Trying to decide which surgery.

I've never been where you are, but I always believe in following my instincts, as I trust them. Do whatever will give you the peace of mind and QOL you need to move forward with no regrets. Sometimes when we face such problems, we have a knee-jerk, emotional reaction, rather than a rational reaction. Gather whatever information you need before you decide. Although, probably well qualified, etc., your surgeon is not in your shoes. You could always seek a second opinion.  It's a hard decision, but only yours to make. Best Wishes~

I feel like each individual's decision is unique. I know that after a lumpectomy and re-excision, when my margins were not clean, I unequivocally chose BMX. Every doctor said, "This is not medically necessary." However, with dense breasts (no evidence of cancer on mammograms or MRI), I was certain that I did not want to live with that uncertainty. After my BMX, the pathology showed that I did have pre-cancers and cancer in the other breast. In a strange way, this news almost made me happy? I felt like I made the right decision for myself. I did not have reconstruction; so, the recovery was not too difficult for me - just tylenol after surgery. I began walking laps in the hospital the day of my surgery. I may choose diep reconstruction down the road. (Reconstruction seems to make recovery tougher?) For now, I wear prostheses. The ALND left me with a seroma and then Lymphedema. However, I would have had the same issues with a Lumpectomy. I will say that wearing the prostheses on a hot summer day can be very sticky (they are like little insulators trapping body heat). Sometimes I miss my breasts. I still am happy with my choices so far. I would NOT recommend a choice for you, though. It's a major surgery and can change your life significantly. I think that you should weigh your own needs and desires. I think that many breast surgeons promote lumpectomies over mastectomies these days. Would you need radiation after the BMX? (I did not.) I hope that you will get the answers that you need to make this decision. Wishing you strength and clarity.