Why Bilateral Mastectomy?

I had a unilateral in 04. Found cancer in other breast in 08. Could have had a lumpectomy but chose bilateral. Wish I had done the lumpectomy. I miss having sensation in my breast.

There is a thread about the regret of removing a healthy breast. You should read it. Some ladies are glad they did it and some regret it. I am in the second group.

Good luck on your decision.

I have really large dense fibrocystic breasts. Reconstruction to match the healthy breast would be tough because of the size difference, they both hurt all the time and they are so dense that you almost couldn't see the biopsy clip in one of them after they placed it. In other words, I have no faith that cancer in the other breast would be found in time, as it is, the cancer I have has been missed on every mammogram for years.

My surgery is next week too, I am dreading it but I know I am doing the right thing for my situation, I don't have to obsess about what the next mammo is missing or go through that much pain again.

It's very personal, there are a lot of women here that opt to keep their healthy breast and they seem perfectly fine with their choice too. Whatever will let you sleep at night!  

I had a BMX in October of 09 and I just finished my chemotherapy.  I had tissue expanders put in place at the time of my BMX.  Since I don't have to have radiation, I'll be able to have my permanent implants in about a month.  I only had IDC in my left breast.  I was 34 at the time of my diagnosis.  I have two small children (11 and 8) and this is what I considered when I thought about the unilateral vs the bilateral:

-- My breasts tend to fluctuate in size quite easily with my weight, which also fluctuates regularly.  10 pounds on me almost always changed my breasts close to a cup size.  I thought about "matching" that other breast and what would happen the first time I lost or gained some weight.  They sure wouldn't match anymore!

--  My age.  I didn't want to have to go thorugh all this again.  I didn't want it for me and I didn't want it for my girls.  I knew me, and I knew that I would have a nervous breakdown worrying about it coming back in the other breast.

-- Nipple sensation.  Believe it or not, (and this may be TMI) but my nipples were my "buttons," per se.  They served a BIG part of my sex life.  Even knowing that I was removing something that I knew I would miss in the bedroom (A LOT), it didn't outweigh (for me) the thought of leaving a place for cancer to return to.

-- Reconstruction.  Like I said earlier, I wanted them to match, and my plastic surgeon assured me he could do a much better job starting from "scratch" rather than trying to "match."

It really is a personal choice, and it's a tough one.  Honestly, when you get that diagnosis, everything goes so fast, and it seems like everything is just closing in around you and you feel you MUST make decisions so quickly -- it's a whirlwind!  For me, I had to have letters submitted to the insurance to get the bilateral approved, which proved to be not so hard.  I had my PCP and Onc send in letters by fax to the department that does "rush" prerequsites because my surgery was already scheduled for 5 days down the road.  I was given a decision in two days.

I don't regret it.  Do I miss my nipples?  Yes.  But for me, the second I realized I had the option to take them both off, I knew I wanted it.  I couldn't gamble with it down the road.  I'm only doing this crap once.  I don't ever want to have to go through chemo again, or surgery like that again.  The BMX is a big surgery, especially if you have the expanders put in.  You are sore, yes.  You feel like total and complete CRAP and it's fairly painful.  You have drains, that when removed, hurt like the fires of hell.  I'm not going to sugar-coat it for you.  It sucked.  But I would have wanted to know exactly what I was up against going into the surgery from someone that'd had it!

You can visit my blog and go to the October posts, and you'll see where I began posting the step by step pics and updates from my real breasts to the surgery, to the fills, and then I'll also post when I have my implants put in and the nipple recon.

It is your decision; however, this is a great place to get resources to help you fill in the blanks.  I wish you the very best as you start this journey.  It's long, but you'll find at the end that you look at life differently, and within this hell of cancer, you'll find strength within yourself that you never knew existed.  

Sumby

I am 43 yrs. old and only had one breast effected- BUT decided on BMX without reconstruction.  I decided this route because of the fact I want to undergo anymore surgeries if possible and I have been married for 16 years to a wonderful man who loved me for me.

If I would have been your age and single I still would have had a BMX but had reconstruction. 

You will make the right decision that is best for you.  Maybe you might want to keep the good breast in case you wanted to breast feed?  A lot of things to think about?

Not sure if you know when you have a Mastectomy-- You have no sensation or feeling in the chest area and will wake up feeling like you have an iron bra on that you can't remove.  (The iron bra feeling is due to scar tissue build up)-- after a few weeks of surgery and approval from your surgeon you can start doing lite stretches to help the tightness feeling lighten up.

I am so sorry that you have to go through this at such a young age!  I also agree with you that God can heal permanently!!  I pray for a Miracle in your Life and Wish you All the Best!!

Loretta 

Sumby -- Probably first of all, consider whether you're high risk, i.e. family history, lifestyle, etc.  Second to consider is do you want to go through treatment again, possibly later in life when you're not as strong?  I only had BC in one side, but had to fight with the insurance to cover the bilateral MX as "prophylactic" measure.  Thirdly, if you have the dense tissue and hard to see anything on mammo, ultrasound or MRI, I wouldn't think twice about it and do both.  You have many years ahead of you and it is your decision.  The trend years ago was women had the least amount of surgery required, now the trend is more aggressive -- according to the doctors. 

Shelly

SUMBY-  I'm sure you made the best decision that is right for you.  I wish you a speedy recovery.  Take it Easy and Give yourself time to HEAL.

Loretta

Sumby, so glad to hear "whole disease was removed and my lymph nodes are clear"!!!!!

That is fantastic news!!!!

Thanks for keeping us posted, and I wish you all the best for a speedy recovery.

Ann