Going for Suregry # 3-This Time a Mastectomy

ReginaR

Hi , I went For my First Lumpectomy Rt Breast on Dec 28, 2009,The Pathogist Report showed Four margins Of DCIC Grade 2, So I figured a mastectomy, But  My Surgeron Talked me into A Re-excision Rt breast instaed.She Informed she was very Aggressive & took 6 sections this time On Jan 8,2010.Then the path Report showed Only One margin this time but The DCIS was   now a Grade 3, I am not understanding all this & getting a little frustrated that Now It a Grade 3 & Yes I need the masectomy .My BS only Wants to take the rt Breast, I wanted to avoid all this emotional Roller Coaster again, By having a Double mastectomy. My Surgeon says because it DCIS she feel Like I am safe with just Taking rt breast. I may get 2nd BS.( But it takes so long as a new Pt) & I have already met with a Plastic Surgeron & will have Reconstruction done same time. If any one else has gone thur this DCIS & Had mastectomy did you have 1o 2 Breast Removed.I Love to Hear from you! My e-mail is queenginar@aol.com . Thnaks so much for your time. 2010 has not started off the way I wanted!  Hope evryone else is having a Healthy 2010Thanks again ReGina Robinson

CrunchyPoodleMama

I'm sorry you're going through this... I too am going to have a mastectomy after lumpectomy failed to get clear margins (I was going to have a reexcision but my surgeon felt I still had too much DCIS remaining).

I'll give you my perspective on unilateral vs. bilateral... I personally wouldn't dream of removing a healthy breast just out of fear. I had been living a very cancer-causing lifestyle (high stress, eating processed foods, deficiencies in vitamin D and probably iodine, etc.) before my diagnosis.

I feel that making diet/lifestyle changes is, for me, the best safeguard against a future occurrence of cancer. If I were to remove both breasts but continue living a cancer-causing lifestyle, cancer would come back, just somewhere else in the body.

That said, for some women, especially if they test positive for the breast cancer gene, bilateral mastectomy gives them peace of mind. If they're okay with that, and they make changes in their diet and lifestyle to minimize the chance of development of cancer in the future, then that is the right decision for them. I just knew it wasn't the right decision for me.

roseg

I'm not in favor of bilateral mastectomies. I think it's extreme, but it is a personal decision.

However, I think women who're having implant reconstruction sometimes end up with a more matching set of breasts. If you only have one done you should be prepared for them not to match.

ReginaR

Thanks Julie & Rose! I appreciate the input!

I am waiting  all day to hear back from Surgeon office for  Surgery date!

Gina

lvtwoqlt

I had bilat done for my DCIS but I also had 2 previous abnormal biopsies and lumpectomies (once on each breast 18 months apart) for pre-cancer ADH. It was my surgeon who suggested I consider PBM after my 2nd lumpectomy. I also have a family history of breast cancer in my mother and ovarian cancer in her sister. It is a hard decision to make and very personal. I weighed all my options and decided to go with the bilat. my final path report showed additional ADH in both breasts that didn't show up in the pre surgery testing.

Sheila

VinRobMom

trust your surgeon.  sounds like you have a good one.

LeeMcC

This is a very personal decision. You should take into consideration how much of a worrier you are...or not, how much you are in love with your breasts currently...or not, and how much looking at your breasts in the mirror and not seeing symmetry will bother you...or not. Also, I think age is a consideration: Can you fight the bc battle again in 5, 10 or 15 years if it rears its ugly head again? There is no right or wrong answer -- it's up to each woman individually based on what her concerns/priorities are and her stage in life.

I was dx'd with LCIS,DCIS and a very tiny IDC. I'm 48 and I chose bilateral with immediate reconstruction (DIEP) 4 months ago and have not regretted my decision. I'm healthy and recovered very well. I have a new matching, perky set, a flat stomach and I'm ready to hit my 49th birthday feeling better than ever ... without having to worry about bc coming back. My onco type score was low, and I don't have to take tamoxifen (cuz I chose to do both breasts).

