Preventative Mastectomy

Not weird, not weird at all.

@SoldierCrab did you not have one breast removed that was for preventative reasons ?

I chose a bilateral mastectomy  (actually suggested by the surgeon) and reconstruction  given my family history. I could have had a quite deforming lumpectomy (lose nipple and a lot of breast..) but due to detection issues I wasn't interested in that.. (clear mammogram 5 weeks before... cancer invisible due to  breast density)

You may like to join the reconstruction group. 

Thank you for your kindness. I actually have not been diagnosed with breast cancer but have significant family history and every year i have to go for a mamagram. Over the last few years i have had to have biopsys. I am wanting preventative Mastectomy surgery as I am 50 years old and dont want to wait for what might or might not happen. Hope you dont think that is weird..Just a huge worry for me. Cheers 

I have to add that this freaked my husband out. He was all for let’s just deal with the cancer side and worry about the other side later and to be honest my surgeon also suggested that but it didn’t sit right with me. I trusted my gut and insisted on having both removed and am so glad I did. Was definitely the right decision for me xx

Hi there I opted for double mastectomy when only single was necessary. For me I was 37 with 2 small children and the only way I was going to cope was to categorise it. So step 1 surgery ( for me meant both because I never wanted to have to go through this again!) step 2 treatment step 3 recovery and maybe step 4 reconstruction am happy to chat more is you want to x

Hi there @Pahill. How’s things. I’m all for the preventative mastectomy like I told you trust your guts that’s what I did and don’t have any regrets. I just would of stayed super anxious all the time always poking and prodding the other boob and not to mention ongoing mammograms etc which I just don’t have time for.  I mentioned I took the left boob off first the one with the tumor as to avoid the rads which I’m glad I did too. Happy to chat anytime. I’ll pm you my number. Margie.   X

Similar to the other women, I had one breast that was confirmed as corrupt so I decided the other could not be trusted. Back in 2006 I had to interview 4 surgeons before I found one who would remove both. The local yokels here wouldn't hear of it so I had to travel to Melbourne.
It turned out to be a good decision as the '''healthy" breast most certainly was not. Luckily attitudes have changed a bit since then.
I would suggest you see a counselor of some sort and have a talk about this. It is likely that any reputable surgeon would want to know you have given the matter a great deal of thought and would probably want you to do that anyway, so you can both get ahead of the game a little as well as mentally prepping yourself for a very difficult decision. Take hubby with you for at least one session, all this affects him too--even though it is your body and it is absolutely your right to do as you please with it. Mxx

Hi there @Pahill , I was up for a left mastectomy with full  node clearance on that side. They had noticed "abnormal geography" on the right side and wanted to do more tests such as biopsies and so on. I had to really push for a double mastectomy as I felt really threatened by the possibility of the other side going feral as well. I  was getting all the reassurances of close monitoring and assorted tests on the right boob in an effort to allay my fears, until I put it to the surgeon like this. I asked her how she would feel if she had been told that a paroled sex offender lived in the unit next door to her. His door key fitted her door too, so he could have easy access to her unit. But never mind, the authorities have placed a tracking device to his ankle, so they know where he is at all times. He also has to report to his parole officer each week and has completed counselling regarding his previous offending. Soooo no worries, you'll be safe!!! I think not. After I put it into those words, she said she understood my fears and agreed to take both. As it happened, the pathology on the removed right breast showed lots of pre cancerous tissue.

@onemargie ?  You may have some words of wisdom.  

What would you like to know about preventative mastectomies? I've just had a double mastectomy after a tumour in one. Technically having that breast removed was called completion, and a good job too because they found more DCIS. The other breast was described as prophylactic. I have a bad family history, dense breasts, and a proclivity to occult cells (bad cells that can't be seen by scans). There were a number of other reasons. I am comfortable with my decision, so far anyway, it was less than four weeks ago, but it has not been and is not easy.