I was sent to Dr. Diacono for my mastectomy and delayed DIEP. He is a nice man, but his staff…read moredoesn't have training in interacting with breast cancer patients because they were not compassionate or interested in teaching post op care. I was never entitled to a decent surgery timeframe because of the dr's busy schedule. I don't think it's the dr's fault. He is sought-after, and his team probably didn't inform him that I was not given the same timeframe as other cancer patients. When I told the dr what size I wanted to be, he told me that's not up to me because of the smaller stomach size. That's fair, except he never gave me the option of doing flaps from my thighs (because they are bigger than my stomach was), so now I am stuck with small, lopsided breasts. I'm left with an A cup, and they don't fit my frame well. I look like a boy. The scars are hideous and very thick. The outline of the raised scars can be seen through thick shirts. This can all be fixed at the revision, except the packed surgery schedule doesn't allow them to schedule me for a revision, so I'm stuck and have to find a new PS. I was a nice patient to the dr and his team. I showed up on time, was respectful, and always demonstrated my gratefulness. But to no avail. His team even wanted to cancel the pre-op DIEP meeting. They wanted me to meet with his nurse instead, who was not going to be in the operating room; I insisted on a pre op with the dr. His team often cancelled or rescheduled because of other surgeries he was pulled into. I can understand that and never minded. But wouldn't I eventually be allowed to also have priority as an existing patient? When we were doing the pictures, the assistant didn't lock the door, and another staff member attempted to come in. It was humiliating. Being a breast cancer patient is a humiliating experience because everyone keeps touching you, looking at you, and forcing you to be weighed every week. I was hoping the plastic experience would be nicer and more respectful. When I told the dr I wanted to keep my nipples (the cancer surgeon was ok with that), he said no because my breasts were too large. I didn't know that it is possible to keep nipples even with large breasts. My breasts became large because I gained weight from neoadjuvant chemo. I was not normally this large, so I feel like I am being punished for doing chemo first, which I had no control over. But I found out that to keep nipples, you just have to do a reduction first before the mastectomy, but options were never offered to me, probably because Dr. Diacono is very busy and didn't have time to give me options. I didn't know about something called "Resensation". After my DIEP, I left two messages for him asking whether we could still do resensation in the revision, but no one ever got back to me with an answer. I truly believe it's because he never received the messages. I made an appointment with him post DIEP surgery (I learned from the official Resensation folks that this procedure can be done without nipples), but was given a PA instead, who was condescending towards me. No one ever once taught me about scars or post op management after the mastectomy and DIEP. And when I asked for post op help, I was given conflicting information: different people told me different things, and none of those things were helpful. I had to use the internet and literature from other PS offices to figure things out. It's been scary and stressful, and I've never felt more alone. When I asked at the post-op meeting (the only time I was allowed to meet with the dr post DIEP) whether we could schedule the revision, he said that he wanted to wait, and I have a year to do a revision. I explained that I don't have a year because I am departing the area (plus I don't want to spend one year with these hideous scars and asymmetrical breasts) and begged to schedule something for 3 months out, but my pleas fell on deaf ears. I think he is a sought-after surgeon, and as a quiet and unassuming breast cancer patient, I'm probably not a priority for the surgical calendar. Now I wonder whether the cancer center forced him to take me on. He was always rushed in our meetings and seemed overbooked. I am not writing this to deter you. I am writing to be helpful to fellow breast cancer patients who are going through this alone. My advice is to always have an ally with you in meetings who can speak up if your wishes are disregarded. I think if you have an ally with you, you'll get what you want and will have a better experience. Plastic surgeons have a million breast cancer patients, and only the loudest people in the room get what they want. Unfortunately, I am the quietest person in the room, and I fell through the cracks with his team, which has been devastating for me. Good luck and best wishes for your recovery.
