Bilateral mastectomy

Girls, thanks so much for your messages. I had seen that post if your before Louie but it reminded how important it is to to something before the 'girls' are give to celebrate or remember them. I am out tonight with a bunch of friends for a bye bye boobies night so that should be great. I do keep telling myself this us the right thing to do, to be cancer free and reduce my risks of recurrance. I'll definitely do those things you've all suggested so thankyou. Suzy xx

Hi Suzy, the lead up to mastectomy for me was the hardest few days. The unknown, the fear and the emotions. I recalled how I managed in this post, not sure if you have seen it so here is the link. And I was terrified of regret. http://www.bcna.org.au/network/groups/61026/blog/67893

Everyone is different of course, and you will do what is right for you. If you feel like ypu are losing control perhps ask your GP for an anti anxiety med. This helped me alot leading up to and post surgey which was a very emotional time also.

Good luck and I hope you let us know how you get on,

XXX Louie

Hi Suzy. Jeanine has said it all and said it beautifully. There isn't much I can add but to say that it's perfectly normal what you are feeling. I just kept telling myself that I'm doing everything I can to get rid of cancer and minimise the risk of it recurring or coming back. I actually had a little get together with my girlfriends and female members of my family as a 'farewell boobies' party a few days before my op. We had a great time laughing and crying but mostly laughing. It was very cleansing. I also made sure I had everything I needed for hospital. Lastly I had a quite dinner with my husband and two children and we watched a really funny movie the night before I was due to go in. If you can't sleep, it might be a good idea to get some sleeping tablets to knock yourself out for a couple of nights as you'll need to rest up before your surgery. I did :) Keep telling yourself, this is what you need to do. Do some meditation and listen to relaxing music. It's a very nerve racking time but you'll get through. Love yourself and your family right now. Sending you lots of hugs Love Janey xxx

Hi Suzy. Jeanine has said it all and said it beautifully. There isn't much I can add but to say that it's perfectly normal what you are feeling. I just kept telling myself that I'm doing everything I can to get rid of cancer and minimise the risk of it recurring or coming back. I actually had a little get together with my girlfriends and female members of my family as a 'farewell boobies' party a few days before my op. We had a great time laughing and crying but mostly laughing. It was very cleansing. I also made sure I had everything I needed for hospital. Lastly I had a quite dinner with my husband and two children and we watched a really funny movie the night before I was due to go in. If you can't sleep, it might be a good idea to get some sleeping tablets to knock yourself out for a couple of nights as you'll need to rest up before your surgery. I did :) Keep telling yourself, this is what you need to do. Do some meditation and listen to relaxing music. It's a very nerve racking time but you'll get through. Love yourself and your family right now. Sending you lots of hugs Love Janey xxx

I'm so sorry to read about your diagnosis and impending surgery. I was in your shoes 16 months ago - trying to absorb the shock of a BC diagnosis and facing the terrifying prospect of bilateral mastectomies with expander implants. I had 13 days from diagnosis to surgery - truly the longest and scariest days I've ever faced. My biggest fear was of the unknown. I was so scared of what the pain might be like and of losing part of myself. I woke up crying every night feeling as though I was in a nightmare. I won't lie to you and say that the surgery was a breeze and that it wasn't painful. It was very difficult but once I was in hospital and things started happening, it was easier to deal with. I had lots of support which really helped but I do wish I had spoken with a counsellor because I have struggled with a profound sense of loss. Don't get me wrong - I'm so grateful to be alive and cancer-free, but as much as I didn't have strong feelings of love for my breasts, they were a part of me and now I don't have them anymore. You may not feel this way - everyone is different - but I wanted to let you know that I have survived five surgeries with another one to go and life does go on. You will find wonderful support on this network as many lovely ladies have suffered the same fate. Please keep us updated with progress reports and remember that if you are unhappy with any part if your treatment, speak up - be your own advocate and demand better care - you deserve it. Sending you positive thoughts and healing hugs, Xxx JeanineG