Mastectomy, please … and make it a double
Since cancer had come back in my right breast after surgery and radiation and hormone therapy … it was clear that my right breast needed to come off. Apparently it wasn’t just prone to developing cancer cells, it enjoyed growing them, and was good at it. That made at least a single mastectomy a must in everyone’s eyes. I couldn’t help but chant in my head … “we must, we must, we must remove my breast.”
Even though my left breast wasn’t involved with my breast cancer recurrence, I had the option of removing it. It was considered a perfectly reasonable option. An option. That meant I had a choice to make.
My husband had no doubt in his mind that a double mastectomy was the way to go. He didn’t want to ever, ever go through the stress of a diagnosis again. “Why wait to find out that the cancer was back a third time in your left breast,” he voiced to me when I found myself in a quandary.
I, on the other hand, could have been talked out of a double mastectomy. I was still in a bit of denial. I really didn’t like the idea of unnecessary surgery and I wasn’t sure it was necessary to get rid of both breasts. Sometimes I wasn’t sure the pathology was right. I often found myself imagining the results had been switched ’soap opera style’ and I never even had breast cancer in the first place let alone a second bout of it.
But I was at high risk for developing breast cancer in my left breast since my right breast and I had a personal history with the disease. I read the results of a great study posted on breastcancer.org about just this decision. In a moment of clarity and reflection on how hard my diagnoses were on my family, I realized it was the right choice for me to try to make sure we were never, ever in this situation again.
And that meant … a double mastectomy.
May 10th, 2007 at 10:04 am
That had to be a most difficult decision hon.. My resutls came back. No cancer in the other breast. Now just recuperating from the surgery. Thankful for the radiologist who saw the change, and that we jumped on it early. If it would have come back positive..I too was contemplating a double mast. It’s never an easy decision..I just hope and pray I never need to make it! Hope you are doing well dear!
May 10th, 2007 at 10:07 am
I hope you don’t either!
Glad the results came back in your favor.’
I too am always thankful for the radiologists that pick up changes on those films. They are unsung heroes in my book!