What would you do?

It is very individual but I didn't think twice. I won't go mastectomy unless/until it's my only option.

I had a very similar diagnosis as you. I was leaning towards LX throughout chemo but ended up changing my mind. It's a super hard decision to make. There were many times that I wished that it wasn't mine to have to make!

My biggest concerns that drove my decision - worries about the amount of breast left after LX, worries about the effects of radiation and "using up" that treatment, an area that they wanted to continue to "watch" in the other breast, concerns about symmetry - and - while not proven by research, a desire to do all I could in the hopes of never doing any of it again.

I had negative genetic testing and had only had one great aunt with BC at an older age. But - I also had an aunt with ovarian cancer, a grandmother with pancreatic cancer, and several uncles with prostate cancer. I was diagnosed on the younger side at 50 and felt that I had many years ahead of me to possibly face it again.

I don't know that I would have gone through with it if I would have had to have multiple surgeries, though. My second opinion BS recommended my PS and I was able to do a "one and done" surgery. In four hours, she removed the breast tissue and sentinel nodes and he placed implants above the muscle. I had two drains for six days.

It was hard but not unbearable. There were times that I second guessed my decision. I did grieve the loss of my real breasts and I still miss nipple sensation. But - I look really very good without any further surgery and I regained some sensation (mostly around the edges). I was lucky to be a candidate for nipple and skin sparing.

Implants don't have to be replaced unless there's a problem and they are lasting much longer than in the past. They also have many more options than before. I never considered using another part of my body to create a breast.

These are very difficult decisions to make and each woman has her own nuances that she brings to the process. There really is no way to know how you'll feel later about it. It's strange to me how some people just "know" what they'll do right away - with confidence. That was not me at all. And yet, a decision has to be made.

Good luck with making that decision. You just have to go with what you know right now and try to not look back.

urmy- keep in mind that we’re (the ones who’ve replied so far) on the other side of the decision. We all started where you’re at on having to make a decision. Take your time and research your options for yourself. The video link I posted is a great place to start. I agree you’re young and have a lot of years left which may lean you more one way than the other. Some people look at longterm potentials and take action toward that now. Others look at short term, do the quickest option that handles the problem for today and figure they’ll tackle it again in the future if need be with more in depth treatment. There is no right or wrong answer. But there IS a right answer for YOU. An answer that leaves you with a feeling of peace. Do your own research on the options. Look at before/after photos including lumpectomy/rads and mx with implant and mx with natural tissue recon. Then once you figure out which option leaves you with a feeling of peace, stick to it (everyone second guesses themselves right before hand). You made it through chemo...no matter which decision you make, you got this!

Yes to many of the same things - dense breasts, concerns about the usefulness of imaging (I found the lump four months after a normal screening mammo), and stuff in other breast. There were three "things" found on pre-chemo MRI in the R breast. After chemo, only one remained. Did chemo cause them to disappear like the cancer? Was it lack of hormones? They did not appear concerning enough to biopsy before or after chemo, but I didn't want to continue to watch anything.