Advice please re surgery options
I had a lumpectomy + lymphectomy in Feb and they found multiple foci of DCIS in the margins but zero cancer in 23 lymph nodes
I was rushed into chemo due to a 'worrisome lesion' on my spine which they thought was probably not metastatic disease but treated me as though it was just in case. My post chemo scan found that lesion unchanged and the report says 'no sogn of metastatic disease.
They want me to have my right breast removed in a couple of weeks.
I said I wanted a bilateral mastectomy due to the risk of recurrence, but the surgeon is saying he will do my left breast when he does the first surgery for the implant reconstruction on my right, in about 6 months time.
Even though the team that reviews the cases said I was a candidate for immediate reconstruction because they don't think I will need radiotherapy, he does not want to do that, as he says doing the two ops together can cause complications etc.
I said yes to his plan (right breast mastectomy in a few weeks, no reconstruction til next year) but I came to work and sat down to tell my boss and started crying...I really am not happy with this plan, it seems like the worst option.
Am I being irrational? I really want immediate reconstruction and I feel the surgeon isn't giving enough weight to my concerns. When I said I don't want to be lop-sided, he said "your breasts aren't that big, it won't be too bad" - I am a 16DD! I appreciate the single mastectomy will be less traumatic now, but then I have an extra traumatic surgery to anticipate in 6 months.
A big part of my resistance is feeling like I have already been over-treated. They took my lymph nodes but there was no cancer and I've had intense chemo because of a lesion they never really thought was cancer. I know this is not helpful thinking but it is what I am thinking.
I would love it if members could help me feel better about this plan / let me know if they think I should push harder for options.
I was rushed into chemo due to a 'worrisome lesion' on my spine which they thought was probably not metastatic disease but treated me as though it was just in case. My post chemo scan found that lesion unchanged and the report says 'no sogn of metastatic disease.
They want me to have my right breast removed in a couple of weeks.
I said I wanted a bilateral mastectomy due to the risk of recurrence, but the surgeon is saying he will do my left breast when he does the first surgery for the implant reconstruction on my right, in about 6 months time.
Even though the team that reviews the cases said I was a candidate for immediate reconstruction because they don't think I will need radiotherapy, he does not want to do that, as he says doing the two ops together can cause complications etc.
I said yes to his plan (right breast mastectomy in a few weeks, no reconstruction til next year) but I came to work and sat down to tell my boss and started crying...I really am not happy with this plan, it seems like the worst option.
Am I being irrational? I really want immediate reconstruction and I feel the surgeon isn't giving enough weight to my concerns. When I said I don't want to be lop-sided, he said "your breasts aren't that big, it won't be too bad" - I am a 16DD! I appreciate the single mastectomy will be less traumatic now, but then I have an extra traumatic surgery to anticipate in 6 months.
A big part of my resistance is feeling like I have already been over-treated. They took my lymph nodes but there was no cancer and I've had intense chemo because of a lesion they never really thought was cancer. I know this is not helpful thinking but it is what I am thinking.
I would love it if members could help me feel better about this plan / let me know if they think I should push harder for options.
