mastectomy

jen1

hi ladies I will repost my question. Those of you who had a mastectomy but who had a choice with lumpectomy do you regret your decision to have a mastectomy. I am having problems with my lumpectomy breast. I have a lot of anxiety about recurrence.I am planning to have a mastectomy. What are your thoughts.

sheila888

Jen..my second time around I was sure i wanted a lumpectomy again and I did.

But my original choice started bothering me so i opted BMX without recon.....

I had it done on October 14 of this year.....And Yes it was the right choice

I start chemo in a week.

Good luck to you i know exactly how you feel...

Sheila

Suzanne50

Hi Jen - I had a lumpectomy in June but had no clear margins. I had the option of having another lumpectomy or a mastectomy. I opted to have a MX. I don't regret my decision. It was the right choice for me. I had DCIS cells throughout the breast so a second MX wouldn't have been successful. If you are feeling anxious, perhaps a MX is the way to go. These decisions can be so hard to make!! Good luck.

KBeee

I had BMX and it was definitely the right decision for me. No regrets at all

Helenna

Hi Jen, I've had absolutely no regrets. My surgeon said we could do either mastectomy or lumpectomy, I chose mastectomy because I wanted to get the surgery completed and start on the healing process. I had a wonderful surgeon, I had complete confidence in her. My recovery was uneventful and fairly fast, I went out to eat 6 days after surgery, was swimming laps at 5 weeks after surgery. It was the right decision for me

jen1

Thank you ladies for responding. I just hat having a breast full of scar tissue. Everytme I ask how can I tell difference between scar tissue and new lump they just say you have to know your body pay attention. Well I do that and my breast gets more lumpy I get ultrasounds and they say"oh its just seromas." I have so much anxiety. I know having mastectomy is no guarantee but it would give me a measure of peace. Am I wrong?

SueH58

Hi guys. I would think a mastectomy would be such a difficult, emotional ordeal. I know if my cancer recurs I will have to have a MX since I cannot have radiation twice. I'm sure if that happens I will have a BMX. When I had my lumpectomy, I had simultaneous reconstruction of both breasts and, I have to say, I have become fond of my girls. It would be very sad to say goodbye.

Thanks for letting me express--please share thoughts.

Sue

KBeee

Mastectomy is different for everyone as far as emotions. Though I breastfed 3 kids, I had mastitis A ton of times. My breasts were very small to begin with and were deflated and almost non existent after breastfeeding. Then I had a bunch of Lumps. Then cancer. I was happy to have them gone; they were nothing but trouble! My new ones are perky and I do not need a bra. They look much better than their predecessors.

Lolis197138

My lumps were big and a lumptectomy was not an option so I chose UMX. It was hard to say goodbye as I loved my boobs. No regrets here. If I were to do it again I would have probably gone through a BMX instead. It's hard to wear clothes and balance the two.

Cubbie2015

My doctors recommended I have a lumpectomy, but I opted for a mastectomy due to three factors: 1) my Gail risk score was higher than average (21% for my lifetime) so my risk of a second primary breast cancer down the road was a concern to me, 2) my strong family history despite all tested individuals coming up with no known genetic mutations, and 3) my dense, lumpy tissue which made it impossible for me to distinguish new lumps and difficult for imaging to see anything early. These were all things that concerned me more than they concerned my doctors, but we have to live with the risk, not our doctors.

I am also a person who is prone to anxiety, and I think I would have been in the doctor's office every month with a new possible lump if I had not had a mastectomy! I realized this in the weeks leading up to my surgery, after I had already made the decision. It was the right decision for me, but I really don't miss my oversized boobs. My seatbelt finally stays put and fits right!