Numbness

Obviously the surgery would involve cutting through nerves. I knew going in that I would not have the same sensations as I'd had before. I expected numbness and I've heard that each person's outcome is different. Some people begin to regain feeling in their breasts as nerves start the process of reconnecting. In some cases, according to my aunt who has undergone this surgery, a person may find herself years down the road scratch her skin in one spot and feel a tingle in another. Nerves are an amazing construction within the human body.

I wonder how much feeling I'll get back. Mostly what I feel at this point is a feeling similar to being numb in your mouth after getting a shot at the dentist's office. It's like that moment just before you're completely numb and ready to be drilled on, sort of the twilight moment when you still feel pain if touched, it's just dulled dramatically. This has been a blessing during the inflation procedures where they push needles through my chest into the tissue expanders (TE's).

I hope the sensations return to a great degree, but if they don't I guess it's just he price I have to pay for the decision. I still don't regret it, though one thing I'll miss is the feeling of my nipples being stimulated, either by the cold or by my husband's hand. It's a sensation we take for granted. In a way I wish I'd paid greater attention to that the last time I experienced it because I understand it will never come again.

As a good friend often says to me, "Note to self." Well, I'm making a note. Try harder to explore and appreciate the little things because you never know when they'll be gone.