I didn't have any breast cancer running in my family, so it must be okay, right? Wrong.

After a mammogram, a needle biopsy, and a surgical biopsy, I was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. Luckily, my tumor was relatively small and hadn't spread to my lymph nodes, but if I had caught it earlier through a breast self-exam, I may have avoided needing chemotherapy.  The first few months were bleak. I can remember lying alone in bed wondering how long I had left, wondering if I would ever see summer again or go to a football game or have Christmas with my family.

First, I had a lumpectomy, but it was unsuccessful because I had a great deal of pre-cancer tissue in addition to my tumor. So a month later I had a mastectomy with immediate reconstruction using an expander. Over the next several months, my plastic surgeon injected saline into the expander to stretch my skin.

Next I had six chemotherapy treatments, one every three weeks. I was lucky because I didn't get too sick, and my hair thinned but did not entirely fall out. I kept a huge colorful poster on my refrigerator with the numbers one through six, and I marked off each treatment as I completed it.  When I finished chemotherapy, my plastic surgeon replaced my expander with a saline implant. At the same time, I had my "healthy" breast augmented for symmetry. My nipple was reconstructed with a skin graft a few months later, after the implant had settled to its permanent position.

I am very happy with my reconstructed figure. At 5' 2" and 106 pounds, I wear a voluptuous 32C bra. I have textured, round implants filled to about 375 ccs. Interestingly enough, my plastic surgeon chose to put my mastectomy-side implant under the muscle and my healthy-side implant over the muscle.

I am now on Tamoxifen and am clear of cancer. I have quarterly check-ups with my oncologist and yearly mammograms. My lifestyle has not changed much since I was diagnosed, but I do take vitamins now and try to watch what I eat. I also exercise regularly and plan to run the 5K in the local Race for the Cure, which is sponsored by the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

My doctors tell me that because we caught the cancer early, I have an excellent chance for long-term survival. I don't know if the fear of a recurrence will ever completely disappear, but I do know that in the meantime, I intend to enjoy every day I have. Since I was diagnosed I have seen two summers and been to my share of ball games. I am now looking forward to my second post-diagnosis Christmas with my family. And I plan to enjoy many, many more Christmases and ball games and summers in the years to come.

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All of us at ImplantInfo wish to extend our deepest gratitude to Kari for providing us with the material, the inspiration and the motivation to add this section of the Breast Augmentation and Breast Implant Information Web. We wish her all the best for a successful recovery and a long and healthy life.

Section Contents

• Information on the Internet Main Page

• Early Detection - Learn about the importance of regular examinations and how they provide your first line of defense.

• Treatment - Discussion of some of the treatment options available

• Reconstruction Options - An overview of reconstruction options, should a woman choose reconstruction after treatment.

• Visitor's Stories - Experiences from visitors to the site.

  • Kari's Story (You are here) - Learn about the woman who was the driving force behind this section of the site.

  • Connie's Story - Read about her breast cancer and treatment.

• Links to other Breast Cancer Information Sites - Other online resources you can use to learn more about breast cancer topics, information and issues.