Living Flat or Asymmetrical

For some women, neither reconstruction nor a prosthesis is an attractive option.  Instead they choose to live flat or asymmetrical.

Why live flat or asymmetrical?

“I love being able to go flat, to lie on my stomach at night, to jog without bouncing, no hot boobs in the summer. I don't mind the scars, because to me it's like looking at an old, interesting gnarled and knotted tree. It shows life and strength and survival. Honestly, being flat is better than the original issue!” says one breast cancer survivor.

According to the website Flat and Fabulous, women choose to live flat for several reasons:

• they want to avoid additional surgery
• they want to delay reconstruction until after they have healed from a mastectomy
• they were not informed of the possibility of reconstruction
• they choose reconstruction at the same time as mastectomy but wake up to discover that complications made reconstruction impossible
• they had a reconstruction reversed due to complications

Some women are also not comfortable wearing a prosthetic.  Some object to the cost of a prosthetic.  Others find the prosthesis to be a cumbersome burden, and living flat or asymmetrical gives them a sense of freedom.

The decision to live flat is a personal choice that only you can make.  Before treatment, you may want to research your options which may include making an appointment with a plastic surgeon to find out about your options, including the possibility of living flat or asymmetrical. Learn more about living flat or asymmetrical.

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