Back in the Boob Business

Back in the Boob Business

🌼 Date: Saturday, June 13, 2026

⚡ Energy: Hopeful, uneven, but improving

💖 Status: Plastic surgery appointment success

😍 Outlook: The uni-boober era may finally be nearing its end

Guess what?

I had my first amazing doctor’s appointment yesterday.

I know.

I almost did not recognize it either.

No scary news.

No “let’s wait and see.”

No new what-fresh-hell side effect discussion.

Just actual progress.

The appointment was with my plastic surgeon, and since it had been six weeks since my last radiation treatment, I went in hoping we could finally resume fills again.

Because let me tell you, I am so over being a uni-boober.

I have been uneven since the beginning of March, when the right expander had to be deflated for radiation.

And while I understand why it had to happen, I would like to formally state for the record that I am done with the flapjack era.

Thank you for your service.

You may now leave the building.

After my plastic surgeon did a thorough skin inspection, she declared that we are officially back in business.

Back.

In.

Business.

And apparently, gone are the days of the little 50cc fills.

Oh no.

We are in the big leagues now, people.

We are talking 150cc at a time.

One hundred and fifty.

Like my right side went from “sad pancake” to “baby boob has entered the chat” in one appointment.

Is it perfect?

No.

Is it even?

Also no.

But is it dramatically less flapjacky?

Absolutely.

And I will take it.

In my chart, she approved 150cc fills for the next two appointments, as long as I can tolerate them.

And by “tolerate,” we are talking about a couple of things.

First, it cannot hurt too much while they are filling.

Second, the skin cannot turn shiny, because shiny skin means it is being stretched too fast.

And nobody needs my skin entering its overinflated balloon era.

If all goes according to plan, two more 150cc fills will put the right side at 450cc.

Then I should only need about 65cc more to bring it up to 515cc, which is where the left side has been sitting this whole time, minding its own business and refusing to deflate.

So close.

So very close.

Now, even once the expanders have the same amount of saline, they will not look exactly the same.

Because of course they won’t.

That would be too easy, and apparently my body does not participate in “easy.”

The tumor on the left side was large and up against the chest wall, so a lot of the saline in that expander is filling the space where the tumor was.

Basically, the bag is not just making a boob shape. It is also filling a crater left behind by the breast cancer wrecking crew.

So even if both expanders have the same amount of fluid, they will not sit or look exactly alike.

Only the final reconstruction surgery will really help with that.

My plastic surgeon said she can make adjustments during surgery, which may mean using two different implant sizes or doing whatever other magical plastic surgeon math she needs to do.

And honestly?

That is why she is the expert.

I am just over here trying not to look like a lopsided science project.

She also said it looks like we are still on track for the implant “exchange” to happen about six months after radiation ended.

My last radiation treatment was April 30, 2026.

So by my calculations, that puts us around the end of October.

When she called it an exchange, my mind immediately went to the library.

I know I am dating myself here, but remember when you would finish reading a book and walk to the library to exchange it for a new one?

You would return one, pick out another, bring it home, and devour it as fast as possible.

Now everyone reads on phones or listens to audiobooks, but I still love turning actual pages.

Anyway, apparently now my body is participating in its own library exchange program.

Return the hard, uncomfortable expanders.

Check out the new gummy bear implants.

Due date: hopefully the end of October.

And when she said end of October, all I could picture was walking into surgery like:

Trick or treat, I’m here for my gummy bears.

And now I’m wondering if I should show up to my exchange surgery in costume.

I mean, if we are going to schedule reconstruction around Halloween, it feels rude not to commit to the theme.

The real question is: what costume says classy breast reconstruction patient with a dark sense of humor and medically approved gummy bears on board?

A gummy bear?

A lopsided pumpkin?

A construction worker with a hard hat and a sign that says Reconstruction Zone?

A library card because apparently this is an exchange program?

Or maybe just me, in my usual Tiny Tina uniform: sarcasm, compression gear, questionable balance, and a bag full of snacks.

We’ll see.

But if I walk into surgery wearing a costume, nobody should be surprised.

And actually, I may already have the outfit.

I have a hot pink safety vest with silver reflective stripes, because of course I do.

Casey can get a hard hat from the office.

I can wear my black shiny Dr. Martens, leave them untied and wide open at the top with my sweatpants, and still follow the post-surgery rules with my compression bra and a zip-up or button-up top because drains are apparently part of the fashion show.

Practical?

Yes.

Ridiculous?

Also yes.

Perfect?

Absolutely.

If I have to walk into surgery for breast reconstruction around Halloween, then I might as well show up dressed like the construction project I am.

Hard hat on.

Pink vest glowing.

Boots untied.

Tiny Tina: Reconstruction Zone.

Please pardon our dust.

New boobs under construction.

It has been a while since we talked about the reconstruction surgery, but the implants they use now are often described as “gummy bear” implants because the silicone gel inside is more cohesive.

That means it holds its shape better.

The easiest way to picture it is an actual gummy bear candy.

If you cut a gummy bear in half, liquid does not pour out everywhere.

Each half still holds together.

That is the general idea.

These implants are designed to hold their shape more than old-school liquid silicone implants.

Which is strangely comforting and also makes me want candy.

So yes, I am apparently getting medically approved gummy bears in my chest.

Cancer reconstruction is weird.

But I will take weird if it gets me closer to feeling like myself again.

I left today’s appointment feeling a little more normal.

Not completely normal.

Let’s not get carried away.

But a little closer.

A little more balanced.

A little less uni-boober.

A little more hopeful.

And I also left armed with five more appointments.

Because in the wise words of the nurse:

“It is so much easier to cancel appointments than it is to try to squeeze you in somewhere if you end up needing more.”

Wise words indeed.

Plan ahead.

Book the appointments.

Hope I do not need all of them.

Cancel what we do not use.

That is the kind of medical scheduling logic I can get behind.

So here we are.

The right side is filling again.

The skin passed inspection.

The flapjack is becoming a baby boob.

The end-of-October exchange is still possible.

And for the first time in a while, I walked out of a doctor’s appointment feeling like we actually moved forward instead of sideways, backward, or straight into another medical circus tent.

That felt good.

Really good.

I know I still have a long way to go.

I know the expanders are not the final stop.

I know surgery is still ahead.

I know my body is still healing from everything it has been through.

But today felt like progress.

And after months of deflation, radiation, swelling, tightness, lymphedema, neuropathy, hormone blocker discussions, and the general chaos of Cancerland, I am celebrating every tiny bit of progress I get.

Even if that progress comes 150cc at a time.

Goodbye, flapjack.

Hello, baby boob.

Tiny Tina is slowly reinflating.

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One Badass Day at a Time