new to group new diagnosed

Hello......I truly believe that when it comes to your Health....and right now you are in Shock....in the end it is really what you want....it is your Show.......in the end your loved ones should respect your wishes.......we all go through this in the beginning.....everyone wants to tell you what you Should Do......I had come to a point that I just had to say.....When you get Cancer...You can do it YOUR way......Good Luck....Liz

I chose lumpectomy for the same reason as sjacobs. First of all, I was diagnosed well into my 60s, have neither family history nor genetic mutations, and am not a fan of surgery. The more drastic the surgery, the longer on the table and the greater the risks of anesthesia and infection. (Speaking of infection, I’m also allergic to the three most commonly used classes of antibiotics). Recovery from lumpectomy is faster with fewer complications. Second, developing a contralateral cancer (i.e., opp. breast) is not very common--so getting a bmx without other predisposing factors is sort of like amputating both legs when only one has gangrene. Third, you can still have a recurrence or mets even after bmx. Fourth, when only one breast is affected, the tumor is small relative to breast size and in an opportune location, lumpectomy + radiation has the same survival rate as mastectomy. When I got diagnosed, my first thought was “I want it out NOW.” But I never thought to myself “I want to get rid of everything that could develop cancer.” That is why I haven’t had anything removed that was still perfectly healthy--you can get cancer in just about every organ.

I'm so sorry that you're having to deal wlith all of this. And it's particularly hard when you and your support system aren't in agreement.

There's a thread titled "BMX vs. lumpectomy--please help me understand" which includes very thoughtful discussions of why one might choose one over the other. The couple of posts from Beesie in this thread are particularly helpful in providing lists of consideration. They're also very clear that the decision that's right for you might not be the decision that's right for someone else.

Take a look, but I'm wondering if reading that thread might be helpful for your husband and your mom to understand how you could reach the decision you have. But be sure to read it yourself first, so you're in a position to discuss it with them afterwards.

Best wishes,

LisaAlissa