Good Luck with whatever decision you make.

Lee

heygoose

Hi Regina - It is definately a personal choice.  You need to be comfortable with the choice you make.  I was Dx with DCIS 5cm area by mammo/core biopsy.  Plan was to do mastectomy d/t size and location (surgeon felt she would not get clean margins by lumpectomy)... She felt unilateral would be fine but need tamoxifen for 5yrs and radiation.  I asked if Bilateral would be a good choice.  She said that would be up to me, having bilateral would mean no tamoxifan or rads needed. I was 39 at diagnosis.  My cousin has IDC pos nodes and is currently undergoing chemo/rads etc.  I felt I needed to have it done/ overwith / caput.  I chose BMX . After recieving the path report showing DCIS grade 3 in right with neg sentinel nodes and ADH in left breast ( this was not seen on mammo)- I feel very positive about my decision.  I did not like the idea of meds for 5yrs/rads etc, worry for years to come that I'd be back doing this all over again and perhaps with IDC like my cousin.  The troubles that the chemo has caused neuropathies, cardiac issues, loss of toe nails/ fingernails, visual disturbances, radiation causing skin "burns".  I just felt I needed to do my utmost to avoid these... I know it doesnt mean there isnt some other cancer lurking ... but that is how I felt.

  I also chose bilateral DIEP reconstruction.  One side is perfect , the other flap failed after trying to save it by another surgery on Day 3.  I am having a CT scan of my gluteal fat/vessels for possible SGAP (I at this time have a TE, and it is very uncomfortable and "odd" feeling)  hoping for SGAP because I dislike the idea of implants.. would like it to be "me".  Despite the complications, I am still very happy w/ my choice.  

Good luck with your choices.  ASK as many questions as possible!  so that you can make the right choice for you.

Goose

Mantra

My story is similar to yours. First biopsy showed grade 3, nuclear necrosis. Wanted a  mastectomy but the doctor felt confident she could get it all with a lumpectomy. She also removed 3 nodes (all negative). Lumpectomy results showed 8 tumors, ER/PR - but all DCIS. One margin was a bit to small and she wasn't confident that she got it all considering the number of tumours. Again, I wanted a mastectomy. The tumor board agreed and a month later I had a mastectomy with immediate reconstruction (tissue expander).

In reality, in theory,  I really don't need a prophylactic mastectomy, but that isn't stopping me from having one. I don't have a family history and am not BRAC 1 or 2 positive. But when I weigh the pros and cons of having the surgery, the pros far outweigh the negatives. I constantly read or hear stories about women who months or even years later, end up finding cancer in their other breast. I just don't have the emotional strength to go through it again.

I forgot to mention, it turns out all the cancer was removed during the lumpectomy which means the mastectomy was not needed. I think how I handled that bit of news made me realize I'm pretty okay with having a mastectomy. Try as I might, I could not get the least bit upset when I found out the mastectomy was not needed. How can the news that they found no additional cancer be considered bad news? For me, it was the best news ever.

I have asked myself this question a hundered times: Two scenarios. First scenario - I don't have a mastectomy but find cancer in my right breast. Second scenario - I have a prophylactic mastectomy but will never know if it was really needed or not. Each time I asked myself or asked my DH, we both agreed without hesitation that we would want the second scenario.

Part of my decision is that I am 57, married and am small breasted. As stated before, it is a very personal decision. I am booked for my prophylactic mastectomy April 16 at Princess Margaret Hospital. So I've decided to enjoy the winter down south, playing golf and getting myself into great physical condition to try and make my surgery go as smooth as possible. In all honesty, I'm not jumping for joy at having the surgery but I know for me, it is the right decision.

