surgery choice regrets??

I had a lumpectomy in 2010 and have never regretted it. I wanted to keep my breast. It is a very personal decision.

I am an A-cup. I had surgery on June 16th. I have intense anxiety and was scared to death. I had never had surgery before. After experiencing it I can tell you now that if I had to have surgery again tomorrow I would not be afraid at all.

I was offered a lumpectomy but that would have required radiation. I didn’t want to add 2 or 3 more months of daily radiation onto my 12-month treatment plan. I also just wanted to avoid radiation altogether in general. I chose a single mastectomy but I also opted to remain flat with no reconstruction because I wanted the fastest recovery. I also didn’t like the idea of a foreign object in my body. An implant just didn’t feel right for me.

My recovery has been very swift and there was no pain. My folks and my partner couldn’t believe it. They all expected me to be totally laid out. I took Tylenol and Advil twice. I had fatigue but no pain at all. I’ve healed up nicely and my mobility is great. It’s getting better everyday.

I’m a new kid on this block, and I was worried about trusting my instincts with such a tough decision. I’m so glad I did though. Trust your instincts. You’ll know what’s best for you.

It is a very personal decision with no right or wrong answer. I choose a lumpectomy for several reasons. First, because it was an option (which not everyone has). Second, because I like having breasts & knew that I would NOT want to go through reconstruction; which adds time off, more surgeries (as it's rarely a one shot deal), more pain, more everything to the recovery progress). I also wanted the quickest recovery time from surgery as possible (I was a teacher & was back in the classroom after a week). Radiation is annoying but only 6 weeks out of the rest of your life. If you live near your radiation center you can do it before work, after work, at lunchtime. The 'zaps' themselves take only a few minutes. If you live further away and want to keep working you, you can get an early morning, later in the evening appointment, or switch to part or 3/4 time during those weeks. I do look lopsided when naked, but perfectly normal in bras, including sports bras. My surgical nurse friend was diagnosed with BC many decades ago when she was a young mother. The only choice back then was to have a mastectomy. Years later (and after she had had two more children), reconstruction became an option, so she it done. She has seen BC from both sides of the operating table & her advice to me was, "If they offer you a lumpectomy, take it."