How to tell prospective partner about surgery?
Meet the Experts
Su Carroll Kenderdine, M.D. is a family doctor and breast cancer survivor who conducts workshops on sexuality for women recovering from breast cancer.
Marisa Weiss, M.D. is a radiation oncologist specializing in breast cancer and the founder, president, and guiding force behind Breastcancer.org.
Question from Website Question: I am having a mastectomy and reconstruction next week and want some suggestions on telling a prospective partner.
- Answer —Marisa Weiss, M.D., president and founder: All of us on Breastcancer.org this evening wish you the very best for your surgery and reconstruction next week. Lillie Shockney, a Breastcancer.org professional advisory board member and a three-time breast cancer survivor and a breast cancer nurse at Johns Hopkins, suggests that women think of the mastectomy as a "transformation" taking you from where you are now dealing with a cancer to another place that is much healthier and safer.
As you move through your reconstruction, you can find information and pictures at Breastcancer.org that can help you set goals and expectations for you and your team. Be sure to let your plastic surgeon know what your expectations are. That way this doctor can do a better job of meeting them.
On Wednesday, May 19, 2004, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Sleep or Sex? You Can Have Both! Su Carroll Kenderdine, M.D. and Marisa Weiss, M.D. answered your questions about how to maintain sexual intimacy during and after treatment, what to do for loss of libido and vaginal dryness, ways to reduce the fatigue related to breast cancer, and more.
The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.
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