I have been away from this site for about 6 months since finishing my surgery for DCIS. I had a mastectomy and reconstruction and didn't give it a second thought. Now I am back with a DCIS diagnosis in my other breast and facing the same fate. Asking a few more questions this time and still coming to the same conclusion. I have had a lumpectomy and taking tamoxifen until I have my surgery later in the year. This time around I am doing things on my timetable.
Whilst this is early stage breast cancer and reconciling with the decision to have a mastectomy is hard, I just know that the fact that I am young (43), I don't want to go through radiation and jeopardise my changes of reconstruction in the future. I have a family history of BC and the fact that I have got DCIS in second breast (5% chance apparently), I need to deal with this by surgery and get on with living my life. I have lost two aunts from cancer and think how things could have been better for them all those years ago if they had had the opportunity to make decisions like I have. It was all too late for them.
Part of me does think they should have investigated the other breast further but we just have to deal with what information we have at the time we make a decision. I know what I am I for and I know I will recover and get back to living.
Jen
