Phantom Itching and other Mastectomy Annoyances

This week I celebrate three years since I underwent bilateral mastectomy surgery and the first phase of reconstruction. And three years with no evidence of disease! While I'm thankful to have these fake boobs that won't try to kill me like he real ones did, there are some real downsides.

1. I'll never be able to do chin-ups without a band assist. Actually, I'm not disappointed by this.

2. I run into a lot of things. I don't have sensation in my breast area now, so I drag my boobs across doorjambs, drawers, cabinets ... it's awkward.

3. My cleavage looks great, but the undersides are a little squared off because of the incision and scarring.

4. Perky is awesome when I'm upright but looks unnatural when I'm lying down. The girls are always at attention!

5. I did experience some phantom pain, but phantom itching is the worst. I was sitting at the park talking to a friend on Sunday, tormented by this deep itch, searching all over my body for the right nerve ending to scratch. You simply have to wait for the sensation to go away, and this time it persisted for about 20 minutes.

Let's support our fellow warriors. Tell us your biggest challenges after reconstruction surgery.