Me: I’m having swelling in my core and thighs, specifically in the areas where I had liposuction…
Six months later, after doing a bunch of tests to rule out seriously scary stuff (no signs of anything serious)…
Me: Since my swelling is mostly in the areas where I had liposuction, I think a referral to a plastic surgeon would be a good next step.
Dr.: You’ll need to go to a private clinic for that.
Me: No, sorry, the liposuction was part of my breast reconstruction surgery. This might be a long-term side effect of that reconstruction. I’m asking for a referral to a specific surgeon at the cancer centre who is familiar with the type of microsurgery I had in California.
We sit together as he completes the referral form – me giving him all the key information the surgeon will need: the specific type of surgery I had, the timing, and a brief history of my original and second cancer diagnoses.
Since I don’t have active cancer, I will be lower on the list to see the surgeon, but I did see that the referral went through both the general plastics system and was forwarded to the specific surgeon I had identified. Now I wait.
How did I find the surgeon? I doubted my family doctor would know who the right plastic surgeon was – why would he? My oncologist would know, but I don’t have an appointment for another month. I started with the Dalhousie School of Medicine website, looking for surgeons who specialize in microsurgery and breast reconstruction. Then, I reached out to a network of breast cancer survivors in the province – the closest thing I have to a local support group. I asked them: who does flap reconstruction in Halifax? I was given a few names, which amazed me, but one stood out. That’s the surgeon I asked to be referred to. Now, I wait and see.
Part of why I wanted to share this story is that my doctor assumed, from the start, that the liposuction I had was purely cosmetic. I find that odd because there’s no mention of such a procedure in my medical record.
I have a very good family doctor. I’m lucky to have one, and even more fortunate that he’s someone I trust. He was the reason my breast cancer recurrence was found before it became metastatic. I’m also aware of the limits to what I can expect him to know. This just wasn’t something I expected. I didn’t expect him to make that assumption.
His misunderstanding is cultural. He likely assumed it was cosmetic because I struggle with weight, because I lived in California, and because I talk about surgery like it’s no big deal. He assumed the liposuction was for looks.
Spending time with friends and support groups in California normalized the idea of breast reconstruction for me. I don’t think of it as unusual. I talk about it casually, as if it’s an everyday thing, because it was part of everyday life where I lived.
But I need to remember – even though I had plastic surgery in California, it wasn’t stereotypical plastic surgery. I learned that plastic surgeons do important work in cancer care. Hollywood and TV have linked plastic surgery to cosmetic procedures, but in reality, it’s a critical part of cancer treatment.
I need to remember that for most people, surgery is a big deal. For most people, liposuction equals cosmetic surgery. Invasive procedures are significant. Most people in my life aren’t professional cancer patients. That’s my reality check for today!
Leave a Reply