Good luck whatever you decide

MaryDee

Hi Regina, Please take your time with this decision, since your diagnosis is DCIS you have the luxury of time to decide what it is you really want.  My surgeons were happy to wait 7 months after initial lumpectomy before doing the mast (so that I could have chemo for another cancer) so there isn't a crushing hurry.  Once your breast(s) is gone, it's gone, you can't change your mind after that.  You need to be completely comfortable with your decision before you proceed.

I chose a unilat mast after reading extensively about recurrence risk. I found losing one breast completely devastating, even tho my surgeon did a very good immediate recon that matches my good breast perfectly.  My new breast just doesn't seem like my own yet...maybe one day it will, but I'm still grieving the loss.  Still having one breast intact has made the journey easier for me.

All the very best with your decision making.

robinlbe

My DCIS was found in my left breast.  I had surgery #1 - biopsy.  Surgery #2 was the lumpectomy, which would be more accurately described as a half-breast-ectomy.  Both surgeries showed high and intermediate grade DCIS and neither had clean margins.  The 2nd showed multi-focal disease which gave no choice but to have a mastectomy on the left side. 

I consulted with my BS, and two separate oncologists, after having an MRI.  Nothing showed up in the mammogram or MRI, but i wasn't convinced that there was "nothing" there.  Because my DCIS was ER+ (90%), PR+(60%), I would have had to go on tamoxifen if I had only taken the left side - AND I would have been put on watch for not only my right side, but also my ovaries.

I just turned 50, but I'm a "young" 50 with three younger children, and I am too active to take out more time in my life to go through all these tests, doctors appointments and such that I've gone through these past three months all over again - AND I just do not want to live with this cloud over my head.  I also had researched tamoxifen and didn't want to live with the side effects or the risks.,  I didn't think I could handle having only one breast.  I also wanted to avoid any extra financial expense later on as well.  I have a freshman in college, and in another year, I'll have two kids in college (and we still have a 12 y.o.)....and my money needs to go elsewhere

So, based upon all that, I opted for the bilateral.  Both oncologists and my BS had told me, before I made my final decision, that if I would choose a bilateral they would support that decision, and if I would choose the unilateral, they would support that one,as well.

Now that I am two weeks past my BMX, I know I made the right decision.  Yes, it was hard to look in the mirror that first morning after surgery.  Yes, it's still hard to look in the mirror.  But, I know I don't have to put any kind of extra chemical into my body; I can keep eating healthy and being healthy the way I've always been;  I can keep on being active the way I've always been;  I dont' have to live with that cloud and until I look in the mirror, I will probably forget that I ever had breast cancer....(maybe....)

robinlbe

test

ReginaR

Thank you all for your replys, You have no Idea how much reading these have help me. I appreciate your support!

  The surgery scheduler called & find out yesterday that I will be having my mastectomy next Friday Jan 29 & reconstrution surgey same day!

I do have a call into BS, Cause I am leaning toward a Bil. Mastectomy & want to make sure she on board for this. So now I just wait to hear from her.

Hope all of you are doing well!

Hugs

Gina Robinson

Giselle4

Hi Regina,

I just wanted send you lots of hugs and prayers for you upcoming surgery. I am 3 weeks out of my surgery, I had a right MX with immediate DIEP. Everyday I am feeling better and getting stronger. Like everyone has said it is a personal choice. I had DCIS only in the right breast with no lymph nodes involved. I am happy with my decision, I also am mourning for my right breast and trying to get used to it. Just remember the only job you have for your surgery day, is to go to sleep.

Best Wishes

Giselle 

sunnyhou

yes it is personal.. so go with your gut and what you can handle. I am young, with two very young sons. I have a STRONG family history so I opted to take both. I did not want to take tamox. and I did not want to go in evey six months for scans of the other breast. I am very pleased with my decision and after a second opinion on my mastectomy slides, the good side showed ADH that did not show up on MRI or Mammo.. so I am very happy that I decided to do this. I am almost done with my expanders and I think I look very good.. I have no feeling in my breast wich is kinda weird but all in all.. not a bad deal.. Plus I hated my old breasts.. they were lopsided and saggy