Uni vs Bilateral Mastectomy

Hi B,

This is such a difficult position to be in and I too have been there. The girls have already given you great tips from their experience. While i did have both breast removed and immediate recon in hindsight I might do it a little differently.

In the crazy period of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment its easier to decide to remove your healthy breast at the same time as the affected breast for fear of a new cancer and needing to go through chemo and all the drama again. But the reality is that unless you are BRCA1/2 your chances of a cancer developing in the healthy breast is the same as the general population. So that means you have time to do the mastectomy/recon you need to do now, and give yourself time to think long and hard before you remove your other breast, which of course you can do at a later time if you choose.

I guess why I am saying this is that in a while after you have finished treatment and had your recon you will be able to make a decision involving less immediate fears. I very much miss my breasts and the sensation that I had and all that that means. I do sometimes wonder if I made a hasty decision and should I have waited until further down the track to decide about the healthy breast. Perhaps I still would have removed it, or I may have decided that it was too valuable a part of my body to lose.

The good thing is that you do have time if you choose to take it. I am 2 years post mastectomy now so the fears of chemo have faded a lot and might contribute to how I feel now.

Good luck with your decision, all the best LouieXX

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