Seeking Advice on Breast Reconstruction After Mastectomy

Hi I had a mastectomy February 11th 2025. I had 4 of my lymph nodes removed and didn’t have any cancer in my lymph nodes thank god. I had to get a second opinion because the 1st surgeon never explained the reconstruction surgery or what was going to have to be done to my right breast. I had cancer in my left side and my right side was going to have to be done also so they could match it up to my left side. I had so many complications with my expander for my left side to begin with. They weren’t sure if I had lymphedema or seroma on my left side. I was seeing a specialist for lymphedema for a couple of months and having Physical therapy also. I ended up with a frozen shoulder on my left side. I ended up with a really bad rash on my left breast all the way down to my abdomen and ended up on my right side of my breast and my back also. If it wasn’t for my lymphedema specialist saying something to my plastic surgeon I never would have received a medication for the itching and rash. The medication that was given was called Clobetasol Propionate Tropical Solution which does help when I get the itching and rash back. When I asked why I got all this she could never give me a legit reason as to why I got all this. I was also told by my PT that the expander I was given was too big for my breast and this is why my body wasn’t draining the fluid on its own. My drain wasn’t removed for 5 weeks and even after that I still didn’t drain on my own. My breast was so stretched out from the fluid and swelling PT believed this was part of the reason why I got this rash and itching. Eventually I starting draining on my own and my left breast went down a little bit and the itching wasn’t as bad. This is the reasons why I got a second opinion my plastic surgeon didn’t have a good bed side manner and wasn’t good at explaining anything. The second doctor I got did explain the flap surgery and also showed me a video of the surgery I was going to have which I really appreciate that and also asked me what I wanted my right breast to look like. He wanted me to bring him pictures of what I wanted my right breast to look like because he was planning on doing my right breast right away. My right breast just got done on July 2nd 2025 and I have 20 staples in the back of my back/shoulder were he removed the fat from my back/shoulder. He also did a lift on my right breast and I was very pleased with the job he did. What is worrying me now is when I saw him last Friday he doesn’t seem like he’s really confident about doing the flap surgery on my left breast. I know he has told my husband that if I did the silicone implant he could have both my breast looking great but like my husband told him I’m not wanting the silicone I want to use my own body parts I don’t want any foreign object in my breast. I’m 58 years old and I know these have to be change out every 10-15 years and when I’m 85 they won’t want to change the implant again because I will be too old. I just want to have the flap surgery done and use my own body parts and not worry about having anymore surgeries after this. I’ve been researching a lot about women who have had reconstructive surgery done here in AZ and they weren’t done right and another surgery was done and still not done correct so they ended up going to Houston, TX or New Orleans to have it redone because this is were they had the best surgeons to do these kind of surgeries. I really need help I’m not sure what I should do. Also I know I had a mastectomy and 4 lymph nodes removed and I didn’t have any cancer in the lymph nodes. But is this a definite answer that the cancer has been completely removed and if I have the reconstructive surgery done it’s not going to come back. Is the estrogen pill that I’m supposed to to take for 5 yrs going to definitely keep the cancer from coming back? Can you please help me please I need answers please? Thank you, Pauline Mendoza