“What I wish I knew before I had a mastectomy”

Being told that you need to have a mastectomy is no easy thing, and it’s totally natural to feel anxious or uneasy before heading into surgery. While Future Dreams provides a number of support groups and services to help you pre and post surgery, we also have a brilliant community of people online who are either going through the same experience as you, or who have been there before and had a single or double mastectomy in the past.

Many of those people have been kind enough to share their advice around what they wish they’d known before their mastectomy.

Bra Lounge | Future Dreams

Finding the right bras and prosthesis can be complicated and daunting, whether you’ve had a mastectomy, partial mastectomy, or reconstruction. The Bra Lounge at Future Dreams House, established with bra specialist Monica Harrington, offers advice and support at any stage.

What the Future Dreams community say they wish they’d known before their mastectomies:

• “For me, it was way better than I could have imagined. Recovery from the op was pretty rapid and not really painful. I was back to most normal things quite quickly and I’ve adapted to having 1 boob quickly as well. Don’t be scared – you’ll be an absolute champ!”
  
  
• “Get a drain bag!!! You’ll have drains after your surgery but you can get shoulder bags to carry them around and they are a game changer!”
  
  
• “Treat yourself to a cute two piece PJ set with a button-down top. Get a wedge pillow to help prop you up while sleeping. Do the exercises. Be kind and patient to yourself. Take the time to rest. Thank those who are there to help you.”
  
  
• “Be proactive in asking for better pain relief if you need it. I was repeatedly told I would be able to manage the pain with paracetamol. This was not true for me and despite telling nurses about the pain, it took weeks to get stronger painkillers. You do not need to bear the pain, get pain relief because you will be able to keep mobile and do your exercises better.”
  
  
• “Always keep in your mind that if boobs have cancer, better not have them. We are women with or without them.”
  
  
• “Give yourself some time. I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror for a bit but you know when I did it wasn’t as bad as I built it up to be – the physical aspect of a mastectomy for me healed a lot quicker than the psychological side – overall aside from anything I am so grateful that it helped save my life and I’m still here to watch my babies grow up.”
  
  
• “Chat and connect to others who have been through something similar, it really helps to have a friend who gets it.”
  
  
• “Look at your wound/scar as soon as possible, it will be way nicer-looking and less scary than you think.”
  
  
• “Focus on that stage of your treatment and take a day at a time. We know the road may be long, but focus on next steps when you need to. The mastectomy is the here and now, don’t worry about anything else!! Always remember you are amazing!!!”
  
  
• “I had a single mastectomy and reconstruction at the same time in November 2023. Definitely do your exercises, I bought myself some nice silk button-up PJs, also a boob pillow that went under each arm and across my front – it was a godsend travelling to and from appointments. I was a side sleeper and sleeping on my back wasn’t much fun until I bought a set of wedges and pillows from Amazon – they really helped. The physical recovery wasn’t as bad as I thought, some days were easier than others. Let people help you out, cook/clean/walk the dogs/get you some shopping. Take it easy and take one day at a time and don’t be afraid to ask for help.”
  
  
• “Pain relief is important, I couldn’t sleep (as you have to be on your back). So I took extra for this. Anaesthetic is a poo killer—take some dates for after and drink lots. They will probably inject the radioactive dye to aid the surgeon to remove the first few lymph nodes. You will probably feel like most—relieved it’s removed.”
  

To connect with others and find your people for mastectomy advice and more, you’re always welcome at Future Dreams House in London, or at any of our support groups, classes, workshops and therapies that are held online and in-person. Click here to have a look at our schedule.
You can also find community on the Future Dreams Instagram page.

Breast cancer support: book classes, therapies and workshops

In-person or online, wherever you are in the UK. Future Dreams offers a wide variety of group and individual support for women at any stage of a breast cancer journey.

Book a free appointment with a breast care nurse: online and in-person

Need to speak to a breast care nurse about your breast cancer diagnosis? Book a free appointment with a breast care nurse online or in person in London, at Future Dreams House.

Unless otherwise specified, the information and content provided on this page has been written from a patient’s perspective then reviewed by a breast care nurse and it is intended for information and educational purposes only. It is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact your medical team for advice on anything covered in this article and/or in relation to your personal situation. The links and/or recommendations in this article to third-party resources are for your information and we take no responsibility for the content contained in those third-party resources.

Reviewed October 2024