Point of View #14: Matilda

Matilda first emailed me in November 2009 saying that she was BRCA2+, currently exploring her mastectomy/reconstruction options, and frustrated that her local plastic surgeon told her that tissue expanders were her only reconstruction option. Her surgical oncologist had said that nipple-sparing was too risky and he wouldn't do it, and her plastic surgeon wouldn't show her any photos of her previous patients' outcomes. Being a mother of young ones, Matilda wanted local surgery and the One Step, but she wasn't sure if her local surgeons were the best choice for her. She was willing to travel if necessary to get what she wanted. What she wanted was "a skilled surgeon who can remove as much of the breast tissue as possible while still maximizing the cosmetic result." Based on her desires, I recommended my own surgical team to her, Drs. Ashikari and Salzberg in NY. After seeing my photo galleries and reading about my team, she decided to give them a call before making any final decisions.

Cut to October 2010, 11 months later. Matilda contacted me again to let me know she'd had the One Step with Drs. Fenner and Winchester in Chicago 10 days ago, and she was extremely happy with her results so far. In retrospect with the benefit of hindsight, she could see that her local hometown surgeons had either chosen to have narrow opinions about her options, or they just hadn't been aware that she was an ideal candidate for the One Step BPM. She had felt as if they'd been trying to "talk her into expanders." Her year of research had paid off for her, and exploring other women's One Step photos had helped open her eyes to the possibility of a quick, one-stage surgery that would give her exactly what she needed to fit the BPM into her busy life and schedule. She only wished that her local surgeons had told her about the One Step option from the beginning.

The reason Matilda didn't have her surgery with Salzberg and Ashikari is that neither Salzberg, nor Ashikari, nor Dobbs Ferry Community Hospital participated with her health insurance provider, while the team in Chicago did. She wanted me to be sure to let women know that Fenner and Winchester are a great option for women who can't (or don't want to) go to Drs. Ashikari and Salzberg, or who don't want to travel all the way to New York from the Great Plains part of the U.S. where Matilda lives.

Matilda's 19 photos span from pre-surgery to two months post-nipple-sparing One Step. For access to her password protected gallery and those of 14 other women (including mine) showcasing both One Step and expander BPMs, please email me for the URL and password at: rebecca (at) onestepscoop (dot) com.