Lumpectomy, Mastectomy, Reconstruction

Elsa:

If you can do it, but if you can’t do it, it would be fine. But it would be good if one person did it.

Libby:

I’m too modest.

Carol:

Well, I’m pretty modest, but what the hell?

Elsa:

Okay. Well, let’s see.

Carol:

I got breast cancer. Every other doctor and their brother has seen my boobs.

Debbie:

Have you ever seen reconstruction?

Carol:

Here it is.

Debbie:

This is what they did. This is incredible, what they did.

Carol:

So, this part is just coming back.

Debbie:

So she has a scar back here.

Carol:

And this was all puckered when I first came out of surgery. I thought, oh, my God, what has he done? It was all like puckered up, so it’s come down a lot, and what’s happened is, see this cord? I have this cord from my arm.

Debbie:

Right. That’s incredible.

Carol:

But it’s going away. It’s much less than it used to be. It’s like half the size of my armpit. This is my regular arm pit, this one. So it kind of comes through here, but it’s getting better.

Elsa:

So now, did you have reconstruction too?

Debbie:

No.

Libby:

Mastectomy.

Carol:

Reconstruction.

Debbie:

Lumpectomy.

Elsa:

So, Libby, are you wearing a padded bra?

Libby:

I wear a prosthesis.

Carol:

It’s Okay. I can do this because, see, it’s not real yet. It doesn’t have a nipple yet.

Debbie:

Is it all—is it all like numb?

Carol:

Yeah. But you can feel. It’s like a bag. But it’s a bag filled with liquid, so that when you hit a high spot, doesn’t it feel like there’s water inside? Feel this bump, right here.

Debbie:

Oh, God!

Carol:

It’s weird. It’s really weird. The first time I felt it, it was like, eeuw! What is that thing? So it’s a little strange, still.

Elsa:

That isn’t the old breast skin, is it?

Carol:

Yeah. It’s my skin.

Debbie:

It’s her skin. The only thing that isn’t hers is where the nipple was.

Carol:

This is from my back. This is from this scar here.

Elsa:

I see.

Carol:

This is the back skin. And then they put an implant, and they took the muscle from here—

Elsa:

I see. I see.

Carol:

—and they tunnel it under, and flap it up in front. It’s amazing what they can do.

Debbie:

How weird.

Elsa:

So, what is yours, Debbie?

Debbie:

It’s a different scar.

Elsa:

I mean, that’s your own breast except for the little—

Debbie:

That’s right.

Elsa:

Well, that’s nothing!

Debbie:

It’s nothing, right. It’s just a scar.

Elsa:

Just unbutton your shirt.

Debbie:

Okay. Now, my lumpectomy scar’s here.

Elsa:

Good. The scars are good. All right. Take off, take off your undershirt.

Carol:

Whew. The first time my boob is out in public.

Elsa:

All right. Let’s go.

Carol:

Strange. Now, it’s starting to look really round. Tell me, men design these. No offense, Bobby, but. . . . Strange. My new boob. Very strange. I think—Today was like the first day that I thought about my real one being gone.

Debbie:

Oh.

Carol:

It’s like, this is just, I mean, I know the outside’s the same. But it’s not really shaped the same. It was a pretty breast.