Plastic Surgeon... Never Thought It Would Be For This...

I met with Dr. G. this morning, a plastic surgeon who works in Greeley. I told me parents I wanted to do this one alone, since it's pretty personal. My appointment was super early, and I felt a cold coming on.

For one, a plastic surgeon's office is totally different from a regular doctor's office. Everything inside was lush and plush and beautiful, even the staff! When I got there, they offered me something to drink. How weird is that?

Dr. G. came in and talked to me about some general things about the surgery, most of which I already knew from talking with Dr. D. He showed me the different implants, and I felt like I was on Dr. 90210, with the saline implant in one hand and the silicone in the other. I hadn't really organized many questions because the whole thing was sudden and foreign. He too needed to do an exam, and he took some measurements and had an assistant take photos. I aked him if breasts ever came out of reconstruction looking better than before. He told me he had to be honest, that he couldn't beat nature, and that given the fact that I have no stretch marks or sagging from breastfeeding, they won't be better than they are. I also asked if he was the one to ask about for sizes, because if I have to have reconstruction, you better bet they'll be bigger. He said he wouldn't let me go crazy, and if I said I wanted a D-cup, he'd say no. Good to know (BTW, I'm thinking a happy C-cup, what do you think?).

I told Dr. G. about the two opinions I had gotten from the surgeons. He was surprised at Dr. S.'s advice, and told me that he didn't think my oncologist would go for that. To be honest, my guess is that he's not that knowledgeable about new developments in breast cancer, so I sorta took that with a grain of salt. Anyway, if the oncologist says no, she could tell me on Friday at our appointment. I told him I had another appointment for a third opinion with a Dr. C., and Dr. G. said he would get money that Dr. C. would recommend a mastectomy as well. That wasn't such good news.

After he was done talking to me, he sent in a woman I would describe as "the deal closer." She was probably just an appointment setter, but I had made sure that both she and the doctor knew that I wasn't for sure having a reconstruction. She just kept telling me how women just feel so much better with their reconstructions all done, and how good of a doctor Dr. G. is. She kept saying "you know what I mean?" which was driving me crazy.

If I were to end up with Dr. S. but still need a mastectomy, I would have to work with another plastic surgeon since Dr. G. is in Greeley. So then another appointment.

I left the appointment with a really strange feeling. For one, plastic surgery is much different from regular surgery, so in a way they really are trying to "sell" you a surgery. And that's sorta how I felt, like I had just listened to a sales pitch. Not to say they weren't kind and respectful; they certainly were. And with the two options from Dr. D. and Dr. S., my head was still swimming trying to figure out what to think. I would say that given the earliness of the appointment, my head cold, and the ever-contrasting opinions of the surgeons, I wasn't as focused as maybe I should have been for this appointment.