DIEP and radiation timing

Thank you for your time addressing all of our concerns here. It's a VERY appreciated service.
I understand from my research that having a mastectomy same time as DIEP, then radiation is fairly controversial. From what I can gather, there is a new thinking about this subject. It seems that some docs in the teaching setting now think the potential risks of having radiation before and after DIEP are similar in numbers if not in physicality.

I would like to know what you think of this. I am hoping to have rads after a unilateral mastx/DIEP same time to:
1- wake with some semblance of a breast after mastx 2- shorten the stress length for my family and me 3- to end these long-lived treatments as quickly as possible and 4- avoid yet a third year of out of pocket deductibles.

I am in excellent health except for this spot of cancer. I am 53, a B cup. IDC either IIB or IIIa, depending who you speak to. I have already had chemo, lumpectomy, more chemo which ended 3/19.

Thanks so much.

[vicki868]

I had my bi-lateral (double) mastecomy on 03-04-08 with immediate reconstrction. My plastic surgeon did a DIEP flap from both shoulders plus put in expanders. The plan was he would fully expand me to the size I wanted. (I was previously a Double D and was looking to become a C). Once the expansion was completed, I was going to complete radiation and once healed again, have the expanders taken out and replaced with the implants.

My problems was I came down with an infection in my chest 04-24-08 and had to have the expanders taken out. Now my radiation oncologist is pushing me to start radiation, but I was told by my platsic surgeon, if I do radiation before I am fully expanded he will most likely not be able to do the reconstruction. He said the skin will shrink too much during radiation and that there will not be any room to put the expanders in.