Dearest Ladies. When you wake tomorrow morning promise yourselves that you won't blame yourselves for whatever choices you make on this journey. You make each decision with the best information you have at that moment in time.
And also know that you can make a brand new decision when you are ready with new information! I made the decision to do expanders and implants based on the information I had then. Only later did I I learn that they were hard and cold and not what my body needed. So I made a new decision.
I've finally attained the outcome I need. It was a long difficult journey. You are on your own journey. No two of us is alike. Every adult on the planet is made of approximately 50 Trillion single cells. We are alike but not exactly. So please do not make a decision based on what anyone else tells you or what one or even two NICE DOCTORS tell you is right. I wish it was easier to get to the right answer. But no one can do this journey for you. Just take one day at a time and do the work and the research and you will find your own right path.

Hi @A MyBCTeam Member ... I had bilateral mastectomy with expanders placed, followed by chemo, followed by radiation. Then i had silicone implants placed about 3 months after radiation. Expanders felt pretty uncomfortable for the 10 months that i had them, but I am very glad i went with this option. When i had them exchanged for implants 98% of the discomfort went away (i have occassional moments when they bother me, or when they feel cold, but most of the time i hardly even notice them which is a total contrast to expanders. i was aware of those suckers 100% of the time). While they are much firmer than real breasts, the impants look good in clothes, look okay naked, and I am very happy with my choice, I have heard many people have less than favorable outcomes with implants after radiation, but this has not been the case for me, and i hope, if you decide to go this route you have the same good luck! So, you asked about how recovery was... i though recovery from mastectomy plus expander placement was kinda terrible for 2 weeks and then gradually got to be ok, but recovery from exchanging expanders to implants was EASY. i was completely fine, no pain or need for medication within a day of the surgery. Best of luck to you!

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A MyBCTea...

I can only speak from my personal experience. If I could rewind my life by 3 years I would choose to not have implants at all. Yes the implant surgery was painful, but all surgery hurts.
However, the greatest pain was that the plastic surgeon didn't tell me what implants and expanded would feel like months after the surgery.
If you are doing this due to cancer it is a very different process than it is for women who chooses implants for "enhancement". With breast cancer your breast tissue is removed. The expanded and implants are placed just under your skin. They are cold. They are firm to the point of being hard.
"Enhancements " aka boob jobs, place implants behind breast tissue. And while that surgery hurts too, a woman's natural breasts cushion the implants. So they don't feel cold or hard.
After two years of surgeries I finally had the implants removed and found an awesome plastic surgeon who specializes in DIEP. Using my tummy fat he constructed new breasts from my own tissue. Now I have warm soft breasts that aren't made of plastic.
It's been very hard and long and at times very painful. But find a doctor that is trained to do all the finest procedures. Too many docs only sell what they are trained to do. And that may not be what is best for you. Check out DIEP. I wish someone told me about it at the beginning of my journey.

If you've had radiation in the past, it's very painful and has a high rate of failure with implants. The Diep flap is much more successful if you've had radiation. 💗💗💗

Yes i can tell you somewhat. I had expanders put in in February. I'm now waiting to have the implants put in next month. The expanders ate not comfortable. It is painful at the beginning but it does get better. Linda